Modern History – Age of Imperialism – Scramble for Africa – Practicing the Analysing Skill

Context: My school runs this program in Alternative Sequence (yr 11 and 12s in together) due to the small size of the school. The lesson begins with some teaching that both grades can do together before the year 12s are assigned some independent work and the year 11s are given some more focused teaching. Then the year 11’s do independent work while the year 12s share their answers and receive feedback.

This lesson includes:
1 x PowerPoint
1 x Source Booklet – containing 8 sources (a mixture of types) for analysis
1 x Handout containing a graphic organiser for analysing sources
1 x Handout explaining CAMPORUM acronym with tips for what to look for when analysing sources

The lesson begins with a discussion where students need to recall the 7 features of evidence we look for when analysing sources. This is followed by a definition of ‘analyse’ and a 9 step process for analysing. The C.A.M.P.O.R.U.M acronym is included which hits both the analysing and evaluating criteria. Students are shown the A standard criteria for analysing and they are unpacked. The year 12 students then begin independently analysing sources in the source booklet and filling in the handout (CAMPORUM tables).

The year 11’s then receive focused teaching about the difference between primary and secondary sources, things to keep in mind when discussing the source origins in a written analysis, how the origins of the source may impact its reliability and tips for evaluating the reliability of different source types. There is some information about historical context and why it is crucial to understand the creator’s motive when engaging with a source.

This is followed by an explanation of what the sources will look like in the exam (i.e. a context statement, an excerpt from a source and an APA reference). Following this, the gradual release method is used to engage with the first few sources in the booklet. (I have done the first one on the slides to show how to complete the table, we do the second one together, they do the third one in pairs and they do the fourth one independently). The sources in the booklet were chosen to deliver content at the same time as teaching the analysis skill.

The types of sources in the booklet: Information about Leopold II – King of Belgium, Information about the Belgian Congo, A photograph capturing the atrocities committed in the Congo Free State, An alternative viewpoint (Edward Morel), An online news article from 2020, a political cartoon depicting Leopold II at the Berlin Conference of 1884, an opinion piece published in 2021 & an extract from a history textbook.

Resources designed for the senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The syllabus objectives would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in The Scramble for Africa.