Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine

Levine, Henry. Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad. Scholastic Press, 2007.

Lexile Level: 490

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Summary: Henry Brown is a young boy born into slavery. He spends his life alone until he meets a woman that changes his life. They create a family together but one day he learns that they have been sold. Henry will stop at nothing to finally be free, even if that means traveling in a wooden box! This is an amazing story about a real man who traveled 350 miles in a box to freedom, traveling from Virginia to Philadelphia on the Underground Railroad.

Learning Activity: After reading the story as a class and discussing his point of view at each stage of the text, third graders will write a diary entry as if they were Henry Brown. Students may choose at which point during the story they will write the entry form, and must include three relevant details from the story within their entry. They must also include thoughts or feelings that demonstrate and understanding of his point of view.

Extension: Students can extend their critical thinking by writing about how they would escape the Underground Railroad, and possible dangers they might face along the way.

Goal: Students will demonstrate and understanding of character’s point of view.

Learning Outcome: Students will create a diary entry that includes the thoughts or feelings, and events of a day in the life of Henry Brown.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to compose a diary entry of one day in the life of Henry Brown including at least three relevant details from the story. (Cognitive)

Students will demonstrate empathy towards Henry Brown’s perspective by including thoughts or feelings in their diary entry. (Affective)

Standards:

NYS Social Studies Framework: 3.4 Each community or culture has a unique history, including heroic figures, traditions, and holidays.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.A

Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.B

Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.