Luis E. Barceló

barcelobla@hotmail.com

Bronx Leadership Academy High School

 

A Web Quest for Global History and Geography 2 (9th Grade)

 

When Is Murder Not Really Murder?

An Examination of Human Rights & The Transatlantic Slave Trade

 

 

Image borrowed from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h280.html

 

Once again, Mr. Barcelo’s time machine has transported us back in time.  You and your group will judge an appeal that is presented to your English court.  You have to decide whether to uphold, or repeal, a jury’s decision to force an insurance company to pay a slave-ship captain for the loss of slaves he murdered.  The facts are as follows:

  • On a recent voyage from the western coast of Kongo, to the English colony of Jamaica, a slave-ship captain discovers that some of his slaves are sick and that water supplies are running low.  If the slaves die of disease, or thirst, the insurance company will not pay the captain for his loss.  However, if these slaves drown then the captain will be compensated for his loss.
  • Over the span of 2 days the captain decides to throw a total of 75 slaves overboard. 
  • Slaves are not considered human. They are property that is owned in the same way a farmer can have cattle.
  • Remember, that it was common (and still is) for farmers to kill livestock when disease began to spread amongst the population. Thus in the first case, the jury believed that killing the slaves was in the best economic interest of the owner.  Therefore, the insurance company is obligated to uphold its end of the bargain.

 

TASK

You will have to create and present a PowerPoint Presentation on human rights for slaves.  Based on the card you draw, you must justify your decision to uphold the original decision or side with the appeal and launch a murder investigation of the slave-ship captain.  You must use the 6-step public policy approach:

1.      Define and describe the problem (social conditions, players, public policy)

2.      Gather evidence for this problem

3.     Identify causes for this problem

4.     Describe and evaluate the existing policy for this problem

5.     Develop solutions/policies for the problems for this existing policy

6.     Select the best policy for this problem

Image borrowed from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h316.html

PROCESS

Use the following guidelines to complete your product. 

Guidelines

  • Each group will draw a card and this card will present one of the following decisions:  you will vote to pay the captain’s insurance claim, or you will deny the captain’s claim and recommend that he be investigated for murder.
  • Research the sources listed below in order to come up with an informed decision about the human rights of slaves;
  • Use the 6-step public policy analysis work sheets before writing your report

www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS.htm;

  • After you complete your six worksheets, begin drafting what issues are significant for your presentation and how they support your  stance;
  • Create a PowerPoint slide presentation that supports your position (each member of the group must contribute and present one slide);
  • Present your presentation to the class and submit a copy to the instructor.

 

Questions to Consider

Can a slave be considered more than just property?

Was the captain justified in killing his slaves?

What role would an abolitionist have in this argument?

What economic factors might influence your decision?

How was the transatlantic slave trade different from other forms of slavery we have studied?         

 

RESOURCES

*      For more information on completing the 6-step public policy analyst steps refer to:

https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal

*      The following websites will provide you general information on African slaves and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.  Remember, these are references that act as portals to more specific information!

§         PBS’ Website on its Africans in America series: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/index.html

§         The History Net’s section on African Slavery:          http://africanhistory.about.com/cs/slavery/

§         The British National Maritime Museum provides a nice on-line explanation of the slave trade: http://www.nmm.ac.uk/tradeandempire/OnlineZone/FiveActivityZone.htm

§         Information on the transatlantic slave trade: http://library.thinkquest.org/C002739/AfricaSite/lmslaveryatlantic.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0527

§         Microsoft’s Information on the transatlantic slave trade: http://encarta.msn.com/find/concise.asp?ti=761595721&sid=8#s8

§         A Good Search Engine: www.google.com

 

EVALUATION

The following rubric will be used to judge your presentation.

 

X

 

4

3

2

0

10

Completes the Task with Accurate Historical Data

Completes All Aspects of the Task Using Correct Historical Data

Attempts to Address the Task With Correct Information, but Lacks Details.

Confuses information, does not address most aspects of the task, inaccurate.

 

You are supposed to be a judge, not an incompetent law-clerk!

 

4

Power Point Presentation

Each member of the group presents, and there is at least 1 slide per person.

 

Each member presents and you have at least .75 slides per member.

Each member presents and you have .5 slide per member.

All members do not present and/or you have less than .5 slide per member.

3

Creativity

That’s Blazin’ Hot!

That’s Dope!

That’s Fresh!

WACK!

 

 

3

Professionalism

You are challenging my job with your excellent manners!

 

You need a little more experience, because you seem distracted.

Your group is not taking this seriously.

PLEASE SIT BACK DOWN! 

I may lose my job if the principal sees this.

3

Grammar

1 – 2 errors.

3 – 5 Errors.

5-7 Errors.

Be I Bizarro, my writing good not.

 

2

Spelling

1 – 2 Errors

3 – 5 Errors

5 – 7 Errors.

Pease Hlp are grup!

 

 

CONCLUSION

This PPA Web Quest will help you understand the dilemma that was presented to the global community as a result of the transatlantic slave trade.  You will learn why slaves were treated as less than human and come up with a policy to support this argument or contradict it.  As Public Policy Analysts you will be able to explain the justification for your side of the argument.  In effect, you will be able to support or undermine the human rights of African slaves during the transatlantic slave trade.

 

STANDARDS

Standard 2:   World History

                     Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their

                     understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning

                     points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a

                     variety of perspectives.

 

Standard 5:   Civics, Citizenship, and Government

                      Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their

                      understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the

                      governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United

                      States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional

                      democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship,

                      including avenues of participation.

 

 

National English Language Arts Standards

 

E1c               Read and comprehend information materials.

E2a               Produce a report of information.

E3b               Participate in group meetings.