Classroom Guide for The Secret to Freedomby Marcia Vaughan, illustrated by Larry Johnson
Reading Level *Reading Level: Grades 2-3 Interest Level: Grades 1-5 Guided Reading Level: M Accelerated Reader® Level/Points: 3.7/0.5 Lexile™ Measure: 520 *Reading level based on the Spache Readability Formula  Download this guide in PDF
Themes Courage, Family Ties, Slavery/Civil War/Underground Railroad, Communication, Quilting, African American Interest Synopsis Great Aunt Lucy tells her grandniece the story of an old quilt square which symbolizes an important role played by quilts in alerting slaves about escape plans during the pre Civil War years. Lucy’s brother brings home some quilts from another plantation where he has been on loan. He explains how each quilt pattern has a special meaning for slaves planning to escape on the Underground Railroad. For example the monkey wrench pattern means “collect tools needed” and the wagon wheel pattern means “pack belongings”. Whenever an escape is to take place, Lucy hangs out the quilt indicated by her brother. He then leads the runaways to where their journey will begin. When Albert is caught off the plantation and whipped one night, he knows he too will have to run. Lucy remains behind knowing that she would only slow down her brother because she is lame, but she gives her brother a quilt square with a bright yellow star on it for good luck. Many years later, after the war is over, Lucy receives the quilt scrap in the mail and learns that her brother is alive and well and coming to visit her. Background The Underground Railroad was a covert system of trails, people, and safe houses that helped slaves escape during the years 1804 to 1865 when slavery was abolished. More than 75,000 fugitives made their way from southern plantations to states in the North or to Canada. The runaways were known as “passengers,” the guides were called “conductors,” the safe houses were “stations,” and those who hid the slaves in their homes were “stationmasters.” Since most slaves did not know how to read or write, and few had ever been off the plantation, a system of codes and secret signals was used to pass along information needed by the fugitives. Among these signs were specific quilt patterns. The quilts were hung outside on railings to convey their messages. See the Author’s Note at the end of this guide for information about the meanings of the most important quite patterns. The patterns are also pictured on the back cover of the book. Before Reading Prereading Focus Questions Before introducing the book, you may wish to have students discuss one or more of the following questions as a motivation for reading.
Exploring the Book Write the book title on the board. Ask students: What is freedom? Why do you think there is a secret to it in this story? Display the book and invite students to examine the cover illustration. Ask students what they think is the girl holding. What might that have to do with freedom? Who are the people in the background? Setting a Purpose for Reading Ask students to read to find out what the secret is in this story, and how it relates to freedom. Vocabulary Write the following birthday-related words from the book on the chalkboard. Challenge students to think of different ways to sort the words. For example: food, things to do at a party, kinds of celebrations. Encourage students to add other words to each category. Then have students take turns using the words in their own sentences.
After Reading Discussion Questions After students have read the book, use these or similar questions to help guide their understanding of the book. Encourage students to refer to passages in the book to support their responses.
Literature Circles If you use literature circles during reading time, students might find the following suggestions helpful in focusing on the different roles of the group members.
There are many resource books available with more information about organizing and implementing literature circles. Three such books you may wish to refer to are: Getting Started with Literature Circles by Katherine L. Schlick Noe and Nancy J. Johnson (Christopher-Gordon, 1999), Literature Circles: Voice And Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups by Harvey Daniels (Stenhouse, 2002), and Literature Circles Resource Guide by Bonnie Campbell Hill, Katherine L. Schlick Noe, and Nancy J. Johnson (Christopher-Gordon, 2000).
Reader's Response Use the following questions or similar ones to help students engage with the story and personalize the text. Students might respond in reader’s journals, oral discussion, or drawings.
Other Writing Activities You may wish to have students participate in one or more of the following writing activities. Set aside time for them to share and discuss their work.
ELL/ESL Teaching Strategies These strategies might be helpful to use with students who are English language learners or who are learning to speak English as a second language.
Interdisciplinary Activities To help students integrate their reading experiences with other curriculum areas, you might try some of the following activities. Social Studies
Language Arts Write these similes from the book on the chalkboard. Teach students that a simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words like or as. Then have students identify the two things being compared in each simile.
Science Explain that the fugitive slaves traveled at night through fields, woods, and swamps to avoid detection. The North Star served as a guide on clear nights. The North Star, also known as Polaris, is the last star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Help students identify this constellation, as well as the Big Dipper, on a star map. They may also wish to try finding these constellations in the sky on a clear night. Art Encourage students to study the patchwork quilt patterns shown on the back cover of the book and read about the meaning of each. Then challenge them to design their own patterns that convey “secret” messages. Music Have students learn the words to the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” Then help students decode the song to find the directions to freedom. You might also introduce two other songs used by fugitives: “Chariot’s a Coming” was sung to announce the arrival of a conductor (guide) on the Underground Railroad, and “Good News Neighbor” was sung to report the safe arrival of a fugitive in free territory. Author's Note In the years before the Civil War began in 1861, the Underground Railroad helped more than 75,000 slaves reach freedom. The Underground Railroad was not actually a railroad, and it did not go underground. It was a secret system of pathways and trails that guided escaping slaves from Southern plantations to the Northern states and Canada where slavery was illegal Members of the Underground Railroad were black and white, male and female, free citizens, slaves, and former slaves who had gained their freedom. Runaway slaves were called “passengers,” while those who guided them along the way were called “conductors.” “Stationmasters” were people who hid the runaways in their homes or other safe buildings called “stations.” Most slaves had never set foot off their plantations and knew little about the North or how to reach it. Because of this, signs, symbols, and codes were used to transmit important information to slaves planning to escape on the Underground Railroad. Common quilt patterns made up one of these codes. The quilts could be hung out to air without being noticed by the plantation owner, yet for slaves who knew the code, the quilt patterns told them how to plan and carry out their escape. The most important quilt patterns in the Underground Railroad code are described below. There are also pictures of them on the back cover of the book.
About the Author Marcia Vaughan is a full-time writer and former librarian who began writing out of her love of reading. She says, “I loved reading other authors’ books and thought I’d like to try writing them, too!” Since then, Vaughan has written more than eighty-five books for children. These include Up The Learning Tree, as well as award winners such as Whistling Dixie, Wombat Stew, and Snap! The idea for The Secret to Freedom came to Vaughan while channel surfing on her TV with the sound off. She saw an elderly black woman sitting with a young girl at a table and began to imagine they were talking about the woman’s past. Drawing on her recent reading about slavery and the Underground Railroad, Vaughan imagined “the woman revealing an amazing secret from her childhood in the days of slavery.” Vaughan and her family live in Vashon Island, Washington. About the Illustrator Larry Johnson was born in Boston and attended the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts. He has worked as an editorial cartoonist for the Boston Globe. He has also worked for The National Sports Daily and now serves as co-host of a weekend sports radio show and as a Youth Minister at a Baptist church. Johnson’s other children’s books include Singing With Momma Lou, selected as a Best Children’s Book of the Year by Bank Street College, Knoxville, Tennessee, and When Jo Louis Won The Title. Johnson and his wife live in Stoughton, Massachusetts. The Secret to Freedom is a powerful and touching story that has won many awards and honors. It is included on the Anti-Defamation League’s Close the Book on Hate reading list. The book was also named a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and cited for Outstanding Merit, Best Children’s Books of the Year by Bank Street College. Download this guide in PDF
Learn more about The Secret to Freedom Also by Marcia Vaughan Up the Learning Tree Also illustrated by Larry Johnson Singing with Momma Lou  BookTalk with Marcia Vaughan on Up the Learning Tree
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