Schools participating in “From Hampton to New Bedford: A Network to Freedom” will be engaged by curriculum-based activities and materials that bring the past to life.
Aimed at students in the 5th grade, these web-based lesson plans tell the compelling story of the Underground Railroad at Hampton National Historic Site (Maryland) and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (Massachusetts). The plans also describe the journey of enslaved people of African descent living in America, their lifestyles and reasons for escape from a plantation. Through role play, critical assessment and exploration activities, teachers will lead students to consider the conditions of bondage, desires for freedom that led enslaved people to take great risks, travel difficult journeys, and face significant hardships for a chance at improving their lives, and why others took equal risks to help them.
Click here to download curriculum