Grade 8
The House of Dies
Drear, Virginia
Hamilton, novel, McDougal Littell, Literature
Connections, grade 8.
The House of Dies
Drear, Richard Wesley
based on the novel by Virginia Hamilton, drama,
Prentice Hall, Literature Silver, grade 8.
from Harriet Tubman:
Conductor on the Underground Railroad, Ann Petry,
nonfiction, McDougal Littell, Literature
Connections, grade 8 (also can be found in Prentice
Hall, Literature Silver, grade 8).
Visit http://www.TheCase.com/solveit/ and printout mystery stories to use
in the classroom.
Personal
Connection:
In the year immediately
preceding the U.S.
Civil War, about 4
million African Americans labored as slaves on
Southern plantations. Each year, several thousand
of these slaves would attempt to escape northward,
and many succeeded. Those who were recaptured,
however, might be beaten, maimed, or even killed.
If you had been a slave at the time, would you have
tried to escape? Why or why not? Write down your
thoughts for class discussion.
Activity:
Respond to the above
questions on a sheet of paper or respond
orally.
Historical
Connection:
The term Underground
Railroad-referring
not to a railroad but to a secret system of
individuals who helped slaves escape to the North
and to Canada--became popular after a slave named
Tice Davids escaped from his Kentucky master in
1831. David's bewildered master said that his slave
must have "gone off on an underground railroad."
The Underground Railroad had "stations" where
fleeing slaves could get food and drink. The
"commuter's ticket" was the password "A friend with
friends." Most important, the railroad had
"conductors" like Harriet Tubman, who helped escort
the slaves to freedom. Conducting slaves to freedom
became even more risky after the passage of the
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 made it a federal crime
to assist a runaway slave.
Geography
Connection:
View the routes that slaves
took. Underground
Railroad escape routes. Analyze the geographical features of
each state. Identify the states that were the most
difficult to travel through on foot and the states
that were the easiest to travel through on
foot.
Activities:
Imagine that you are a
detective called in to investigate the mysterious
events at the Dies Drear house. Write a report to
your superior summarizing what you have learned and
explaining how you will go about solving the
mystery. Remember that the tone of the report
should be businesslike. Also, you might want to
include drawings and diagrams to illustrate your
points. Revise to make your report as clear and
crisp as possible. Then share your report with the
class.
Write a story about a place
this is so mysterious that the characters fear it
might be haunted. Give your place an interesting
history that the characters can learn about by
piecing together a series of clues. Combine history
and mystery so that your readers will learn while
they are being entertained. Then share your story
with your class.
Internet Resources to use
for this unit:
Grade 6