Kevin Buss World History, Pd.

2, 3, 5, and 7 Primary Source Analysis: King Alfonso Is letter to King Joao of Portugal Beginning of Class Start by asking the class if they have ever been taken advantage of/played or witnessed someone getting played, making sure to remind them not to mention any real names. Students will share examples one at a time, and teacher can give an example if they are slow to respond (i.e. that really cute girl/boy being nice to you so you would help them cheat on their homework). Teacher will then ask analysis questions to those who gave examples. How did you know that you (or the other person) were getting played? Was it something they did/said or was it their attitude? When did you realize it? Did you/the other person do anything to try and stop it? If so, what? If not, why not? Do you think the bully meant to do harm, or were they just thinking selfishly and not caring about the consequences?

Lesson Instruction Pass out King Alfonso Is letter to King Joao of Portugal (original letter for honors, reduced for regular and honors if the original proves to be too difficult). Ask students to read through letter silently, then have each of them write down critical thinking questions concerning the letter to answer as a group. Split the class into groups of four or five to discuss the answer to the questions. What are the problems King Alfonso is concerned with? Why are they happening? What goods might Alfonso be trying to prevent the Portuguese from selling? Why doesnt he want these goods in his kingdom? Why is it a problem that the lords/vassals are becoming rich? Why dont the Portuguese discriminate between enslaving ordinary people and nobles? Is Alfonso concerned about the wealth of his kingdom, his power, or the wellbeing of his people (or all three)? King Alfonso appeals to King Joaos Christianity at the end of the letter. Why might he do this?

Class will then come back together as a whole and each group will contribute answers to these questions. Each student will be responsible for recording answers and understanding the letter. Activity/Assessment Teacher will give students a copy of a prompt asking them to write a response letter to King Alfonso from the perspective of King Joao. Students will be tasked with stepping into the shoes of King Joao and making an argument for the continuation of Portuguese trading in Kongo from his standpoint. Teacher will remind students that, though nobody today would support King Joaos position, they have to practice taking historical empathy and make a convincing argument. If not finished in class, the response letter would be due tomorrow.

Name: Period:
You are King Joao of Portugal. You have just received a letter from Alfonso I of Kongo requesting that you stop sending merchants to trade goods for slaves in his kingdom. You must compose a ONE PAGE response letter in which you address the problems presented by Alfonso but also defend your actions. Remember, the goal is to try to think and write like King Joao. How would a Portuguese king from the 1500s respond to a letter from someone like King Alfonso of Kongo? Though none of us today would want to defend slavery or anybody associated with it, stepping into someone elses shoes is an important skill to have when learning about history. If you need to do a little extra research to find out about these individuals or their kingdoms, feel free to do so, but it is not necessary.