StructuredAcademicControversy:BritishcolonialinvolvementinWestAfricaCharity

orExploitation?

Time:TwoDays(130minutes)
GradeLevel:10th
Course:WorldHistory
Unit:ColonialismandCulturalRepresentation

Purpose:Thislessonseekstoengagethestudentsinaninvestigationoftheverynatureof
colonialinteractionbetweenEuropeandAfrica.FromtheEuropeanperspective,these
interactionsaregenerallyframedascharity.Thislenshascontinuedtocolorthehistorical
memoryofthisperiodparticularlyastaughtincountriesofformercolonialambition.Recently
though,therehasbeenareexaminationofthishistoryasanarrativeofexploitation.Inthis
narrative,thecolonialpowersarerapacious,repressive,andracist.ViatheSACformat,students
canaccesstheseoppositionalhistoricalnarrativeswithinonesetofsomewhatambiguous
documents.Bythispointintheunit,thebarefactsofBritishinvolvementinWestAfricawillbe
wellknown.Butthislessonasksthestudentstoengageinathoughtprocessofgreater
complexityhopefullyarrivingatmorenuanceddefinitionsofbothcharityandexploitation.

CHQ:WasBritishcolonialambitioninWestAfricacharityorexploitation?

Materials:
PowerpointPresentation(Seeattached)
SACHandoutandWritingassignment
GroupsassignedviaPEOPLEtabonCanvas(subgroupsoftableassignments)

Activities:
1. Day1:
a. Introductiontothestructureofthelesson(haveoutlineofschedulewrittenon
boardbeforeclass)
i.
GuidedLecture(orientation)10min
ii. Evidentiaryexploration30min
iii.
Presentations20min
b. GuidedLecture(10min)
i.
PPpresentationviaprojector
ii. Content:
1. ReviewofWestAfricaprecolonization
a. Manyindependentyetinterrelatedethnicgroups
b. DivisionbetweenislamicNorthandIgbosouthinNigerian
area
c. Igboprotodemocracy
d. Presenceoftheslavetrade
e. PresenceofcontactwithEuropeansviatrade(including
slavetrade)
2. Englandabolishestheslavetrade
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a. Graduallyfitsandstarts
b. WhatmotivationwouldEnglandhavetoendtheslavetrade
worldwideafterithadalreadycompletedabolitionwithin
itsownterritories?
3. BritishMilitaryCampaignandthecreationoftheNigerianColony
a. MilitaryactionandthetreatyofLagos1852
b. CreationoftheNigerCompany
c. IndirectRule
d. Economicadvancement
e. WWIandWWIIinvolvement
f. Eventualindependenceinthepostwarperiod
c. TransitiontoSAC(50min):
i.
AfterconclusionofthePPguidedlecture,orientstudentstowardtheSAC
assignment.Notethesimilaritytodebatestructure,butalsotheKEY
differences.
1. Step1looktoCANVAStofindgroupmembers
2. Step2Readthroughtheassignmentcarefully,notingthesteps
andthemultidayformat
3. Step3Stresstheimportanceoftheorganizerandworksheetas
toolsinbuildingargument
4. Step4Allowstudentstogetstartedonreadingthetextsand
collaboratingwiththeirpartners
ii. Notewhenteamsshouldbeginpresentingtooneanother.Stressagainthe
formatofthepresentations:
1. Okteams,nowthatyouhavecompiledyourevidenceand
investigatedpotentialbiases,itissimtetobeginpresentingyour
casetotheoppositionsideatyourtables.Remember,thatwhen
theotherteamispresenting,youshouldbetakingdetailednotesin
theorganizer,sothatyoucanremembertheargumentsgoinginto
theconsensusbuildingtomorrow.Youshouldpresentyourcase
togetherwithyourpartnerbeconvincing,beclear,besuretosay
wheretheevidenceiscomingfrom!
d. Wrap(5min)
i.
Instructstudentstotakethetimetomakesuretheirnotesareinorder
goingintotomorrow.
ii. SaveworkonCANVAS,bereadytopickupwhereweleftoff.
2. Day2
a. Reorientation(5min)
i.
Getbackwithyourteammembers,reorganizematerials
ii. Discusstheoppositionargumentwithpartner
b. PresentationsPartII(15min)
i.
Ok,justtogettheseinvestigativejuicesflowingagain,itistimetopresent
theopposition'sargumentbacktothem.Youarelookingforclarityhere.
Rememberthat,ashistorians,wewanttobecorrectedwhenwehave
erred.Itisimpossibletoconfrontadifferentargumentorlenswithout
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completelyunderstandingit.Wearenotlookingtowinhere,thegoalisto
getdeeper,tounderstandmorewhollythematerial!
ii. Give5minwarning
c. Consensusbuilding(15min)
i.
RememberhowIkeptsayingthatthisisntadebate.Well,hereswhereit
getsinteresting.Insteadofpresentingoppositionalcases,nowyourtable
shouldworktogetherasawholetodevelopaconsensusresponsetothe
question.Ashistorianswearealwaysnegotiationdifferentinterpretation
ofthesameevents.Nowwegettodotheheavylifting,weaving
oppositionalideastogetherintoacoherentnarrative.Youdonot
necessarilyneedtotoarriveatamiddleoftheroadresponsetothe
question,butyoumustatleastofferaconsiderationofbothsidesofthe
issue.Ifyouaredisregardingoneargument,whyareyoudoingdo?
ii. Givefiveminwarning
d. Wholeclassdiscussion/reflection(20min)
i.
Instructstudentstoputawaycomputers,formlargecircle(discussion
modetheyknowwhatitmeans)
ii. Questions:
1. Ifyoudisagreedwithyourassignedposition,howdidthismake
youfeel?Wasitmoredifficulttodrawevidence?
2. Didyouthinkthisformatallowedyoutogainamorecomplex
understandingofthisissue?
3. Wherethereanysourcesthatyoufeltyoujustcouldnotusefor
yourposition?Why?
4. Howdidthebiasesofthevarioussourcesfitintoyourargument?
Wasthereadditionalinformationyouneededfromthesource
notes?
5. Howdidthisformatdifferfromourpastdebates?Whichdoyou
enjoymore?Whichismoreeffectiveatdevelopinghistorical
complexity?Why?
6. Haveyourunderstandingsofcharityandexploitationchangedin
completingthisinvestigation?Ifso,how?Ifnot,thenwhat
allowedyoutocomeinwithsuchacomplexconceptionofthese
forces?
e. Writingassignmentintroduction(10min)
i.
PointstudentstotheassessmentattheendoftheSACpacket
ii. Encouragestudentstodiscusstheissuesattheirtables
1. Pointoutthatthewrittenproductmustbeindividuallydone
2. Referstudentsbacktowritingguidelines

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