Treasure

Learning Objectives

Making sense of the history and legacies of transatlantic slavery in Britain today requires first some knowledge and understanding of some key areas. These have been listed in the Building Blocks resource as ‘Learning Objectives’ under the headings

1. Africa, the Caribbean and North and South America (the African diaspora)
2. Trade Links
3. Human Rights
4. Identity

When learning the history of Transatlantic slavery, children will learn how human beings were traded for commodities such as guns, cowrie shells, beads and manilas in order for these enslaved people to labour in the production of goods such as sugar and tobacco. In order to comprehend how this situation arose in Britain’s past, they must first appreciate how changing trade, global economy and domestic demand affected what was considered ‘valuable’ to the British market at this time, as well as which goods had high ‘value’ to African traders. The unit is designed to develop these building blocks of knowledge and understanding in children before they tackle the history of Transatlantic slavery.

Children who have completed the ‘Treasures’ unit at Key Stage 2 level will be able to discuss how goods have different values according to different perspectives, how the value of commodities has changed through history and why, and how museum ‘treasures’ can help us to understand the past. The unit also encourages children to consider how and why objects or ‘treasures’ of their own have special value and significance, and what it would mean to have such objects taken away or disrespected.

Beginning with simpler concepts at EYFS, then working through more sophisticated issues at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, completion of this unit will allow children to better understanding Ancient African history, the concept of trade and how a person’s identity is represented – essential building blocks of knowledge and understanding to make sense of transatlantic slavery. All children will learn this history at Key Stage 3.

USI ‘Building Blocks’ Learning objectives

By completion of this unit at Key Stage 2 children will:

1. Africa, the Caribbean and North and South America (and the African ‘Diaspora’).

   1. Know about the African continent pre-transatlantic slavery, including its contribution to ancient civilisation, the development of trade and how this historical development compared with that of other civilisations in Europe.

2. Trade Links

   1. Understand the system of trade and how it works and be able to give historical and contemporary examples of trade on a local and international scale.
   2. Know about the importance of trade to Britain and be able to give examples of goods that have been traded throughout history.
   3. Know about ships and the importance of the sea in the movement of goods around the world for trade, past and present.
   4. Be able to make judgements on the value of goods and what is fair and unfair relating to trade, give examples and communicate why they have made this conclusion.
   5. Be able to identify some of the commodities that they consume that are produced in Africa, the Caribbean and North and South America and use their knowledge to debate the fairness of the systems of trade for these.
   6. Be able to make links between the history of Britain, Africa, the Caribbean and North and South America to understand why inequalities exist between these countries in terms of trade.

3. Identity

   1. Know that British society is shaped by a long history of various forms of migration from around the world and be able to give examples of how this has influenced our identity, and how Britain is viewed by other countries.
   3. Be able to discuss their identity and have a sense of their place in the world.