Lesson 3: Day 5 - The Underground Railroad in Philadelphia

Google Doc of This Lesson

Activity 1: In Search of Receipts

Overview: In this round-robin style activity, students will rotate through a curated set of primary and secondary sources related to Philadelphia’s Underground Railroad. Their goal is to uncover “receipts”—key pieces of historical evidence that demonstrate how Black Philadelphians resisted enslavement, organized freedom networks, and preserved their stories.

Time: 35 minutes

Format: Small Groups

Objective: SWBAT interpret historical sources to identify and explain primary and secondary sources related to Philadelphia’s Underground Railroad.

• Divide students into small groups of three to four students and assign each group a starting station. Give them 4 minutes per station before rotating.

• • Station 1: Watch Henry Jones short video + View Henry Jones- An 1838 Black Metropolis Story

  • Station 2: Read Finding an Underground Railroad Junction in Northern Liberties

  • Station 3: View Story Map- Freedom Seeking and New Life Building: A Fresh Look at Arriving in Philadelphia as a Freedom Seeker on the Underground Railroad

  • Station 4: Read  A School Principal AND An Underground Railroad Agent; Finding the identity of C.L.R

  • Station 5: Explore Underground Railroad Sites (UGRR) in the 1838 Black Metropolis Map 

  • Station 6:  Read Finding Harriet Jacobs’ Underground Railroad Safe House in Philadelphia

  • Station 7: Watch & Read  William Still and a free Black Region

  • Station 8: Explore From Paschall's Alley to the Harlem Renaissance: The Legacy of Deep Community Care

• At each station, students should take notes to answer the following questions:

• What evidence do you see?

• What does this source reveal about Black resistance or community action?

• Why does this matter?

• After all rotations, bring the class together for a brief share-out or reflection on which “receipts” felt most powerful—and why.

Activity 2: Fact Match

Overview: In this follow-up activity, students work in new small groups to compare takeaways from the round-robin resource stations. Through structured peer exchange, students reinforce and expand their understanding of historical sources by hearing what stood out to others and noting new insights.

Time: 15 minutes

Format: Small Groups

Objective: SWBAT compare findings from historical sources to deepen their understanding of Philadelphia’s Underground Railroad.

• Divide students into new groups of three to four students. Ideally, students will work with people who they didn’t get to work with during Activity 1. 

• • Tell students that they will explore their takeaways from each station. 

  • • As they move through each station:

    • • One member of the group should share a fact that they have with the group. 

      • Group members should write any new insights that they hear in their notes.

    • All members of the group need to share a note for at least one station. 

  • Remind students that the goal of this activity is to learn from their classmates by hearing what stood out to others when they were exploring the same resources. 

• Periodically announce that students should be moving from one station to the other.