Teaching History Online
Number 150: 24th October, 2004
7.Black Ivory: Slavery in the British Empire
Introduction
Spartacus Educational publishes Teaching History Online every week. The newsletter includes news, reviews of websites and articles on using ICT in the history classroom. Members of the mailing list are invited to submit information for inclusion in future editions of Teaching History Online. In this way we hope to create a community of people involved in using the Internet to teach history. Currently there are 40,893 subscribers to the newsletter.
John Simkin
History Association Curriculum Project: Over the last few months the Historical Association has conducted consultations with history education specialists, with academic historians and with representatives from the heritage industry and from other history associations. The HA is also talking with teachers and with pupils. The intention is to recommend the principles and criteria that should underpin school history in the 14-19 phase. Seán Lang has posted a very stimulating outline of the issues being considered by the HA on the International Education Forum. If you have views on this subject, register with the Education Forum and join the debate.
Virtual School: The European Virtual School has an editorial staff of more than 110 teachers from 13 countries. The History Department includes Dalibor Svoboda (Sweden), Juan Carlos Ocaña (Spain), Richard Jones-Nerzic (France), Nico Zijlstra (Netherlands), Marco Koene (Netherlands), Anders Macgregor-Thunell (Sweden), Kjell Dennersten (Sweden) and John Simkin (England). Current projects include Medieval Pilgrimage, Second World War Oral History, Aviation and the Spanish Civil War.
ICT in History Roadshow: The Department for Education and Skills, in partnership with Subject Associations, the Key Stage 3 National Strategy and Becta (British Educational Communications Technology Agency) are organizing an ICT in History Roadshow at Cutlers Hall, Sheffield, on 2nd November, 2004. The roadshow aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the ICT across the Curriculum (ICTAC) pack from the Key Stage 3 National Strategy. The conference will allow history teachers to experience first hand some ICT solutions for use in their subject; and start a dialogue between History specialists and the policy and agency teams working on the embedding ICT agenda.
Black History Month: October is Black History Month in the UK. The aims of this initiative is to: (a) Promote knowledge of Black History and experience; (b) Disseminate information on positive Black contributions to British Society; (c) Heighten the confidence and awareness of Black people in their cultural heritage. T here is a huge selection of events going on around the country. The Imperial War Museum have a day of events on 27th October, including the History of black professional footballers and a film 'Windrush'. The Victoria and Albert Museum also launches a new exhibition 'Black British style.'
Black People in Britain: A collection of biographies of black people who lived in Britain. This includes John Alcindor, Ira Aldridge, John Archer, Francis Barber, Manchererjee Bhownaggree, George Bridgetower, Learie Constantine, William Cuffay, Offobah Cugoano, William Davidson, Celestine Edwards, Olaudah Equiano, Marcus Garvey, C. L. R. James, Claude McKay, Tom Molineaux, Harold Moody, Dadabhai Naoroji, George Padmore, James Peters, Bill Richmond, Paul Robeson, Shapurji Saklatvala, Innatius Sancho, Mary Seacole, Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Walter Tull, Robert Wedderburn, Arthur Wharton and Sylvester Williams.
History and ICT Scheme: There is still time to apply for a grant under the new History and ICT scheme. Under the new contract with Becta to develop ICT in history teaching and learning, the HA has managed to arrange for a series of grants, of up to £1000 each, to be available to teachers - individuals, departments or groups of schools, to develop their own 'ICT' project. You can use the money how you wish - to 'buy in' expert support, supply cover or whatever. All we ask is that the idea helps take forward the use of ICT in history teaching and learning, and that the end result can appear on the HA website as an example to other teachers. If you have an idea for a project, or a project ready to go, please telephone 01529 460553.
Book Section
Black Ivory: Slavery in the British Empire: The brutal story of African slavery in the British colonies of the West Indies and North America is told with clarity and compassion in this classic history. explores the experiences which bound together slaves from diverse African backgrounds and explains how slavery transformed the tastes and economy of the Western world. Although written for readers with no prior knowledge of the subject, Walvins's account is based on detailed scholarship, drawing on a body of work from the USA, the West Indies and Britain. All aspects of African slavery up to 1776 are covered; the situation of women, flight and rebellion, disease and death, the conditions on the slave ships, the abolition campaign and much more. The narrative is enlivened and personalised by frequent reference to individual lives. (James Walvin, Black Ivory: Slavery in the British Empire, Blackwell, ISBN 0631229604, £15.99)
