14 The U.S. Civil War 1A | Harriet Tubman, Part I
they are not allowed to make their own decisions about where to
live or what to do with their lives. Ask: “If a person is not allowed
to decide what he or she can do in life, and is forced to work for
no money, is he or she free?” (Pause for students’ responses.)
Explain that many people realized that slavery was wrong, yet
many of the colonies, especially in the South, forced many people
into slavery.Domain Introduction
Tell students that for the next few weeks, they will learn that
people in different parts of the country strongly disagreed about
slavery as the United States grew and spread westward. Slavery
was allowed in some states but not in others. Having different
parts of the United States disagree about whether or not slavery
should be allowed eventually led to a war. Explain that this war
was called the U.S. Civil War or the War Between the States.
Explain that a civil war is a war between two different groups
within the same country. Tell students that they will learn about
important events and important people related to the U.S. Civil
War.Personal Connections
Tell students that today’s read-aloud is about a woman named
Harriet Tubman, who was called Minty as a child. Explain that
“Minty” was Harriet Tubman’s nickname as a child. Ask students if
they know what a nickname is. Ask if any of them have nicknames,
and have students share with the class—if they wish—what their
nicknames are. Explain that in the read-aloud they are about to
hear, they will hear the nickname Minty. You may wish to reinforce
that Harriet Tubman is Minty by writing the following on chart
paper, a chalkboard, or a whiteboard so students have a visual
reference: Harriet Tubman = Minty.Purpose for Listening
Explain that Harriet Tubman lived and worked before, during, and
after the time of the Civil War. Tell students to listen carefully to learn
what Harriet Tubman’s life was like as a child before the U.S. Civil
War.