Slavery at Groot Constantia

Greenfield Girls - Grade 7

The start of today's lesson was a little bumpy.  Had the teacher received my map, emailed to her just the day before? It was also raining hard and I knew that if parents and children had to wander around looking for the venue, there would be some unhappy customers. I also noticed (in the car on the way) that I had forgotten to bring the clipboards. I can tell I've been on holiday..what a rookie mistake! 

Then I had a brainwave...why not call the teacher? I had her cell phone number saved on my phone (one of the things I did remember to do yesterday). So I called her. Turns out the call helped to settle both of our nerves. I realised this morning that the 'meeting moment' can be one of the most stressful parts of the lesson. For the teacher, it involves the stress of coordinating up to ten cars at a time and communicating with parents to make sure they are all in the right place.That little call helped the teacher and I to establish where we were meeting. I also asked her to bring something for the girls to press on. I think the pre-lesson phone call may be a good idea for each lesson I do at a new venue.

Talking about pre-lesson routine, it would have been better to have visited the venue yesterday. I had a niggly feeling...I should have listened to myself! The museum staff were not there when I arrived. Henreich, who works for the museum, is often there first to open up the orientation room - but he was no where to be seen. Panic! Aso it was 8.30. I only had 30 minutes to improvise. Luckily, Henreich arrived. I was saved! The moral of the story: arrive at least an hour before the lesson. Also get Henreich's telephone number. Chat to staff the day before about who is opening the venue.

The last issue, which I've moaned about since May, is that the lighting does not work. As I feared, the room was dark as a bat cave. I brought along a lamp, but it didn't do much to cheer up the room. I will be phoning to complain to Iziko today.

Here are some highlights of the lesson today:

• The introductory poem went really well. My new Bluetooth speaker transmitted eerie ghostly sounds from my cell phone.
• I did not use a projector or laptop today. As I thought, a power point wasn't necessary. However, I would like to print a big picture of Van der Stel and also of the Slaves to show the learners.
• I enjoyed giving the children each a slave role or 'job' for the lesson.I must try to give them each a name next time. As we toured the house, I asked the children to come forward if their work was in that room. It was useful to have them come up and explain what work they could have done in each room instead of me talking all the time. 
• The learners enjoyed it when I read out the names of slaves that Van der Stel set free on his deathbed. Some of them were freed but others were not.
• I focused their attention on where the slaves slept. The fact that it was cold today gave the children some ideas about which buildings would have been good for accommodating slaves on the farm. 
• The time examining the information boards and answering questions was...mediocre. I don't know how much they enjoyed it, but I think they got an idea of what evidence exists to prove what the life of the slaves was like. Some children enjoyed looking at the old hand-written records and artefacts.

Room for improvement:

• Next time I think I should pose the question about where the slaves slept just before they see the cellars. This will give them a problem to solve as they examine the notice boards.
• The children were interested in relationships between slaves and owners: 
• The portrait of Sibella Pasman (I said that she had 13 children, I need to double check that. How many children did she have? What slaves did she own and who did she set free?
• Any stories about slaves at Groot Constantia? Were any of them punished or written about?
• Stories about owners and their slaves having relations. What would happen to the children?
• To end off, I should play them a song or some music from the Kaapse Klopse/ Ghomma music. I think that would be interesting and fun. 
• I would love this lesson to turn into a roleplay. I would need to give each learner an activity to do.
• If we are to act as slaves in the lesson, we would need an owner Simon van der Stel (or a Sibella Pasman) and we would need a mandoor (a slave overseer), which could be the teacher.

Teacher's comments:

*To possibly develop a lesson around the life and people of the Cape. Focusing on the lifestyle and relationships of people at the Cape. A day in the life - how things happened (Governor's, ladies, etc.)

I think in some respects this is what I was trying to do - by bringing the slavery lesson to a personal level. I think I could look at the master/ slave relationship in more detail. 

I think it is a wonderful idea for a future lesson.