Civil War

Introduction
Stories past down generation after generations have said there were more than patterns in quilts .Some have said the patterns in quilts were used as secret messages to help the slaves on their journey on the Underground Railroad. How do you think secret messages aided the slaves?

Task
You are to follow the quilt squares in the Scavenger Hunt to decide if you think there were hidden messages in the quilts of the Civil War.

Process
Answer the questions in the Scavenger Hunt by clicking on the hyperlinked quilt square. This will take you to another website you will need to read and research to find the answer. (click here for a printable version of the Scavenger Hunt)

Scavenger Hunt

Were there hidden messages in the quilts? If there were, how did the patterns in the quilts help the slaves?

1.      What was the Underground Railroad?

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2.      What did it mean to be a slave?

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3.      Children as slaves? In order to answer the following questions, read about children and slavery .

Children were slaves if they were _______________________________________________________________________

At what age was it typical that children started to work? _________________________

What were some of the jobs that children performed?

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Did the slave families get to stay together? _______________________

How do you think it felt to be a child born into slavery? Support your answer.

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4.      There were generally two types of slaves, those that worked inside the house, House slaves

  and those who worked outside of the house, Field slaves

Compare the two types of slaves. Be sure read the narratives. They will help you to compare the chores, clothing, living arrangements, and food.

5.      Weaving, sewing, and quilting were done by slaves on plantations and wealthy homes. Why do you think that was?

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6.      In early America, what did the slaves use quilts for?

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7.      What type of fabric was used in making quilts after the Civil War?

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8.      Why were large shapes and strong colors used in quilting?

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9.      African quilt patterns often had breaks in the patterns. Why weren’t straight lines used?

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10. What are some family happenings that African quilts recorded?

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11. What are two ways in which the quilt patterns helped the escaping slaves?

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12. There were _______ patterns that were used as messages in the quilts.

13. Each quilt square had a meaning for the slaves. Pick three different patterns draw the pattern and tell what it meant.

Quilt Pattern

Make it meant

14. Define some of these words from the Underground Railroad.

Underground Railroad Term

What it means

conductor

agents

stations

passenger

15. Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Quiz.

                             How do you think you did on the quiz? _________________________________

16. What was the purpose of the Underground Railroad?

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17. Take a ride as a slave on the Underground Railroad.

       What happen on your trip? ____________________________________________

18. Watch this music video from History Happens: Stories from American History on Music Video on the Underground Railroad.

My opinion of the music video __________________________________________________________________________

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Conclusion

Now that you have completed the scavenger hunt take your new knowledge and decide what you position is on the quilts.

Choose one of the following activities and complete it:

1. Write a persuasive letter to the editor of the The National Civil War History Magazine supporting your view of the quilts.

2. Plan a quilt with patterns you have designed and hide a message.

3. Create a Power Point presentation sharing facts that you have learned and support you position concerning quilts.

4. Check out one of the books below and write a book talk about the book:

The Secret to Freedom
Marcia K. Vaughan

               ShowWay
                      Jacquline Woodson

                 Under the Quilt of Night
                          Deborah Hopkinson &  James E. Ransom

                 Follow the Drinking Gourd
                           Jeanette Winter

                        MOSES   When Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom
                           Carole Boston Weatherford

                       The Patchwork Path A Quilt Map To Freedom
                                 Betty Stroud

Evaluation Rubric
(click here for a printed version of the Evaluation Rubric)

	3	2	1	Student Score	Teacher Score
Computer Skills	Required little to no assistance navigating through the web quest	Required some assistance navigating through the web quest	Required a lot of support to navigate through the web quest
Study Guide	Fully complete with accurate information	Complete with a few errors or mostly complete	Mostly complete with a few errors or somewhat complete
Project/New learning	Demonstrates a clear understanding of new learning	Demonstrates an understanding of new learning	Demonstrates the beginnings of new learning
			TOTAL POINTS
TEACHER COMMENTS

Underground Railroad Term	What it means
conductor
agents
stations
passenger

Study Guide Hidden Message in Quilts- Fact or Fiction

Study Guide
Hidden Message in Quilts- Fact or Fiction