Children’s Literature AssignmentTaylor WeaverEDUC 128/228

1. Name of Children’s Book:

Levine, E., & Nelson, K. (2007). Henry's freedom box. New York: Scholastic Press.

2. Summary of Children’s Book:

Henry’s Freedom Box is a picture book based on the life of Henry “Box” Brown, a slave who escaped to freedom by mailing himself from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a wooden crate. Henry was born and raised a slave. When he was a young man, working at a tobacco factory for the son of his former master, Henry met a young slave woman, Nancy, who eventually became his wife. The couple was able to be married and live together even though they had different masters. They had three children together and were relatively happy, but they worried that Nancy’s master would sell their children due to financial struggles.

One day, Henry was informed that his wife and all of his children had been sold at the slave market. Henry was devastated. Knowing that he would never see his family again, Henry decided that he would attempt to escape to freedom. He enlisted the help of his friend James and a white man, Dr. Smith, who was against slavery. They nail Henry into a wooden box and mail him to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Henry spends many cramped hours in his crate, sometimes upside down and in very uncomfortable positions. He travels on a steamboat to Washington D.C. and in a railroad car to his destination. Henry arrives safely and becomes one of the most well known runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad.

Grade Level: 5th

3. Questions:

Pre-Reading: What are some things you know about slavery in the United States? You can tell us

things you have learned through our unit so far or things you already knew.

What prior knowledge do you have about the Underground Railroad? The title of the book I am going to read to you is Henry’s Freedom Box. Based on the

title and the cover art, what predictions do you have regarding what this story might be about?

During Reading: What would you do if your family were taken away like Henry’s was? What struggles do you predict Henry will encounter during his trip to freedom? What do you think Henry is thinking about while he is in his box?

Post-reading: Do you think this story is a true story? Why or why not? What do you think Henry’s life was like after he reached Philadelphia? What do you

think he did next? What adjectives would you use to describe Henry as a person? Henry’s life was obviously very different from all of your lives. What connections can

you make to Henry or the story to help you really comprehend?

4. Activities to follow the Book

ACTIVITY ONE:

a. Content Discipline: Geography, history, creative writing or reading/language, drama, music, expressive arts, science, math, science, OR economics, etc.

b. What NCSS strand(s) fits this activity? This activity fits into the NCSS Strand II (Time, Continuity, and Change) because it helps students to gain perspective that will help them construct their knowledge and understanding of historical events.

c. Objective: Having read Henry’s Freedom Box and experienced the “imaginary journey” in-class activity, students will create a reflective product (thoughtful essay, poem, song lyrics, rap, painting, art project, etc.) to demonstrate the connections they have made to the text and the reality of the Underground Railroad.

d. Activity

Materials:- Desk chairs- Sound effects CD (or digital track) of waves/sea sounds and train sounds- Paper- Pens, pencils, crayons, markers, scissors, tape, miscellaneous art supplies

Procedure: Read the portion in the back of Henry’s Freedom Box that gives more details about

Henry “Box” Brown

Prepare students for an “imaginative journey,” explaining that the lights will be off, they will be closing their eyes, they need to exhibit maturity, and that they will need to be listening and reflecting upon the narrative so they will have material with which to create an important project.

Warn students again that the lights will be turned off, reminding them of the expectation that they will be mature, and turn off the classroom lights.

Ask students to close their eyes and imagine that they are a slave, just like Henry. Lead students through an imaginative journey, using descriptive words that will evoke emotion and understanding. Detail is good, but use judgment about what level of detail your students can handle. Here is an example of things you could say:

You live with your parents and your brother and sister in a one-room shack on your master’s property. The floor is dirt and your feet are always caked in it because you do not have any shoes. Your feet are calloused from walking barefoot your whole life and your hands are blistered from working in the fields all day long. It is hot where you live and you are almost always sweating. The stench of body odor fills your home, but you hardly notice because it is what you are used to. There is no bathroom but a hole in the ground inside a small wooden shack, infested with bugs and rodents. You don’t have any friends other than your family because you are not allowed to talk to the other slaves while you work, and you work every day, except for Sunday mornings when you are expected to attend a church service performed by your master. You know that some of the other slaves don’t have a family like you do, so you feel very lucky. You know, though, that any day, the master could decide to sell one or more of your family members and you would not have a say in it. You are in constant fear that you or your parents or one of your siblings will be sold. Then one day, you are pulled from the field and brought to the big fancy house where the master and his family live. Waiting there is a tall man with a black beard that is starting to grey. His eyes are slate grey and look mean. He narrows them at you and comments on every part of your body and asks the master questions regarding your age and how hard you work. Then he and your master argue over how much money you are worth. When they reach an agreement, a rope is tied around your wrists and you are led on a leash, like a dog, to the back of a wagon where a few other slaves you recognize are already huddled together and you are forced to join them there. Your family is not there. You start to cry, but you worry that if you protest or scream, you will be beaten with a whip, so you hold your breath. You forgot to tell your parents that you love them that morning. You will never see them again.

Continue on with a story that is similar to Henry’s where the students decide to try to escape to freedom. When it comes time to get in the box, have the students crouch under their chairs, making their bodies as small as possible. Continue the imaginative journey, describing emotions and physical reactions one might have to being cramped in a tiny box fearing that you will be discovered and beaten or killed.

Give students a frame of reference for how long the 27 hour journey would be, by talking through the daily activities of a typical 5th grader.

Once the imaginary journey is complete, turn the lights back on and allow students to chat with a partner or in small groups about things they thought and felt throughout the journey.

Explain that each student will create their own project to express their reflections upon slavery, the Underground Railroad, and Henry’s Freedom Box.

Pass out copies of the project rubric and spend time giving ideas and examples and answering questions. Make sure to let students know that they are not bound by the examples of projects given and that they can be as creative as they like.

Allow students to brainstorm with each other and meet individually with students who appear to be struggling to come up with ideas.

Give students ample time to work in class.

Ideas for Differentiation: Since this assignment is arts based, differentiation is built into its DNA. Students can be as creative as they like and choose a medium that works for them. Some students, however, may need a bit more structure. As a teacher, it is important to meet individually with these students and to help them develop a plan for their project. You may even need to give them a more specific checklist than what is listed on the rubric.

e. Assessment

Henry’s Freedom Box Project Rubric

Create a project that expresses your feelings about and reflections upon the story of Henry and his “freedom box” and the class imaginative journey. Project ideas

include but are NOT limited to: short story/creative writing, poem, song, rap lyrics, drawing or art project, play. Write a short (at least one paragraph)

explanation of your project that explains why you chose your project and how it connects to the text and the activity. Be as creative as you can and make sure to

do your very best work!

It is clear that very little effort has been put forth. The work is sloppy and incomplete.

(Points: 0-1)

Work is complete, and some time and effort spent are evident, but parts are sloppy.

(Points: 2-3)

Project is complete and it is clear that a lot of time and thought went into creating it. Work is neatly done.

(Points 4-5)The project is loosely tied to the text and/or activity, or is completely unrelated.

(Points: 0-2)

The project is connected to the text and/or activity, but lacks evidence of thought and reflection.

(Points: 3-5)

The connection to the text and activity is clear and thought provoking.

(Points: 6-7)There is no accompanying introduction or explanation included.

(Points: 0)

The accompanying introduction or explanation is too short or unclear.

(Points: 1-2)

The project is accompanied by a brief but clear explanation or introduction.

(Points: 3)

ACTIVITY TWO:

a. Content Discipline: Geography, history, creative writing or reading/language, drama, music, expressive arts, science, math, science, OR economics, etc.

b. What NCSS strand(s) fits this activity? This activity fits into the NCSS Strand III (People, Places, and Environments) because it requires students to think about human-environment interactions using prior knowledge about regional landscapes and a map to identify challenges slaves might have faced on the Underground Railroad.

c. Objective: Having read Henry’s Freedom Box, 5th grade students will identify the route Henry took on a map of the Underground Railroad and will work in small groups to list possible challenges slaves would face on two other routes of the Underground Railroad using the map and their prior knowledge about regional landscapes.

d. Activity

Materials:- Henry’s Freedom Box- Copies of Underground Railroad Map for students (view possible option below)- ELMO or other projection device- Paper and Pencils-Highlighters

http://mapoftheweek.blogspot.com/2012/02/pennsylvania-underground-railroad.html

Procedure: Re-visit the challenges Henry faced on his road to freedom. Clarify for students, using a projected image of the map as an aide, that the Underground

Railroad was not one route, but a complex web of many different routes to many different destinations. Discuss the fact that slaves attempting to escape would face different challenges depending on which route they took. Specifically mention challenges due to terrain, weather, distance, etc.

Pass out individual copies of maps to students. Review the features of the map with the class. Point out the color borders between slave

states and free states, the lines that represents routes of the Underground Railroad, the fact that some routes overlap, etc. Clarify that slaves were not only located at the “beginnings” of the routes and would be beginning their journey from wherever they were enslaved.

Ask students to attempt to identify the route Henry took to freedom. Remind them that he began his journey in Richmond, VA and ended up in Philadelphia, PA by way of Washington D.C. Allow students to help one another.

Once most students have found the route on their maps, lead the class in highlighting the route on their maps.

Divide the class into small groups of no more than 4 and instruct the groups to select two different routes by highlighting the routes on their maps.

Have students work in their groups to brainstorm about challenges slaves traveling along their highlighted routes might encounter based on their knowledge of the terrain (geography lessons about regions in the United States will have taken place earlier in the

year) and inferences they can make based on their knowledge about the Underground Railroad.

A recorder for each group will write down their group’s ideas. Lead a class discussion to compare and contrast the results of group discussions. Students will complete an “Exit Slip” to individually demonstrate their understanding

about the challenges of escaping from slavery.

Ideas for Differentiation: Gifted students can work in a separate group and use the internet to research a particular

route of the Underground Railroad, map it on the classroom map, and present their findings to the class.

Struggling students could receive maps with pre-selected routes and paragraphs (written in simple language) describing the land and climate for those routes.

e. Assessment

The teacher will use a class list to notate whether or not students are participating in groups and speaking up in class discussion. Students will also be evaluated using a checklist on their response to a prompt on an “Exit Slip.”

CHECKLIST:

EXIT SLIPThis is your pass to recess!!!

Using what you have learned from the book Henry’s Freedom Box and our activity in class, list at least 5 dangers and/or obstacles slaves faced when

attempting to escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

Valid danger or obstacle given. (1)Valid danger or obstacle given. (2)Valid danger or obstacle given. (3)Valid danger or obstacle given. (4)Valid danger or obstacle given. (5)Statements made are related to Henry’s Freedom Box or the in class activity.Statements are clear and logical.

ACTIVITY THREE:

a. Content Discipline: Geography, history, creative writing or reading/language, drama, music, expressive arts, science, math, science, OR economics, etc.

b. What NCSS strand(s) fits this activity? This activity fits into the NCSS Strand II (Time, Continuity, and Change) because it requires students to use acquired knowledge to “reconstruct the past” by creating pieces of writing from the points of views of historical characters.

c. Objective: Having read Henry’s Freedom Box and learned detailed information about slavery and the Underground Railroad, 5th grade students will use the RAFT format to create pieces of writing, at least one page in length with minimal mistakes in writing conventions, that highlight the points of views of fictional historical characters.

d. Activity

Materials:- RAFT brainstorming forms (see attached)- ELMO or other projection device- Chart paper- Markers- Pencils- Computers with word processing software- Printer

Procedure: Introduce or review the RAFT format. R = Role, A=Audience, F=Format, and T=Topic.

Project the form students will use on the board so they may become familiarized. Explain that students will be using the RAFT writing process to create a piece of writing

that deals with the Underground Railroad and slavery. Explicitly say that the “T” or topic of everyone’s RAFT form will be “Underground Railroad and slavery in America.”

Divide students into three groups and assign each group one of the remaining letters of RAFT.

Ask the groups to come up with examples for their part of the RAFT form that would work with the topic assigned.

Circulate around the room to help struggling groups and make sure every student’s voice is heard.

Bring the class back together and make a large chart, using chart paper and markers, that lists the ideas for R, A, and F.

Make sure that plenty examples are given for each letter. Some ideas are listed below:

Role: Slave, Freed Slave, Slave Owner, Reporter, AbolitionistAudience: Slave Master, Newspaper readers, SlavesFormat: Letter, Diary, Newspaper article, Instructions

Tell students they will choose their own Role, Audience, and Format and will be able to brainstorm and draw up a rough draft on their own RAFT form before typing a final draft.

Go over expectations for the assignment and the rubric (see attached). Pass out RAFT forms (see attached) and rubrics and circulate the room to help students

who appear to be stuck or struggling. Once students have completed their rough drafts, have them proofread for errors and then

exchange with a partner for editing and feedback. Have students type their final drafts in a word processing document. If desired, laminate and bind students’ final drafts to create a book to show parents at

conferences. If students are aware you are doing this, they will likely give their best effort.

Ideas for Differentiation: Give gifted students the option of working together to create a play or working

individually to create a monologue. These students could put together presentations (complete with costumes! ) to share with the class.

Struggling students may need more guidance and clarity on what options would work best together and require assistance getting started. It may be prudent to assign specific roles, audiences, and formats to these students. For example: I would like you to pretend you are a slave and write a letter to your slave owner.

e. Assessment:Students will receive and be evaluated according to a rubric (see attached

RAFT Rubric

4-5 Points 2-3 Points 0-1 Points

Perspective and Focus

The role and audience are clear. The ideas and topics are relevant to the role and make sense within the format.

The role and the audience are not always clear. The ideas expressed are relevant to the topic but do not always make sense for the role or within the format.

It is unclear what role is being played and who the audience is. Thoughts are unorganized and irrelevant.

Historical Accuracy

There is clear evidence of use of information learned about slavery and the Underground Railroad and the information is accurate.

Some historical information is included. It may not be entirely accurate.

Either no historical information is included or the information included is inaccurate.

Mechanics There are few to no errors in spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, etc.

There are some errors present in the writing.

There are many distracting errors present in the writing.

Creativity and Effort

The final product is well thought out and creative.

The final product makes sense, but is not the student’s best work and lacks some thought.

The final product is thrown together, unoriginal, and demonstrates little to no effort.

Length Final product is at least one page.

Final product is almost one page.

Final product is either much too short or incomplete.