Overview
Students will research Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, then use virtual reality tools to place themselves in the shoes of different historical figures, to become more familiar with the history of slavery in America.
Vocabulary
Virtual Simulation
Virtual Reality Collaborative
Image Reality
Perception Simulate
Interactive Differentiate
Objectives
- Students will utilize Mixed Virtual Reality technology while learning the history of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
Required Project Materials
Multimedia Resources
- Videos of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Optional Multimedia Resources
Before the Lesson/Background Information
- Select videos/movies/documentaries of the history of Harriet Tubman and The Underground Railroad "History of The Underground Railroad."
- Bring in a guest speaker who impersonates Harriet Tubman to do a reenactment of a scene in the video/movie.
- Have an in-depth discussion of Slavery in America and racial equity with students.
The Lesson
Part 1: History of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad video/documentary (30 minutes)
- Students select a video/documentary of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad from a list of approved websites/Youtube channel.
- Tell students that they will select a historical figure to represent from the video they view by inserting themselves into the role of that person in the video using the VR.
Part 2: Reenacting a scene of the Underground Railroad using Virtual Reality headset (30 minutes)
- Using the VR headset, students will select a particular section of the movie to reenact, placing themselves in the scene virtually. Students will work on this project as a pair/small group.
- Discuss the effect of viewing the video versus placing themselves in the video as though they were experiencing what the historical figures went through during that period.
Homework: Students will write an essay on the correlation of Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and American slavery in today's society of racial equity.