Materials

• Images from The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo by Tom Feelings

Instructional Activities

1. Provide students with historical background on the origins of the slave trade. Most students should be familiar with the geography of the slave trade and the mechanics of the triangular trade route. Emphasize to students that after West Africans were sold into slavery, they had to endure a horrific voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. To familiarize students with the voyage, termed “The Middle Passage,” have students read some first-hand accounts. “Equiano’s Autobiography: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African.” Chapter 2, found at <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h320t.html>, offers a vivid description of the Middle Passage. The PBS Africans in America Web site at <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/home.html> offers paintings and drawings from the time period. Another source for accounts of the Middle Passage is To Be a Slave by Julius Lester.
   
   
2. After students are familiar with the historical background of the Middle Passage, show them illustrations by Tom Feelings that depict the Middle Passage. These images are available in the book The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo by Tom Feelings and on the Web site McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina. The Middle Passage: Drawings by Tom Feelings. <http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/1aa/1aa677.htm>. Select five to seven images for students to examine, either individually, in pairs, or in trios. Have students analyze all the images, or assign different images to each individual or group. As students examine these pictures, have them consider the following questions:
   • What do you think is going on in these paintings? What do you see? Be specific in your description.
   • Which of the following adjectives do you think applies to the moods or feelings suggested by this image?
   nervous                   angry
   determined              isolated
   anxious                   despairing
   (Encourage students to provide other appropriate adjectives.)
   • How has the artist used color to suggest the moods or feelings you have identified? (Students will respond that there is no color since all the paintings are in black and white. Encourage students to question why the artist used only black and white and to explain how he used black and white.)
   • How has the artist suggested an experience that forever altered the life of Europeans and Africans?
   
   
3. After students have completed viewing and responding to the images, hold a whole-group discussion in which students share their answers.
   
   
4. To complete the lesson, have students write captions or historical explanations for a particular image. Encourage students to use their notes, textbook, and additional readings for assistance. Explain that they are not simply writing a description of the picture but a historical explanation or caption that exemplifies the image.