As an alternative assignment to a short answer essay or as a supplementary activity, have students answer a question or prompt about Flight to Freedom and illustrate their answer using evidence from the text. This will provide students with a visual way to show how well they're understanding what they are reading!
The example prompt is, "What sacrifices did people make in order to make the Underground Railroad a success?"
Possible answers to the prompt include:
Other prompts might include: "What risks were slaves willing to make to reach the North?" and "How did the Underground Railroad influence people and the future of the United States?"
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that answers the prompt using at least three examples from Flight to Freedom. Click on "Add / Delete Cells" to change the number of examples.
Give students a chance to share their understanding by displaying finished storyboards around the classroom. A gallery walk lets everyone learn from each other's perspectives and text evidence.
Divide students into small groups and assign each group a space to present their storyboard. Use tables, desks, or wall space to create clear stations for easy viewing.
Explain how students should rotate between stations, spend time observing, and read both the illustrations and text evidence. Encourage them to look for different examples and creative approaches.
Hand out simple feedback forms or sticky notes so students can jot down what they learned from each storyboard. Ask them to highlight strong evidence or note interesting insights.
After the gallery walk, lead a discussion where students share what stood out, discuss new understandings, and connect their observations to key themes from Flight to Freedom.
The 'Answer the Prompt' activity asks students to respond to a question about Flight to Freedom and support their answer with evidence from the text, creating a visual storyboard to show their understanding.
Encourage students to paraphrase or directly quote passages from Flight to Freedom when answering prompts, and to include these examples in their storyboard descriptions for clear support.
Sample prompts include: "What sacrifices did people make for the Underground Railroad?", "What risks were slaves willing to take to reach the North?", and "How did the Underground Railroad impact the United States?"
Students click "Start Assignment", enter the prompt, then add at least three text-based examples in the description boxes and illustrate each with scenes, characters, or items from Flight to Freedom.
This activity reinforces reading comprehension, text evidence analysis, and visual literacy, helping students connect historical content to critical thinking.