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Assessment 1

Brianne Wragg S00171631

Year Level: Year 7 Overview/Depth Study: The Asian-Pacific World/China The role and
achievements of a significant individual in an ancient study
Standard:
Students identify the actions and motives of Ancient Chinas first Emperor, Emperor Quin Shihuang at the time of his rule. Through an historical enquiry,
students will locate and select historical sources and pose questions on their origin, content features and purpose. Students explain the historical context
of these sources and ask questions about their accuracy, usefulness and reliability. Students will explain the different historical perspectives on Emperor
Qin Shihuangs leadership from the perspective of the people who lived around in Chins during the time he ruled using those sources (Victorian
Curriculum).

Concept: Evidence and perspective

Victorian Curriculum (VC)

Knowledge and Understanding (and Elaborations):
- The role and achievement of a significant individual in an ancient society - Analyse and corroborate sources and ask questions about their accuracy,
(VCHHK113)
- Using questions and criteria to evaluate their achievement
- Examine the historical context, early life and achievements of a
significant historical figure from China in this period, and how
they were perceived by their contemporaries
Skills:
usefulness and reliability (VCHHC099)
- Differentiating between primary source and secondary
source
- Organising historical sources into artefact, visual, written,
audio
- Posing questions of sources when identifying origin, content,
explaining context, and analysing reliability the usefulness
about the historical context.
- Discussing the difficulties in identifying the origin and
purpose of some sources
- Analyse the different perspectives of people in the past (VCHHC100)
- Describing the values and attitudes revealed by a source, for
example, an individual account, and using additional sources
to show how they are broadly representative or contrast the
values and attitudes of the society
(Victorian Curriculum)
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Rationale:

When viewing history, there are often contrasting views and perspectives that can be equally credible within the same topic; for example, Emperor Qin
Shihuang was one of early Chinas great leaders or he was one of early Chinas greatest tyrants. Often students find these existing difference in history
incredibly challenging to explain because students often view the past as fixed in nature. (Husbands (2010). This sequence of lessons recognise this, and
aims to address the issue using a historical enquiry-based pedagogy. The lessons are situated around the end of the unit in which the students look back
onto the significant figure of Emperor Qin Shihuang through primary source analysis and drawing on existing knowledge of beliefs, events and people that
existed of and around the time of the Emperor. Whilst we are looking at one significant figure, it is also important for students to understand that history is
not made through key figures, although they play a role, but instead in ordinary people having contextually viewed and experienced the past (Yilmaz, 38)
Thus, this inquiry is especially focused on what people of the time thought about Emperor Qin Shihuang. These three lessons then, aim to consolidate
students understanding of the procedural concept of evidence, and begin to introduce perspectives concepts in which students begin to make inferences
about what people thought, believed and why through critical engagement with source material (Seixas and Morton, 2013).

The three lessons begin with two diagnostic assessments to evaluate understanding of key terms and unit knowledge so far. Lesson one focuses on building
the enquiry and encouraging students to pose and ask good questions; a critical component to enquiry and source analysis (Seixas and Mortan, 2013). With
the focus of evidence and perspectives, the teacher encourages asking good questions and analysing the context of a source using an historical
detectives approach (Lvesque, 2005 pp. 351) To ensure that students have background information, the teacher provides links to a biography website in
which students will engage with a comprehension type activity (Seixas and Mortan, 2013). This lesson sequence is largely comprised of inquiry-based
learning and group work, however, as some students approach and preference to learning is individualistic, incorporation of activities like the
comprehension and reflective exercises, also formatively assessed, provide relief from heavy group work. Technology has been used in this lesson
sequence to corroborate different sources and highlight: a) who and what perspectives are identifiable, b) their own perspectives in interpreting evidence,
and c) the challenges and strengths of interpreting primary sources (Seixas and Mortan, 2013). Thus, the google doc made accessible to all students will be
used as an effective way of sharing source information and corroboration whilst acting as a referable piece of informal formative assessment (Hart, 39).

Lesson Plan

Lesson Number: 1

Lesson outcomes:
The students will be able to:
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- Define terms Great Leader and Tyrant through paired and class discussion.
- Identify and then explain key features of Emperor Qin Shihuang rule by looking at the timeline of early China and discussing these features as a class.
- Identify a range of key questions that would be used to inform a historical enquiry; investigating the first Emperor of China in groups, collected on 5Ws
worksheet.
Assessment:
Diagnostic assessment: Group discussion of what it means to be a great leader or a tyrant that will assess groups existing knowledge of key terms and
evidence (informal)
Diagnostic assessment: Group discussion corroborating students knowledge on other events that surround Emperor Qin Shihuangs reign and identifying
links through observation of the timeline in relation to beliefs, events and dynasties that have already been discussed in unit (informal).
Formative assessment: In groups devise questions that will help to inform the enquiry investigation that will be collected on 5ws worksheet (informal).
LESSON PROCEDURE
Pedagogy
(teaching and
Guiding Questions Activities/Tasks Resources Assessment
learning
strategies)
- What is the
difference
between a great
leader and a
tyrant?
Think-Pair-Share
- What sort of
Reflective Teacher writes two questions on the white board and White board
evidence could Diagnostic
learning students are given time to reflect and share their ideas White board marker
tell us if some was assessment
with a partner before coming together to discuss
a great leader or
guiding questions.
tyrant from an
ancient society?
- How would we go
about finding this
evidence?
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- Who was Qin

Shihuang?
- What might the
events that occur
before and after
Teacher outlines the students task of being a historical
Qin Shihuang tell
journalist doing an expos on Chinas First Emperor, Qin Appendix 1
us? Diagnostic assessment
Teacher- Shihuang. (Slideshow)
- Most of the
Centred Teacher brings out a timeline and points out where Whiteboard marker
sources about the
learning Emperors reign begins and uses the guiding questions to Whiteboard
Qin dynasty come
prompt discussion and draw links to already established Timeline
from the following
unit knowledge.
Han dynasty, what
might be an issue
be when we are
then looking at
those sources?
Activity 1
Students will be allocated into table groups and asked to
write 5 questions using the 5Ws worksheet designed to
scaffolded questions to narrow research on the
Markers
perspectives held by the people who lived under and
Whiteboard markers
What sort of Inquiry-based around the time of Emperor Qin Shihuang(10 mins).
questions would help learning/ Each table will then allocate a speaker and the class to
us find out what we collaborative share with the class. Teacher and students will fine tune
need to know? Source analysis those questions together (10mins). Formative
Appendix 2
Teacher to stress the importance of questions that assessment
(worksheet)
relate to looking for evidence in sources and finding
different perspectives of people of that time.

Students to reflect and write down one thing or area of

Reflection
interest they are looking forward to investigating.
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Lesson Plan

Lesson Number: 2

Lesson outcomes:
The students will be able to:
Lists the achievements of Emperor Qin Shihuang by visiting and using the Britannica website and answering questions.
Explains what sort of a role and effect Emperor Qin Shihuang had on people who lived under his rule, specifically his political, economic and social (PES)
influence on people at the time by answering the provided questions on Britannica website and facilitated class discussion.
Interpret a primary sources focusing on what it describes, its origins, function or motives and who the audience may be using the COMA worksheet.

Assessment:
Formative: Completing questions provided on slides and discussing the guided questions as a class facilitated by teacher to assess students comprehension
of the biography Britannica website (informal).
Formative: Teacher allocates groups and projects primary source on the board, students refer to questions on the COMA document and complete the
activity. Teacher then discusses ideas using the questions from COMA to get an understanding of students understanding or interpreting the source
(Informal).
Formative: Formative assessment Students rate how confident they are with the content out of 5 on their hand (informal).
LESSON PROCEDURE
Pedagogy
(teaching and
Guiding Questions Activities/Tasks Resources Assessment
learning
strategies)
- How did Qin
Shihuang unify Student own devices,
Hook
China? workbooks
Students are to go to a biography website about Qin
- What were some
Comprehension Shihuang individually to answer questions.
of his Appendix 3
Group discussion surrounding the guiding questions Formative assessment
achievements? (Slideshow)
which will be led by the teacher.
- What impact did
he have on Britannica website
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Chinas PES at http://www.britannica.c

the time? om/biography/Shihuang
di
- What type of
source is it? Activity 1:
- What does this Students will be given a hand out that outlines the COMA
Appendix 4
source tell us strategy to use to analyse the source 1 projected on
Including Source 1
about Emperor board.
(papers distributed on
Qin Shihuang? Students will be allocated into groups of four in which
tables)
- Who created the they each are to identify an envoy.
source and Inquiry-based/ Teams have 5 mins to work on one square. The envoy of
when? collaborative the group then has 2 mins to go report to another group
- Why was this sharing and gathering information to bring back to their
Formative assessment
Guided Source group. Envoys are to be different each time.
source created?
Analysis Group discussion following guiding questions to be
- Who is the
conducted after activity
audience?

Out of 5
Reflection Students rate how confident they are with the content out Formative assessment
of 5 on their hand

Lesson Plan

Lesson Number: 3

Lesson outcomes:
The students will be able to:
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Interpret a range of primary sources focusing on what the source describes, its origins, function or motives and who the audience may be using the
COMA worksheet as a guide and filling in the google doc.
Report on why sources have different perspectives by looking at a range of perspectives in a range of different sources through filling out the final
column of the google doc and discussing as a group.
Produce a 3-4 sentence paragraph on the question; Did people of the time think Qin Shihuang was a tyrant or great leader of China? and use
evidence to support their answer.
Assessment:
Formative: Teacher allocates groups and gets students to fill out COMA google doc on analysing sources and leads a group discussion in their findings and
their understandings of why there are different perspectives of the Emperor may have existed. (Informal).
Formative: Formative assessment Students to write a paragraph of whether they believe the Emperor was a tyrant or great leader using evidence as
support which may be shared in class (informal).
LESSON PROCEDURE
Pedagogy (teaching
Guiding Questions and learning Activities/Tasks Resources Assessment
strategies)
Hook: Recap
Reflection Students are to open up shared google doc and as Appendix 5
a class fill in first row of the table (Source 1) that
is a redesign of the COMA worksheet.
- What are some
Activity 1
contradictory
perspectives of the - Students are allocated into groups of 3-4 and Student Devices
Emperor and why do you given one source to analyse using COMA Print out of
Inquiry / group
think they exist? framework. sources
collaboration
- Who are the people who - COMA google doc to be filled under their
hold these different source except the last column (10mins) and
perspectives? Source analysis
decide if the source illustrates Emperor Qin as
- What are some problems a great leader or tyrant.
that exist when we look at Discussion
- As a class fill in the last column of the google
the different perspectives
doc finding 1 source that corroborates and 1 Appendix 5 Formative assessment
of Qin Shihuang?
source that contradicts.
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- Teacher to lead a group discussion into why

perspectives may be different and contradicts
others.
Activity 2
- Individually, students are to pick a source and
What was perspective that
write 3-4 sentences on what a perspective of
existed at the time about Written response
the emperor was and use evidence to support
the Emperor?
their answer.

Select a few students to read the paragraph to

Reflection Formative assessment
the class.
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Appendix 1
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Timeline from: http://historyoftheworld.pbworks.com/w/page/34717654/Chinese%20History

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Appendix 2

Appendix 3
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Appendix 4

Origin: Where does the source come from? Who

Content: What type of source is this? How does
wrote it, what individual or group? From what
this source respresent Emperor Qin Shihaung?
context did it come?

Source:

Motive:What is the function Isofthis

thea realiable source?
course? What is it 'for'? what do Why/Why not? Audience: Who was it aimed at?
they want the reader/viewer to think or
feel?
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Source 1

(Source 1 from Darlington, R & Hospodaryk, J. (2012). History Alive for the Australian Curriculum. Milton: John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd. Pp 224)
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Appendix 4: COMA Google doc for sharing evidence: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WKr_ZUD06bk8moio8pFA_R5B3vpSFNf4UtJD4PDgB8g/pub

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Source 2 - Taken from Darlington, R & Hospodaryk, J. (2012).

History Alive for the Australian Curriculum. Milton: John Wiley and
Sons Australia, Ltd pp 223

Source 3 - Taken from Darlington, R & Hospodaryk,

J. (2012). History Alive for the Australian Curriculum.
Milton: John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd pp 224
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Source 4 - Taken from Darlington, R & Hospodaryk, J. (2012). History Alive for the
Australian Curriculum. Milton: John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd pp 224

Source 5 - Taken from Darlington, R & Hospodaryk, J. (2012). History Alive for the Australian Curriculum. Milton: John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd pp 223
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Source 6 - Taken from Darlington, R & Hospodaryk, J. (2012). History Alive for the
Australian Curriculum. Milton: John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd pp 223

Source 7 - Taken from Darlington, R & Hospodaryk, J. (2012). History Alive for the
Australian Curriculum. Milton: John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd pp 224
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