This song is perfect example of why folk songs can be powerful. Singing this song and learning about why this song was sung can be like going back in time. I start my Spirituals/Melody unit with this song. I explain the story through reading a book or showing them a DVD.
This is a good book.
This is a good book.
However, I have actually recently been using the Reading Rainbow DVD. I like how it explains slavery and the meaning of the song.
Then we learn the song and sing through all of the verses and discuss the meaning of the words.
We learn these vocabulary words:
Spiritual
Underground Railroad
drinking gourd
Big Dipper, Little Dipper
North Star
Peg Leg Joe
Big Dipper, Little Dipper
North Star
Peg Leg Joe
I put the following links on my website.
