The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad

Section 1; p. 6-31

(2^nd- 3^rd grade plan)

Character Sketcher

Tommy Fuller

Character Traits (3):

1. Mischievous, page 17

Tommy was misbehaving during the church service, and disrupted the entire congregation. His father sent him home because of his actions.

2. Adventurous, page 22

Tommy disobeyed his father and went to his family’s barn. While there he played and talked with the animals.

3. Gullible, pages 26-28

Tommy seemed to believe everything that the runaways were telling him. All of it could have been lies. They could have kidnapped him!

Character Goal:

Tommy’s goal is to understand why the runaways are hiding in his father’s barn.

Problem:

Tommy’s problem is that he is not even supposed to be in the barn. His father told him to go home and to go to his room. Therefore his father may be upset with him when he realizes that Tommy disobeyed him and discovered his secret.

Solution:

Tommy could tell his father the truth about what happened and apologize for disobeying him. He could also tell his father that he wants to learn more about the Underground Railroad and that he too, would like to help the runaways.

Click here to see an example of a character sketch of Tommy Fuller.