Objectives

• Students will compare visual sources and quantitative data to analyze the impact of the Atlantic slave trade.  

Instructions

Step 1: Project and/or handout the diagram of the slave ship Brooks. Either silently or as a group read-aloud, students should read the description and the text from the original diagram reprinted below the image.  Ask students to jot down their observations about the image. Students should focus on what they see and key words, rather than trying to interpret the image or make inferences. Ask student volunteers to come forward and circle or underline the most important information for understanding this document. 

Step 2: Project T-chart. Ask for students to help answer the summary questions:

• What can you infer about the transatlantic slave trade from this document?

• Who created this document and why?  

Step 3: Project and/or handout the data of the Brooks voyage. Again, ask students to jot down their observations without analyzing or making inferences. Then ask student volunteers to come forward and circle or underline the most important information for understanding the document. Ask students to answer the summary questions (above) for this document.  

Step 4: Conclude either by discussing or having students write responses to these questions:

• How are the documents related (and similar)?

• What is the difference between intentional and unintentional evidence? Which of these documents is which?