Share Harriet Tubman’s Story in Images & Text

Your primary students will read about Black American abolitionist Harriet Tubman and her involvement with the Underground Railroad through this shared reading activity. 

Students will read along with the presentation, make logical inferences, and cite specific textual evidence to support their conclusions. 

Shared Reading Activity How-To

Use this teaching presentation in a guided reading group or whole-class setting. Students can follow along on their own devices or using your smartboard or other projection devices.

Read the text aloud, stopping to ask the sample questions we have included in the notes section of each slide. Then, reread the text allowing your students to join in with the reading. 

After completing the reading component, independently or as a group, students will use the information gathered to describe how they can help others and draw a picture of their actions. 

A complete set of instructions on using this shared reading and activity is included.

Scaffolding & Extension Suggestions

Use this primary-level reading exercise when students are working on activities or classwork that has to do with:

• Black History Month
• American history
• Biographies & historical figures
• Women’s History Month

And more! 

Solidify your students’ understanding of Harriet Tubman’s brave actions with activities like these: 

🧠 Pre-Lesson Activity

Assign this presentation as independent reading at home or before starting the lesson as a class. Ask students to make notes about what they learned, words they don’t know, or topics that need clarification. 

🗣️ Turn & Talk

As they read, ask students to write questions on a separate sheet of paper during shared reading time. Then put students into groups of 3 or 4 to help each other answer their questions.

🧑‍🏫 Be the Teacher

As a post-lesson activity, ask students what they would put on a quiz if they were the teacher. Challenge students to write a 5-question quiz using the information in the presentation. Then have them trade papers with another student to take the quiz.

Preparing This Resource for Your Students

Please note that this teaching resource will download as a PowerPoint presentation you can share with your students from a smartboard or other projection devices.

Discover more about the legacy of Harriet Tubman with these activities and teaching resources: 

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Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks Cut and Sort Worksheet

Compare and contrast the lives of two influential Black History Month figures in this cut-and-sort activity.

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Black History Profile - Picture Match Activity

Review and complete the defining details of 6 revered Black icons and match their images with each completed biography.

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Black History Month – Teaching Presentation

Introduce your students to the origins of Black History Month with this 13-slide PowerPoint presentation.