Underground Railroad Exhibit: Teacher Resources - Lesson Plan Four
Welcome to Next Stop Freedom! An exhibit on the story of the Underground Railroad.
Canadian Teachers Guide
Lesson Plan Four: The Underground Railroad Pattern of Settlement
Grade Level: 7 & 8
Subjects: Social Studies (Geography & History)
Overview: This exercise will trace the human migration patterns of free Blacks and fugitive slaves from the United States to southwestern Ontario in the 19 th-century.
Purpose: Students will learn that the arrival of UGRR refugees both free Blacks and fugitive slaves represents one of the earliest waves of immigration into Canada. About 40,000 refugees came to Canada during the 1820-1860 period. Refugees settled as far east as Nova Scotia and as far west as British Columbia, but the vast majority settled in the Toronto-Windsor-Niagara triangle.
Objectives:
-
To demonstrate an understanding of the five themes of geography through the Underground Railroad study.
-
To identify and explain the patterns of human geography and describe how human activities are affected by these patterns.
-
To identify factors that affect migration and mobility.
-
To identify the locations where Black immigrants settled in southwestern Ontario.
Activities:
-
Teacher copies map of Ontario/Northern United States. Locations of UGRR communities are noted with a dot. A photocopy of this map is given to each student.
-
Students are given a list of Ontario locations and asked to find these locations on the map provided. (see below; List 1)
-
Students are asked to identify the bodies of water, the Canadian/American border, Ontario and the bordering American states.
-
Students are asked to recommend the best places for UGRR refugees to cross into Canada from the following:
|
a. New York State
|
b. Pennsylvania
|
|
c. Ohio
|
d. Michigan
|
Resource Materials:
List 1 : Alphabetic list of UGRR sites in Ontario:
|
1. Amherstburg
|
10. Niagara Falls
|
|
2. Brantford
|
11. North Buxton
|
|
3. Chatham
|
12. Oro Township
|
|
4. Collingwood
|
13. Owen Sound
|
|
5. Dresden
|
14. Puce
|
|
6. Fort Erie
|
15. St. Catharines
|
|
7. Hamilton
|
16. Toronto
|
|
8. Kingston
|
17. Windsor
|
|
9. London
|
|
Duration: One class period of approximately 30 minutes.
Expectations:
( Refer to Ontario Ministry of Education and Training documents. Social Studies 1-6 History and Geography 7-8)
Geography
Themes of Geographic Inquiry
-
use of the five themes of geography
-
Patterns of Human Geography
-
identify and explain patterns of human geography (eg. population distribution, population characteristics, settlement patterns and urbanization) and describe how human activities are affected by these patterns.
-
Migration
-
identify factors that affect migration and mobility
-
History
-
explain Canada's involvement in the Underground Railroad
|
