Bob Bowser
Maurice J. McDonough High School
Gomerpyle17@hotmail.com (home)
rbowser@cboe.com (school)
Triangle Trade Discussion
Early Modern Era (1450-1750)
Objectives:
 The students will analyze the political, economical, and social aspects of the
triangle trade through research and a role-play discussion
 The students will analyze bias and point of view through a role-play discussion.
Materials:
 Computer lab with Internet access (optional)
 Textbook
 Handouts A-G (one for each group)
 Point of view note sheet
 Blank world map (not provided)
 World map transparency/ overhead projector
Lesson Procedures:
Warm-Up Activity
1) Each student will be given a blank world map.
2) The students will draw a triangle connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
3) The class will then label each side of the triangle with the goods that traveled along
each segment of the trade routes.(ex. The students will label the route from Africa to the
Americas with slaves, etc.) The instructor should use the transparency and projector to
correctly label the map for the class to see.
*If the class is having problems providing examples of goods that would have
been moved along the routes, the instructor should ask probing questions to
prompt correct answers.
General Lesson
1) Break the class into 7 groups. (one group for each P.O.V.)
2) Pass out the P.O.V. note sheet. Explain to the students that they must use this sheet to
keep notes on each personality. They will be turning this in at the end of the lesson.
3) Each group should be given one of the personality handout sheets (A-G). Each sheet
contains directions for the activity and several questions that the students must answer as
their personality.
4) Each group will spend time researching the triangle trade and their personality in the
trade. This can be done several ways:
 As a homework reading
 As an in class group reading
 In the computer lab
5) After the groups have completed research, the discussion will begin.
 The seats should be arranged to best suit a large group discussion
 Each group should sit together
6) The teacher will facilitate the discussion.
 Begin with any of the personalities.
 Ask the first group to verbally answer question #1.
 Allow all of the other groups to answer question #1. Be sure to allow time for
discussion and debate. The teacher should be sure to add any information that the
groups may not have covered.
 Repeat for all of the questions
Closure/Assessment
1) The teacher will ask one final whole class discussion question:
How did the triangle trade impact social, economical, and political systems
throughout the world?
The teacher should record student responses on the board/overhead and provided follow
up discussion based on the responses.
2) Upon completion of the discussion the teacher should ask for and answer any follow
up questions that the students may have regarding the material.
3) The teacher should collect the P.O.V. note sheets to check for understanding.
Triangle Trade Class Discussion
Personality: You are slave in the Caribbean working on a
sugar plantation.
Directions: Use your book to answer the following questions
regarding the Triangle Trade. Answer the questions as the
personality assigned to your group.
1. Explain the ways in which you contribute to the Triangle
Trade.
2. How do you benefit from the Triangle Trade?
3. How has the Triangle Trade impacted the
political/economic/social structure of your homeland?
4. In what ways would you life be different if the Triangle
Trade did not exist?
5. What are some positive impacts of your role in the
Triangle Trade? Negatives impacts?
A
Triangle Trade Class Discussion
Personality: You are slave in South America working in a
silver mine.
Directions: Use your book to answer the following questions
regarding the Triangle Trade. Answer the questions as the
personality assigned to your group.
1. Explain the ways in which you contribute to the Triangle
Trade.
2. How do you benefit from the Triangle Trade?
3. How has the Triangle Trade impacted the
political/economic/social structure of your homeland?
4. In what ways would you life be different if the Triangle
Trade did not exist?
5. What are some positive impacts of your role in the
Triangle Trade? Negatives impacts?
B
Triangle Trade Class Discussion
Personality: You are the king of a West African kingdom
which trades with the Europeans.
Directions: Use your book to answer the following questions
regarding the Triangle Trade. Answer the questions as the
personality assigned to your group.
1. Explain the ways in which you contribute to the Triangle
Trade.
2. How do you benefit from the Triangle Trade?
3. How has the Triangle Trade impacted the
political/economic/social structure of your homeland?
4. In what ways would you life be different if the Triangle
Trade did not exist?
5. What are some positive impacts of your role in the
Triangle Trade? Negatives impacts?
C
Triangle Trade Class Discussion
Personality: You are the owner of a manufacturing company
in London, England.
Directions: Use your book to answer the following questions
regarding the Triangle Trade. Answer the questions as the
personality assigned to your group.
1. Explain the ways in which you contribute to the Triangle
Trade.
2. How do you benefit from the Triangle Trade?
3. How has the Triangle Trade impacted the
political/economic/social structure of your homeland?
4. In what ways would you life be different if the Triangle
Trade did not exist?
5. What are some positive impacts of your role in the
Triangle Trade? Negatives impacts?
D
Triangle Trade Class Discussion
Personality: You own and operate a plantation in the
Americas.
Directions: Use your book to answer the following questions
regarding the Triangle Trade. Answer the questions as the
personality assigned to your group.
1. Explain the ways in which you contribute to the Triangle
Trade.
2. How do you benefit from the Triangle Trade?
3. How has the Triangle Trade impacted the
political/economic/social structure of your homeland?
4. In what ways would you life be different if the Triangle
Trade did not exist?
5. What are some positive impacts of your role in the
Triangle Trade? Negatives impacts?
E
Triangle Trade Class Discussion
Personality: You are the captain of a slave ship.
Directions: Use your book to answer the following questions
regarding the Triangle Trade. Answer the questions as the
personality assigned to your group.
1. Explain the ways in which you contribute to the Triangle
Trade.
2. How do you benefit from the Triangle Trade?
3. How has the Triangle Trade impacted the
political/economic/social structure of your homeland?
4. In what ways would you life be different if the Triangle
Trade did not exist?
5. What are some positive impacts of your role in the
Triangle Trade? Negatives impacts?
F
Triangle Trade Class Discussion
Personality: You are a military officer in charge of a
Portuguese “factory” on the west coast of Africa.
Directions: Use your book to answer the following questions
regarding the Triangle Trade. Answer the questions as the
personality assigned to your group.
1. Explain the ways in which you contribute to the Triangle
Trade.
2. How do you benefit from the Triangle Trade?
3. How has the Triangle Trade impacted the
political/economic/social structure of your homeland?
4. In what ways would you life be different if the Triangle
Trade did not exist?
5. What are some positive impacts of your role in the
Triangle Trade? Negatives impacts?
G
Point-of-View Analysis Note Sheet
Name:__________________________________
Directions: Use this sheet to keep track of each personality’s Point of View throughout
the activity. This sheet must be turned in at the completion of the activity.
Caribbean Slave
Basic belief about the trade:
Argument points:
How and why does bias play into their argument?
South American Slave
Basic belief about the trade:
Argument points:
How and why does bias play into their argument?
West African King
Basic belief about the trade:
Argument points:
How and why does bias play into their argument?
English Company Owner
Basic belief about the trade:
Argument points:
How and why does bias play into their argument?
American Plantation Owner
Basic belief about the trade:
Argument points:
How and why does bias play into their argument?
Slave Ship Captain
Basic belief about the trade:
Argument points:
How and why does bias play into their argument?
Portuguese Military Officer
Basic belief about the trade:
Argument points:
How and why does bias play into their argument?