Teacher letter

To teachers,

This eBook assignment is intended for high school history students. It is about the
history and importance of Apartheid in South Africa. This lesson would be relevant
in a World History course, as well as a history of oppressive regimes. I chose this
topic because it was my favorite history lesson I have ever received. I learned
about Apartheid in 7th grade and I was so interested in the topic that history
immediately became my favorite subject. It is a lesson I am passionate about and
something I hope my students will be interested in as well.
What was Apartheid in South Africa?
Students will:
● Understand what Apartheid was
● Understand how it is different than other oppressive
regimes
Explore: What was Apartheid in South Africa?
Read this article and then discuss these questions with a partner.

1. What were the basic laws of Apartheid?

2. Who held the majority population in South Africa? (black people of white
people)
3. With the answer to question 2 in your mind, why do you think Apartheid was
able to be so effective in South Africa for so long?
4. Briefly explain what the ANC did to resist Apartheid.
Explain:
Watch these two videos:

Video 1

Video 2: Watch from 1:30-2:30

Discuss as class:

1. What is significant about all of the non-whites being forced onto homelands
that make up such a small portion of the land mass?
2. What is your reaction to the depiction of the Soweto Uprising?
Apply and Share:
Imagine yourself in the shoes of the non-whites in South Africa. Write a diary entry
about both what is going on and how you are feeling. Post your journal article on
the discussion board. Then, respond to one one of your peers diary entries. Give
them feedback on what they included in their entry and mention any information
you believe is relevant to what these people would be feeling that they missed in
their entry.
Reflect:
Get with a partner and reflect on the evils of Apartheid. Talk about what happened,
why it happened, and why it was evil. Write down bullet points of your reflection to
be shared with the class
Extend:
Read these articles for more information on Apartheid:

Nelson Mandela, Soweto Uprising.

These videos:

Nelson Mandela presidential speech, Homelands

Reflection
I think eBooks can be a very valuable tech tool for students to learn. It provides
them with easy resources to find right at their fingertips. It allows them to
collaborate with each other and the entire class. However, as I was making this, I
feel like if I actually used this as a lesson, I would not really be doing anything. The
kids would just be reading articles and watching videos. I think it takes away from
the student-teacher interaction.