Odyssey
- The Life of Olaudah Equiano
Developed by Gail Desler
The
Kidnapped Prince - The Life of Olaudah is a unique biography
for many reasons. In the 1700's very few people published autobiographies.
The fact that a slave living in the 18th century learned to read and
write and managed to write down his life experiences is a remarkable
accomplishment. Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography provides us with
a valuable primary source document about life in early Colonial American.
As you step into the novel and complete the tasks below, you will
be stepping back in time over two centuries and exploring from a first-hand
perspective an important chapter in the African American Odyssey.
In your role as a historian, you will question, research, and decide
how slavery and the forced migration from Africa to America have affected
the history of our nation.
Task
1: Venn Diagram
Olauda
provides many examples of his life as a slave to Africans in comparison
to his life as a slave to Europeans. As you read the story, create
a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the similarities and differences
between African and European/New World slavery. Use the Venn
Diagram Scoring guide as a guideline.
Task
2: Olauda Equiano’s Story Map
Through
no choice of his own, Olauda’s story is a true odyssey. As you read
through the novel, you will design a story map to document both the
journey and key events of this true-life story. Create a legend or
an illustrated boarder to mark the main events of Olauda’s life. Your
story map should be visually attractive, accurately and neatly labeled,
and reflect personal effort. Use the Story
Map Scoring Guide as a guideline.
Task
3: I Am Poem
To understand
the institute of slavery and the depth of human misery that it inflicted
on its victims is a difficult task. Yet slavery is a part of our
5th grade standards – and part of our nation’s history.
The forced migration of thousands of Africans to the colonies remains
a central chapter in the American story. Real life accounts such
as Olaudah Equiano’s give us a window into both the horrors of slavery
and the strength of the human spirit to survive, resist, and overcome
adversity.
Your
task is to write an “I Am” poem to tell the story Olaudah Equiano’s
forced migrations. Using information from the Kidnapped Prince,
from your textbook, and from the online sources below, you will consolidate
your research to create a three-stanza poem in honor of Oluadah’s
travels, challenges, losses, and victories. When you have finished
creating your poem, mount it on poster board and illustrate it with
original art or primary source images. Create your poem using the
I Am Format.
For full
credit, your “I Am” poem must include the following:
FIRST
STANZA
- Information
and thoughts about Olaudah’s life in Africa
- Olauda’s
family
- The
Ibo people and traditions
- Slavery
in Africa
SECOND
STANZA
- Information
and thoughts about European and American slavery
- The
Middle Passage
- Arrival
in the New World
- Living
conditions under slavery
THIRD
STANZA
- Information
and thoughts about Olaudah’s ability to survive slavery
- Personal
set backs
- Sources
of strength and encouragement
- Final
destination
Be sure
to use the I Am Poem Scoring Guide as
a guideline.
Online
Sources
