Students learn about the effects of European colonialism on the nations in Eastern and Southern Africa during the years following independence. Then they research the ongoing conflicts that resulted in Uganda, Rwanda, and Sudan, drawing connections between European rule and the later ethnic and religious conflicts. Finally, students consider the unexpected consequences and effects of slavery in the United States.
Students read an overview of the experience and the objectives, then consider a scenario in which an arbitrary line divides their town, separating people by workplace, residence, language, and religion. They respond on a class wall describing how they would feel living under these imposed divisions.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the focus of the lesson and review the objectives. Facilitate a discussion of student responses to the scenario, explicitly connecting the imagined divisions to the way European colonizers drew borders in Africa and previewing that students will examine the consequences of these actions throughout the experience.
Students read selected sections from East African History and African Resistance, Nationalism and Independence to learn how independence unfolded in Eastern and Southern Africa. As they read, they take notes in a two-column table comparing key information about Eastern and Southern African countries. They then respond on a class wall explaining how borders drawn during European colonization affected nations after they gained independence.
Teacher MovesEnsure students can access and navigate the readings and model how to use the note-taking table effectively. After students post to the wall, lead a focused discussion on how arbitrary colonial borders grouped diverse languages, religions, ethnicities, and political systems, emphasizing how these factors made post-independence governance difficult and contributed to later conflicts. Organize students into small groups and assign each group one country—Uganda, Rwanda, or Sudan/South Sudan—for upcoming research.
Students watch the first 2:40 of the video Colonialism in Africa to see specific examples of how colonial rule created and intensified conflicts in Eastern and Southern Africa. They post to a wall explaining how the video connects to what they learned about independence and borders in the previous scene. In their assigned small groups, students research the conflict in Uganda, Rwanda, or Sudan/South Sudan using online sources. Each group creates a presentation that identifies the sides in the conflict, explains its causes, describes how it has unfolded, and analyzes how European colonization contributed to it, including at least one relevant image. Groups post or link their presentations to a shared wall, then review and discuss presentations about the countries they did not research.
Teacher MovesGuide students to connect information from the video to earlier readings, highlighting how colonizers exploited ethnic, linguistic, and religious differences to maintain control and how this led to ongoing conflict in Uganda, Rwanda, and Sudan. Support groups as they research and plan their presentations, prompting them to clearly identify the sides, causes, course of events, and colonial roots of each conflict and to choose appropriate visuals. If time permits, have groups present to the whole class and facilitate a comparative discussion of similarities and differences among the three conflicts. Transition students to completing the remaining scenes individually.
Students read a prompt connecting the long-term, often unexpected consequences of colonialism in Africa to the long-term consequences of slavery in the United States. They write a paragraph explaining some ongoing consequences of slavery, where they see those consequences today, and how the nation might address them to build a better future, drawing on parallels with the African situations they have just studied.
Teacher MovesInvite students to share and discuss selected responses, highlighting thoughtful or insightful connections between the legacies of colonialism in Africa and slavery in the United States. Use the discussion to deepen students’ understanding of how historical injustices shape present-day social and political realities.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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