On this episode of The Children’s Hour, kids learn about the Underground Railroad and the life of Harriet Tubman. Bilingual fourth graders from Mrs. Charles’s classroom at Coronado Elementary School in Albuquerque teach listeners what they discovered while studying American history. They explain how the Underground Railroad was not a real train, but a secret system of people who helped enslaved individuals escape to freedom.

Listeners hear about Harriet Tubman’s childhood in slavery, her courage, and how she escaped to the North. After gaining her freedom, Harriet returned again and again to help others escape. She used songs, disguises, star maps, and secret messages to guide people safely. The kids explain why many people traveled at night, hid during the day, and followed the North Star on their journey.

The episode also explores how the Underground Railroad worked, including safe houses called stations and guides known as conductors. Listeners learn why some freedom seekers traveled all the way to Canada and how laws in the United States made escape dangerous. The show shares how Harriet Tubman later helped the Union during the Civil War and continued caring for others throughout her life.

Underground Railroad was written by the fourth grade students in Mrs. Charles classroom at Coronado Elementary in Albuquerque, NM, as well as by McKenzie Graunke, and Katie Stone, who also produced the program with help from Sarah Gabrielli, Benjamin Green, and Thaniel Lentz. Live engineering by Andrés Martínez at Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our learning guides are written by Amber Shiel.

The Children’s Hour is produced by The Children’s Hour Inc., a New Mexico nonprofit organization, and distributed by Native Voice One, the Native American Radio Network. Theme music by C.K. Barlow.

© 2026 The Children’s Hour Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Please note: not all songs we play can be found in Spotify.