Activity 3: Investigating five dimensions

A sample from Unit 1 'The Past Speaks To Us: Vietnam's History' from Vietnam - Young People, Old Country: Secondary

Resource sheets 4 - 8 provide some information and exercises on a range of ways of interpreting aspects of Vietnam's history through the five dimensions of geography; religions; museums; heroes and holidays; and national symbols and anthems.

The dimensions can be explored in any order. They can be done by the whole class, or a group can be given the responsibility of presenting the findings of one dimension to the class.

An Australian focus for each dimension can be used as a starting point - or as a research exercise. For example, a teacher might want to discuss the symbolism of the Australian flag and the Australian anthem to create an understanding of the concepts, which can then be applied to the Vietnamese situation. Or they could use the reverse approach - study the Vietnamese material, develop the concepts, and then explore them in the Australian context.

In every case, students will develop conclusions or at least tentative hypotheses based on some evidence. In order to reach a firm conclusion, students may need to carry out further research to gather more evidence. This research could include the possibility of speaking to a Vietnamese person about Vietnam.

Resource sheet 6

Museums
What do museums tell us about Vietnam's history?

Students should be able to make a statement about the possible significance of museums in:

• telling us about what a society wants to commemorate;
• presenting a version of history or an image of the country.

Resource sheet 6 presents twelve objects from Vietnam's history. Ask students to imagine that they have been asked to set up a display in a museum which illustrates three themes of Vietnam's history.

They may display any four of these objects at any one time. Have students refer back to the time line on Resource sheet 3 to help identify and comment on the significance of these objects with a maximum of 50 words for the caption or explanation for each.

The three themes are:

• Vietnam is a unique place, with a proud heritage.
• Vietnam has been influenced by other countries.
• Vietnam has been conquered and invaded and divided, but will always overcome invaders and again be united.

The twelve objects are:

• The typewriter on which Ho Chi Minh typed the Declaration of Independence in 1945
• The flag which was hoisted at the Presidential Palace on the capture of Saigon in 1975
• A Vietnamese official in Chinese style robes
• A piece of pottery from Hue, reflecting the imperial greatness of the Nguyen Dynasty
• A bible used by a French Catholic missionary
• The distinctive head wear of a Hill Tribe person
• A cigarette lighter used by United States troops
• A South Vietnamese flag
• A home-made weapon used against the French
• A sandstone Cham carving
• A Bronze Age axe head
• The ancient hero Tran Hung Dao