Lesson Overview:
Students use a variety of sources, including photographs and artwork, to research and report on Harriet Tubman's life and accomplishments.
Length of Lesson:
Two 45-minute class periods
Notes:
This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 3-4.
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- use reference skills to locate biographical information about Harriet Tubman in reference materials and artwork relating to Harriet Tubman.
- organize facts about Harriet Tubman into two categories: information obtained from factual sources and impressions gathered from photographs, songs, paintings, etc.
- discuss what can be learned from one source that cannot be learned from the other.
- write paragraphs about Harriet Tubman's life using topic sentences supported by facts gathered from reference materials and/or impressions from photographs, songs, paintings, etc.
Supplies:
- Notebook paper
- Pencils or pens
Instructional Plan:
Warm Up
Lead students in a discussion of Harriet Tubman. Ask students to share what they already know about Harriet Tubman's life and accomplishments. Record student responses in the "K" column of a large KWL chart.
Ask students to share what they want to know about Harriet Tubman. List these questions in the "W" section of the KWL chart. Have students brainstorm possible sources of information that could be used to answer each of the questions posed.
Introductory Activity
Review the list of sources compiled in the Warm Up activity. Help students think of any resources they may have missed. (In addition to books, encyclopedias, and Web sites, students should consider photographs, images, and artwork potential sources of information.)
Tell students they will work with partners to conduct research on Harriet Tubman. Partners will select two sources of information. Each partner will read and take notes on one of the resources; partners will then share findings with one another. Partners will also select two artistic representations of Harriet Tubman and follow the same procedure. At the end of the research period, each student will be responsible for compiling his or her own report.
Discussion
Lead students in a discussion of general questions to answer when locating information about Harriet Tubman:
- When and where was she born?
- When did she die?
- What were important events in her childhood?
- What were some jobs that she had?
- What is she famous for?
- What character traits describe her?
Refer back to the "W" column of the KWL chart for specific, student-generated questions that should be answered as well.
Allow students ample time to research Harriet Tubman's life and accomplishments, using a variety of print (see Sources) and Web resources, including the following:
(Note: If computer access is limited, this selection can be printed out prior to class. Alternatively, you may wish to choose some descriptive text from children's books you have collected for the unit.)
Guided Practice Activity
After the students have located some initial information about Harriet Tubman, display some historical photographs for analysis and discussion:
Ask students to consider what kind of information a photograph can reveal. What is the difference between reading a text-based resource and "reading" a photograph? Discuss the fact that photographs can reveal unique information about a person, place, event, or time period, but that this information must be interpreted by the person viewing the photo. Each person's interpretation may be different. Tell students that in analyzing photographs, it is important to describe exactly what you see, to consider what you already know about the person, place, event or time period, and to weigh all of this information together to form an interpretation or conclusion.
In addition, have students look at the following artistic renderings to see what information they provide about Harriet Tubman's life, accomplishments, and personal qualities:
Ask students to consider how Harriet Tubman is portrayed in the various paintings. Are there any common characteristics or qualities that come across in the works? Does this confirm or contradict anything students have learned in their research? Point out to students that it is important to consider that an artwork represents one artist's interpretation of a person, place, event, or time period. Still, when considered along with other factual information, a work of art can contribute to our understanding of the past.
Allow students time to analyze the photos and artworks, recording any helpful observations for their final research paper.
Independent Activity
Have students organize their research findings into two categories: facts gathered through text-based research and facts discovered from artistic selections. Have each student write a paragraph about one of them. Review the required elements for this assignment: each paragraph should include a topic sentence, with three or four supporting sentences related to the topic sentence. The paragraph must demonstrate correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Have each student revise his/her paragraph and submit a final copy.
Closure
Have students share what they learned about Harriet Tubman from their research and discuss which of her character qualities they would like to have.
Invite students to share information from their various sources, indicating whether the facts came from text-based research, photos, artworks, or some combination. Record student findings in the "L" column of the KWL chart.
Ask students to consider which sources proved most helpful in their research. Which questions were best answered through reference materials or other factual sources? Which are best answered through an analysis of photographs or artistic representations? Why?
Assessment:
Use the Assessment Rubric provided to evaluate the paragraphs. You may wish to have students use the same rubric for purposes of self-assessment.
Extensions:
Proceed to Harriet Tubman Integrated Unit: Lesson 2, in which students create artworks depicting scenes from Harriet Tubman's life, in the style of Jacob Lawrence.
Have students develop a script for a play about Harriet Tumban's life. Students should identify five key roles. As a class, they should develop a list of character traits of each of the five main characters. They should then list specific events to be included in the drama. Divide students into groups to create their own dramatic representations of the varous events. In groups, they should develop a scene about their event in Harriet Tubman's life. Encourage students to include and integrate the paragraphs that were previously written about Harriet's life.
Sources:
Web:
Authors:
-
Gladys Van Der Woude, Library Media Specialist
Catherine T. Reed Elementary School
Lanham, MD
