Teacher's Guide for:
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Objectives:
To see how you can tell your directions by using the stars
To learn about slavery and the “underground railroad” and its place in
history
This show conforms to the following state science standards: 12.F.2c
Brief Show Summary:
“Follow the Drinking Gourd” is a program for younger viewers set in
the era of slavery in the United States. Slaves that escaped their slave
owners traveled northward to Canada in search of freedom. They used
what we now call “the Big Dipper” as a direction finder. The show
nicely sets the scene in the pre-Civil War South around 1831 and teaches the
audience the song sung by these slaves. Each verse of the song is
deciphered before we follow a family on the underground railroad. The show
is based on the excellent 1988 book written by Jeanette Winter.
Pre-visit Discussion & Activities:
1) Talk with the class as to what they think life might have been like for
slaves.
2) If appropriate, introduce the four cardinal points: north, east, west and
south. Notice how the first letters spell “news.” In which
direction does the Sun rise? Set?
3) If you were outside at night in a strange place, how could you tell your
directions? Some think that the North Star (Polaris) is the brightest
star, but there are over 30 other stars brighter than Polaris!
Polaris is situated very high above our Earth’s north pole so, as the Earth
rotates, the other stars appear to move, but Polaris doesn’t move at all.
That’s why Polaris is the North Star! If students look up and spin
around slowly there will be a point on the ceiling that doesn’t seem to move.
4) Give students a sheet of seven dots that make up the Big Dipper but without
the lines connecting the dots. Challenge them to use their imaginations to
connect the dots as they desire to make a picture. Hang these up in the
classroom.
5) The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (http://www.astrosociety.org) has a star
clock activity whereby you can locate the Big Dipper at night and find out the
approximate time. The planetarium can also provide this one-page template.
Post-visit Discussion & Activities:
1) Here are the words to the song in the show:
When the Sun comes back and the first quail calls,
Follow the Drinking Gourd.
For the old man is a waiting to carry you to freedom,
If you follow the Drinking Gourd
The river bank makes a very good road,
The dead trees show you the way,
Left foot, peg foot, traveling on
Follow the Drinking Gourd.
The river ends between two hills,
Follow the Drinking Gourd.
There’s another river on the other side,
Follow the Drinking Gourd.
Can you make up a song that tells someone how to get to your house? It
took the slaves about a year to make this journey. Most didn’t know
their directions as slave owners made certain that slaves didn’t get any
education. Song was very important in the daily life of a slave and these
songs have influenced American music. Find a song book of slave music and
maybe learn one.
2) There are other activities regarding the seasons and the “Sun coming
back.” See the guide for “Reasons for the Seasons.”
3) Why doesn’t the Big Dipper ever set throughout the year? Put the Big
and Little Dippers as dots on the inside of an umbrella, then spin to show why
they never set. Stars that never set are called “circumpolar,” or
“around the pole.” Challenge kids to find the Big Dipper (Drinking
Gourd) and watch it at different times and in different seasons.
4) Take a field trip to one of the underground railroad sites. They are
listed in “Hippocrene Guide to the Underground Railroad” by Charles Blockson.
Follow the route on a map of the United States and even post the map in the
classroom. The planetarium can provide a more extensive bibliography plus
the music for the song if desired.
Vocabulary
Tombigbee River Gourd
Quail
Tennessee River Constellation
Internet resources:
Skywatching tips for beginners: http://hometown.aol.com/kdaly10475/
Background on the “Underground Railroad:”
http://afgen.com/underground_railroad.html
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/j1.html
http://www.ushistory.com/railr.htm
http://members.tripod.com/~love15/ugrr.html
The Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society: http://www.prairienet.org/cuas
National Security Agency page: http://www.nsa.gov/docs/history/follow_the_drinking_gourd.htm