Title: Skills development in the study of history
1Skills development in the study of history
The Atlantic slave trade exemplar
Analysing and applying
The approaches contained within these materials
are for exemplification purposes only.
Practitioners should adapt these to suit the
needs of their learners. Practitioners should
refer to SQA documentation at all times.
Practitioners are encouraged to share good
practice by contacting Education Scotland through
customer services.
2The Atlantic slave trade exemplar National 3
Higher
- This exemplar should be read in conjunction with
Section 1 Introductory advice and guidance. - These examples are adaptable and will help to
stimulate further development of approaches to
learning and teaching. - None of the presentations included in this
support are designed to be used with learners in
their current form. The presentations provide
advice, guidance and exemplars for practitioners
to reflect on in their own planning for learning
and teaching, and if used should be adapted to
suit the learners and setting.
3The Atlantic slave trade exemplar National 3
Higher
- Practitioners should always refer to the relevant
SQA documentation when creating materials so as
to include material for all relevant skills and
knowledge. - As the approaches are transferable across the
study of any historical unit due to the focus on
the pathways to develop skills, this could be an
opportunity for practitioners to share their
skills with other practitioners in the delivery
of history by leading CPD sessions for
colleagues. - Practitioners could also use this opportunity to
share and develop skills in interdisciplinary and
intersector contexts, eg through Glow Meets etc.
4Recording information
- There are a number of traditional ways to record
the information, such as jotters, diary entries,
posters, postcards, collages etc. - Where possible ICT can support the recording of
information for most of the following activities
in a number of new, interesting and exciting
ways - Blogs Glowblogs offer an excellent way to
record information. The learners could take turns
updating the blog with information or they could
each run their own blog. Wordpress may be an
option for those without access to Glow. - Podcasts Podcasts provide learners with a
platform that can reach thousands. They can aid
the development of literacy skills and provide
feedback from people outwith the school
environment. Audacity is an excellent piece of
software for this purpose.
5Recording information
- Emodo profile This secure social networking
site for practitioners and learners offers a
familiar-looking site for learners to update.
Practitioners could ask learners to pretend to be
someone highlighting the journey of a slave over
a period of weeks. - Emails Collaborating with another school,
learners can exchange emails with details about
the information they have learned. Different
schools could research the story of different
slaves and exchange their results at the end of
every week, including interesting facts or
stories about the slaves journey etc. - Powerpoint, Prezi and smartboard presentations
Learners will be familiar with PowerPoint.
Creating their own requires planning and an
understanding of the sequence of their
information.
6Recording information
- Twitter Practitioners may wish to explore the
idea of learners writing in the style of a tweet.
Twitters 140-character limit presents a
challenge for learners. It is a good method for
summarising learning. Practitioners should
exercise professional judgement prior to engaging
with any social media platform. - Video Learners can film themselves role-playing
a scene, as news reporters, characters from the
period of study, modern historians evaluating the
past etc. - Talking heads Learners can record themselves
acting as the talking head of a character,
answering questions about the period they lived
in. - Infographics Infographics are also worth
exploring. Piktochart is one of many online web
applications that allows learners to create
infographics easily.
7Recording information
Video games There are now many games that
offer a level of creativity in exploring new ways
to record information. Little Big Planet provides
creative opportunities for interactive
information presentation, and some excellent
examples can be found on video-sharing
websites. Minecraft This is another creative
platform for learners to use to interact with
history. It has been used by practitioners to
build medieval villages (after lesson planning)
and could be used to build plantations, a slave
galley, recreations of the buildings the tobacco
lords built and other scenes from the
period. Photographs Digital cameras have made
it easy to quickly take photos, and they offer a
great opportunity for recording evidence in the
classroom (and outside).
8List of activities
- Group or pair discussion
- Fish diagram
- Discussion questions with a report
- Collage
- Conversion
- Perfect answer
- Filling in the gaps
- Paraphrasing
- Summarising
- Thinking skills grid
- Skimming
- Scanning
- Sequencing
- Odd one out
- Exchanging viewpoints
- Jigsaw
9Group or pair discussionstimulus questions
Overview This activity encourages learners to
think about questions that may lead to a
particular answer and share them with their
peers. It has the potential to challenge
learners, who may think creatively about possible
alternative questions, and encourages thinking
about different interpretations and
understandings within the support of a peer
group. Skills Remembering Understanding Applying
10Group or pair discussionstimulus questions
- How it works
- Learners are given high-level open questions.
- Learners are encouraged to think of as many
answers as possible. - Learners then share their answers with their
peers. - Learners can discuss, with their peers, the
answers they have come up with and justify how
they arrived at a particular answer.
11Group or pair discussionstimulus questions
Questions Do you think racism increased or
decreased with the widespread use of
slavery? What were the humanitarian concerns
over slavery? Why was widespread support for
abolition of slavery slow in materialising? To
what extent did religion play a part in the
development of the slave trade? How did the
trade affect Africa as a continent?
12Group or pair discussionstimulus questions
Recording information If practitioners maintain a
Twitter account for learning and teaching
purposes, they may wish to tweet learner
responses. This could be one possible way to
record information from this activity. Discussion
around the questions could be recorded as a
podcast.
13Fish diagram
Overview This activity encourages learners to
think about the causes of questions. This offers
learners the opportunity to investigate the
reasons we have particular questions and offer
alternative answers/approaches. It has the
potential to challenge learners, who may think
creatively about possible alternative questions,
and encourages thinking about different
interpretations and understandings. Skills Remem
bering Understanding Applying Creativity
14Fish diagram
- How it works
- Learners use the fish diagram to add their
reasons in the Reason 14 boxes along the fins. - They then fill in any additional information
about these reasons in the lines leading to the
centre, for example they could write racist
attitudes along the fins and then explain why
people fear death on the Details lines.
15Fish diagram
What were the reasons behind the growth of the
slave trade?
Believed Africans were inferior to Whites
Labour needed for New World development
Native Indians poor slaves criminals had finite
contracts
eg David Hume Darwin also used
Christians believed Africans were heathens
Slave factories set up
African tribes raided inland for slaves (to
profit)
Felt Africans needed 'saving'
16Fish diagram
Recording information This activity could be
recorded on a PowerPoint, a smartboard, a poster,
a whiteboard or in a general paint program.
17Discussion questions with a report
Overview This activity encourages learners to
think about questions that may lead to a
particular answer, share them with their peers
and create a report for others to learn from. It
has the potential to challenge learners, who may
think creatively about possible alternative
questions, and encourages thinking about
different interpretations and understandings
within the support of a peer group, with the
ultimate focus being on the report. Skills Remem
bering Understanding Applying
Creating
18Discussion questions with a report
- How it works
- Learners are given a series of leading questions
which enable them to develop their understanding
of a topic from simple observations to more
high-level questioning and hopefully reflective
learning. - Learners produce a draft report for the class.
19Discussion questions with a report
- Consider the following questions, discuss your
ideas with a partner/group and use this
information to draft a report. - Why did certain goods became more popular as a
result of the slave trade? - Who benefitted from the trading of these goods?
- In what ways did the sales of tobacco and sugar
change Scotland? - Draft a report on the question
- 'From 1707 to 1766 fewer than 30 direct slave
voyages left Scotland, therefore the economic
impact of the slave trade on Scotland was
minimal.' How accurate is this view?
20Discussion questions with a report
- Consider the following questions, discuss your
ideas with a partner/group and use this
information to draft a report. - How did one race of people come to believe that
it was right to enslave another and to profit
from their unpaid labour? - What effects did creating a racial slave system
have on those who owned slaves? - Why did those who were enslaved rarely use
violence to resist their oppression? - In what ways did slaves attempt to create
families and their own cultures and societies in
the face of such violent oppression? - Draft a report on the question
- What led many in British society to conclude
that the slave trade was wrong?
21Discussion questions with a report
- Extension/alternative ideas
- Learners could create their own questions for
discussing a wider topic, pinpointing areas that
need to be studied to fully answer the question.
These could be put to their peers. - Learners could also, on completion of an essay,
work backwards to provide the questions that they
had to answer to reach their conclusions.
22Discussion questions with a report
Recording information Using a Twitter-style
140-character limit to summarise answers to the
initial questions can be effective, as can
recording the discussion on tape or video. The
report can be written and posted on a blog for
learners to view each others different writing
techniques and standards.
23Source analysis with a report
Overview This activity encourages learners to
think about questions that relate to sources,
share them with their peers and create a report
for others to learn from. It has the potential to
challenge learners, who may think creatively
about possible alternative questions, and
encourages thinking about different
interpretations and understandings within the
support of a peer group with the ultimate focus
being on the report. Skills Remembering
Understanding Applying Creating
24Source analysis with a report
- How it works
- Learners are given a source to examine.
- They are then given a series of leading questions
which enable them to develop their viewpoints on
the source from simple observations to more
high-level questioning and hopefully reflective
learning. - Sources should be differentiated for the
different levels of ability in the class. - Learners produce a draft report for the class.
25Source analysis with a report
Source A is a passage drawn from Jean Barbot,
Barbot on Guinea The Writings of Jean Barbot on
West Africa 1678-1712. (This source was chosen by
Simon Newman, Professor of American Studies at
the University of Glasgow.) 'Among the Moors
are persons engaged in various occupations, those
at the coasts being mostly merchants, fishermen,
goldsmiths, canoe-men, house-builders,
salt-makers, roofers, farmers, potters, porters,
etc. Each is engaged in his occupation in order
to gain a livelihood and even to become rich,
since nowadays, having studied us Europeans, they
are as ambitious and greedy as formerly they were
simple and content with the necessities of life,
not even being acquainted with the use of
clothes. Of all their occupations, that of the
merchant is the most honourable. The agents and
merchants usually come out to the ships in
small, neat canoes paddled by two Moors, they
themselves sitting in the middle on a little
wooden stool and having beside each of them a
cutlass, a pipe and a small reed basket to
contain whatever they buy on the ship... Those
who buy on their own account do not usually sell
the goods again until the ships have left, in
order to make more gain. They also make much
profit on the goods they buy for others, since
they hand over the goods to them at a much higher
price than they gave for them, or else they hand
over short weight... These Moorish merchants do
not trade only in gold but also in slaves, whom
they bring to the ships in fairly large numbers
when there are wars. But in peacetime, as was the
case on the whole Gold Coast in 1682, there is
little trade in these and they are very dear...
Hardly ever is ivory traded, because such ivory
as they have there comes from far inland or from
Quaqua or Congo, and because they use it for
trumpets, bracelets, and other things they make
and use, which means that ivory is dear there.
Hardly any wax is available, since they employ it
to make candles (whose use they have known for
some time).'
26Source questions with a report
What is this source describing? When was it
written? Why do you think Jean Barbot wrote
this book? What is Jean Barbots attitude
towards Africans on the West Coast? How
economically important is slavery for the average
trader on the West Coast?
27Source analysis with a report
Source B is a passage drawn from William Smith, A
New Voyage to Guinea Describing The Customs,
Manners, Soil, Climate, Habits, Buildings,
Education, Manual Arts, Agriculture, Trade,
Employments, Langauges, Ranks of Distinction,
Habitations, Diversions, Marriages, and whatever
else is memorable among the Inhabitants, 1745.
(This source was chosen by Simon Newman,
Professor of American Studies at the University
of Glasgow.) 'The Negroe Town of Cape Coast
British trading headquarters is very large and
populous. The Inhabitants, tho Pagans, are a
very civilizd Sort of People, for which they are
beholding to their frequent Conversation with the
Europeans. They are of a warlike Disposition,
tho in time of Peace, their chief Employment is
fishing, at which they are very dexterous,
especially with a Cast-Net, wherewith they take
all Sorts of Surface Fish, nor are they less
acquainted with the Hook and Line for the Ground
Fish. It is very pleasant to see a Fleet,
consisting of Eighty or a Hundred Canoes, going
out a Fishing from Cape Coast in a Morning, and
returning in from Sea well freighted in the
Evening, which may be seen every day during the
dry Seasons, except Tuesday which is their
Fittish Day, or Day of Rest. They frequently
venture abroad in the Rains, tho they are
sometimes drove in again, at the approach of a
Turnadoe, before they have been two Hours
abroad. The Grand Caboceroe powerful
intermediary between Europeans and local people
of this Town, is a Christian, namd Thomas Osiat.
He was carried when young to Ireland, where his
Master dying, left him in Care with a Widow,
whome Name was Pennington, who kept the Crown or
Faulcon Tavern near the Change in Cork. She took
Care of his Education, and had him baptizd by
the Reverend Dr. Maul, now Lord Bishop of Cloyne.
After having obtaind his Freedom, in this
Manner, he in Time returnd home to Cape Coast,
where he now lives in very great Grandeur, and is
of the utmost Service to the English, both for
the carrying on their Trade in the Inland
Country, and preserving Peace with all the
neighbouring Powers, especially the Town of
Elmina...'
28Source questions with a report
What is this source describing? When was it
written? Why do you think William Smith has
written this book? What is William Smiths
opinion of the Africans he describes? What
bearing, if any, does Smiths religion have on
his account? How does Smiths account compare
with Barbots?
29Source questions with a report
- Extension/alternative ideas
- Learners could create their own questions for
discussion beyond the sources, pinpointing areas
that need to be explored further to fully answer
the question. - Different sources could be presented to different
groups and instead of a report, learners could
create a presentation on the source to the other
groups.
30Source questions with a report
Recording information Recording the discussion on
tape or video can be effective. The report could
be written and posted on a blog for learners to
view each others different writing techniques
and standards. If the learners are creating a
presentation instead of a report, using
PowerPoint or Prezi may be a good way to record
the information.
31Collage
Overview This activity asks learners to
represent their views on an issue or concept in a
visual, creative and engaging way. It encourages
learners not only to communicate effectively, but
also to develop their interpretation skills in
considering other peoples work. Skills Understan
ding Applying Analysing
32Collage
- How it works
- Each group is given a relevant word, idea, issue
or concept that they must represent using a range
of provided materials. Such materials might
include magazines, newspapers, sticky shapes,
coloured card and paper, marker pens, scissors,
glue and pens. - Groups must discuss what their key term/concept
means and record how they decide to represent
this, with supporting reasons. - The practitioner may wish to establish certain
criteria for the collages in order to add a
challenge aspect to the activity (this is an
opportunity to involve learners in creating
success criteria and for practitioners to ensure
differentiation is effectively planned into
learning so that all learners are fully involved,
engaged and challenged).
33Collage
- How it works
- Learners are given a time limit to complete the
task. - Groups can present their work to others or groups
can navigate around the room to consider the work
of each group. - Each group should discuss and take notes on the
work of others. Discussion can take place about
what each group felt the other groups were trying
to represent and how they interpreted this.
34Resistance
Active resistance
Unhappy
Running away
Damaging property
Wants change
Mental
Physical
Passive resistance
Working slowly
Arson
35Collage
Recording information Presenting the collage as a
poster is the best traditional method for this
activity, but allowing a group to create a poster
on a computer is also a good approach. Little Big
Planet could also be used as a way of creating
collages.
36Conversion
Overview Being able to take information and
convert it into another format demonstrates
understanding and also develops analytical
skills. This activity engages learners with
source material from the area of study. It also
provides learners with an opportunity to make a
choice about how they want to develop their
understanding. Skills Applying Analysing Evaluat
ing Creating
37Conversion
- How it works
- Learners are presented with an event, source or
idea. - Practitioners should ensure that the presented
material is explained and that learners have the
opportunity to discuss or ask questions about it.
- Learners are then given options about how they
would like to convert the presented information.
38Conversion
- Groups select from any of the following (found in
Olaudah Equianos autobiography) - Being taken from his home The Middle Passage
- Life as a slave On being freed
- Groups convert your chosen text into a new
format, which they will present to the class.
Possibilities include - a mind map a storyboard a play
- a creative story a diary entry a comic
strip a poem a flow diagram a song - Groups
- explain/perform their piece to the whole class
- explain which source they chose and why
- explain the conversion it has gone through why
did they choose to present it in this form, what
are the key elements of the text and how have
they expressed and emphasised these?
39Conversion
Recording information The method of recording
depends mainly on the way the learner converts
the data. Needless to say most, if not all, of
the recording suggestions would work here.
40Perfect answer
Overview This activity helps the learners to
work as a group to develop 'perfect' answers to a
question. It involves peer learning and the
sharing of the learners knowledge on the
subject. Skills Understanding Applying Evaluating
41Perfect answer
- How it works
- Learners work in groups.
- Numbered questions are placed around the room.
- Each member of the group is given a number.
- In numerical order, learners take it in turns to
go and find a question (these must be answered in
numerical order learner 1 finds question 1, then
learner 2 finds question 2 and so on). - Once the learner has found the question they
return to the group and tell everyone what it is. - The group develop as detailed an answer as
possible. - The learner who found the question takes the
perfect answer to the practitioner. - The practitioner can accept the answer, ask for
an expansion or give a clue to take back to the
group to discuss and find the perfect answer. - The process is then repeated until the group has
provided the perfect answer. The next learner
then goes and finds the next question and the
process begins again.
42Perfect answer
Importance of slave trade toBritish economy
Question 1 In what ways did profits from the
slave trade shape cities like Glasgow and
Liverpool?
Question 3 Why were tropical crops and the
profits they provided important to the British
economy?
Question 2 To what extent did the slave trade
affect Britains maritime industry?
Question 4 Who profited from the slave trade and
how did they maximise profits?
43Perfect answer
Recording information Blogs could be used to
record the perfect answers, although they could
also be recorded on tape. A poster provides an
alternative way of recording the answers.
44Filling in the gaps
Overview This activity requires the learner to
understand context and vocabulary in order to
identify the correct words or type of words that
belong in the deleted parts of a text. Words are
deleted from a passage according to a word-count
formula or various other criteria, eg all
adjectives, all words that have a particular
letter pattern. The passage is presented to
learners, who insert the correct words in the
gaps as they read to construct appropriate
meaning from the text. Skills Understanding Apply
ing Analysing
45Filling in the gaps
How it works 1. Words are deleted from a
passage according to a word-count formula or
various other criteria, eg all adjectives, all
words that have a particular letter pattern. 2.
The passage is presented to learners, who insert
correct words in the gaps as they read to
construct appropriate meaning from the text. 3.
The missing words can be presented in a separate
box, but for higher levels it is more
constructive for the learners to come up with the
words themselves.
46Filling in the gaps
The American Revolution had a _______ effect
on trade, and tobacco investors _______.
However, many _______ Glaswegians had _______
into trade with the West Indies, importing
_______ and making rum, and by the end of the
18th century Glasgow had become Britains biggest
_______ of sugar. Glasgow _______ as the second
city of the British Empire during the 19th
century, _______ wealth from heavy engineering,
shipbuilding and _______ _______. This period
saw _______ growth in the citys population and
_______ size and it was _______ this era that
Victorian Glasgow was _______.
47Filling in the gaps
- Extension/alternative ideas
- Learners could be challenged to come up with
their own fill in the gaps passages for other
learners to complete.
48Filling in the gaps
Recording information This works well in jotters
and on blogs, or practitioners could tweet
learners interpretation of the missing words.
Practitioners are also encouraged to explore Glow
Blogs and Glow Wikis.
49Paraphrasing
Overview Paraphrasing involves the learner
putting a passage from source material into
his/her own words. This activity requires the
learner to understand context and have an
accurate comprehension of the text. Skills Unders
tanding Applying Analysing
50Paraphrasing
How it works 1. Learners should use alternative
wording to the authors throughout the
paraphrase. 2. Explain that it is important that
learners use their own words but they should make
it clear that they are presenting someone elses
ideas, eg According to Professor Tom Devine... 3.
It is important that learners cite their sources.
51Paraphrasing
Source A is from the 1837 printing of American
Slavery as it is Testimony of a Thousand
Witnesses Slaves belonging to merchants and
others in the city, often hire their own time,
for which they pay various prices per week or
month, according to the capacity of the slave.
The females who thus hire their time, pursue
various modes to procure the money their masters
making no inquiry how they get it, provided the
money comes. If it is not regularly paid they are
flogged. Some take in washing, some cook on board
vessels, pick oakum, sell peanuts, c., while
others, younger and more comely, often resort to
the vilest pursuits. I knew a man from the north
who, though married to a respectable southern
woman, kept two of these mulatto girls in an
upper room at his store his wife told some of
her friends that he had not lodged at home for
two weeks together, I have seen these two kept
misses, as they are there called, at his store
he was afterwards stabbed in an attempt to arrest
a runaway slave, and died in about ten days.
Source A is a slave owner describing how slaves
pay their owners for time off. The cost is
dependent on the skill of the slave, and how
badly they are needed. If owners dont receive
the money the slave gets flogged. The author
alludes to the use of prostitution among female
slaves to raise the money. Other women cook,
clean, pick or sell. The author describes the
situation of his friend, who kept two female
slaves above his shop as mistresses/concubines.
52Paraphrasing
- Extension/alternative ideas
- Learners could be challenged to see who can come
up with a paraphrase in the quickest time. They
must recite their paraphrase without looking at
the source. Other learners then assess how good
it was. - Working backwards, the practitioner could supply
learners with a list of paraphrases and the
learners match these to the correct sources.
53Paraphrasing
Recording information Paraphrasing lends itself
well to being recorded as a podcast or vodcast,
while blogging could also useful here.
54Summarising
Overview Summarising involves the learner
putting only the main idea(s) from the source
material into his/her own words. As with
paraphrasing, this activity requires the learner
to understand context and have an accurate
comprehension of the text. Skills Understanding A
pplying Analysing
55Summarising
How it works 1. Summarising involves the
learner putting only the main idea(s) from the
source material into his/her own words. This is a
useful skill and works well with note-taking. 2.
The lower the word limit, the harder the task
becomes. 3. Learners can compare their summaries
after the task for added comprehension.
56Summarising
Source A is from the 1837 printing of American
Slavery as it is Testimony of a Thousand
Witnesses Slaves belonging to merchants and
others in the city, often hire their own time,
for which they pay various prices per week or
month, according to the capacity of the slave.
The females who thus hire their time, pursue
various modes to procure the money their masters
making no inquiry how they get it, provided the
money comes. If it is not regularly paid they are
flogged. Some take in washing, some cook on board
vessels, pick oakum, sell peanuts, c., while
others, younger and more comely, often resort to
the vilest pursuits. I knew a man from the north
who, though married to a respectable southern
woman, kept two of these mulatto girls in an
upper room at his store his wife told some of
her friends that he had not lodged at home for
two weeks together, I have seen these two kept
misses, as they are there called, at his store
he was afterwards stabbed in an attempt to arrest
a runaway slave, and died in about ten days.
- Some slaves had to pay their owners money for the
time they werent working. Prices varied
depending on the skill of the slave. - Women afforded this by picking or selling food,
or carrying out domestic duties like washing or
cooking (on ships). Others, younger women, turned
to prostitution. - A friend of author kept two slaves as mistresses
above his shop.
57Summarising
- Extension/alternative ideas
- Learners could be challenged to see who can come
up with a summary in the quickest time. They must
recite the summary without looking at the source.
Other learners then assess how good it was. - Working backwards, the practitioner could supply
learners with a list of summaries and the
learners match these to the correct sources.
58Summarising
Recording information Summarising lends itself
well to being recorded as a podcast.
Practitioners may wish to explore setting a
50-word challenge where learners can only use a
maximum of 50 words.
59Thinking skills grid
Overview This activity can help learners
revision and understanding of subtopics within
the larger topics and units. Skills Remembering
Applying Analysing Creating
60Thinking skills grid
How it works 1. Learners draw six columns on an
A4 (or larger) sheet of paper, landscape
orientation. 2. Each column focuses on a
different piece of knowledge they have learned
throughout a subtopic. 3. As they are both
processing the information and recording it in
different ways, this activity caters to all types
of learners. 4. Learners can compare their
summaries after the task for added comprehension.
61- Interesting response
- (What have I found interesting about this topic?)
- Emotional response
- (What do I love and hate about the topic?)
- Negative response
- (The bad points about the topic)
- Positive response
- (The good points about the topic)
- Creative response
- (Draw pictures about the topic)
- Overview response
- (What were the main points about the topic?)
62- Interesting response
- (What have I found interesting about this topic?)
- Emotional response
- (What do I love and hate about the topic?)
- Negative response
- (The bad points about the topic)
- Positive response
- (The good points about the topic)
- Creative response
- (Draw pictures about the topic)
- Overview response
- (What were the main points about the topic?)
Slaves were treated as cargo. Up to 50,000 a
year were being transported in the late
1700s. The heat and awful conditions led to many
slaves dying.
Over 400,000 slaves died on British ships during
the Middle Passage. Ships could have a loose
pack or a tight pack, eventually more ships went
for tight pack as more slaves equalled more
money.
Slaves were treated as cargo. Slaves had to lie
on their backs in the hold, so more could be
fitted in. Disease was rife. Discipline was
strong to avoid any chance of rebelling
floggings, torture and hangings.
Slaves would sometimes be brought up on deck for
exercise. The crew had it in their best
interests to keep the slaves alive as it meant
more money. There were lots of Scottish doctors
on ships to look after slaves.
I would hate to have been a slave (or doctor) on
the Middle Passage ships. The cramped quarters,
poor supplies and bad treatment from the sailors
would have been awful. My friends and family
could have died around me.
The Middle Passage
63Thinking skills grid
- Extension/alternative ideas
- Columns could be added or taken away.
- The learners choices could be discussed during
the lesson to aid other learners and provoke
debate. - Examining the learners choices can provide
insight into the practitioners own approach to
the course, providing a good opportunity for
reflective thinking .
64Thinking skills grid
Recording information This can be recorded as a
PowerPoint or smartboard presentation, as a
Prezi, an infographic, on a blog or as a poster.
The drawing column could be created in a generic
paint package on a computer.
65Skimming
Overview Introducing learners to skimming (and
scanning) can help develop their engagement with
texts and encourage them to approach their
reading of texts and sources more analytically.
Skills Understanding Analysing Evaluating
66Skimming
How it works 1. The learner 'skims' the text,
looking for the gist of the piece. 2. This
involves reading the title, subtitles, paragraph
headings and any annotations, followed by the
first and last paragraphs. 3. This provides the
learner with a good idea of what the text is
about before a deeper reading (or not, as the
case may be).
67Skimming
1. The learner is given an article (or book) and
told they have a strict 5 (10) minutes to find
out what it is about. 2. After the time is up,
they have 5 minutes to write down everything they
have learned about the article or book without
looking at it again. 3. Once the 5 minutes are
up, they take it in turns with a partner to
explain what the piece was about (without
notes). 4. After this, the learners compare the
notes they took and discuss their choices as well
as the techniques they used. 5. New material is
given out and the learners repeat the process.
68Scanning
Overview Introducing learners to scanning (and
skimming) can help develop their engagement with
texts and encourage them to approach their
reading of texts and sources more analytically.
Skills Understanding Analysing Evaluating
69Scanning
How it works 1. The learner 'scans' the text
with rapid eye movements, looking only for the
specific information they require, which the
practitioner can define author, date
written/published, information on a specific
topic or key words. 2. The information can then
be underlined, highlighted or noted down. 3.
This method works best if only a particular part
of the text is relevant to the learner, and saves
reading the whole piece.
70Scanning
1. The learner is given an article (or book) and
told they have a strict 5 minutes to find out a
specific piece of information the practitioner
defines. 2. After the time is up, the learners
explain what techniques they used to find the
information. 3. New material is given out and
the process is repeated, with learners now aware
of and implementing the successful methods of
scanning. 4. Four different pieces of
information could be given to groups and each
learner asked to find one piece. The group is
only finished when everyone has found their piece
of information. 5. This could be used in a
competition between different groups once the
learners are confident in their scanning
abilities.
71Sequencing
Overview Introducing learners to sequencing can
help them understand the importance of coherence
and cohesion within a piece of text. Skills Under
standing Applying Analysing
72Sequencing
- How it works
- 1. The learners reorganise the mixed-up pieces
of text into a logical order. - 2. Learners can do this by themselves, in pairs
or in groups. - 3. Sequencing can also be done on the smartboard
using touch-screen software, with learners and
dragging and dropping text into the right order. - 4. Examples of text to sequence might be
- essays (cut up into paragraphs)
- a text-based source (cut up into sentences)
- a transcript from a speech
- academic articles (cut up into paragraphs)
- 5. This is an excellent activity for raising
awareness of how the learners own essay should
be structured (ie beginning, middle, end).
73Sequencing
Mixed up
Consequently, T.M. Devine has recently posed the
far-from-rhetorical question Did slavery make
Scotia great?.
Williams was heavily criticised, although his
detractors underestimated the true extent of the
overall relationship as they narrowly focused on
the profits of the maritime trade in slaves.
Devine now argues that Scotland could provide
more fertile ground for historians who seek to
establish that slavery had a profound impact on
Scottish industrialisation as it was a relatively
poor society in 1750 which underwent rapid growth
whilst dependent on slave economies for raw
materials as well as external markets for
exports, in addition to capital transfers to the
burgeoning industries in manufacturing, mining
and agricultureD.
More recently, Joseph Inikori reinforced the view
that slavery and overseas trade were the
principal determinants of a commercial
revolution in England.
For Inikori, commerce with slave-based economies
in an Atlantic system dependant on chattel
slavery had significant multiplier effects on
English industrialisation as well as shipping and
on the commercial and financial infrastructureY.
These issues have promoted vigorous academic
debate since the publication of Eric Williamss
pioneering text Capitalism and Slavery in 1944.
Williams defined an exploitative global
relationship in which the profits of the slave
trade and commerce with the slave colonies were
crucial to the industrial development of Great
BritainL.
The two most controversial questions regarding
chattel slavery and Great Britain in the modern
era are economic in nature how profitable was
the West India trade and how did slavery
influence the industrial and agricultural
development of the nation?
However, whilst there is a mature yet
inconclusive historiography regarding the impact
on England, the relationship between chattel
slavery and Scotland remains obscure.
74Sequencing
Correct order
The two most controversial questions regarding
chattel slavery and Great Britain in the modern
era are economic in nature how profitable was
the West India trade and how did slavery
influence the industrial and agricultural
development of the nation?
These issues have promoted vigorous academic
debate since the publication of Eric Williamss
pioneering text Capitalism and Slavery in 1944.
Williams defined an exploitative global
relationship in which the profits of the slave
trade and commerce with the slave colonies were
crucial to the industrial development of Great
BritainL.
Williams was heavily criticised, although his
detractors underestimated the true extent of the
overall relationship as they narrowly focused on
the profits of the maritime trade in slaves.
More recently, Joseph Inikori reinforced the view
that slavery and overseas trade were the
principal determinants of a commercial
revolution in England.
For Inikori, commerce with slave-based economies
in an Atlantic system dependant on chattel
slavery had significant multiplier effects on
English industrialisation as well as shipping and
on the commercial and financial infrastructureY.
However, whilst there is a mature yet
inconclusive historiography regarding the impact
on England, the relationship between chattel
slavery and Scotland remains obscure.
Consequently, T.M. Devine has recently posed the
far-from-rhetorical question Did slavery make
Scotia great?.
Devine now argues that Scotland could provide
more fertile ground for historians who seek to
establish that slavery had a profound impact on
Scottish industrialisation as it was a relatively
poor society in 1750 which underwent rapid growth
whilst dependent on slave economies for raw
materials as well as external markets for
exports, in addition to capital transfers to the
burgeoning industries in manufacturing, mining
and agricultureD.
75Sequencing
Mixed up
However, slavery was not hereditary, and the
children of slaves were usually regarded as being
free members of the household of their parents
master.
People living in West Africa, both free and
enslaved, did not see their lives as being shaped
or dominated by trade with the Europeans and the
transatlantic slave trade.
However, the massive size of the transatlantic
slave trade meant that in wars and raids a very
great number of West Africans were captured and
sold to the Europeans.
Enslaved Africans who were sold to the Europeans
and transported to the Americas would experience
a very different form of slavery to those who
were slaves in Africa.
Most stayed on or near the coast, and they knew
little of the heavily populated African interior.
Slavery had been an important social institution
in West Africa long before the arrival of the
Europeans.
The transportation of over ten million African
slaves to the Americas implies an absolute
European dominance of West Africa that simply did
not exist.
But those West Africans who were taken in chains
to the New World suffered very different
experiences.
In Africa slavery was predominantly a system of
organising labour in a society with many people
but limited opportunities for land ownership and
economic survival.
West Africans controlled the trade in gold,
ivory, spices and eventually slaves, and
historians continue to debate whether West
Africans should be regarded primarily as victims
of or participants in the transatlantic slave
trade.
In Europe land was the main form of
wealth-producing property, but in much of West
Africa rulers and the elite owned land, and
slaves became an important form of
wealth-producing property, enabling their owners
to profit from the land they rented from local
rulers.
Relatively few Europeans settled on the West
African coast, and many of those who did were
soon struck down by yellow fever, malaria and
other diseases.
76Sequencing
Correct order
The transportation of over ten million African
slaves to the Americas implies an absolute
European dominance of West Africa that simply did
not exist.
Relatively few Europeans settled on the West
African coast, and many of those who did were
soon struck down by yellow fever, malaria and
other diseases.
Most stayed on or near the coast, and they knew
little of the heavily populated African interior.
West Africans controlled the trade in gold,
ivory, spices and eventually slaves, and
historians continue to debate whether West
Africans should be regarded primarily as victims
of or participants in the transatlantic slave
trade.
Slavery had been an important social institution
in West Africa long before the arrival of the
Europeans.
In Europe land was the main form of
wealth-producing property, but in much of West
Africa rulers and the elite owned land, and
slaves became an important form of
wealth-producing property, enabling their owners
to profit from the land they rented from local
rulers.
However, slavery was not hereditary, and the
children of slaves were usually regarded as being
free members of the household of their parents
master.
In Africa slavery was predominantly a system of
organising labour in a society with many people
but limited opportunities for land ownership and
economic survival.
However, the massive size of the transatlantic
slave trade meant that in wars and raids a very
great number of West Africans were captured and
sold to the Europeans.
Enslaved Africans who were sold to the Europeans
and transported to the Americas would experience
a very different form of slavery to those who
were slaves in Africa.
People living in West Africa, both free and
enslaved, did not see their lives as being shaped
or dominated by trade with the Europeans and the
transatlantic slave trade.
But those West Africans who were taken in chains
to the New World suffered very different
experiences.
77Sequencing
Recording information Sequencing can be stuck
into jotters or posted on blogs. The discussion
over the right order of the pieces could be
recorded as a vodcast or podcast.
78Odd one out
- How it works
- Odd one out is an activity that can be used as a
springboard for initial exploration of the topic
or as a tool to consolidate knowledge. Learners
are encouraged to explore for themselves the
similarities and differences between ideas and to
foster an understanding relationship between them.
Overview Odd one out is an activity that can be
used as a springboard for initial exploration of
the topic or as a tool to consolidate knowledge.
Learners are encouraged to explore for themselves
the similarities and differences between ideas
and to foster an understanding relationship
between them. Skills Remembering
Understanding Applying Analysing
79Odd one out
- How it works
- Learners are given a set of key words, ideas,
places, events or people, depending on the
learning area and topic. - Learners must decide on the odd one out in each
grid or list. Often there may be no right or
wrong answers and any word might be the odd one
out. Learners must therefore give a justified and
valid response as to why they chose a particular
word and the nature of the relationship between
the other words on the list. - A discussion afterwards might concentrate on how
learners made the connections between the words,
the processes involved and whether the group work
has helped learners to see different connections
which they otherwise might not have considered.
80Odd one out
Source A http//hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slaver
y/detailsKeyword.php?keyworde019recordCount1th
eRecord0
- Possible answers
- A it is the only one set on the Middle Passage
- B it is the only one where black people are
guarding the slaves - C it is the only one to show the method of
oppression - D the only image that shows the slaves without
their captors or means of incarceration
Source B http//hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slaver
y/detailsKeyword.php?keywordc017recordCount2th
eRecord0
Source C http//hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slaver
y/detailsKeyword.php?keywordJCB_01203-2recordCou
nt3theRecord0
Source D http//hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slaver
y/detailsKeyword.php?keywordhazard2recordCount1
theRecord0
81Odd one out
- Extension/alternative ideas
- Learners could create their own odd one out
boards, either by themselves or in groups, and
have a discussion about the choices.
82Odd one out
Recording information Recording this activity and
the debate that ensues on video is perhaps the
best method. Learners could also be presented
with the pictures and asked to write a blog post
describing which one is the odd one out.
83Exchanging viewpoints
Overview This activity can be used to develop
learners understanding of different points of
view regarding a debatable topic. Not only must
they listen to others, but they have to describe
the views of other learners. Skills Applying Anal
ysing Evaluating Creating
84Exchanging viewpoints
- How it works
- Each learner will need a name tag that can be
easily swapped with a partner. - A question which provokes debate should be posed
to the class. This might be a new topic or one
that learners have already studied if using the
task for revision. - Learners are given a short amount of time to
consider their answer to the question and
instructed that they will have to describe their
view to another learner. - A time limit is set during which learners must
describe their view and at least one reason why
they have this view. Learners exchange their name
tags so that they are wearing each others.
85Exchanging viewpoints
- How it works
- Learners must then find a new partner and instead
of describing their own view, they describe the
view of the person whose name tag they are
wearing. - Once the time is up, they again swap name tags,
find a new partner and describe the view of the
person whose tag they are wearing. - This can be done as few or as many times as
required, depending on the time available. - Learners write down as many of the different
views as they can remember. - After a period of time the learners are asked to
place their name tags on a large piece of paper
and to express and explain the view of the
learner named. The learner named can then add
further points of clarification or correct any
errors.
86 Should the slave trade be made illegal?
Rory Slave owner Absolutely not. Slaves have a
limited period of use seven years is the best
we can get out of them. What will we do if we
cant replace them?
Kirsten Ship owner Most of my business
involves trading slaves and goods to Africa. If
we make it illegal Ill lose thousands of pounds.
Marco Slave Yes, it has ruined millions of
African lives. I was taken from my family when I
was five, and my sister and my brother were taken
ten years earlier.
Josh Anti-abolitionist No! They are uncivilised
and do not deserve freedom! They were made to
work.
Amy Pro-abolitionist It has to be! It is a
deplorable act and distinctly un-Christian.
87Exchanging viewpoints
Recording information Recording on video is a
great medium for this activity, although each
group recording themselves is also a good
approach. Learners might record themselves as
talking heads, defending their viewpoint.
Alternatively, each learner could make notes.
88Interrogation (also called hot seating)
Overview This activity calls on the
practitioner, or a learner or group of learners,
to play the role of a character from the period
of time being studied. Skills Understanding Remem
bering Evaluating
89Interrogation (also called hot seating)
- How it works
- The practitioner, learner or groups of learners
pose as a character from the period of study (eg
an anti-abolitionist). This can be a famous
character, an anonymous person or a group of
people. - The remaining learners can question and
interrogate the character(s) on any aspect of the
history period they are studying. - The actor(s) must stay in role throughout the
interrogation, sticking to what should be his/her
opinions (for example defending the slave trade). - It can work well if participants are given an
opportunity to revise the topic/the characters
stance, as questions and answers can then be
prepared.
90Interrogation (also called hot seating)
Characters could be
A tobacco lord
A plantation slave
A ships captain
A member of parliament
William Wilberforce
An African tribesman
Olaudah Equiano
A slave owner
A child born into slavery
91Interrogation (also called hot seating)
Recording information Recording on video or tape
is a good approach for this activity. The podcast
can be revisited at a later date for learners to
evaluate and reflect on their questions and
answers.
92Jigsaw
Overview For more complex work, this activity
provides learners with the opportunity to develop
expertise in one area of a subject and then
return to their group with 'experts' from the
other areas to tackle the whole
subject. Skills Understanding Applying Analysing
93Jigsaw
- How it works
- The learners are in groups of four (or however
many pieces of evidence you want to provide). - They are split up and move to four different
stations, where they spend 10 minutes learning
about one area of the problem. - After the time limit, everyone returns to their
original group, which now has four experts on the
four different areas of the subject. - Working together, the learners use the
information they have learnt to tackle the task
on the subject.
94Jigsaw
Recording information Poster work is a good
method for recording information in this
activity, as are blog posts. A podcast from each
group on their findings can also prove
interesting.