Objectives: Students will create a collaborative mural synthesizing and applying knowledge of the Amistad case.
Collaborative mural, using collage, names of the captives, and maps.
Materials for Activity: Rolls of brown craft paper, black construction paper, examples of heddle loom weavings, copies of the silhouettes of captives and their names and descriptions, white drawing paper, tempera paint, scissors, glue, map of Cuba, United States, Africa.
Each student will be given the name of one or two of the captives, a copy of the silhouettes and the written descriptions from the Journal of the New Haven Colony Historical Society. These should be glued into the student’s journal. By reading the description of the Africans, the students should establish empathy for the Africans as individuals. Students should make a larger version of the silhouette on black paper. The African’s name will be written under each silhouette.
Three students should be assigned the maps to recreate, one of Africa, the United States, and Cuba. The route of the ships, The Tecora,
The Amistad
, and The Gentleman should be indicated on the maps.
Two long sheets of brown craft paper can be used for the background. The silhouettes, names, and maps should be glued onto the background. Students can work together to create a title for the mural.
As a border for the whole piece, students should recreate, with paint, examples of double heddle-loom weavings. These weavings are traditional to the people of Sierra Leone. These colorful painted strips can be glued around the outside edge of the mural. Students can also be assigned to write the caption for the mural.