Connect students directly to the concept in a personal way. Capture students' attention by initiating a group problem-solving activity before delivery of instruction. Begin with a situation that is familiar to students and builds on what they already know. Construct a learning experience that allows diverse and personal student responses. Facilitate the work of cooperative teams of students.

Read aloud “Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt”; play tape of “Steal Away.”

Objective: To introduce the ideas of the many ways in which slaves or any unfree people communicate with each other without outsiders being aware of the message or even that communication is taking place.

Activity: As students come into the room, play a tape of Steal Away. Explain briefly how it was used as a signal for arrival of the conductor of the Underground Railroad (UGRR). Read the book Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson.

Assessment: Student reaction to the music and the story.