The lesson plan for grades 9-12 covers the material from this lesson and also goes into latitude, longitude, right ascension and declination African Americans in Astronomy and Astrophysics In this lesson plan, students will learn how African Americans escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad relayed their knowledge of astronomy to one another, and how they used that knowledge to find their way to freedom. When the great big river meets the little river, Follow the Drinking Gourd. STUDY. Follow the Drinking Gourd was first published in 1928 by the Texas Folklore Society. When the Tombigbee ended, slaves should go north over the hills until they came to another river, the Tennessee River. Verse 2. This story tells about an old sailor named Peg Leg Joe who helped slaved to freedom. The American folksong Follow the Drinking Gourdwas first published in 1928. Search Engine Analysis (ca. How Do We Know What We Know? Follow the Drinking Gourd: An Underground Railroad Story (Night Sky Stories) ISBN: 0-978-1-4420-1461-9. Follow the Drinking Gourd: 3:30 p.m. perceived status as a unique, historical remnant harkening back to the pre-Civil View from the top of Woodall Mountain. history rather than folklore raises many questions. Facing … What the Lyrics Mean (Source) Parks also reports hearing a different chorus in Waller Texas in 1918: According to American folklore, this song was a "musical" map which led fugitive slaves north to freedom. hollowed out gourd used by slaves (and other rural Americans) as a water dipper. The riverbank makes a very good road. And the Drinking Gourd Follow the Drinking Gourd Escaping slaves had to find their way north. Song, Story, or History: Resisting Claims of a Coded Message in the African American Spiritual "Follow the Drinking Gourd". slaves to make their way north from Mobile, Alabama to the Ohio River and The Drinking Gourd is the Big Dipper. Another name for the Drinking Gourd is the Big Dipper. The Drinking Gourd is another name for the Big Dipper asterism. Taken at face value, the "drinking gourd" refers to the Parks, a Texas entomologist who was also an amateur folklorist. [1][6], Two of the stars in the Big Dipper line up very closely with and point to Polaris. Adult Books and Stage Play Hays described the melody as coming from Aunty Laura, while the lyrics came from anthologies – probably the Parks version. Follow the Drinking Gourd is an American folk song from the 1920s. Gourd song as Afterword, or "Is This Song 'Authentic'"?Appendices Follow the Drinking gourd is a coded song that gave the route for an escape from Alabama and Mississippi to Freedom it was written around 1831.. If you follow the drinking gourd. [citation needed] James Kelley has argued against the historicity of this interpretation in the Journal of Popular Culture.[3]. Gravity. [1][2] According to legend, the song was used by a conductor of the Underground Railroad, called Peg Leg Joe, to guide some fugitive slaves. Match. The old man in this chorus was Peg Leg Joe, a sailor-turned-carpenter who had lost part of his right leg in an accident at sea. In this song, it serves as a code name for the Big Dipper. Follow the Drinking Gourd: An Underground Railroad Story (Night Sky Stories) [Meister, Cari, Squier, Robert, Burgess, David, Cooper, Richard] on Amazon.com. This version collectedin 1912 (Hot Springs, North Carolina), 1913 (Louisville) and 1918 (Waller, Texas). Author and Illustrator: Jeannette Winter. The Recordings [A] Follow the [Em] drinking gourd. Follow the Drinking Gourd is a book featured in Five in a Row, a literature-based unit study curriculum. Follow the drinking gourd. Timeline and Audience: 5-9 years as an easy reader. Also useful for an adult faith discussion on Liberation Theology. The lesson plan for grades 9-12 covers the material from this lesson and also goes into latitude, longitude, right ascension and declination African Americans in Astronomy and Astrophysics Polaris is a circumpolar star, and so it is always seen pretty close to the direction of true north. Illus. books and many other places is surely not "traditional." The song was published by the Texas Folklore Society in 1928. Publisher: Dragonfly Books, (Division. When the Sun comes back a nd the first quail calls. According to legend, the song was used by a conductor of the Underground Railroad, called Peg Leg Joe, to guide some fugitive slaves. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Interpretation Over the Last Twenty Years We made star cupcakes. Publisher: Dragonfly Books, (Division. The “drinking gourd” was the name for a hollow gourd that the slaves would use to collect water. This work was a fro… For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom, If you follow the Drinking Gourd. Created by. When the Sun comes back And the first quail calls Follow the drinking gourd, For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd The riverbank makes a very good road. Follow the Drinking Gourd Escaping slaves had to find their way north. Author and Illustrator: Jeannette Winter. The signature line in Teachers' Guide encode escape instructions and a map. You will need a copy of the book. These directions then enabled fleeing Sparks later founded The New Christy Minstrels, with whom he recorded a version of the song based on Woodum's lyrics. Follow the Drinking Gourd. The old man is a waiting for to carry you to freedom, Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the Drinking Gourd. Follow the Drinking Gourd. The dead trees will show you the way. Follow the drinking gourd. ~ Malachi Also useful for an adult faith discussion on Liberation Theology. in full color. While the song may possibly refer to some lost fragment of history, the origin and context remain a mystery. Follow the Drinking Gourd is an African American folk song first published in 1928. Parks, an entomologist and amateur folklorist, in the 1910s. Materials for Teachers Copyright 2008 - 2012, Joel Bresler. in roughly 200 recordings, dozens of songbooks, several award-winning children's *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. (1), Collection Story [5], In 1955, singer Randy Sparks heard the song from an elderly street singer named John Woodum. The Parks article claims that an Underground Railroad operative, known as Peg Leg Joe, moved from plantation to plantation just north of the Mobile, Alabama area working as a journeyman laborer. Additional Folklore has it that enslaved people in the United States used it as a point of reference so they would not get lost. The dead trees will show you the way. Read more. Follow the Drinking Gourdsupposedly encodes escape instructions and a map. The river ends between two hills Follow the drinking gourd. The American folksong Follow the Drinking Gourd was first published in ISBN: 0-978-1-4420-1461-9. Northern states such as New York and Massachusetts had strong abolitionist societies and benevolent groups — both black and white — that would help escaping slaves. Wonderful!! 1928. Hays "used to visit Negro churches and sit in the back pew, and he used to visit the homes of Negro farmers, soaking up the richest musical sounds and harmonies that have ever come our way. Based on the traditional American folksong, this compelling tale recounts the daring adventures of one family's escape from slavery via the Underground Railroad, capturing all the drama of a perilous flight to freedom. We looked at some books. Follow the Drinking Gourd. African-American Folk Song / arr. as it appears Parks Cultural History For the [G] old man is [D] waiting to [C] carry you to [D] freedom [Em] Follow the [D] drinking [Em] gourd. Follow the Drinking gourd is a coded song that gave the route for an escape from Alabama and Mississippi to Freedom it was written around 1831.. Spell. It's also a good story in teaching astronomy classes to illustrate how the stars have been used for different purposes throughout time. Gazetteer Left foot, peg foot, traveling on, Follow the Drinking Gourd. Follow the Drinking Gourd Lesson Plan for grades 9-12. These lyrics diverged greatly from the Parks and Hays versions and included no geographical information. Rights and folk revival movements of the 1950s and 1960s, and in contemporary From the television series, God's Greatest Hits, airing in Canada on VisionTV on Friday nights at 10:30pm. A more recent … of Random House). It was "discovered" by H.B. Many dead trees along … Chorus. the chorus, "for the old man is awaitin' for to carry you to freedom," could not While the song may possibly refer to some lost fragment of history, the origin and context remain a mystery. I used this book after reading a simple biography about Harriet Tubman and watching some U-Tubes about the folk song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" with an adult literacy class. Familiar with African-American music and culture,[4] Hays stated that he himself had heard parts of the song from an elderly black woman named Aunty Laura. [3], Follow the Drinking Gourd was collected by H. B. This is a gem! The old man in this chorus was Peg Leg Joe, a sailor-turned-carpenter who had lost part of his right leg in an accident at sea. The riverbank makes a very good road. Hence, according to a popular myth, all slaves had to do was look for the Drinking Gourd and follow it to the North Star (Polaris) north to freedom. freedom. String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts. But re-examining the Drinking (The cover spells the title "Foller de Drinkin' Gou'd. “Follow the Drinking Gourd” was originally published as an American folk song in 1928. Follow the Drinking Gourd Book Guide book activity guide is designed to go with the book Follow the Drinking Gourd, story and pictures by Jeanette Winter. The text of the song contained hidden messages about how the slaves could find their freedom. Left foot, peg foot, traveling on, Follow the drinking gourd. In the ensuing 80 years, the Drinking Gourd played an important role in the Civil We learned about the Underground Railroad. Verse 1. star formation, which points to Polaris, the Pole Star, and North. Children's Books ")[1], In 1947, Lee Hays, of the Almanac Singers and The Weavers, rearranged Follow the Drinkin' Gourd and published it in the People's Songs Bulletin. The Song as History The old man is Peg Leg Joe. Quail are migratory bird wintering in the South. FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD is an excellent tool in introducing children to the Underground Railroad. "Winter's story begins with a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the Underground Railroad. The Tennessee River joins the Ohio River. Follow the drinking gourd. PLAY. About This Site "When the sun comes back" means winter and spring when the altitude of the sun at noon is higher each day. If you follow the Drinking Gourd. Title: Follow the Drinking Gourd. FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD DECODED [A] Follow the [Em] drinking gourd! Follow the Drinking Gourd Lesson Plan for grades 9-12. Write. Looking through the lenses of history this book has a lot of appeal, it brings to the for front the movement of the underground rail road … When the great big river meets the little river Follow the drinking gourd. Learn. Many families use FIAR for all but the grammar/reading and math, and others use it in conjunction with other resources. The Drinking Gourd song was supposedly used by an Underground Railroad operative to (The DVD picture and sound degraded halway through on February 3, 2007.) Northern states such as New York and Massachusetts had strong abolitionist societies and benevolent groups — both black and white — that would help escaping slaves. For the old man is a-waiting to carry you to freedom If you follow the Drinking Gourd. Follow the Drinking Gourd is an African American folk song first published in 1928. Follow the Drinking Gourd. Kelley, James. Legend has it that a man called Peg Leg Joe taught slaves the song to help them escape to freedom, and they used the Big Dipper and the North Star to guide the way. Peg Leg Joe, the Big Dipper and the Drinking Gourd The unnamed hero of “Follow the Drinking Gourd” is an “old man,” sometimes known as Peg Leg Joe, who would “carry you to freedom.” In this case, the drinking gourd is a euphemism for the Big Dipper. Published in 1928. Flashcards. When the sun comes back and the first quail calls, Follow the drinking gourd. The river ends between two hills Follow the Drinking Gourd. Media. But here it is used as a code name for the Big Dipper Title: Follow the Drinking Gourd. Follow the Drinking Gourd, Told by Morgan Freeman with Music by Taj Mahal (57) 27min ALL. Follow the Drinking Gourd. Where the great big river meets the little river, Follow the drinking gourd, The old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd…. Carrie Lane Gruselle. The slaves' final goal was Canada, north of the U.S. border. The Drinking Gourd is another name for the Big Dipper asterism. The Drinking Gourd song was supposedly used by an Underground Railroad operative to encode escape instructions and a map. There’s another river on the other side Follow the drinking gourd. Follow the Drinking Gourd, For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127060.Follow_the_Drinking_Gourd FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD DECODED [A] Follow the [Em] drinking gourd! possibly have been sung by escaping slaves, because it was written by Lee Hays eighty years after the end of the Civil War. During the Civil War era, the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" was shared among slaves as a means to facilitate their escape to the North. stephanieb1515. elementary school education. The Drinking Gourd of Random House). Left foot, peg foot, traveling on, Follow the drinking gourd. (Stand-alone lyrics here.) Follow the drinking gourd. Watch the video for Follow The Drinking Gourd from Taj Mahal's In Progress & In Motion (1965-1998) for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Terms in this set (7) Winter is the time to run away. Parks reported that Peg Leg Joe, an operative of the Underground Railroad, had passed as a laborer and spread the song to different plantations, giving directions for slaves to escape. Where the great big river meets the little river, Follow the drinking gourd, The old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd…. He worked for different plantation owners … A more recent source challenges the authenticity of the claim that the song was used to help slaves escape to the North and to freedom. ", This version included the line "Think I heard the angels say, Stars in the heaven gonna show you the way," which would appear in the, The New Christy Minstrels & Gene Clark-1963-Part lll, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park, Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, The Railroad to Freedom: A Story of the Civil War, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Follow_the_Drinkin%27_Gourd&oldid=1012375739, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 March 2021, at 01:33. Now the river bank makes a mighty good road, The dead trees will show you the way. The slaves' final goal was Canada, north of the U.S. border. Folklore has it that enslaved people in the United States used it as a point of reference so they would not get lost. We learned about stars and the Drinking Gourd. The show is online, but we replace everything before dg17 with a live performance.Everything from dg17 on is played from the DVD or VCR tape. “Follow the Drinking Gourd” was a song used in the Underground Railroad to help give directions to the escaping slaves. Follow the drinking gourd, Follow the drinking gourd, For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd. Follow the Drinking Gourd (Paperback) by Jeanette Winter a great story of following directions.. if you look at its simplest form. 2007) The "drinking gourd" refers to the hollowed out gourd used by slaves (and other rural Americans) as a water dipper. For the [G] old man is [D] waiting to [C] carry you to [D] freedom [Em] Follow the [D] drinking [Em] gourd. This book would be wonderful for children with background info from teachers or parents. The Journal of Popular Culture 41.2 (April 2008): 262-80. Included in this guide:★ Reading Questions (multiple choice and short answer)★ Writing a thank-you letter★ Diar War South no other such map songs survive. Test. These directions then enabled fleeing slaves to make their way north from Mobile, Alabama to … The Underground Railroad is a trail of houses that leads the slaves to freedom." For the old man is a–waiting for to carry you to freedom . Biographical Sketch of H.B. Much of the Drinking Gourd's enduring appeal derives from its Follow the Drinking Gourd is a story that tells about a group of slaves that escaped to freedom using the underground railroad. VERSE 2 The river bank will make a mighty good road The dead trees show you the way Left foot, peg foot, traveling on Follow the drinking gourd. https://genius.com/Richie-havens-follow-the-drinking-gourd-lyrics [A] Follow the [Em] drinking gourd. Illustrated by Yvonne Buchanan. The song's directions enabled fleeing slaves to What does "when the sun comes back and the first quail calls" mean? Audience: 5-9 years as an easy reader. "We rowed Follow the Drinking Gourd. By Jeanette Winter a great story of following directions.. If you look at its simplest form – the... Drinkin ' Gou 'd diverged greatly from the 1920s peg Leg Joe who helped slaved to freedom. song on... And 1918 ( Waller, Texas ) river meets the little river, the Tennessee river have... At noon is higher each day on Woodum 's lyrics American Spiritual `` Follow the Drinking.. A group of slaves that escaped to freedom. calls, Follow the Drinking Gourd DECODED [ a Follow. Foot, traveling on, Follow the Drinking Gourd Lesson Plan for grades 9-12 little river, the trees... The hollowed out Gourd used by slaves ( and other rural Americans ) as a name... This set ( follow the drinking gourd ) Winter is the time to run away for Teachers Search... An old sailor named peg Leg Joe who helped slaved to freedom If you at. As a code name for the old man is a book featured Five., and others use it in conjunction with other resources Row, a Texas entomologist who was an. Historicity of this interpretation in the 1910s John Woodum trees will show you way... Is always seen pretty close to the Underground Railroad a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on escape... A Coded Message in the United States used it as a point of reference so they would get! Published by the Texas folklore Society give directions to the Underground Railroad is a circumpolar star, and others it! Of slaves that escaped to freedom using the Underground Railroad who aids slaves on their escape on the side. Gourdwas first published in 1928 the melody as coming from Aunty Laura, while the lyrics came from –. Slaves had to find their freedom. use FIAR for ALL but the grammar/reading and,! Was supposedly used by an Underground Railroad many dead trees along … Follow the Drinking Gourd for... Circumpolar star, and so it is always seen pretty close to the Ohio river and freedom ''! Minstrels, with whom he recorded a version of the song from an elderly street singer John... The United States used it as a water Dipper Guide Additional Materials for ... In this set ( 7 ) Winter is the time to run away by H. B waiting for to you. Circumpolar star, and others use it in conjunction with other resources always seen pretty close to the direction true... “ Drinking Gourd song as history rather than folklore raises many questions now the river ends between two Follow. A story that tells about an old sailor named peg Leg Joe who helped slaved to freedom. directions! Trees along … Follow the Drinking Gourd Escaping slaves had to find their way north traveling on, the! 2007. terms in this set ( 7 ) Winter is the time to run away been used for purposes! By H. B story that tells about an old sailor named peg Leg Joe who helped slaved to.... Stand-Alone follow the drinking gourd here. helped slaved to freedom. these directions then enabled fleeing slaves to freedom If you the. Version of the song based on Woodum 's lyrics that tells about old! A circumpolar star, and so it is always seen pretty close to the Underground Railroad to! Has it that enslaved people in the 1910s and 1918 ( Waller, )., in the Underground Railroad operative to encode escape instructions and a map slaves! Based on Woodum 's lyrics river, Follow the [ Em ] Drinking Gourd was collected H.! Winter and spring when the great Big river meets the little river Follow follow the drinking gourd Drinking Gourd Lesson Plan grades... Unit study curriculum story that tells about an old sailor named peg Leg Joe who helped to... “ Drinking Gourd, Told by Morgan Freeman with Music by Taj Mahal ( 57 ) ALL. Houses that leads the slaves ' final goal was Canada, north Carolina ) 1913. Told by Morgan Freeman with Music by Taj Mahal ( 57 ) 27min ALL 27min ALL freedom Follow. Waiting for to carry you to freedom. Culture. [ 3 ], Follow [. River bank makes a mighty good road, the dead trees along … Follow Drinking... Winter is the Big Dipper ’ s another river, the origin and context remain a mystery Drinking! And sound degraded halway through on February 3, 2007. circumpolar star, so! Freedom, If you Follow the Drinking Gourd in introducing children to the Underground operative! May possibly refer to some lost fragment of history, the origin context... The cover spells the title `` Foller de Drinkin ' Gou 'd that tells about an old sailor named Leg! And included no geographical information folklorist, in the Journal of Popular Culture 41.2 ( April 2008:! Excellent tool in introducing children to the hollowed out Gourd used by an Underground Railroad is a trail houses! The hollowed out Gourd used by slaves ( and other rural Americans ) a! By an Underground Railroad to help give directions to the hollowed out Gourd used by an Underground Railroad point... And context remain a mystery If you look follow the drinking gourd its simplest form find their freedom. 1955 singer. The direction of true north ALL but the grammar/reading and math, and it.