Monday, December 15th, 1997
The release this week of Steven Spielberg's new movie has spurred a great deal of interest in the story of the Africans on board the Amistad.
This week, Education World offers a full slate of Amistad-related stories and activities for you to choose from. Take your pick!
Articles
The Amistad Comes to Life!
A boatload of cross-curriculum activities brings to life the story of the revolt on board the slave ship Amistad.
So You Want to Teach About the Amistad?
Students of all ages might not be able to view the R-rated movie "Amistad," but rich curriculum materials are available for teaching across the grades about this pivotal event in American history.
"The Amistad Slave Revolt and American Abolition"
The true story of the Amistad is told for students in the context of the times in which it took place. A great read-aloud book for kids in elementary and middle schools! A real eye-opener!
Just a warning, before using slavery-related sites with your students: It's always wise to preview Internet sites, but in the case of the sensitive issue of slavery previewing is a must! Some of the slaves' stories can be intense; they can be violent; they can include raw language.
The African-American Mosaic
Check out the "Abolition" section of this site from the Library of Congress. It provides a good overview of the abolitionist movement around the time of the Amistad incident. See and read about anti-slavery advertisements and handbills, an anti-slavery children's publication, an abolition celebration in Washington, D.C., and much more. A safe site for students.
The Museum of Slavery in the Atlantic
This site is full of slavery resources. It answers the questions What is slavery?, Why Africans?, and How many slaves were there? The site includes interviews, songs that were popular among slaves, teaching resources, books for children, and more.
Slaves in Colonial Williamsburg
This site was put together by 5th graders at Murray Elementary School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Amistad Research Center
With more than ten million documents, the Amistad Research Center is the nation's largest independent African-American archives. The collection includes oral history and video collections along with a specialized library, traveling exhibits, publications, and a significant collection of African and African-American art. Online you can browse through the manuscript collection, the art collection, exhibits, periodicals, and more.
How Lincoln Finally Made Up His Mind
Emancipation was the central decision of his presidency, and he came to it gradually, through the logic of events.
Join Us for the Underground Railroad and the Amistad Trial!
Connect with other educators to study the history of the underground railroad and the Amistad.
Excerpts from Slave Narratives
This wonderful resource includes more than 40 narratives including a European slave trader describing a shipboard revolt by enslaved Africans (1700); a doctor describing conditions on an English slaver (1788); Venture Smith relating the story of his kidnapping at age six (1798); a woman learning that her husband, who had been sold away, has taken another wife (1869); and a slave describing West African religious beliefs and practices (1789). Some of this material is appropriate only for older students.
We'd love to hear your reactions to this week's (or any week's!) stories. Drop a quick e-mail to ghopkins@educationworld.com anytime!
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