Erich Hegenbart

Final Draft
Henry’s Freedom Box Guided Reading Plan

Standard(s):
NJSLSA.R10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and
proficiently with scaffolding as needed.

L.3.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-
specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g.,
After dinner that night we went looking for them).

Objective: Students will read and discuss a narrative text and make connections between text and
Illustrations. Students will develop vocabulary through word association and extend book
knowledge into their personal life.

I. Preparation for Reading

A. Activate/Build Prior Knowledge

Develop discussion relating to the word freedom. Ask students what they think of when they hear
this word or where have they heard it from. Share with students the difference between being free
and not being free. Ask students to share all of the things they like to do, and how they would feel
if they could not do those things. Ask students this question, “What if you couldn’t do what you
wanted to in your town, but if you moved, you can do everything you want. Would you?” This
activates the student’s brain and gets them thinking before we view the story.

B. Preview Text and Make Predictions

Now preview the reading material with the students by conducting a Picture-Walk. Guide
students in exploring the pictures that are provided in the book in the order they are given. Ask
the children to look at a picture and predict what is going on with Henry. Guide students in
constructing a timeline using signal words to represent what happens to Henry throughout the
story.

C. Develop Vocabulary Knowledge

As the discussion is developed during the picture walk and students are encouraged to explore the
pictures, pay careful attention to how the pictures look. Most pictures are of people that look
quite unhappy, discuss this. Go over challenging vocabulary words. What do they mean? Be sure
that each of these vocabulary words is elicited within the context of the discussion and their
meanings are discussed authentically. Provide an additional explanation as to the meanings of
these words and ask students to visually locate these words within the text for additional support
if necessary. Provide a direct instruction lesson as to the meanings of the vocabulary words:

Academic Language Demands:

Students will need to be able to perform, in terms of language, is to sequence the events of the story
to gain a better understanding of those events. Keywords such as first, next, then, finally will be
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good supports that will help students understand the order of the events. The use of a timeline will
support students’ ability to effectively structure the key events of the story.

Function: Vocabulary: Discourse/Syntax:

What is the function we are Consider the following –
performing with language? What What are the considerations
“job” are we doing with the use  Tier 2 words regarding the structure of
of the language to support language and/or students’
comprehension? How is  Phrases and/or keywords ability to use language to
language helping us in the discuss or write in support
process of comprehension? of comprehension?

Sequence – by sequencing the
events we are gaining a better
understanding of the story
events.
Tier 2 words:
Use a timeline to support
Terms/phrases: Underground students with
Railroad, Slave, master, comprehending the events
freed, market, station, that took place.
baggage, conductor

D. Set a Purpose for Reading

Encourage the student to begin reading the story and remind them that Henry is in a situation that
no longer occurs in the United States, but occurs in other Countries still today. Ask them to read
to discover what Henry is doing and why he wants to leave.

II. Read Silently

Instruct students to read silently until they discover the purpose set for reading. As students are
reading monitor their progress and observe their ability to rely on strategies for successfully
comprehending the text. Observe any instances of difficulty and assist as needed. As students
discover the information established in the purpose setting question, instruct them to either draw
or write about what happened with Henry and his family and whether he should try to escape.

III. Respond to Reading to Develop Comprehension

A. Revisit Purpose Setting Question

Develop discussion relating to what students have discovered about the purposes set forth for
reading. Initially, students should discover Henry is a slave and his family was sold at an auction.
As the students encounter Henry’s situation, discuss how Henry must feel, and monitor student’s
responses. Answers should include Henry was upset that he was torn from his family, and that he
needs to find a way out of there. Other answers along these lines are allowed.
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B. Clarify Additional Concepts/Vocabulary

Continue developing a discussion with students about the events of the story and use this
opportunity to address concepts of interest or questions that arose from the reading. Give students
vocabulary cards with each of our vocabulary words on them.

Explain to students that you will read them a sentence that is missing a word. Ask them to hold up
the vocabulary card that correctly finishes each sentence.
1. Many slaves escaped from the South to the North by way of the ______. (Underground
Railroad)
2. Families were broken apart when children were sold at the slave ______. (market)
3. Henry did not know his birthday because he was a _____. (slave)
4. Henry was given to the son of his _____. (master)
5. Henry hoped that he might be _____ by his master. (freed)
6. A person who helped slaves escape on the Underground Railroad was called a _____.
(conductor)
7. His friends put Henry in the box and took him to the railroad ______. (station)
8. No one knew that Henry was hiding in the box with the rest of the ______. (baggage)

C. Supporting Comprehension of Structure

Use this opportunity to support students understanding of the structure of the story. Discuss the
information students have added to their literacy journals and encourage them to share their
writings or drawings relating to the information they discovered in the reading. Guide students in
adding the events to the timeline that are appropriate for the sequence of the story. Model how to
correlate each event with the signal words identified during the preview and predicting of the
story. These signal words might include first, next, then, and finally.

D. Seeking Additional Sources for Information

Tell students this is a true story. Inspire students to seek additional information about slavery and
the underground railroad. Discuss some significant people in history who played a large role in
the underground railroad. Have students work together to find more information about the
underground railroad, ask this question.

How was the Underground Railroad similar to a real railroad? How was it different? (Sample
answers: The Underground Railroad had stations, conductors, and passengers, just like a real
railroad. But the Underground Railroad did not have any trains or cars.)

E. Additional Purpose Setting Questions:

Encourage the student to continue reading the story and remind them that Henry will attempt to
escape! Have them read through to see how he does it, and if it works!
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1. Text-to-Self

Would you be able to stay quiet in a small crate for 27 hours as Henry did? (Answers will vary.)

2. Text-to-World

Do you know of places in today’s world where people are enslaved or treated unequally? (Answers
will vary.)

3. Text-to-Text

What is another book that you have read about the Underground Railroad? Compare how slaves
escaped in that book with how Henry escaped. (Answers will vary.)

IV. Review/Reread and Explore Strategies

Provide a direct instruction lesson on the topic of the sequence of events and the use of a timeline
to assist with the organization of events in a story. Select a technique for having the students
reread the story, either independently, collaboratively, or in pairs, ask them to recreate the
timeline. This can be done through a writing exercise, through role-play, felt board activities,
drawing, or other appropriate methods.

V. Applying the Literature/Extending Reading Across the Curriculum

My Freedom Box
For Henry, freedom meant escaping slavery by going to the North. Ask students what place
represents freedom for them. Why is this the place where they feel most free? Distribute copies of
the Henry's Freedom Box Big Activity printable to students. Ask them to choose a place that
represents freedom and then write the address or name of the location on the picture of the box.
Then have them describe why they would go there on the note attached to the box.
Erich Hegenbart
Final Draft