1 of 5 The National Strategies Secondary Example lesson plan Year 7: Character development and Year: 7 Term: 3 SOW: Underground to Canada Lesson number(s): 4 Title: Character development and Objectives: Speaking and listening S&L1 Use talk as a tool for clarifying ideas S&L7 Answer questions pertinently, drawing on relevant evidence or reasons S&L14 Acknowledge other people s views, justifying or modifying your own views in the light of what others say Reading R12 Comment, using appropriate terminology, on how the writer conveys setting and character through word choice and sentence structure Assessment focus/objective Listen and respond to others, identifying main ideas, implicit meanings and viewpoints, and how these are presented Resources Copies of novel; Copies of Worksheet 1 Contrasting Descriptions Of Conditions At The Plantation; Copies of Worksheet 2 The Dangers of Running Away and The Dangers of Staying. Lesson sequence Starter Outline the key objectives of the lesson. Begin by recapping on what has happened in the story so far. What has Julilly experienced as a slave? Introduction 1. Hand out a description of Massa Hensen s plantation in Virginia and Massa Riley s plantation in Mississippi. 2. Read them through as a class and identify the contrasts between the two extracts.
2 of 5 The National Strategies Secondary 3. As a class, explore the language used in each extract and ask the pupils to pick out words and phrases that describe the conditions at the plantations. Draw out how the writer is manipulating the reader to provoke a response and to generate empathy with Julilly s character. 4. With the class, raise the question about Julilly and Liza s future. What choices do they have? Pupils to feed back. Development 5. Divide the class into two groups. One group will explore the dangers Julilly and Liza face if they remain at the Riley Plantation, and the other group will explore the dangers that they face if they attempt to escape. 6. Explain that each pair will be given a worksheet, which will contain some extracts from the text to help them. They must read through the bullet point questions in each worksheet and use the boxes to help them consider their points for or against running away. Explain to the pupils that this will help them to construct their arguments later during whole-class. 7. Allow the class 5 10 minutes to plan their arguments in pairs. 8. Bring the class back together and explain that we are now going to explore the advice we would give to Julilly as a class. 9. Revise speaking and listening rules for whole-class discussion and. Nominate a note taker to record the key points of the on the board. 10. Teacher to start with key statement The author gives Julilly no choice but to escape; if she stays at the Riley plantation she will die. 11. Whole-class. What do you think Julilly should do? What are her options? 12. Allow 10 15 minutes for whole-class. Plenary Ask the class if they would have advised Julilly to escape from Massa Hensen s plantation as she was still held as a slave. Refer back to the text used at the beginning of the lesson. Close the and bring the class back together. Homework N/A
3 of 5 The National Strategies Secondary Worksheet 1 Contrasting Descriptions of Conditions at the Plantations Massa Hensen s Plantation Julilly went inside the cabin where she lived alone with Mammy Sally. The flickering pine knot in the corner fireplace held blue flames Page 12 The little slave cabin was tight-roofed and plank-floored, as were all the other slave cabins at Massa Hensen s. Better than any other slave cabin in all of Virginia, Mammy Sally declared. She liked the Big House, too, where it was cool and wide and the logs were hewn smooth against the walls, ands the planked floors were shined and polished. Page 12 Now the night had come. Julilly huddled shivering near the cabin door. The plank floor of the cabin was warm and dry. The Whippoorwill called its evening song and the round, orange moon spread its gentle light. Massa Riley s Plantation Page15 But Julilly drew back into a corner. This wasn t like Massa Hensen s slave quarters. There was no laughter and almost no talk. The old folks leaned idle against the doors of two long rows of tattered huts. The children, with legs scrawny as chicken legs, sat scratching in the dust with sticks and feathers. They had caved-in cheeks that sucked the smiles off their tiny faces. At Massa Hensen s there had been gardens around the huts and a hen scratching here and there. But here the huts were low and ugly. The doors sagged on broken hinges and the walls of logs spread wide where the mud chinking had fallen out. Page 34 TASK: Pick out words and phrases that describe the conditions at the plantations. Public domain
4 of 5 The National Strategies Secondary Worksheet 2 The Dangers of Running Away More and more she and Liza talked of Canada. But they watched that no one listened. There were whippings for any kind of talk of running away. Sometimes however, the other slave girls in the cabin heard them and offered fearful words of caution. When I lived in Tennessee, one girl said, my Massa said that folks in Canada would skin a black man s head, eat up all his children, and wear their hair as a collar on their coats. I hear tell, another whispered, it s so cold in that country that wild geese and ducks have to leave there in the winter. It s not a place for men and women. Another girl said, Nothin but black-eyed peas can be raised in Canada. Page 43 There was an empty space beside a sullen, hunch-backed girl. Even in the dim light, Julilly could see ugly scars running down her legs and across her cheeks. Page 35 Julilly felt a strong urge to protect this beaten, crippled girl, who had once tried to run away. All alone Liza had run into the swamp, waded into the sticky water, and slept with no covering, until Sims tracked her down. Page 42 Although the conditions at Massa Riley s are poor, perhaps it is safer to stay than to face the dangers of running away. Would Julilly survive if Sims caught them trying to escape? Can she trust the rumours that she will be free in Canada? Julilly doesn t know how to get there. She can only follow the North Star as instructed by Mammy Sally. What advice would you give her to persuade her not to run away? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4
5 of 5 The National Strategies Secondary Worksheet 2 The Dangers of Staying This is secret talk I m tellin you now. Hold it quiet in your head and never let it out your mouth. There s a place the slaves been whisperin around called Canada. The law don t allow no slavery there. They say you travel north and follow the North Star, and when you step onto this land you are free. Page 16 Get to work you nigger girl, he shouted. His whip slashed down across her back. It pained like the sudden sting of a hundred bees. Julilly had seen others whipped, especially here at Massa Riley s, but she had never had the lash come down on her The sun glared with a white heat from the noonday skies. Sims returned to pace up and down the rows with his angry whip. Page 47 The author has created tension in the novel. The author gives Julilly little choice but to escape. Death would be preferable to staying at the Riley plantation. Julilly and Liza receive very little food and have to work hard all day. They risk being beaten by Sims and it is doubtful whether they will survive in such harsh conditions. Would escaping the horrors of the Riley plantation be better than staying despite the uncertain dangers she may face on the way? What advice would you give to Julilly to persuade her to run away? Point 1 Point 2 Point 3 Point 4 Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker. First published Clarke, Irwin and Company, Toronto/Vancouver 1977. 1978 Puffin Canada. Reproduced with permission of the Estate of Barbara Smucker and Penguin Group Canada