Using Primary Sources: Fact or Fiction

Overview:

In this activity students will be divided into groups and look at a primary source and accompanying description. They then must decide if the description is fact or fiction based on what they know about the Underground Railroad.

List of Materials:

• Fact or Fiction Activity sheet: PDF or Word
• Complete list of Primary Sources: PDF
• Descriptions (you may copy and paste these descriptions into which ever format you choose): PDF or Word
• Vocabulary list: PDF or Word
• Envelope (optional)
• Printable postcards (optional)

Instructions:

1. Complete a series of lessons of your choosing on the Underground Railroad
2. Distribute an envelope with one primary source and its corresponding description. Make enough copies of the description for each student in the group.
   1. A fun way to do this is to mark the envelope "Top Secret" or "Confidential." You can run the envelope through a computer printer to achieve the desired affect. Click here for an example!
   2. Try to print the descriptions in a large font on postcards.
3. Distribute the activity sheet. Ask students to compete all questions.
4. When students are finished, have each group share their theory with the entire class.

Primary Source Materials:

These pages show the primary sources in more detailed, including description, creator, creation place and date for each source. For ease in application of the Fact or Fiction Activity, all sources have been converted into one PDF document that will print one source per page (see Packet of Primary Source Materials).

• Abolition Token
• Oberlin Resucers Photograph
• John Rankin House Photograph
• Runaway Slave Broadside
• Underground Railroad Map
• Paul Laurence Dunbar House
• Quilt
• Shackles

 

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