Teachers say that access to primary sources – particularly objects – is the single most unique contribution museums can make to the teaching of history. Using objects – or the ‘real thing’ – is engaging and motivating for students and provides an inspiring and dynamic learning environment.
Learning from objects is a very immediate process and can open up many pathways and discussions.

Objects need to be used with respect. When objects portray brutality and human suffering, sensitivity should be shown when they provoke a strong emotional response. Encourage students to respond appropriately and, if they are handling authentic objects, to do so with care rather than treating them as items to be played with.

Use objects to develop lines of enquiry, and to encourage self-directed learning, rather than to arrive at absolute answers that are either right or wrong. The factual information available with each of the objects on the Understanding Slavery website can be provided as support at appropriate points, or at the end of the activities.

Teachers can access artefacts in the following ways

As part of a museum visit - ideally, students will visit a museum to see three dimensional objects first hand. The Understanding Slavery partner museums use objects in their workshops on the transatlantic slave trade.

Loan objects - some museums offer loan boxes with real or replica handling objects that can be used in the classroom.

Pictures of objects - there are over a 100 pictures of objects provided on this website. They can be projected in the classroom using a data projector or electronic whiteboard or the pictures can be printed off as copies for students to use. A set of 29 full colour A4 laminated cards of objects, paintings and documents is available in the Freedom printed pack from the National Maritime Museum.

Teaching with objects - some approaches

Many of the approaches detailed below can also be applied when interrogating documents, prints and paintings with students.

Visual stimulus
Objects can be used to stimulate discussions at the beginning of a lesson. The same objects can be used in a plenary to recap on what students have learned and to see if any of their ideas and understandings have altered in the course of the lesson.

Historical enquiry
A selection of objects can be used by students for an exercise in historical enquiry - obtaining information from sources. Allow time for students to look at the object carefully before exploring some of the following questions:

• What is it made of?
• What tools or techniques were needed to make it?
• Who might have made it?
• Did it require specialist skills to make?
• Is it decorated? How?
• Who might have used it?
• What was it used for?
• Did it have a practical function, or was it used in other ways?
• How large or heavy is it?
• Is it a valuable or rare object?

Drawing comparisons and relating objects to each other
Use two objects or images side by side and ask students to draw comparisons, exploring the similarities and differences. Use groups of objects and talk about the relationships between them.

Representations and interpretation
Look for evidence of bias or a distorted representation of reality in objects. Who created the object and for what purpose? Is it an item of propaganda? Does it tell the whole story? What doesn’t it tell?

Other activities using objects include

Prediction activities – show students an object and ask them to deduce which part of the history of the transatlantic slave trade it relates.

Case study – students can use a single object or group of objects to build up a case study, for example life in West Africa before the slave trade.

Groupings – students can group objects into sets that have particular things in common (such as the materials they are made from, the country they originated from, thow they were used.) Students can consider how to curate a museum display by grouping objects that illustrate aspects of the history of the transatlantic slave trade.

Caption or label writing – students can write their own captions or exhibition labels either as if they were writing at the time the object was made or as if they are writing from a contemporary point of view.

Emotional intelligence – students can list adjectives that describe how they feel about an object, demonstrating empathy as well as understanding.

Creative responses – students can respond to an object through creative writing, drama or visual art techniques.

Choice – stuents can choose one object that captures their imagination, talk about it and why they chose it.

Drawing – students can draw an object and annotate the drawing to describe the details.

Allowing objects to ‘speak’ - students can be encouraged to match historical quotes to objects as a means of bringing the history the object to ‘life’.