Education: Lessons

In conjunction with the scheduled visit of the Amistad to Boston, we are offering the following ideas to teach children and youth the historical significance of this event and its connection to the history of the United Church of Christ. These can be used in church school, as children’s moments in worship or in intergenerational settings.

In Preparation: What is it we want children and youth to understand about this story?

• All God’s people have the right to freedom.
  
• Some people choose to oppress others, often because of greed, even though this is wrong.
  
• As Christians, we are called not to repeat this behavior and to encourage ways to better understand one another.
  
• Our Christian forebears, Congregational abolitionists, were responsible for helping to return the Mende captives to their native land.
  
• The United Church of Christ is a denomination that names racism as a sin and works to bring justice for all God’s people.

Learning Activities

For all:

• Gather your group in a crowded space, preferably one that is damp, cold and dark. Perhaps have them each lie on the floor very close to one another. The object is to have them experience discomfort. Now read or tell the story of the Amistad, using the version with this lesson plan or from a children’s book.
  
• Show the video, Amistad Rising, (see bibliography). For a fast paced version of the story of the Amistad, select less than ten minutes of the video, from the preacher to the next speaker.

For children:

• Have the children practice communicating with one another without using words.
  
• Ask the children to create collages of what God’s vision of love and justice for all would look like. You may need to add some key words to help them grasp this concept.
  
• Find/make a crate or box with slats you can see through. Place a stuffed animal or doll inside the crate and nail it shut so it cannot be opened. Speak about how it would feel for a person to be locked inside the crate. Then, speak about the gift of freedom in release from the crate. “All we want is make us free,” the Mende leader Sengbe pronounced.
  
• Have a picture of the freedom schooner Amistad (the Spanish word for friendship). Talk about what it means to be a friend in Christ and to work for justice for your friends.

For youth:

• Use the lesson titled The Middle Passage from the AMISTAD America, Inc., web site.
  
• Recreate the trial scene
  
• Youth could enjoy a dialogue on the issue of slavery. Help them to find verses in the Bible that refer to slavery. Some of this information may surprise you! These are not easy texts, but certainly can be used to initiate lively discussion around this issue. Consider exploring the following questions:
  
  • Can we interpret the Bible as a book that would defend slavery? How do people of power sometimes abuse the Word of God to defend their behavior?
  • Of course, we should also look at texts that call us to love one another. (Exodus 21:20-21, Ex. 21:1-11, Galatians 4:24-29, Jeremiah 34:8-22, Romans 12:9-10).
  • Does slavery still exist? Visit www.iabolish.com for information that is sure to ignite conversations.
    
• Youth may also enjoy a dialogue on justice issues. Consider exploring the following questions:
  
  • How can we live out our Christian commitment to justice? Who are some of the groups who are oppressed in our society? How can we become agents of change?
  • Compare the behavior of Sengbe to that of Moses. (Exodus 2:11-14)
  • Ephesians 6:10-20, paraphrased, “Stand up for what is right, even if you’re standing alone.” This Christian value can be taught through sharing the Amistad story. Today, what are we willing to stand alone for?

Note: These lessons may be very enlightening and engaging for adults as well!

Additional Resources for Teachers

• Voices of Freedom Curriculum The Connecticut Historical Society created a curriculum on the Amistad to be used in public schools. The curriculum includes lesson plans for elementary, middle school and high school. The activities can transfer to Sunday School lessons with the addition of Biblical references. You can download lessons from the following link or order the complete manual, Voices of Freedom, Amistad Curriculum, for $25 from the same web site.

  www.amistadamerica.org/new/main/html/curriculum/contents.html
  

• National Archives Digital Classroom This site includes some interesting ideas for educational designs for teaching about the Amistad event using historical documents.
  www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/amistad_case/amistad_case.html
  
• Teacher's Guide: Free Men: The Amistad Revolt and the American Anti-Slavery Movement
  This packet, written by Priscilla Searles, is divided into six major sections: Mendeland, The Revolt, The Mende in America, Slavery in 1839, The Trials, and Return to Africa. In addition to the educational text, each section contains a suggested list of classroom activities. Maps and illustrations are included. All materials can be reproduced for classroom use. The materials are not keyed to any particular grade level but have designed to be flexible for different ages and abilities. While these materials do not present the Congregationalists' participation or talk about the religious dimension of the anti-slavery movement, they provide a good basic education. This can be borrowed from the Mass. Conference Resource Center or purchased from The Amistad Committee at 203-387-0307.