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BEFORE YOU WATCH: Resisting Colonialism - Through a Ghanaian Lens

Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below.
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below (next in the lineup!). If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: preview and skimming for gist

Before you watch, you should skim the transcript first. The skim should be very quick and give you the gist (general idea) of what the video is about. You should be looking at the title, thumbnails, pictures, and first few seconds of the video for the gist.

Second read: key ideas and understanding content

Now that you’ve skimmed the video transcript and taken a quick peek at the video, you should preview the questions you will be answering. These questions will help you get a better understanding of the concepts and arguments that are presented in the video. Keep in mind that when you watch the video, it is a good idea to write down any vocab you read or hear that is unfamiliar to you.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
  1. What did Ghanaian historian A. Adu Boahen mean when he said that “'independence was not given on a silver platter but won by blood”?
  2. Who was Yaa Asantewaa, and what did she do that made her famous?
  3. What was the Golden Stool of Asante? Why did the British want it? Did they get it in the end?
  4. Why, according to Tony Yeboah, was a lot of anti-colonial resistance actually aimed at chiefs and kings?
  5. What kind of resistance did the UGCC (United Gold Coast Convention) organize after the Second World War?
  6. Why did Ghanaian veterans, who had fought for Britain during the war, march in 1947, and what happened to them?
  7. What was Kwame Nkrumah’s strategy of positive action? Why was he such an effective leader, according to Tony Yeboah?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

Finally, here are some questions that will help you focus on why this video matters and how it connects to other content you’ve studied.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
  1. This video focuses on some big acts of resistance. Do you think these kinds of acts were the most common forms of resistance? If not, what’s missing? If yes, what evidence supports your argument?
  2. What are the most important causes of resistance you can find in this video if you view it through the communities frame? What other important causes become clear if you view it through the production and distribution frame?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.

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