Activity overview
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Primary HTC concept(s) explored in this activity
The Ethical Dimension guidepost 1 Authors make implicit or explicit judgments in writing historical narratives |
Secondary HTC concept(s) explored in this activity
Evidence guidepost 1 History is interpretation based on inferences made from primary sources. Primary sources can be accounts, but they can also be traces, relics, or records. Evidence guidepost 2 Asking good questions about a source can turn it into evidence. |
Students will review three accounts of Germany’s first gas attack in late April 1915 uncover author judgments about the events and historical actors involved.
Guiding questions may include:
Students will present their findings in the style of a news report from well-known news sources. Some options include:
Once students have determined the author’s perspective on the story, they will work to re-craft these narratives into concise news stories. They will then decide which news outlet would present which story, and whether they would advocate for Canada’s use of gas after Germany’s actions.
Guiding questions may include:
- Is the author presenting one side as “good” and the other as “bad”?
- What reasons are offered for either side being “good” or “bad”?
- Is the author’s judgment implicit or explicit? How do you know?
- Why might the author want the reader to think a certain way about these events?
Students will present their findings in the style of a news report from well-known news sources. Some options include:
- CBC news
- The BBC
- Fox News
- CNN
Once students have determined the author’s perspective on the story, they will work to re-craft these narratives into concise news stories. They will then decide which news outlet would present which story, and whether they would advocate for Canada’s use of gas after Germany’s actions.
In this activity students should be able to articulate that the accounts they have read are not objective but are intended to convey a specific message about the content. They should be able to clearly describe the difference between an explicit and an implicit judgment, and they should be able to justify their choice of news media outlet for sharing their gas attack stories (ie., this author makes an explicit judgment about Germany’s use of gas which is similar to how Fox News might share a sensationalized story).
Please see The Big Six Historical Thinking Concepts (2012) by Peter Seixas and Tom Morton, as well as the Historical Thinking Project website for further ideas for student assessment or to adapt these activities.
Please see The Big Six Historical Thinking Concepts (2012) by Peter Seixas and Tom Morton, as well as the Historical Thinking Project website for further ideas for student assessment or to adapt these activities.
Questions posed to students in this activity
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Research question: What happened in Germany’s first gas attack in 1915?
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Inquiry question(s): What do the authors of these accounts want us to think about these events? Would it be acceptable for Canada to use gas in retaliation?
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Considerations for teachers to introduce in student inquiry
Additional guiding question for students: Is it ever justifiable to break international law? What could justify this?