History of Chautauqua

University Sojourner TruthE-Mentoring Program

January

Chautauqua

An American tradition since 1874

What is a Chautauqua?

Instead of just focusing on entertainment, Chautauqua was a learning environment

Chautauqua Events

Entire communities would attend a Chautauqua to hear musical performances, lectures, scientific and technological discoveries and listen to debates on political and religious issues

Freedom School ChautauquaThe Chautauqua will have an Underground Railroad theme and all of us will become part of groups who will create, plan, and present an aspect of the Underground Railroad at the Chautauqua

By Discipline

Each group of sophomores will choose a project.

Be Creative

Choose a topic that not only interests you but will also give you insight to various subjects and disciplines

Geography

Map a specific route of the Underground Railroad through a state or through the United States

Biology

Create a Freedom Garden

ArchitectureCreate or construct a model of a house and the hiding places that exist with inside the buildingOr create a false bottom wagon or a box that Henry “Box” Brown mailed himself to freedom in

English

Write a Praise Poem; create and perform your poem on freedom or who you are

Read a book on the Underground Railroad and perform an oral report on the book and author

Math

Graph the time and distance traveled by an escaped slave

Music

Learn and perform songs and dance used to communicate about the Underground Railroad by slaves

Theater

Create and perform a one-act play about slavery or the Underground Railroad

Astronomy

Diagram constellations and define those that would have assisted slaves as they escaped to the North

History

Research a particular person or event in history that is significant to the Underground Railroad and present the biographical information at the Chautauqua

Start Projects

Get into your groups and get started!