SHS3 History · Semester 2 Week 5: Global Connections

Lesson notes

Learning Objectives

Indicator: 3.3.2.LI.2 - Analyse the nature of African resistance against the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

By the end of the lesson, learners can:

Identify at least five distinct forms of resistance Africans employed against the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, with specific examples and locations.
Explain the motives behind different resistance strategies, distinguishing between defensive, economic, political, and spiritual forms of resistance.
Analyse the successes and limitations of African resistance efforts, using evidence from specific historical cases.
Justify the view that African resistance was significant and widespread, challenging the misconception that Africans passively accepted enslavement.
Evaluate the contributions of key African individuals and groups, including ruling elites, ordinary people, and those in the diaspora, to resistance against the trade.

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Curriculum details

Strand: Age of Encounter and Exchanges Up to the 20th Century (Strand 3)
Sub-strand: Global Connections (3.2)
Content standard: 3.3.2.CS.1 - Demonstrate understanding of the advent and impact of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in Africa. 3.3.2.LO.1 Use relevant historical sources to develop historical perspective on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in Africa and justify the forms of resistance Africans put up against the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
Indicator: 3.3.2.LI.2 - Analyse the nature of African resistance against the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
Suggested placement: Semester 2, Week 5 (Week 25 of the year)
Our suggestion, laid out in curriculum order across three terms of twelve weeks. NaCCA does not fix the week, so follow your school's scheme of learning.
Source document note: The official curriculum document has a fault in this entry, so the curriculum text above is transcribed exactly as printed:

indicator text - p.123: the document prints this learning-indicator code as "3.3.2.L1.2" - a digit one where the I of LI belongs. Settled from the file, not from the rendered stroke: the page's content stream draws the code as the TJ operands (3.3.) (2.L1.) (2) with a WinAnsiEncoding simple TrueType font that carries no ToUnicode CMap, so the byte after the L is 0x31, DIGIT ONE; in this face the digit one and the capital I are different outlines with twice the advance width (1024 against 512); and every L1 code run in the document measures 64 px wide against 60 for every LI run of the same length. Filed under LI, which is the document's own code vocabulary (CS|LO|LI|AS)
Curriculum reference: NaCCA curriculum document, p. 123

Exemplars (from the NaCCA curriculum)

Enquiry Routes: In what ways did Africans show their resistance against the Trans-Atlantic slave trade? How successful were these African resistances against the trade?
Collaborative Learning: In small groups, learners discuss some resistance strategies put up by Africans against the Slave trade including resettling to hard-to-find places (Sokoto Caliphate in (Nigeria); building fortresses and fortifications to protect people against slave capture (Gwolu in Ghana); rigid style of leadership to impose new form of habitats (The Kayor and Baol of Senegal); creation of maroon societies in Upper Guinea Coast; role of child sentinels; using venomous plants and insects against slave raiders; creating spiritual protections, etc.
Experiential Learning: In a jigsaw activity, learners role-play the contribution of African ruling elite in resisting the Atlantic Slave Trade including attempts by the Oba of Benin to stop slave trafficking; King Tezifon of Allada's rejection of French request to establish a trading post; King Agaja of Dahomey's attack on slave raiders; the Almamy of Futa Toro's attempt to forbid the passage of slaves for sale through his territory, etc.
Project-Based Learning: In mixed-ability groups, learners explore primary and secondary sources to prepare posters on the roles of African abolitionists abroad in resisting and ending the Slave Trade including Oladauh Equiano, Timothy Hutton Brew and Quabna (Kobina) Ottobah.
Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL): Learners watch a documentary or movies on how slaves put up a brave resistance against their slave masters on the ship and in the New World. Eg; how enslaved Africans revolted against French masters and freed themselves in the Haitian Revolution of 1791.
Talk For Learning: Learners form concentric circles to discuss reasons for the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade including Humanitarian, Economic and Political Reasons.
Teaching and Learning Resources:
- Documentary on slavery and the slave trade in Africa.
- VFT on slave castles across Africa.
- Pictures of slave castles, dungeons, ships, shackles
- Secondary accounts on the slave trade (textbooks, newspaper reports, opinion papers)
- Map of the world
- Internet access
- Computer/ laptop/mobile phone, speaker-out devices.
- Stationery
- A chart on the nature of African Resistance against the Slave Trade.
- Documentaries/ movies on African resistance against the slave trade.
- Pictures and documentaries on Abolitionists.
- Primary and Secondary sources on Resistance to Slave Trade
- A poster on the decline of the Caravan Trade
Assessment (3.3.2.AS.2). The document marks these depth-of-knowledge levels for this indicator: Level 2 Skills of conceptual understanding; Level 3 Strategic reasoning; Level 4 Extended critical thinking and reasoning.