Teaching activities

 

1. The aim of this activity is to expand your knowledge and understanding of the topic. Using the Chronology, divide the information into long-term, short-term and trigger causes of the Korean War. What do you think were the most important and least important causes? Explain your answer.

2. The aim of this activity is to improve your skill at analysing and evaluating historical sources. Make a list of the types of historical sources that could be used to research key individuals involved in the escalation of the Korean War, for example, memoirs. Comment on the value and limitations of using each type of source.

3. The aim of this activity is to expand your knowledge and understanding of the topic. Research the key individuals involved in the lead-up to the Korean War, i.e.

• Syngman Rhee
• Kim Il Sung
• Mao Zedong
• Joseph Stalin
• Harry Truman
• Dean Acheson
• General MacArthur

Summarise your material on index cards using the following subheadings:

NAME (including birth and death dates)
EARLY LIFE
IDEOLOGY
ATTITUDE TOWARDS KOREA

Once completed, place the cards in order of who you think was most responsible for the war. Compare your rank order with that of a classmate and discuss similarities and differences. Think of other ways of grouping the cards to help you understand the roles of individuals in the war, for example, Communists, military leaders.

4. The aim of this activity is to improve your skill at analysing and evaluating historical sources. Using all of the sources, complete a table that provides examples of fact, opinion and judgement for each (see below for an exemplar).

SOURCE	FACTS	OPINIONS	JUDGEMENTS
A	Mentions historical figures, e.g. Hitler.	‘I felt certain that …’	‘… it would mean a third world war’ (or is this an opinion?)
B
C
D
E

 

Answer the following questions:

• Which of the sources contains
  a) the most facts?
  b) the most opinions?
  c) the most judgements?

• Which of the sources, if any, contains an even spread of fact, opinion and judgement?
• Historians often argue that sources containing mainly opinion (or assertion) are usually less useful and reliable than those containing judgements (opinion based on fact). Using your table, which of the sources appear to be the most useful and reliable as evidence about the escalation of the Korean War?
• How far do you agree with the view that sources that contain more opinion than judgement are always less reliable as historical evidence?