This document provides an overview of how one high school teaches wartime history in Australia. It discusses focusing on World War 1 in Year 9 and World War 2 in Year 10. Various resources and teaching methods are outlined, including flipping the classroom, simulations, research projects, and competitions. Assessment tasks aim to develop historical empathy and analysis skills. Online sources like videos, websites, and social media are utilized to engage students with this history.

1. Giles Bartram
Nuriootpa High School
giles.bartram510@schools.sa.edu.au

2. Overview
 Our context
 Wartime History (focus mostly on Australia)
 World War 1 at Year 9
 World War 2 at Year 10
 ‘Flipping’ the classroom
 Premier’s Anzac Spirit School Prize and the
Simpson Prize
 Fostering empathy
 Resources/ideas/exemplars

3. Our context
 Nuriootpa High School has approximately 940 students
 History has traditionally been offered as an elective from Year 9
onwards and is one of our most popular subjects
 We offer Modern History, Australian History and Classics in Year
12. In most years we run all three classes.
 We trialled Australian Curriculum: History in 2010 and 2011 with
a particular focus on Year 10
 We 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 assembly
 We have a memorial to ex-students who were killed in WWII.
In 2012 an ex-student was killed in Afghanistan.

4. RSL Links

5. Teaching Wartime History
 Students are interested. “Most Australian History
might be boring but our wartime history isn’t.”
 Develops historical empathy
 Some great resources, especially online and
through the DVA
 Great competitions like the Premier’s ANZAC
Spirit and Simpson Prizes
 Core Content – Year 9 WWI, Year 10 WWII

6. 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?

7. World War I as an accident

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

9. Workshop Activity
Have 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?

10. Diplomacy
 Boardgame (or Computer) simulation of European
alliances pre-WWI
 Some of the advantages
 It allows students to experience the MAIN causes of
WWI directly – Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and
Nationalism
 It teaches them some European geography
 There are some interesting lessons to be learnt about
human nature, teamwork and negotiation skills
 They enjoy it

11. Diplomacy: The map

12. The game in action
Turkey planning their next move
Students 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!

13. Some resources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU03EU5_MCE
A 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=31545
http://www.mrboll.com/?page_id=4346
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2203120 ‘Teaching
Diplomacy by other means’
Some examples and articles about how you might use an online
Diplomacy game in class

14. Some of our Research Tasks
 Family 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)

15. Basic Research Task – Year 10
 You 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.

16. 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”.

17. 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/encyclop
edia/martin/
For his entry on ‘Discovering
Anzacs’ see:
http://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.a
u/browse/person/56694

18. James Martin
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=3000269&isAv=N
Note the age
18
Also the reference
to parental
consent

19. James Martin
Unit History
https://www.awm.go
v.au/units/unit_11208
.asp
Unit Diary
http://www.awm.gov
.au/collection/AWM
4/23/38/2/

20. Task Design
 Australian 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?

21. 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?

22. What learning do we want?
 Developing historical empathy
 Understanding “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.

23. Year 10 Sources Analysis
 Content 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 standard
 Students 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.
 Specific questions measure the level of understanding
using SOLO Taxonomy

24. The Flipped Classroom
 Methodology employed in Stage 1 Ancient Studies and
Stage 1 Modern History
 Assessment Tasks are broad guidelines eg: one essay,
one source analysis, one “mythbusting” task, one
documentary etc
 Students choose the specific content that they are
interested in rather than it being teacher directed
 Resources (youtube videos etc) are made available on
the school network and through internet via Edmodo
or Schoology

25. Year 11 Documentaries
 Choose any person
or event
 Locate relevant
primary and
secondary sources
 Using Moviemaker,
Photoshop etc,
explain how this
event or person was
historically
significant

26. Year 12 Creative Works
Key Area of Inquiry 2
War 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

27. DVA Resources
http://www.anzacportal.dva.gov.au/

28. Australian Prisoners of War
 Published in March 2009
 Includes a collection of
short films

30. Twitter Feeds

31. Crash Course Videos
WWI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPZQ0LAlR4
WWII http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q78COTwT7nE

32. Some great websites
http://www.ww1anzac.com/
https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/
http://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/

33. Some great books

34. Recommended videos
 Australians at War series
 Australian War Memorial You Tube Channel
 www.youtube.com/user/AustWarMemorial
 ‘Gallipoli: The Frontline Experience’ (BBC)
 ABC Kokoda (two part series)
 The Documentary History HD Tube Channel
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeb6t1w44SzRkG
UvyHhDfqQ
 Films – Beneath Hill 60, Gallipoli, The Lighthorsemen

35. Some other online resources
http://www.dva.gov.au/commemorations-memorials-and-war-graves
Department of Veterans Affairs commemorations, war graves and memorials
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/hq/trenchwarfare.shtml
Students take the role of a WW1 general, trying to minimise casualties and still
achieve their objectives
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/hq/worldwarwhen.shtml
A quiz
www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/games/overtop/index_e.shtml
A interactive Canadian game that puts students in the position of an ordinary soldier
http://www.iwm.org.uk/
Imperial War Museum

36. Anzac Spirit and Simpson Prize
www.simpsonprize.org
 Year 9 & 10 students
 Essay or AV response
 Closes 16th October
http://anzaccentenary.sa.gov.au/competitions/premiers-anzac-spirit-
school-prize/ (this also links to examples of student work)
 Year 9 & 10 students
 Multiple formats – research a person
 Closes late September (TBA)

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

38. For further information
 Contact me
 giles.bartram510@schools.sa.edu.au
 Twitter @BartramGiles
 Download this presentation
 http://www.slideshare.net/GBartram/teaching-
australian-wartime-history