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THE
HOLD Welcome to the simulation called THE HOLD.
This simulation will try to recapture some of the feelings the slaves
would have experienced in the hold of a ship during the Middle Passage.
This is a simulation that requires you to cooperate in order to achieve
your goal. Your task is as follows: While being chained together in groups of 10, you will enter into a dark
room. If you come out of the room
with the chain broken in any place, you and all of those tied to you will be
thrown overboard for trying to free yourselves from the chains.
This will serve as a warning to other slaves not to try the same thing.
You will have the aid of one light.
You will look for clues on the walls and on the floor to help guide you
to your end task. This you have to
figure as you go along inside the hold. This
helps to make your task more real and life-like.
Once you have put all the pieces of the “puzzle” together, you will
be on the verge of gaining your freedom. The
only thing that can stop you at this point is time.
You have 15 minutes to figure out your task in order to obtain your
freedom. If you are caught cheating
on how to interpret the puzzle pieces, you will all be thrown off the boat while
chained together. You either win
your freedom, or you die trying. Remember:
cooperation is the KEY. You should note that if you tell other slaves from other tribes what you
are up to, they to will be tossed to the sharks.
Don’t do this to your fellow Africans! Note that you are on a ship and cannot swim, you must stay away from the
source of water sounds. Three slaves will carry the major “chains” that clink and clank as
you move. These are the first and
last slaves on in the line. When you are standing at the beach waiting to be loaded into the hold on
the second floor outside the AV room, please line up along the right side of the
hallway where you see masking tape. One
person stands by each piece of masking tape.
Here you will be “chained” together for the transport. Good luck, think hard and work together. STEPS: After discussing the simulation in class, gather in the hallway outside
the AV room. Allow the “chain” to be wrapped around your leg.
A bell is attached to the chain on the first and last in line.
NOTE: alert the students before they come to school for the
simulation that they are to wear long pants or socks.
This is important so that the yarn will not make a mark around their
ankles. Enter the room quietly. Seek your clues and decide what step comes first, second, etc. Have prepared: two bracelets each with four bells on it.
Tie this around the first and last in line. Make sure you have placed the pictographs on the wall. Put the tape roll and Tylenol bottle on the floor. The CD of sea sounds should be playing upon the arrival of the slaves.
(sound effects can be found online) Place the elastic with 10 threads attached to it on the floor. A timer, at the end of which the monitor shouts: “Hey, what are you
slaves up to?” See the CD for
more Things to think about:: While one group is being prepared for the slave ship, another is
watching Roots from where the class may have left off.
The third group is reading Focus on A minimum of two people are needed to run the simulation:
one in the hold (dark room) who gets the slaves tied together, and one to
be with the students in the two classrooms (side by side so the teacher can
oversee both). Make the chains (yarn with bells) so that they can be easily tied to the
legs of the slaves. Do this outside
the AV room so that there is less wear and tear on the yarn during the
simulation. Make sure the pictographs are adequate enough to promote the idea of
what the slaves have to do. Have the music established. Create a “safe spot” on the floor. |