The Century of Service book series is a joint publication of the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Australian War Memorial. Each book shares captivating stories of Australians in military service throughout the 20th century. This classroom-ready worksheet helps students deepen their understanding of the stories in the books. The worksheet directs students to apply comprehension and research skills to investigate the experiences of Australians during times of war and conflict. Students can reflect on veterans' stories and choose options for a creative response. Students will identify and investigate primary and secondary sources as they engage with the stories.
Teacher notes
Learning intentions
This resource requires students to develop their historical investigation skills through secondary and primary sources relating to varied aspects of Australians' experiences of wars, conflicts and peace operations.
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
- understand and analyse the historical evidence contained within the secondary and primary sources
- appreciate and reflect on the values demonstrated by Australians.
- synthesise the historical evidence into a creative or critical response.
Lesson resources
A guided worksheet with 7 pages of activities, which can be used as a generic response to stories in the Century of Service books.
Teaching ideas
This lesson can be used online for students to progress through, or you can download and print the worksheet (DOCX or PDF). Feel free to adapt the DOCX version to meet your students' needs.
Individual learning
Select a Century of Service book or let students select their own. The most accessible books for this lesson are:
The remaining title in the series, Resource: Stories of innovation in wartime, explores examples of Australian wartime innovation.
Group learning
Assign one book or offer a selection of books to the whole class, or assign a different title to small groups in the class. Students can choose a story from the book's collection of veteran stories and perspectives that appeals to them.
Groups or individual students can then present their story responses to the whole class or smaller groups. This encourages engagement with a range of individual stories and perspectives, as well as the different qualities of Australians during that time.
Learning activities based on comprehending, analysing and responding to primary and secondary sources are embedded throughout the worksheet resource. This enables students to chunk information for understanding and consolidate their learning after each section. Students can complete the activities on devices or in workbooks.
The options for a creative response at the end of the resource allow students to choose how to synthesise and apply their knowledge.
Australian Curriculum
Knowledge and understanding
Students learn about the places of significance where Australians fought, their perspectives and experiences, including the Gallipoli campaign, the Western Front and the Middle East (AC9HH9K09).
Students learn about the significant events and turning points of the war and the nature of warfare, including the Western Front Battle of the Somme and the Armistice (AC9HH9K10).
Students learn the effects of the First World War on Australian society, such as the role of women, political debates about conscription, relationships with the British Empire, and the experiences of returned soldiers (AC9HH9K11).
Students learn about the causes, outbreak and course of the Second World War and the significance of Australian involvement (AC9HH10K01).
Students learn about the places where Australians fought, and their perspectives and experiences during the Second World War, such as the fall of Singapore, prisoners of war (POWs), the Battle of Britain and Kokoda (AC9HH10K02).
Students learn about the causes and effects of the significant events and developments of the major global influences on Australia in the post-Second World War period (AC9HH10K16).
Skills
- Locate, identify and compare primary and secondary sources to use in historical inquiry (AC9HH9S02, AC9HH10S02).
- Identify the origin and content of sources, and explain the purpose and context of primary and secondary sources (AC9HH9S03, AC9HH10S03) .
- Explain the usefulness of primary and secondary sources, and the reliability of the information as evidence (AC9HH9S04, AC9HH10S04).
- Compare perspectives in sources and explain how these are influenced by significant events, ideas, locations, beliefs and values (AC9HH9S06, AC9HH10S06).
- Create descriptions, explanations and historical arguments, using historical knowledge, concepts and terms that incorporate and acknowledge evidence from sources (AC9HH9S08, AC9HH10S08).
Teaching sensitivities
Teachers are advised to be sensitive to students' perspectives and emotions while using this resource. When working through the activities, teachers will need to consider their students' religious and cultural beliefs, any experiences of war or conflict, or parents serving in the defence forces. It is the responsibility of teachers to consider whether it is appropriate to use this resource with their students.
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
