You are on page 1of 4

Teacher: Jared Kaltwasser

Grade Level/Subject: 9th Grade Global Studies

Unit Title: Unit 1: The Beginnings of Our Global Age

Lesson Title: Triangular Trade

Duration: 45 minutes

I. Central Focus (Enduring Understandings):

Trans-oceanic makes it possible for countries to get crops and products that would
otherwise be unavailable in their geographic region
Economic motivations can cause people to do unethical or immoral things

II. Learner Outcomes:

Analyze the economic factors at play in Triangular Trade


Identify key Triangular Trade routes on a map

III. Standards (NJSLS, Next Generation Science, 21st Century, etc):

SOC.6.2.12.D.1.c - Analyze various motivations for the Atlantic slave trade and the
impact on Europeans, Africans, and Americans.
SOC.6.1.12.C.1.b - Determine the extent to which natural resources, labor systems (i.e.,
the use of indentured servants, African slaves, and immigrant labor), and
entrepreneurship contributed to economic development in the American colonies.
IV. Essential Questions:

What role did the desire for economic goods play in fostering slavery?
How can maps help us understand history?

V. Procedures: (Including Assessments linked to Learner Outcomes):

1. Do Now (5 minutes): Upon arrival, students will find an unlabeled map of North and
South America showing the major territories of European colonial powers. Students will
label each territory, using a map in their textbooks as a reference. Afterward, instructor
will ask for volunteers and mark each territory on the smartboard.
2. Objectives (3 minutes): I nstructor reviews the days tasks and objectives.
3. Video (5 minutes): Students watch "Crash Course" video on the Atlantic Slave trade.
As they do, students write down five things that intrigued them on an "Intrigue Journal"
worksheet.
4. Discussion (7 minutes): Instructor will lead a short discussion: What does the
term Atlantic Slave Trade mean? Who was capturing Africans and why? What
surprised you most? Etc.
Each time an economic factor is mentioned (cotton, slaves, gold, etc.),
instructor will write the word on the Smartboard. After several economic
words are on the board, instructor
will ask students to t urn and talk about
the impact money and economic forces played. Would the Atlantic Slave
Trade have happened if slave traders didnt have an economic incentive?
5. Small Group Work (20 minutes): S tudents will break up into three groups, based
on skill level and areas in which they need to improve.
Group 1, students who need to improve literacy skills: This group will
be given a primary text of a narrative from a slave captured in Africa and sent
to the new world to be a slave.
Students will read the narrative as a group, then use a set of
pre-written questions to facilitate discussion and pinpoint any areas of
misunderstanding.
Next, students will write their own narratives working individually.
These narratives should be written from the point of view of a family
member left behind in Africa writing to their kidnapped relative.
Group 2, students ready for higher-level activities (creation,
evaluation): T his group will use laptops, a printer, and poster board to
create an illustrated map of Triangular Trade.
Students will research key cities and commodities using textbooks and
the internet.
They will print out and glue the images (or draw) on a posterboard.
On a sheet of paper, they will list every item on their map and explain
its significance in one to two sentences.
Group 3, students in need of additional help with map skills (latitude
and longitude), based on formative assessment at beginning of year:
This group will be led by the instructor in a mapping activity and review of the
economic facets that drove Triangular Trade.
Each student will be given a notecard and a prop. Each notecard will
have a citys latitude and longitude and also an explanation of one
thing the area had plenty of and one thing it lacked economically.
1. Charleston:
a. Plenty of: Farmland to grow sugar, cotton, and tobacco
b. Problem: Whos going to do the work?
c. Coordinates: 33 N, 80 W
d. Prop: Measuring cup for sugar
2. London:
a. Plenty of: Manufactured goods, like fine textiles
b. Problem: High demand for sugar and tobacco, but low
supply
c. Coordinates: 52 N, 0 W
d. Prop: Blanket (textile)
3. Luanda:
a. Plenty of: Manpower, in the form of enslaved people
b. Problem: No manufacturing base
c. Coordinates: 9 S, 13 E
d. Doll: Representing human labor
Students will read their notecards and then the instructor will ask them to
figure out a way in which everyone can give away something they have
plenty of but also receive what they need. Students should relatively
quickly be able to discern the flow of Triangular Trade.
Next, the instructor will review the definitions of latitude and longitude.
Students will then use the coordinates on their notecards to map the three
cities and draw in the lines of the Triangle.
Finally, students will be given a worksheet with several cities important to
Triangular Trade. They will map those cities using latitude and longitude
coordinates. (This will become homework if students dont finish in the
allotted time.
6. Exit Tickets (5 minutes): As they leave, students will fill out an Exit Ticket from
memory: Define Triangular Trade and list at least three commodities involved.

VI. Modifications/Accommodations for diverse learners and students with special


needs:
Video transcript available.
Pre-select students for differentiated questions during discussions
Use of textbook as needed

VII. Materials/Use of Instructional Technology:

Video
Smartboard
Do Now, Intrigue Journal, and Exit Ticket worksheets
Primary Source reading for Small Group 1
Laptops, markers, posterboard, printer for Small Group 2
Props, notecards, maps for Small Group 3

VIII. Reflection:

I believe the primary focus of the lesson worked. I was able to see first-hand the gaps in
knowledge and address them in real-time. It worked very well as a small group activity
because I was able to watch all three students work through the problem. This gave me the
chance to check that each individual student understood each individual component of the
problem.

At the beginning of the lesson, I reviewed latitude and longitude. Then, after the Triangular
Trade puzzle, I was able to see if students retained their understanding of latitude and
longitude after several minutes. I was pleased with the questions from the demo students,
which were similar to the questions I would get from real students. I think I did a good job
of answering questions and tracking each student. I also utilized cold calling

I thought the props/puzzle part worked less well. On the positive side, the students figured
out the problem as planned, and I think the props will help them remember the content.
However, I wonder if I should have had more checks to help with retention, and there were
also a few questions/issues that I could have avoided. In future, I might use a tool, rather
than a doll, to represent slave labor, which might help me sidestep comments like Elis.
Also, there was a lack of uniformity with the terms I used for textiles and manufactured
goods. The prop was a textile (a blanket), but the card said manufactured good. This caused
a bit of a disconnect as Annarose didnt realize that textiles and manufactured goods were
the same thing. However, I think I dealt with the misunderstanding relatively well by
unpacking it with her.

Overall, I think my strengths are the lesson design and giving individual attention to
students. I also think I did a fairly good job of asking good, regular questions. On the other
hand, my delivery sometimes verges into mumbling, and I think I do too much with my
hands at some points. Also, I should work on my feedback. I was encouraging, but my
feedback at times was thin -- good -- instead of more specific praise.

You might also like