Similar to Meltrek: Exploring Ancient Africa and Meltrek: Exploring The Pre-Columbian Americas, viewers will travel back in time with a group of middle school students to explore the western coast of Sub-Saharan Africa. Meltrek: Exploring the Maafa Part 1- The Arrival of the Portuguese introduces a few new characters. Kwaku, a West African griot from the Gold Coast, teaches the children about the events that led to the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The children explore places, structures and strategies used by the Portuguese to enable and protect their investment in the trade system. Kwaku also informs the characters about the heroic Africans who fought against enslavement. Signature to the Meltrek series, this episode is infused with a hip-hop soundtrack to keep its audience captivated.