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Lesson Title: The Americo-Liberians: When Colonists Headed East Across the Atlantic
Central Focus: Students will examine black history through a global studies context by
exploring what happened when African-Americans decided to return to Africa and form
their own democracy there. Students will consider how the Americo-Liberians, though they
shared a common ancestry, were different from the West Africans in what became Liberia.
They will probe the consequences of colonialism, imperialism, and forced relocation.
Identify at least two motivations that led former American slaves to found the
country of Liberia
Summarize how tensions between Africans and Americo-Liberians led to conflict and
political instability
Assessments
Formal (Summative):
Tandem Writing Activity - Students will divide into partners, one of whom will read an excerpt
from the point of view of Liberian colonizers; the other will read an article from the point of view
of native Africans in Liberia. Then, partners will debate the issue of whether it was right for
former slaves to return to Africa and form a country. Partners will write, paragraph by paragraph,
expressing the point of view they read.
Informal (Formative)
Video Debrief - Students complete a short Google Forms Quiz to gauge understanding of video.
Discussion - Cold call a few questions to ensure students can clearly enunciate motivations behind
move to Liberia.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks (Procedures)
Launch (Opening, Anticipatory Set) -- 5 minutes: Students arrive, pick up Agenda packets for the day,
and free write in response to this question: If you were starting a new country what would you call it and
what aspects of America would you bring with you?
Closure -- 15 minutes:
1. Students pick a partner. One person is Liberian Founder Joseph Jenkins Roberts. The other will be a
native West African in what became Liberia.
2. Students create a Google Document and share it with each other, so that both students are working
simultaneously on the same document.
3. Students debate the logic and appropriateness of American blacks returning to Africa to start their own
country. Debate will be in written format, with one partner writing a paragraph, then the other partner
responding below. This continues until class ends, with at least three paragraphs required per side.
4. Students share document with instructor to turn it in.
Video captions and printed transcript of video with key information bolded.
One-to-one computer assistance as needed.
Google Doc with hints for students completing Google Forms video quiz. For instance, doc
contains a hyperlink with the Google Maps query already performed.
Option to complete debate on paper instead of computer, with sentence-starters provided.
Students who finish early can use internet research to complete a worksheet probing Abraham
Lincolns views on Liberia/segregation.
Homework / Assignment for Next Class: S hare dialogue/debate with instructor. Ensure
document is in complete sentences and free of spelling/grammar errors.