Teaching Australian Wartime History in the AC.HTASA Conference 2014

Giles BartramNuriootpa High School

giles.bartram510@schools.sa.edu.au

OverviewOur contextAustralian HistoryWorld War 1 at Year 9 World War 2 at Year 10Premier’s Anzac Spirit School Prize and

the Simpson PrizeFostering empathyResources/ideas/exemplars

Our contextNuriootpa High School has approximately 850 studentsWe are a country High School but close enough to Adelaide for

day trip excursionsHistory has been offered as an elective from Year 9 onwards and

is one of our most popular subjectsWe trialled Australian Curriculum: History in 2010 and 2011

with a particular focus on Year 10We have a number of History specialists though need to rely on

some “non-specialists” We have a great relationship with our local RSL branch.Every year we do a special Anzac Day assembly and a

Remembrance Day assemblyWe have a memorial to ex-students who were killed in WWII.

Recently a ex-student was killed in Afghanistan.

Teaching Wartime HistoryStudents are interested. “Most Australian

History might be boring but our wartime history isn’t.”

Develops historical empathySome great resources, especially online

and through the DVAGreat competitions like the Premier’s

Anzac Spirit and Simpson PrizesCore Content – Year 9 WWI, Year 10 WWII

World War 1 as an accident

Why did the driver hit the tree?Was it mostly because of the kangaroo, the sun, the bend in the road or because he wasn’t paying attention? Of course, if the tree wasn’t there, he wouldn’t have hit it! Which of these causes is short term and which is long term?

World War I as an accident

GCSE Bites

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu5VPnwGev0

Workshop ActivityHave a go!

Can you come up with your own analogy to explain the multiple causes of World War 1? For an added complication, try to include the effects as well.

Any incident will do, it just needs a number of causes

Think about the different sorts of causes, what might be short and long term? What causes are Social/Cultural? Economic? Political?

DiplomacyBoardgame (or Computer) simulation of

European alliances pre-WWISome of the advantages

It allows students to experience the MAIN causes of WWI directly – Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and Nationalism

It teaches them some European geographyThere are some interesting lessons to be learnt

about human nature, teamwork and negotiation skills

Diplomacy: The map

The game in action

Turkey planning their next moveStudents use mobile phones to take pictures of the map, plan what they will do and then try to convince at least some of the other countries to go along with it!

Some resourceshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU03EU5_MCEA useful video that explains the rules in nine minutes

http://www.playdiplomacy.com/index.php Online Diplomacy http://playdiplomacy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=453&t=31545http://www.mrboll.com/?page_id=4346https://www.academia.edu ‘Teaching Diplomacy by other means’Some examples and articles about how you might use an online Diplomacy game in class

Research TasksFamily History: ‘In their Footsteps’ Project

(Stage 2)Creative Works Presentation (Stage 2)Documentaries (Stage 1)Premier’s Anzac Spirit School Prize (Year

9/10)Simpson Prize (Year 9/10)

Basic Research TaskYou must use inquiry-based research – come up with

at least 5 questions about your topic. For example:What did they do? What battles were they in? Who

won those battles? How many Australians died or were wounded in that battle?

How did they die? How did they earn their medals? Where did they serve? What was that like?Why should they be remembered?

You must then write a letter to or from a soldier, sailor or nurse serving overseas. Use your research to make it seem more real.

Example“Five years after Atkinson’s death his mother was sent a memorial scroll and memorial plaque and the following year she received a Victory Medal for his services. I think she would have rather had her son. One document that I found while looking through the archives that made me feel quite sad was the permission slip from his parents consenting to him joining the army… When Atkinson died his personal effects were returned to his mother, there was not very much to return, 2 electric lamps, razor strap, shaving brush, razor, soap, woolen cap, 2 bibles, wallet and some writing gear. Not a lot to show for his life. From the records about conditions in the trenches most of his belongings would have been fairly useless in a practical sense but probably gave him some comfort. This only adds to the sadness I felt when exploring the life of Frederick Atkinson.”

Frank explained to his parents that had the war not ended when it did, many of the POWs in Siam would have been shot. He describes the year of 1943 as particularly bad especially when he and the other POWs were “driven like galley slaves and life was a horrible misery” this comment is in reference to the way the prisoners of the Japanese were treated in the building of the Burma-Thailand Railway. A combination of the poor health of the prisoners, the terrain, climate and the lack of tools and supplies would have made the labour even more horrific for prisoners. In one particular letter (see Appendix 1) Frank describes the horrific details of living as a prisoner of the Japanese to his parents. “They died in twos and threes and when the cholera came as many as a dozen at a time.” The lives of many Australian POWs were lost to the Japanese. Although Australian POWs often experienced brutality and deprivation at the hands of the Japanese many also recognised the importance of mateship and hope. Comparing himself to others helped Frank realise “I’m not so badly off”. This ANZAC spirit would have been present among many of the Australian prisoners. As ex-POW Ian Wall says, “You lived for one another”.

James Martin

As stated by the Australian War Memorial, he is thought to be the youngest Australian to die on active service.

https://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/martin/

James Martin

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3000269&isAv=N

Note the age18

Also the reference to parental consent

James MartinUnit Historyhttps://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_11208.asp 

Unit Diaryhttp://www.awm.gov.au/collection/AWM4/23/38/2/ 

Task DesignAustralian Curriculum asks us to focus on key

questions at each year level.For Year 9

What were the changing features of the movements of people from 1750 to 1918?

How did new ideas and technological developments contribute to change in this period?

What was the origin, development, significance and long-term impact of imperialism in this period?

What was the significance of World War I?For Year 10

How did the nature of global conflict change during the twentieth century? What were the consequences of World War II? How did these consequences

shape the modern world? How was Australian society affected by other significant global events and

changes in this period?

Understanding by Design or “Backwards Design”

Identify desired results

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Determine acceptable evidence

Plan learning experiences &

activities“Begin with the end in mind”

What learning needs to occur?

What will this learning look like?

What learning do we want?Developing historical empathyUnderstanding “historical significance”Developing Sources Analysis skills

By the end of Year 10, students refer to key events, the actions of individuals and groups, and beliefs and values to explain patterns of change and continuity over time. They analyse the causes and effects of events and developments and explain their relative importance. They explain the context for people’s actions in the past. Students explain the significance of events and developments from a range of perspectives. They explain different interpretations of the past and recognise the evidence used to support these interpretations.

Year 10 Sources AnalysisContent link - An examination of significant events of

World War II, including the Holocaust and use of the atom bomb (ACDSEH107)

Intended to assess the following elements of the achievement standardStudents explain the significance of events and

development from a range of perspectives.Students analyse sources to identify motivations, values

and attitudes. When evaluating these sources, they analyse and draw conclusions about their usefulness, taking into account their origin, purpose and context.

Designed for trial – not yet fully polished!

Year 11 DocumentariesChose any person

or event Locate relevant

primary and secondary sources

Using Moviemaker, Photoshop etc, explain how this event or person was historically significant

Year 12 Creative Works Key Area of Inquiry 2War memorials, commemorative ceremonies, and creative works (e.g. art, literature, songs, photographs, and film) as ways of remembering Australians involved in war or conflict

Choice of topic eg: Art, Music, Film, specific events like the sinking of HMAS Sydney, specific groups like nurses or POWs

Multi-modal presentation

DVA Resources

http://www.dva.gov.au/commems_oawg/commemorations/education/Pages/education%20resources.aspx

Australian Prisoners of WarPublished in March

2009Includes a collection of

short films

Twitter Feeds

Crash Course Videos

WWI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPZQ0LAlR4 WWII http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q78COTwT7nE

Some great websites

www.ww1sa.gravesecrets.net/sa.htmlwww.rslvirtualmemorial.org.auwww.mappingouranzacs.naa.gov.au

Some great books

Recommended videosAustralians at War seriesAustralian War Memorial You Tube Channel

www.youtube.com/user/AustWarMemorial‘Gallipoli: The Frontline Experience’ (BBC)ABC Kokoda (two part series)The Fog of War You Tube Channel

www.youtube.com/channel/UCShQwaYMurWOQAsDYD8REew

Films – Beneath Hill 60, Gallipoli, The Lighthorsemen

Some other online resourceshttp://www.dva.gov.au/commems_oawg/commemorations/history_research/Pages/index.aspxDepartment of Veterans Affairs resources and website list

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/hq/trenchwarfare.shtmlStudents take the role of a WW1 general, trying to minimise casualties and still achieve their objectives

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/hq/worldwarwhen.shtmlA quiz

www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/games/overtop/index_e.shtmlA interactive Canadian game that puts students in the position of an ordinary soldier

Anzac Spirit and Simpson Prizewww.simpsonprize.orgYear 9&10 studentsEssay response – set questionCloses 17th October

http://www.sa.gov.au/topics/education-skills-and-learning/schools/curriculum-and-learning/programs-and-extra-curricular-activities/premier-s-anzac-spirit-school-prizeYear 9&10 studentsMultiple formats – research a personCloses 26th September

DECD acleadersresource

http://www.acleadersresource.sa.edu.au/index.php?page=bringing_it_to_life

For further informationContact me

giles.bartram510@schools.sa.edu.auTwitter @BartramGiles

Download this presentationhttp://www.slideshare.net/GBartram/teaching-

australian-wartime-history