Medieval Africa, America, and Black History Month

After studying medieval Africa for several weeks, we will now take a turn in history that will connect Africa with our own lives in America. In recognition of the millions of African slaves who contributed to the growth of our nation in its early days, we will be devoting much of this final week of the Africa unit to looking of slavery in early America and the United States.

Among other things, we will watch excerpts from a PBS series entitled Africans in America. Check out the link, and be sure to view some of the following sites for more in-depth information.

Slavery in America
http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/
http://www.innercity.org/holt/slavechron.html
http://www.thomaspaine.org/Archives/afri.html
http://americanabolitionist.liberalarts.iupui.edu/plantation_life.htm
http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/dayinlife/plantation/home.html

Black History Month
http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/BHM/index.html
http://www.historychannel.com/blackhistory/
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/hum/mlk/

African Slave Trade
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/9chapter3.shtml
http://amistad.mysticseaport.org/timeline/atlantic.slave.trade.html
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASafrica.htm
http://africanhistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa080601a.htm
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_slave
http://library.thinkquest.org/13406/ta/
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/slaveship.htm
http://www.antislavery.org/breakingthesilence/main/04/SlaveShips.shtml
http://www.melfisher.org/lastslaveships/slaveships.htm
http://beatl.barnard.columbia.edu/students/his3487/lembrich/seminar54.html

Images of African Slavery
Google Image Search
http://www.picturehistory.com/find/c/174/mcms.html
http://www.virginiafoundation.org/institutes/civilwar/slavery.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1523100.stm
http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slavery/search.html

Redwood's First Annual Variety Show

Be on the lookout for information from the After-School Activities committee about Redwood's first spring talent show. According to Ms. Bordeleau, ASA co-ordinator, the Variety Show "is being designed to allow kids to showcase their talents or just be their truly entertaining selves. Prizes will be given out."

Contact Ms. Bordeleau if you are interested.

Progress Reports

Parents should expect students to bring home progress reports during the week of February 27th. Remember that the report should be signed by a parent/guardian and then returned the following day. Students who lose or do not return their reports will be assigned lunch detention until the report is returned.