Stage 5: The Rise of China



The artwork of Maoist China is particularly ripe for historical analysis.
Students can use visual literacy skills from English to identify the purpose of the text.

Isn't History an amazing subject? I'm so glad you agree. Below you'll find a complete unit on The Rise of China for Stage 5 History, which includes a rationale, outline, scope and sequence, assessment task, and associated resources/lessons. The idea behind this half-term unit is to build literacy skills in tandem with source analysis, with an emphasis on helping those students who dislike or have trouble with reading.


The Rise of China - full unit here.


Most of the texts in the above unit are included only in small part, or in the case of Mao's Little Red Book, aren't really covered by copyright. I recommend you try to seek out each of these texts anyway, some are out of print but can be gotten from places like Bookdepository.com or abebooks.com. A class set of Little White Duck in particular would be invaluable.


For more information on the lessons in the above unit, feel free to peruse the following pages:


Conception
Outline
Lesson Planning
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Lesson 6
Lesson 7


Have a nice day!

Palmyra: Past, Present and Future

An aerial photo of Palmyra, taken prior to its destruction at the hands of ISIS

Thematically relevant to the study of Pompeii and its conservation is the recent development of socio-political fragility in Syria, and the impact this has on the UNESCO World Heritage site of Palmyra. Students looking to develop research projects in Elective, Ancient and Extension History may want to look into Palmyra's importance, the events unfolding around it, and the way this interacts with History as a discipline.

Alternatively, Professor Nigel Pollard's studies on Palmyra (on which this post is based) also provide fertile ground for non-syllabus specific historical discussion. 

Palmyra is a significant site for a number of reasons. Founded in 2000 BCE, it grew into a vibrant centre of pre-Islamic culture in the Middle East, and has been envisioned by historians as a key site on the 'Silk Road'. Palmyra's existence as a multi-cultural trading hub between Eastern and European classical cultures provides evidence for an ancient global economy (Big History scholars will find much of interest in this), and it has also been viewed, alongside the excavation of Pompeii, from a historiographical standpoint as somewhat instrumental in the West's rediscovery of the ancient world.

In reference to the earlier parts of its history, Palmyra's political status has been seen by historians as somewhat hyphenated. Sitting at the base of mountain ranges in the unforgivably desolate Syrian Desert, Palmyra occupied a geopolitical point between the West (Rome) and East (Persia) as a marginalised part of the Roman Empire. The oasis created by the wadi (valley) that sits between the two halves of the Palmyrene mountain range provided the conditions that made this a perfect exchange network between the Mediterranean and Asia.

In the 3rd Century, Palmyra broke from the Roman Empire and asserted its own authority as an independent city state, with it's own ruler; the regent Zenobia who ruled in place of her adolescent son. The city grew into the relatively shortlived Palmyrene Empire with the conquest of Egypt and Galatia, which predictably ended with the destruction of the Empire at the hands of the Romans (resulting in significant destruction of the city and its people).

Professor Nigel Pollard talking about the rise of the Palmyrene Empire at Glenmore Park High School, Western Sydney

Much more recently, WWI and the Syrian Civil War have both seen further threat to the survival of Palmyra as an archaeological treasure. In the Syrian conflict, the movement of troops and displaced peoples has had a tremendous impact on historical sites like Palmyra and - in much more sinister fashion - the intentional targeting of Syria's heritage by ISIS (for ideological reasons) has resulted in significant damage as well. Indeed, the status of Palmyra as a heritage site has actually made it a target for ISIS, who have blown up the Temple of Bel and other major parts of the ancient city. UNESCO's denomination of Palmyra as historically and cultural significant has also made it a focus for what Professor Pollard calls 'soft' power, with both Russia and the Syrian regime very keen to claim its capture and protection as a legitimisation of their rule over the region.

Crimes against cultural property are essentially crimes against people, as these sites are emblematic of a people's heritage - Pollard asserts that there is often a correlation between those who would commit genocide with those who destroy sites of historical significance. It's a case of erasing the signs that a culture ever existed, and examples of this are unfortunately all too common in recent history - in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. - and almost always coincide with ethnic cleansing and similarly abhorrent crimes against identity.

For more information on the destruction of Palmyra, visit the following links:
Reuters - Palmyra Before and After ISIS
Guardian Article about the Destruction of Palmyra
'The Battle Over History' - Foreign Policy Blog on Palmyra
The Ancient City of Palmyra

Marking Metalanguage

Working towards a better understanding of things can be hard...

As someone very interested in assessment, and the contexts that go with different kinds of assessment, I often find myself working towards a kind of multilateral understanding that can be shared between teacher and student. In more general terms, this means two things:

• Using analytical criteria grids wherever I can, so students can see how they perform in relation to particular skills.
• Using language that can be understood by students whilst maintaining the integrity of the rubric as a teacher's assessment tool.

The second of these dot points is perhaps the trickier of the two as there is a pre-existing metalanguage used by markers that should be retained as much as possible for the sake of clarity. One of the issues with metalanguage is that it can be inherently jargonistic; that is to say, different groups favour different shared lexicons when it comes to discussing and assessing the abilities of students, and there's no overall rule book that everyone everywhere is willing to adhere to.

Hey, that's life. 

One example of this is the use of 'sophisticated' to refer to an understanding achieved by a top-marked student, which  contrasts with other rubrics that favour the word 'skilful' as the top descriptor. How can we say one is wrong and the other is correct? Is an attempt to nail down our metalanguage to only one set of terms in fact a contradiction of the ethos of English as a subject that rewards independent thinking and multiple interpretations? And how do we reconcile this with the need of our students to have a clear guide to the terms used in our marking criteria?

I don't have the definitive answer to that, hence my earlier use of the words "working towards a kind of multilateral understanding". What I would like to offer here is a short guide to the English assessment metalanguage that I tend to use; a guide that has been designed for Advanced English student use in conjunction with peer assessment. The hope here is twofold:

1. Students become more confident in using a wider variety of terms when providing constructive critiques of their own work and the work of their peers.
2. Students gain an increased understanding of the sort of language they're likely to see in marking rubrics.

The following terms have been gleaned from school-based assessment tasks, HSC marking rubrics, and the metalanguage used by NAPLAN SMART data and the Literacy Continuum to describe writing standards. I have deliberately tried to keep it from being too long so as not to overwhelm students who are already trying to decipher a marking rubric, but I'm happy regardless to hear any feedback that can assist in the refinement of these terms (or the addition of new ones).

Cracking Open the Marking Terminology used by Teachers

Appropriate to Audience, Purpose, Context and Form: This terminology is taken straight from the English syllabus outcomes. It is asking if the response a student has written reflects the right text type for the question. Additionally, do the sentences reflect the level of care suited to the context (EG. An exam, or a performance), and has the student understood the requirements of the task?

Attempt: Anything on the page that demonstrates a student has tried, even without evidence of understanding, to engage with the question.

Basic: Student shows some understanding, or can use a skill to some extent (most likely not well or successfully). This can indicate a D-grade; slightly below-average.

Cohesive: The student's response 'hangs' together and assists the reader in understanding the composed text. It includes: using synonyms that fit, ellipsis of unnecessary repetitive words, using groups of words that fit together well, and using the right group of words to refer to a specific idea. 

Control of Language: Maintaining one kind of tense (EG. Past tense), keeping the same perspective throughout (EG. Third person), not breaking the subject-verb agreement (EG. Singular noun matches with a singular verb), and making the right word choices.

Effective: Student can do something with some degree of skill or higher understanding. Usually indicates a B-grade; above-average.

Evaluates: Makes a judgment, shows an opinion. Matches up with questions that use the phrase 'To what extent'.

Implied: Something that cannot be obviously seen in the response. The teacher may judge that certain elements in the response indicate the student understands something, or can do something.

Judicious: The student has put thought into what details or examples they choose to use. Could also refer to the deliberate ellipsis of unnecessary details, or purposefully not doubling up on the same kind of technique or example, or matching supporting evidence well to the thesis statement/topic sentences.

Limited: The lowest tier of understanding, or evidence suggests that a student is unable to use the skill being assessed. Indicates an E-grade; well below-average. Interchangeable with Elementary.

Satisfactory: Student has shown that they understand what needs to be understood, or can use the skill that needs to be used, but has done so in a 'workmanlike', 'un-showy' or inelegant fashion. Usually indicates a C-grade; average. Interchangeable with Adequate.

Sentence Variety: Uses simple sentences (one clause sentences), compound sentences (sentences with two clauses joined together that could otherwise be separated into two one-clause sentences) and complex sentences (multiple clauses that are dependent on one another for the sentence to work).

Skilful: Student is able to do something exceptionally well. Can indicate an A-grade; well above-average.

Sophisticated: Occupies the same level as Skilful; can indicate an understanding that goes above the majority of the age group.

Sustained: More than one page of writing.

Thesis Statement: The sentence that states the main idea of an extended response to a question, and helps to control the ideas within the paper. It should reflect an opinion or judgment that the student has made in response to the task's instructions.

Allied Occupation of Japan: The War Crimes Tribunal

MacArthur and Hirohito: unlikely post-war allies

The Allied occupation of Japan at the close of WWII is incredibly fertile ground for historiographical interpretation and debate. This period of 1945 to 1951 is a time that calls into question issues relating to the status of Emperor Hirohito (orchestrator, puppet or something else entirely?) and America's emerging need for a strong ally in Asia at the dawn of the Cold War. It's also a case study that forms the fourth and final set of dot points in the Conflict in the Pacific syllabus for HSC Modern History, and relates to the following past HSC questions:

• Evaluate the view that the aims of the Allied powers were achieved successfully in the occupation of Japan in the period up to 1951.
• Discuss the impact of the Allied occupation on Japan in the period 1945-1951.
• Evaluate the view that maintaining the status of the Emperor was responsible for the success of the Allied occupation of Japan to 1951.
• How successful was the Allied occupation of Japan in achieving its aims to 1951?

The part that I want to focus on today is the War Crimes Tribunal. At the end of the war, General MacArthur (nicknamed the 'Gaijin Shogun' by the Japanese, quite literally the 'foreign general'), announced the formation of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. This tribunal was intended to formally bring to justice the Japanese leaders who had implemented and enforced the Greater East-Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere during WWII, and it was a tribunal that was - unsurprisingly - controversial and not without its complications.

Lesson: Part 1 - Understanding What Happened

There are two sheets here that I've attached at the bottom of this blog post. The first sheet is a 1-page reading that gives an overview of the tribunal, who was put on trial, some associated statistics, the outcome, and the impact and controversies that have been noted by historians. Students read through this sheet and use the second sheet, a graphic organiser, to gather and re-structure information in a way that shows their understanding.

I like graphic organisers because they're helpful in getting students to focus on specific parts of a text, and they allow for the relationship between ideas to become visible through the use of flowcharts, arrows, separation of facts, and so on. They also aren't particularly demanding in terms of thinking, which means that every student should be able to engage with it. Just be ready to direct your students on how to fill in the first couple of boxes and most will be able to do the rest. 

Lesson: Part 2 - Evaluating What Happened

The important thing is to then have the students compose a paragraph response that puts into action what they've just learned. Ask them; To what extent was the War Crimes Tribunal a fair process? or alternatively, Whose interests did the War Crimes Tribunal primarily serve? The resulting paragraph doesn't have to include all the information that's been gathered in the graphic organiser. Tell your students to pick two or three pieces of evidence to support their idea and to reconstitute this into a response.

What they end up with should be adaptable as a body paragraph for any of the past HSC questions listed at the top of this post.

Resources

War Crimes Tribunal - reading 

War Crimes Tribunal - graphic organiser

Elysium - Allegory, Allusion and Satire

This shot illustrates the contrast between the idyllic, verdant world of Elysium and the drab, dirty colours of the 'invading' refugees.

English is such a challenging subject sometimes because we have this focus on looking at how composers construct their text which, inevitably, leads us to look at the techniques they use to create meaning and connect with their audience. I've found that most students are quite responsive to learning about techniques that are new to them, however, what becomes challenging is the idea of quantifying techniques.

What I mean is, students like to be given taxonomies of things. They like to know the relationship between ideas, EG. The text reflects this particular context, and this context has produced this text type, and within this particular text type it's this genre, and this genre involves these particular codes and conventions, and in order to do all this the composers uses these techniques. And to do all this, these techniques are defined as thus.

The problem with this is that it emphasises the quantity of parts that build a text, rather than each part's potential to be a multiplicity of things. Students focus on something being a metaphor and then don't consider that it could also be visceral language (provoking a feeling of repulsion), or that it also ties to a story-wide motif (and therefore supporting larger themes).

In short, elements of a text can be defined in multiple ways. Those who express how challenged they feel by English are those who often struggle with its open-endedness. There's no wrong answer if it's supported by valid and substantiated evidence - we say this to kids all the time - but how do we teach them that there is more than one right answer, and that these correct alternatives don't always fit neatly together either?

I don't have a simple answer to this. The students who understand that meanings can be in flux, hyphenated, or pluralistic, are the ones who often do the best - grappling with ambiguity and ambivalence is something that great authors (IE. Great Englishers, yes, that's a word now!) do throughout the course of their entire careers.

The ongoing presence of drones throughout Elysium has proven to be a rather valid prediction about the enforcing of law and order throughout the world. The shot above is a 'drone's-eye view' of a battle between the film's hero and villain. The villain is blurred, indicating that the camera represents the view of his employers and their corrupt interests in protecting his identity from being recorded.

Elysium isn't a complex text, it's a film that feature multiple layers but it's also a film that was designed for Hollywood's mainstream market, so most students will be able to follow it on at least one level. In comparing it to Animal Farm as a dystopian text that's very much a product of context, students need to be able to illuminate the ways in which it makes use of allegory. This in turn leads to discussion of satire and allusion, and these things are all tied together as interconnected techniques and structural conventions. In the PowerPoint below I've divided my analysis of Elysium into allegory and satire but this is largely an arbitrary distinction as they could be looked at either way. 

Walk your students through the presentation and have them discuss the way the images and ideas link to context. There are numerous examples, including the villain Kruger as a representation of South Africa's dark history of hiring shady mercenaries, the role of the fable that the little girl Matilda tells to Max, and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) references to Max's role as a messiah for this bleak, grimy future.

There is also a sheet that students can work through afterwards, in which they are given pre-identified examples of various allusions and asked to explain them. The pre-loading of ready-made examples (IE. Techniques that have already been linked with textual evidence) forces the students to focus on explaining the significance, which is what we really want our Advanced English students to be able to do. 

Resources

Elysium and Our World - PowerPoint Presentation

Allusions - worksheet