• The Wedgewood Medallion - Anti-slavery propaganda

Learning objectives:

• To consider the use of images as 'propaganda'
• To investigate the different elements of an image
• To make a judgement on the effectiveness of an image

Display the Wedgewood Medallion using a digital projector or interactive whiteboard. In groups or as a class, ask students to 'interrogate' the image. They might consider:

• why the figure is on his knees
• the strength / power of the slogan
• how effective the image is
• what type of person might have created the medallion
• who it was aimed at

• 'The Negroes real friends'

Learning objectives:

• To use historical documents to search for information
• To judge the effectiveness of persuasive language
• To compare and contrast historic slavery with modern issues of fair trade and child labour

1. Students should highlight three key arguments made by the 'Negroes real friend'.
2. Using the 'Election Poster in defence of W E Gladstone, 1832', students should investigate the strength of Gladstone's defence.
3. As a class, discuss whose arguments are the most convincing

Extension activity

1. Repeat the exercise above using the arguments of campaigns against Gap and Nike and then analyse the companies' responses. Use this link to BBC site featuring Gap and Nike campaigns and debate.
2. You could choose to organise this activity as a debate, with arguments for and against, students voting for the most persuasive arguments.
3. Ask students to compare and contrast historic slavery and modern examples of forced labour and sweatshop working: what differences and similarities exist?

• Boycotting slavery

Learning objectives:

• To interpret historical documents
• To consider the use of persuasive language
• To use historical documents as an inspiration for creativity

The 'Address' uses poetry and persuasive language to get its argument across to readers:

1. In groups, ask students to look at the poem. What is it trying to say?
2. What language is used in the poem and the other pages of the address to make us think slavery is a bad thing?
3. Looking at a historic or modern issue of their choice, ask students to create their own poems, raps or short speeches that highlight injustice, unfairness and inequality.

Students may wish to look at these examples for inspiration and hints about the language and conventions they can use:

• Redemption Song - Bob Marley
• 'The Middle Passage' - Olaudah Equiano 
• Anthem for Doomed Youth - Wilfred Owen
• Free Satpal Ram - Asian Dub Foundation
• Freedom or Death - Emmeline Pankhurst

• Slave accounts

Learning objectives:

• To 'interrogate' historic documents
• To interpret the information found in historic documents
• To make a judgement about the usefulness of archive items for historical enquiry and interpretation

Archive items can tell us much about historical themes and individuals, and yet there are some records that raise more questions than they answer:

1. Display the 'slave account' for the class or make copies for use in small groups.
2. Using the  transcript, Slave Account, 19 March 1663 (40 kb) , ask students to decipher the document, working out what the different columns and numbers might mean.
3. Record any oustanding questions in work books or on a 'mind map'.
4. Discuss with the class the usefulness of this document for historical enquiry and interpretation:

• Are accounts more useful than other sorts of documents?
• What other documents and records might be useful to find out about life on the slave plantations?
• Where could we find them?
• What do the accounts say about the attitude of the plantation owners towards the slaves?

N.B. For schools with an intranet and/or learning platform, this activity could be set for homework or as an independent learning task.