kokoda
Year 10 History (world war ii)
Australian curriculum Learning objectives
• ACDSEH108[1]The experiences of Australians during World War II (such as Prisoners of War (POWs), the Battle of Britain, Kokoda, the Fall of Singapore)
Resources required
• Australians at War – The Thin Khaki Line[2] (Duration: 2.01) Note: this clip contains mild coarse language.
• Kokoda Front Line![3] (Duration: 1.58)
Lesson outcome: Students gain an initial understanding of the experiences of Australian soldiers involved in Kokoda.
Lesson outline:
1. Commence lesson by introducing the focus on the experience of Australians involved in the Battle of Kokoda and prompting students to remember their previous work on this battle. Highlight the fact that the clips which students are going to watch are products of a context in which notions of race were viewed quite differently to now, and may appear to them to be racist.
2. Show both Kokoda-related captioned video clips. After watching the clips, prompt students to consider the following in small groups:
i) What do these clips tell us about the experiences of soldiers on the Kokoda trail?
ii) Compare the two different representations of these experiences in the two clips. Identify how their different intentions, as well as the years in which they were released, affect the representation.
3. Play the videos for students again.
4. Students complete answers to the above questions in their workbooks.
5. Volunteer students share their responses. These should be used as the stimulus for a whole class discussion.
Homework/extension
Students explore the Australian Government’s Kokoda website[4] to further develop their understanding of the event. Students should be encouraged to consider the interviews with Kokoda veterans and their accompanying transcripts. Students can profile a specific Kokoda veteran, detailing their role at Kokoda and their overall experience.
Opportunity for further activity
It has been said that Kokoda is to World War II as Gallipoli is to World War 1. Students investigate this statement and develop a well-researched opinion on the matter.
[1] http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Curriculum/ContentDescription/ACDSEH108
[2] http://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/australians-at-war/clip1/
[3] http://aso.gov.au/titles/newsreels/kokoda-front-line/clip1/
[4] http://kokoda.commemoration.gov.au/