12/13/2010
by Yoav Schwarz
The 5th and 6th graders of Ancona popped back in from an amazing week at Nature's Classroom Institute several weeks ago. While we were there, we had field groups. Each field group had approximately ten students, and had a field group leader. Field groups had teamwork challenges. For example, they had to swing from two platforms on a rope, or had to get across three platforms without touching the ground by using two wooden planks. The students also did simulations.
A lot of people's favorite simulation was the Underground Railroad Simulation. We were in the Shakespeare Building. We pretended that we were slaves, and that it was Christmas Night. We were all asleep. Then, suddenly, the counselors came in, screamed at us, and told us to face the wall. We were put into three groups. After each group was lined up, we had to get a buddy, and go with our group's conductor. The conductor was the person who was going to lead us to freedom. Our destination was Jubilee, Canada.
We had a cover story. It was that we were a choir and that we had to get to Chicago for a performance.
We ran into the field. Then we ran into a pavilion that we pretended was a barn. There, we could “steal chickens”. But the moment we got into the barn, a farmer knocked over a table that she was hiding behind, and leaped out at us. We had to get down on the floor while our guide talked with the farmer. Then we quickly moved on.
We passed by several houses and met with a slave who had tried to run away but had been caught. His wife had been put in a barrel that had been studded with nails and rolled down a hill!
We kept on going and came to a tunnel. But the moment we got in, we had to get down because there were bounty hunters in the tunnel. (Bounty hunters were hired to capture runaway slaves.) We had to use our cover story so that we wouldn’t get caught.
When we got out, we came to a quaker's house. The quakers were known for helping the runaway slaves. But then, we had to dive under the porch because the sheriff came.
When the sheriff went inside, we had to run. But then a bounty hunter tricked us, so that suddenly we were being attacked. We had to run all the way to a bridge—we were being chased by bounty hunters!
When we got back with our partners we were led to the boathouse—where our part was over. We were safe.
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Written for and first published on the Ancona School Journalism Club, December 13, 2010.
