There are a range of approaches that can be used when teaching the history of the transatlantic slave trade particularly with the History and Citizenship curriculum as well as other subjects including English, RE and ICT. The resources on this website can be used most effectively by integrating e-learning (online research, electronic whiteboards, etc.) with other teaching approaches.

Using the artefacts in the Learning resources section on this website can help to illustrate aspects of the history and support different learning styles, including visual, auditory and kinaesthetic approaches. Young people’s enquiry, information processing, reasoning evaluation and emotional intelligence skills can also be encouraged and developed through the material in the Learning resources.

Using this website

The website is designed to provide a range of resources and ideas for teaching. There are opportunities to download lesson plans, activities, images of artefacts, and PowerPoint presentations; project images using a data projector or electronic whiteboard; and play the audiovisual material directly from the site. Material in the Introduction can be used on networked computers giving older or more able students opportunities to research aspects of the history independently.

Using ICT

Using ICT with students will broaden the learning experience through the use of word-processing to copy and paste text from sources, and draft and re-draft work to produce richer examples of extended historical writing. They can develop case studies using information from a range of websites. Students can also use PowerPoint presentations to summarize their findings in ways that can be shared with the rest of the class in a plenary session. Desktop publishing packages (DTP) enable students to demonstrate their understanding of how historical events are communicated through self-directed research and then creating presentations.

Using primary sources

Using primary sources is perhaps the single most inspiring way of engaging students in a period in history. Appealing to different learning styles, and drawing on their senses, they can see, hear and (with handling objects) touch and smell a range of material that evokes a sense of different times and places.

Developing emotional intelligence

The history of the transatlantic slave trade invariably provokes a strong emotional response among students. This can be used to develop their skills of emotional intelligence and empathy. The peopling of history allows pupils to relate to the past through personalized human experiences rather than abstract concepts or facts and figures.

Using drama techniques

Dramatization may seem inappropriate when teaching the history of the transatlantic slave trade but some well designed drama techniques, particularly status activities, role-play, improvisation and scripting can be used very effectively to develop students’ sense of perspective and points of view. Using active, dynamic drama approaches also reinforces learning through developing emotional understanding and empathy and encourages active participation from all.

Enabling students to improvise or work with short scripted pieces of dialogue helps students to develop their ability to look at different interpretations of history, and the concept of alternative points of view

Using video and sound clips

Engaging audiovisual extracts appeal to many students’ preferred learning styles and act as an effective way of vividly illustrating and visualizing aspects of the history. Video extracts can be used as stimulus in lessons, as a plenary, or to inspire students to improvise their own responses. Full recording facilities are not necessary for students to record their own work, a minidisk or tape recorder is sufficient. This is an effective way of engaging students who are less motivated by written work.