Freedom - KS3 History resource about Britain and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Log in

Teacher support

The history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade is complex and difficult to define. Human indignity, suffering and cruelty are central to this history – this fact should never be forgotten. However, it is also a history that illustrates the power of the human spirit. It tells us how subjugated people retained their dignity and regained their human right to live as people. This message is relevant to us all and is important to tell.

To tell the history of enslaved people – their suffering and survival
To explain how the actions of people in their daily lives can explicitly and implicitly support acts of human indignity and suffering
To highlight the powerful contribution surviving artefacts make to this history, while recognizing the sensitivities associated with their interpretation

The focus of this activity is to give students the opportunity to explore 50 objects about the Transatlantic Slave Trade and create their own exhibition that can by presented to the class on-screen or printable format.

The process of developing the exhibition is illustrated by a trail at the bottom of the page.

Start - The students develop a focus for their exhibition by selecting a category that interests them. There are five subject-based categories and five 'emotive word' categories. An exhibition can only be created within one of these ten categories.
Choose Image – There are 20 relevant objects in each category and an exhibition can contain a maximum of five objects. The student can learn about the category by clicking 'Find Out More’ or browsing the objects by clicking on them. If any further motivation is needed there is a 'Questions’ button that helps students find images with incentive to write about them. An image is added to the exhibition by clicking the 'Add’ button. To exit the exhibition and start afresh click 'Start Again’.
Edit – there is a writing frame for each object that asks the student to explain what the object is, what it shows and why they have chosen it. (NB the student can only add 250 characters in each field. The letters will turn red when the student types over the limit.) The 'Save’ button will take the student to a page that lists the objects so far included in their exhibition, with buttons to change the order of the objects. This page also has text fields for the exhibition title and description which have to be filled out in order to save the exhibition.
Save – The exhibition can only be saved by registering. The student has to have their own email address to do this (or access to a school email account). Once a user is logged on they can create as many exhibitions as they like and all their work is automatically saved as it is created.
View – From this page the student has the option of choosing a display colour for their exhibition by clicking the radio buttons and selecting ’Change’. The student can then either print their exhibition or select 'View As Slide Show’ and present it to their class.

This activity can be carried out during one lesson or developed over a series of lessons.

Different user options

One time users. Exhibitions to do not have to be saved if teachers are uncomfortable with the process of registering or if email is not available to students. An exhibition can be created and viewed in the slideshow format and printed out without having to click 'Save Exhibition’.
Returning users can easily find their saved exhibitions by clicking the 'Log On’ button, which is in the top right hand corner of every page, and entering their email address and password. A list of their exhibitions will appear, with the option to edit or delete each.

Warning: If your work has not been saved by registering and you leave your exhibition for more than a couple of hours, your work may be lost. It is recommended that users register to save their work at the earliest opportunity.

Browsers and platforms
The Freedom website has been designed to run in most recent browsers on a PC. However, it has not been designed for Mac use and may not work in some browsers on a Mac.

Special features and plug-ins
The site is designed to function even if scripts are disabled (e.g. javascript). However, certain non-essential features require the use of plug-ins:

Some of the objects within the 'Create your own exhibition' section can be viewed as 3d virtual objects: these require the Shockwave plug-in. NB the 3d objects are large downloads (approx 800KB) and may take several minutes on a 56k modem. Download Shockwave player (opens in new window).
There is an animated map of the triangular trade in the 'About the Slave Trade' section: this requires the Flash plug-in. Download Flash player (opens in new window).

Printer-friendly pages
When you have created your exhibition, you can view it and print it out using the 'printer friendly page' button. It is best to set your browser's print layout to landscape before printing this page (in Internet Explorer, this can be done via File > Print > Layout).

Studying the Transatlantic Slave Trade will undoubtedly be challenging for both teachers and students.

Some images used in this resource depict brutal and harrowing aspects of the trade and it is important to consider the impact that viewing such images may have on students. You may need to put support structures in place so students can discuss these concerns during and after lessons.

The

Freedom pack cover online activity is supported by the Museum’s Freedom printed pack for teaching about the Transatlantic Slave Trade in History and Citizenship. The Freedom resource contains:

A 66-page booklet including teachers’ notes and activity sheets for students
29 object image cards

The Freedom pack can be used in addition to the website, providing a range of activities linked to the History and Citizenship curriculum. Many of the activities encourage the study of issues such as responsibility and human rights. The resource pack also provides a comprehensive glossary, defining many of the key terms used in the text.

This resource is available to buy or supplied for no cost when schools bring their classes to the Museum for a free Understanding Slavery session.

To book an Understanding Slavery session, tel: +44 (0)20 8312 6608, fax: +44 (0)20 8312 6522 or e-mail: bookings@nmm.ac.uk.

This resource has been designed to assist teaching about slavery as part of the History National curriculum at KS3.

See the table below for specific links to the QCA scheme of work.

Triangular trade Unit 14: The British Empire
How was it that, by 1900, Britain controlled nearly a quarter of the world?
Section 1: Where in the world was the British Empire in 1900?
Section 2: How did overseas trade lead to the building of a powerful Empire of colonies?
Section 3: What part did explorers, adventurers and missionaries play in creating the British Empire?
Unit 15: Black peoples of America from slavery to equality?
What does it mean to be free?
What does it mean to be a slave?
Sold into slavery. What was the reality of the Atlantic slave trade? Oppression and Survival Unit 15: Black peoples of America from slavery to equality?
What does it mean to be free?
What does it mean to be a slave?
Sold into slavery. What was the reality of the Atlantic slave trade? Resistance Unit 15: Black peoples of America from slavery to equality?
Section 4: Sold into slavery. What was the reality of the Atlantic slave trade?
Section 5: Freedom. How was it achieved? Abolition Unit 15: Black peoples of America from slavery to equality?
Section 5: Freedom. How was it achieved? Impact Unit 15: Black peoples of America from slavery to equality?
Section 6: From emancipation to segregation, how free were black people?
Section 7: From segregation to civil rights, did the Civil Rights movement bring freedom for black people?
Related sites and further reading

The Freedom resource pack provides a bibliography for further reading.

See the links section for further sites and online activities relating to slavery.