African Americans

African Americans

A Guided Tour

Kim Gaudreau, Serena Rowe, Aimee Reeve, and Dawn Peck

The purpose of this tour is to help you get familiar with the history of African Americans. We will explore the life of slaves, their attempt to secure freedom, and the continued pursuit of civil rights. We will then study the contributions that certain African Americans have made to our society.

For your site souvenir, print out 3 copies of the African Americans 5W’s sheet. You will need to report on at least one person from each of the stops (except #3). You do not have to complete the tour in order. Just make sure to visit each stop.

You will find the 5W’s sheet here:

Stop #1

The map below shows the routes followed by slave traders between Africa and the “New World”. Visit this site to learn more about slavery.

Click here=> http://www.mce.k12tn.net/civil_war/slavery.htm

Slave trade from Africa to the Caribbean and the U.S. (Grolier Interactive, Inc.)

Stop#2

Take a Journey on

The Underground Railway

with National Geographic

Slaves attempted to secure freedom by traveling on the Underground Railroad to the Northern States and Canada. The map above shows some of the routes they followed.

Visit this site to learn about the different choices slaves had to make.

Click here=> http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/

Then print and answer the questions at the following link:

Click here=Underground questions sheet.

Stop #3

The Drinking Gourd

Slaves knew that freedom awaited them in the north. They knew they could find north by using the Big Dipper to find the North Star. For background information on the drinking gourd story follow this link:

Click here=> http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/gourd1.html

To learn more about the Drinking Gourd song, get a copy of the lyrics, and a link to the sheet music follow this link:

Click here=> http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/gourd.htm

Stop #4

Even after the slaves were freed, Black Americans continued to be denied civil rights. Visit the Time for Kids website and investigate their Black History Timeline, Then to Now.

You’ll learn when slavery ended, meet the heroes of the civil rights movement, and find out about recent challenges and successes of African Americans in our own time.

Click here => http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/bhm/0,8805,97502,00.html

Now take their Fight for Rights History Challenge by following the link on the top of the page or

Click here=> http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/bhm/0,8805,407205,00.html

To hear some famous Civil Rights speeches follow the Now Hear This link at the top of their page, or

Click here=> http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/specials/bhm/0,8805,97373,00.html

For more information on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. follow this link, and make sure to take the quiz.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/mlk/news/index.asp?article=home&topic=0

Stop #5

Many African Americans have made valuable contributions to our country. Visit the following web page at Scholastic to learn about some of them.

The Top Ten African American Inventors.

Click here=> http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/index.htm

To take the Famous Inventors’ Scavenger Hunt

Click here=> Inventor's Scavenger Hunt

Stop#6

Read and Explore

Use Scholastic’s interactive timeline to learn more about African Americans who have really made a difference in many areas.

Click here=> http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/read_explore.htm