A short story for middle-school audio-visual learners
1. A Girl Named Araminta
Long ago, around 1822, a baby girl was born in the state of Maryland in the country of United States. Her name was Araminta Ross, but later she would be known as Harriet Tubman.
She was born into slavery. This meant she and her family were not free. They were forced to work very hard for other people.
Imagine this scene:
🌅 Early morning.
Fields covered with mist.
A young Harriet is carrying water and doing farm work.
Even as a child, Harriet was strong, brave, and kind. She often helped others who were being treated unfairly.
2. A Dream of Freedom
As Harriet grew older, she dreamed about something very powerful:
✨ Freedom
She wanted to live in a place where she could decide her own life.
Around 1849, Harriet made a very brave decision. She escaped slavery and traveled north to the city of Philadelphia.
The journey was long and dangerous. She walked mostly at night, using the stars and the North Star to guide her.
Imagine:
🌙 Dark forests
🦉 Owls hooting
⭐ Stars lighting the path
After many days, she finally reached freedom.
3. The Underground Railroad 🚂
Harriet could have stayed safe in the North. But she remembered her family and friends who were still enslaved.
So she became a conductor on something called the Underground Railroad.
It was not a real train.
It was a secret network of:
🏠 Safe houses
🤝 Helpers
🗺 Hidden routes
Harriet guided people from slavery to freedom.
She traveled back to the South again and again.
Historians believe she helped about 70 people escape, including her own family.
People began calling her:
🌟 “Moses of her people.”
4. During the War
When the American Civil War began in 1861, Harriet helped the Union Army.
She worked as:
a nurse a spy a guide
She even helped lead a mission that freed hundreds of enslaved people.
5. Her Legacy
Harriet Tubman lived a long life and kept helping others.
She later moved to Auburn, New York where she helped elderly and poor people.
Today, people remember her as one of the bravest freedom fighters in American history.
Her story teaches us:
💡 Courage can change the world.
💡 One person can help many people.
💡 Freedom is worth fighting for.
🎧 Imagine this ending scene for an audio-visual class:
A dark path in the woods.
A group of people walking quietly.
Harriet whispers:
“Follow the North Star… freedom is that way.”
And slowly, the stars shine brighter. ⭐
✅ Work
Worksheet: The Story of Harriet Tubman ⭐
Level: Middle School
Instructions: Circle the correct answer. Each question has two choices.
1. Where was Harriet Tubman born?
A. Maryland
B. California
2. What was Harriet Tubman’s birth name?
A. Araminta Ross
B. Martha Brown
3. What secret network helped enslaved people escape to freedom?
A. Underground Railroad
B. Freedom Train
4. During which war did Harriet Tubman help the army?
A. American Civil War
B. World War II
5. What did Harriet Tubman help people find?
A. Freedom
B. Gold
✅ Bonus (Optional):
Write one sentence about why Harriet Tubman was brave. ✏️