Katie Zidaroff Dr.

Long- EDEC344 30 October 2013 The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and African American Language Background to the Lesson: In order to teach this lesson, teachers will need to have a basic understanding of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and be able to understand the legitimacy of African American language. See professional resource list for further background knowledge. The following is a summary of what teachers should know before teaching this lesson. Between the 1450s and 1800, the European Empires recognized their desire for enslaved Africans in tropical climates because their indentured servants could not stand the climate and disease. They took Africans from their villages on the west coast of Africa to places all over the Caribbean, North America, and South America. Many of the enslaved Africans that came to the Sea Islands of South Carolina were from Sierra Leone, a small country on the west coast of Africa. This is where the language of Gullah came from, a direct link the Sierra Leone native language of Krio. The enslaved Africans were brought to South Carolina on Cargo Ships and were packed so tightly that many of them died on their journey due to disease and starvation. The ones that survived were known to be resistant to disease and better workers so they were sold to masters and forced to work on their lands. The enslaved African trade was brutal because many families were ripped apart and never seen again. African American language is known today as a legitimate language and has recognized syntax, grammatical structure, spelling, pragmatics and vocabulary. African American language is derived on the basis of the enslaved Africans not wanting to sound like their owners. Of course, since the 1450s-1800s, African American Language has evolved from what it was during slavery into what it is today. African Americans and Southern Whites tend to use some of the same words and pronunciations. However, it is the pronunciation of the consonants that separates most African Americans from other ethnic backgrounds. (Please see Professional Resources for further background knowledge of the transatlantic slave trade) Concepts to be taught: The children will be ale to understand the following concepts: The Trans-Atlantic slave trade o Where the enslaved Africans were taken from and where they were brought to in America o Why they were taken from Africa o How the enslaved Africans were sold o How the enslaved Africans were treated in captivity The connection between the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and African American Language o The history of African American language o African American Language acknowledged as a legitimate language

Reasons African American Language exists today How Africans may have felt when they were taken o How their life was different when they got to America o How they tried to keep their life the same in America

Rationale: These concepts are essential for children to learn because of the professional research that supports it. Although the idea of slavery may seem frightening for children, the topic cannot be avoided. If teachers silence the topic of slavery, it could potentially be more damaging to students in the future. Silences may hide from African American children who they are, while teaching other children the people they can and want to be. This is a great way to empower children while teaching them the truths about history and perhaps their heritage. The following is a rationale statement that explains the importance of these concepts. A few decades ago, when children spoke in African American language at school, teachers often thought of this as a language deficiency that was related to phys ical and/or mental abnormalities (Delpit and Dowdy, 2002). As we know now, children are more likely to understand the importance of academic English if we acknowledge and embrace their home language of African American Language first. As educators we must use their home languages to help understand the way they write/read/speak in academic English and build on their existing knowledge. Home languages should not be kept away from school settings, but used in places like recess and creative writing. Educators must explain to children that there are different settings to use both languages (Wheeler and Swords, 2006). Gloria Boutte, a researcher in African American Language writes, While recognizing that a standard (mainstream) form of English (SE) exists and that students need to become proficient in SE for success in school and society, the world is richer with the presence of a variety of languages. The goal of school, then should not be to eradicate a childs first language but to add other language systems to his or her repertoires (Boutte, 2007,p.60). Today, African American Language is recognized as a legitimate language and we can use this to help explain to children that they are bilingual in two languages, African American Language and Academic English. There are many grammatical structures that help establish the African American Language. It follows a certain set of rules just as academic English. However, within African American Language (or spoken soul) there are different forms depending upon the area of the speaker (Rickford and Rickford, 2000). Also, pronunciation is a large factor in determining ones speech and backgrounds. African Americans and Southern Whites tend to use some of the same words and pronunciations. However it is the pronunciation of the consonants that separates most African Americans from other ethnic backgrounds Rickford and Rickford, 2000). Common Core Standards: Grade 1 Writing o 8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. Grade 1 Speaking and Listening

o 2. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. o 3. Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood. o 4. Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly. South Carolina State Standards: Grade 1 Social Studies o Standard 1-1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of how families interact with their environment both locally and globally. 1-1.4 Compare the ways that people use land and natural resources in different settings around the world. Professional Resources: http://www.inmotionaame.org/migrations/topic.cfm?migration=1&topic=6 http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slavery/search.html Family Across the Sea Rickford and Rickford, Spoken Soul, p.133 http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/slavery.html http://africa.mrdonn.org/slavetrade.html http://people.hofstra.edu/alan_j_singer/Gateway%20Slavery%20Guide%20PDF% 20Files/1.%20Introduction/4.%20Introduction/6.%20Slavery%20literature.pdf http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/african_languages.htm Resources for Children: http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/resources/images.faces Lest We Forget by Velma Maia Thomas Middle Passage: White Ships, Black Cargo by Tom Feelings In the Time of the Drums by Kim L. Siegelson http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16485 http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2010/12/09/atlas-of-the-transatlanticslave-trade/ http://www.google.com/imgres?q=transatlantic+slave+trade&um=1&hl=en&biw =1277&bih=629&tbm=isch&tbnid=uI2sK4s3kVoPyM:&imgrefurl=http://www.fl ickriver.com/photos/tags/prestongrange/interesting/&docid=UReuEEVejTY2bM &imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3445/3994386893_dd62b71c6a.jpg&w=5 00&h=378&ei=AMdJUujmEfb54AP7qYG4BQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:72,s:0,i :312&iact=rc&page=5&tbnh=188&tbnw=258&start=68&ndsp=21&tx=92&ty=1 23 http://www.google.com/search?q=map+of+africa&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa= X&ei=BDNxUvLlNMfLkAfy6YG4Dg&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=127 7&bih=591#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=pxmIFQ_XfblcYM%3A%3BQgD_A_Ij BdJL8M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Flibrary.osu.edu%252Fliterary-map-ofafrica%252Fassets%252Fafrica_map_split-

3e1746648b2ee24e5773f9d7afeb3121.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Flibrary.o su.edu%252Fliterary-map-of-africa%252Fmap%3B572%3B479 Materials Needed: Ready-made Materials: o Pencils o Paper o Construction paper o Lest We Forget by Velma Maia Thomas o Middle Passage: White Ships, Black Cargo by Tom Feelings o In the Time of the Drums by Kim L. Siegelson o White board o White board markers o Above pictures of the slave trade o Poem by Eloise Greenfield Materials Made by the Teacher: o Book of all students work at the end of the project

List of Procedures: Hello boys are girls! Today, we are going to continue talking about the TransAtlantic Slave Trade. Does anyone remember what the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was? (A long time ago, people took Africans from Africa and brought them to America) Thats right! Did the Africans have a choice of where they wanted to go? (No) Tell me more (They did not know where they were going, they were taken and if they didnt go they would have been beaten, etc.) A long time ago in the 1450s- 1800s, the European empires decided to steal the Africans from their homes and bring them to America to work as enslaved Africans because the Africans were hard worker and could deal with the climate much better than the Europeans. The stole tens of MILLIONS of Africans from Africa. That is a lot of people! How much do we think ten million might be? It is more that two states of South Carolina! They took all kinds of people, even children your age! In some cases, they took the whole village of people and packed them on the ship. Who knows what a African is? (Allow children to answer) Wow! You all know a lot. African is a big continent that has many beautiful countries such as Senegal, Ghana, South Africa, Mali and many many more. And in each one of the those countries the African people may speak like 5,6,7, or more languages. Some of the beautiful languages they speak are French, Setswana, Kirundi, English, Kiswahili and of course many many more. Open African Languages by Countries and allow children to see all of the languages spoken throughout the continent. Read some of them aloud to the children.

There are so many languages that they speak in each of these countries in the continent of Africa. Its amazing! I bet they loved their country. Wouldnt you? The Africans that were stolen from their home probably hurt inside to leave so much language and culture behind. How do you think the Africans felt when they had to leave their friends and families? (Sad, Mad, etc.) Yes, they probably did. It was not a happy time. Can you imagine being taken away from your home and family? Once they were taken from their homes and families, they became enslaved Africans. What might that mean? (Allow children to answer) Thats great thinking! The enslaved Africans were real people from these beautiful countries that spoke these beautiful languages, and they were wonderful people, just like us until traders and slave owners stole them. When I say packed the enslaved Africans on the ships, what does that mean? (Put them in the ship tightly, put a lot of people in the ship) Yes, they were pushed in the ships, with no room to move around and left for weeks until they made it to where they were going. Does anyone have an idea what may have happen to the people on the ships since they were packed in there so tightly? (They died) Yes, many of them died on the ships because they got sick or hungry. It was very dirty and it was amazing that some people even lived. The ships brought the Africans to places all over the world. They even brought them to places like the coastal islands of South Carolina to work. Show Atlas of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. They wanted Africans to help work on rice farms in South Carolina because they were so good at it back in Africa, so they stole them from their homes. When they took the Africans from their homes, they treated them poorly. The owners often beat them, did not allow them much food, if they gave them any at all. They made them work all day and sometimes all night long. Often times they did not give them clothes to wear. The owners did not pay the enslaved Africans or give them a house or bed to sleep in. The traders sold them in an auction as if they were animals or things, not people and slave owners paid money for them and brought them back to their homes and land to work. Show image of enslaved African auction. The enslaved African auction was brutal because they took families away from one another. They treated them badly because they wanted the Africans to work. Life was very hard for them when they came to America. Yesterday, we talked about some of things that the Africans had to do when they got here. Who can recall what they had to do as an enslaved African? (They had to work on farms, clean houses, do anything they wanted them to do) Thats right and they made them do awful jobs. We are going to create a compare and contrast chart about things they may have be different for the Africans and things that were the same. Create a chart with two sides. One side will say things that were different. On the other side it will say things that were the same. What are some things that were different for the Africans when they were taken from their homes?(Children will create a list of things that were different that can include but is not limited to food, homes, friends, clothes, LANGUAGEBe

sure to elaborate on language). Children will create a list of things that may have been the same (Songs they sang, etc.) I see we have written language as one of the things that may have been different for the Africans when they came to America. How would you feel if you had to change your language or the way you spoke? (Sad, mad, uncomfortable, shy) Yes, that was probably very sad and scary for them. However, most of them were able to learn two languages. I bet some of you in here speak two languages. I bet some of you even speak African American Language, one of the languages that the Africans developed after they got to America. Does anyone have an idea of reasons why or how they came up with this language? (To talk in secret code, etc.) Those are all great thoughts! The Africans were able to develop their own language, which we now call, African American Language, because they were mad. They were mad that they were taken from their homes in Africa, and they did not want to sound the same way their owners sounded. They wanted their own language that set them apart and so that is how African American Language came about. Now, we just talked about the ways African Americans felt when they got to America and some of the things that changed when they got here. I want you to write a creative response as if you were a slave and had just came to America on a enslaved African ship. Show poem by Eloise Greenfield as an example. As you can see here, Eloise Greenfield wrote a poem. You may write a poem, diary entry, letter, or any other form of writing we have learned about this year. Be creative with it. I want you to write how you feel and how things are different. You can write this in standardized English or even African American Language if that is a language you speak. I am going to put a few books in the reading center that are related to what we just talked about and when you get a chance you can look at them and read them. Show books. When I call your name, you may come get a paper from me and quietly go back to your table to begin working.