Slavery and Sewing in Swans

This term,  the children are learning about Thomas Clarkson and his contribution towards the abolishment of slavery. This week, in Art, the children learnt about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
The Underground Railroad was a term used for a network of people, homes, and hideouts that slaves in the southern United States used to escape to freedom in the north United States and Canada. During this
period, quilts were made to serve as signals to the slaves that they should pack for their journey and get ready to escape. They were also used to alert fugitive slaves to food, the way north, and danger. Different codes were used and sewn into the quilts. They were hung on porches for the runaway slaves to see and help guide them safely on their journey. The swans have been practicing threading needles, tying knots and using a simple running stitch to create patchwork squares. They needed great perseverance skills but by the end of the lesson every child had sewn at least one square!

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