Building Collective Narratives:
Teaching Michigan's Stories

From March 2004 to March 2006, with a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, the Michigan Freedom Trail Public Humanities Project, Building Collective Narratives: Teaching Michigan's Stories drew from the work of Underground Railroad (UGRR) scholars, avocational historians and educators in communities with well-established histories of Underground Railroad and antislavery activity to develop a statewide social studies curriculum on Michigan's resistance to slavery for 3rd, 4th and 8th grade students. The project conducted discussions with teachers and planned and coordinated regional and statewide meetings and symposiums of teachers and researchers for the grant. The web curriculum reflects a consistent, accurate narrative of the Underground Railroad in Michigan based on the many primary documents that help tell the Michigan story and adds to authentic teaching materials placed on the Michigan Freedom Trail Commission web site.

You may start by viewing the suggested lesson plans or by exploring the documents themselves.

Building Collective Narratives: Teaching Michigan Stories is made possible, in part, by a grant from Michigan Humanities Council, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Michigan Humanities Council.

Updated 08/05/2008

Michigan Historical Center, Department of History, Arts and Libraries
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