What are we learning about?

This lesson introduces students to concepts of ‘historical silences’ and amnesia in history and why certain elements of Britain’s past have been difficult to tell. The lesson relies upon students possessing a decent understanding of the historical concept of ‘significance’ in order to get students to consider why such a moment in Britain’s past is worthy of deeper historical investigation.

_{Learning Objectives}

To describe the history of Jamaica and Britain and define key concepts and misconceptions
To analyse the significance of British Slavery
To evaluate the significance of teaching Slavery.

PowerPoint Lesson

Download here – Lesson 1

Suggested Activities

Task A : Play a classroom game : When and what have you learned about the past?
Task B : Classroom discussion : What words come to mind when you think of The British Empire?
Task C : Use maps to make inferences about Transatlantic Slavery and Jamaica
Task D : Classroom Discussion: Think about you already know about Transatlantic Slavery – picked up from in or out of school.
Task E : Classroom Game : Match the words to the definitions.
Task F : Why is British-Jamaican history between 1760 and 1870 significant?
Plenary : Write a paragraph answering today’s title giving any reason you may have picked up from today’s lesson.

Essential Resources

Former PM David Cameron (whilst in office) gives an account of the British Empire

HATF Working Principles for Teaching Transatlantic Slavery
Using a thought-provoking list of principles for teaching Transatlantic Slavery, this resource should allow students to consider the significance of the history they are about to study as well as the complexities it introduces for the classroom teacher at KS3.

Working Principles for Teaching Transatlantic Slavery Download

Worksheet Glossary Download