Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Close Reading
NONFICTION: “Escape From Slavery,” pages 4-9
February 2018
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THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
©2018 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
Close-Reading Questions
“Escape From Slavery”
1. What made trying to escape from slavery so dangerous? (key ideas and details)
2. Consider the quotation at the end of page 7 in which Tubman refers to her decision to run
away. Put this quotation in your own words. (interpreting text)
3. According to the article, what kind of person was Harriet Tubman? Support your answer
with text evidence. (character)
4. Why might the Underground Railroad have been given that name? Explain. (inference)
5. How can the map on page 8 help readers understand the article? (text feature)
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: __________________
Critical Thinking
NONFICTION: “Escape From Slavery,” pages 4-9
February 2018
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
©2018 BY SCHOLASTIC INC. TEACHERS MAY PROJECT OR MAKE COPIES OF THIS PAGE TO DISTRIBUTE TO STUDENTS.
Critical-Thinking Questions
“Escape From Slavery”
1. To dehumanize someone is to take away his or her human qualities—to make that person
feel or appear less than human. In what ways was slavery dehumanizing?
2. Tarshis explains that those who helped on the Underground Railroad were taking a great
risk. Why do you think people were willing to take such a risk?
3. On page 9, Tarshis notes that in addition to being courageous, successful, and clever,
Tubman could be harsh. Do you think leaders sometimes need to be harsh? Explain.