Goals:

1. Allow students to see the slave trade from a different perspective.
2. Expand student’s knowledge on the importance of opinions in history.
3. Use critical thinking to create their own account at this time in history.

Resources:

1. The Atlantic Slave Trade by David Northrup (1994). Lexington: D.C. Heath and Co.
   (ISBN 0-669-33145-7) (p 74-80)
2. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano (1995).Boston: St. Martin’s Press. (ISBN 0-312-11127-4)
3. Internet
   http://gunderson.sjusd.K12.ca.us/American%20studies/Riwan%206/Riwan.html

Materials:

1. Activity sheet
2. Copy of account that the teacher chooses

Time:

Approximate time of 2 to 3 hours depending on time it takes to read account and write papers.

Procedure:

1. Have the students read a part of Olaudah Equiano’s book or the account found in the David Northrup book.

   
   
   

2. After completing the reading, the students should talk with each other about the book. What they found that might have been the author’s opinion instead of a fact?

   
   
   

3. After they have found some facts and opinions, have them begin their paper together. The students should write their papers from one of the following perspectives: a slave, a slave catcher, a slave trader, a captain, a sailor or another individual that you both agree had something to do with the slave trade. The students should be encouraged to be creative and think about how they would feel about this historical event if they were the person they are writing for.
   
   
4. After writing their short paper, have them read each others and pick out what is an opinion in the paper and what is a fact.

Assessment:

1. Each student should turn in his or her fictional account (Criteria for success — see writing rubric).
2. Each student should read one other student’s account (Criteria for success — see self-assessment rubrics).

Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:

1. Language Arts- Writing a creative paper and critiquing other student’s papers.
2. Social Studies- Looking at historical perspectives and realizing the differences of opinion there can be, depending on who is writing the account.

Possible Extensions:

1. Have the students read other accounts in the Northrup book from captains and crew.
2. Have a mock trial on the subject of the slave trade and have students represent different sides of the argument for and against slavery.

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