Urbana Junior High eighth graders spent Monday, April 24, at the Ohio History Connection in Columbus solving an Underground Railroad mystery.
Students traveled through the Ohio Village interviewing citizens, asking them about their thoughts on the Abolitionist Movement, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and the controversial novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Students gathered information about each citizen, then tried to discover which one was a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
This program allows students to use real-world skills and apply what they have learned about Ohio’s role in the Underground Railroad to determine who might have been involved and what their personal motives might have been for supporting this cause.
Students also spent time in the Ohio Historical Society learning about Ohio and its important role in American history. A grant from Target helped to finance the trip.
