Investigator Example

Sarny by Gary Paulsen

Section 3 (pg. 55-76)

How to do this job:

1. The teacher will provide you with information to research.

2. You will be given 5 questions to research and answer.

3. The teacher will provide you with web sites and other reference sources to use.

4. Make copies of the research you used to answer the questions, and give each group member a copy.

5. You will decide how best to share the information within your group.

6. You may choose to use highlighters to emphasize the key information you want them to read.

7. You may also assign each member of your circle one question to answer from their particular research copy.

8. Each question should be answered in the form of at least an 8-10 sentence summary paragraph.

Questions to answer from the research for section 3:

1. When did the Civil War begin? What one event is remembered as the starting point of the war?

2. What was the Emancipation Proclamation? Who wrote this document? Why was this document written?

v Go to the National Geographic website entitled, “The Underground Railroad.” Pretend you are a slave and are about to escape the south. Take the virtual “Journey” on the web page. Answer the following questions:

3. Choose one of the key people you met on your journey and explain their role in the success of the Underground Railroad.

4. Did you decide to continue on past Lake Erie, into Canada? Explain how you arrived at your decision.

5. Describe the different stops you made on your “Journey” north. In the Look-in box at the top right side of the web pages, click the down arrow to navigate to the page called, “Routes to Freedom.” Describe how far of a trip you have made to obtain your freedom.

Answers:

1. The war began in the year 1861. The Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter, South Carolina, which was being held by Northern Forces.

2. The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in all the states that had left the Union. President Lincoln thought the freed slaves would join the Union army. Many African American troops in the Union army wanted to fight in the war. The document was written by Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War.

3. I chose Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman, a former slave who ran away from a nearby plantation in 1849 but returns to rescue others. Guided by her “visions,” she has never lost a passenger!

4. Yes, I chose to continue on into Canada. I was told by agents on The Underground Railroad to press on to Canada, which refused to extradite fugitives. Northern cities in the United States may have felt safe, but it was a gamble. The Fugitive Slave Act, made much harsher in 1850, allowed slave owners to hunt for runaways anywhere in the country. Police and courts were required to help.

5. The route I traveled is based on Harriet Tubman’s actual journeys. There is a map on this page appears in an insert (at right). On modern roads, the trip would be 560 miles (900 kilometers) long. A strong, lucky runaway might have made it to freedom in two months. For others, especially in bad weather, the trek might have lasted a year.

Web Sites to use to answer your questions

1. http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/civilwar/timeline.htm

2. http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/civilwar/emancip.htm

3-5 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html