Year 12 Modern History

Inquiry Questions
Why were the British so interested in China?

Was the Chinese perception of foreigners historically continuous?

How did the Opium Wars begin?
How did the Opium Wars end?
What were the implications of the Treaty of Nanjing?

Day

Period

Monday

Period
1
(8:509:54)

Learning Activities/Success Criteria

Why were the British so interested in China?

Was the Chinese perception of foreigners
historically continuous?
Inquiry-based learning.

Homework/Checks for prior knowledge

(last lesson review)
Link- failed trade links in 1793 to 1838 Discuss.
Background information on the reason
for opium. YOUTUBE (summarise and discuss)
Visit class website, take notes in a table
format with headings Pre-Opium Trade, New
Trading Systems, Tensions, Daoguang Emperor
& Commissioner Lin (thinking about who, what,
when, where and why in each).
Student-centered learning. This class is made up of a
majority of high achievers. Therefore, student-centered
learning is highly effective as they are in control of their
own learning.
Opium Wars slideshow.

Resources
https://www.youtube
.com/watch?
v=alJaltUmrGo&feat
ure=player_embedd
ed
(3:22)
ICT use
http://ocw.mit.edu/a
ns7870/21f/21f.027/
opium_wars_01/ow
1_essay01.html

Homework: Find one source on either the pre-opium

wars or the war itself, analyse it and prepare to share
your findings.
Reflections: This lesson worked well expect the
slideshow should have been viewed and discussed at
the beginning of the lesson so students could form
knowledge on the topic before doing their task (table).
As a result the students were able to answer the inquiry
question but not in depth and were often confused
throughout the task (table).
Above reflection highlights teaching and learning cycle
(critical reflection).
Tuesday

How did the Opium Wars begin?

Period
4
(12:30- Homework presentations. (choose 3-4)
1:14)

Lin Zuxi - Letter to

Qn Victoria.
http://ocw.mit.edu/a

In pairs read Lin Zuxi - Letter to Qn Victoria. Taking

notes - answer questions and discuss as a class.
Destruction of opium at Humen
3 June 1839 and involved the destruction of 1,000 long
tons (1,016 t) of illegal opium seized from British
traders under the aegis of Lin Zexu - VIDEO
Produce a personal summary of Lin Zuxi - Time
period, rise as administrator, role in the first Opium War
and significance to Chinese history and British
imperialism ( and what was his attitude/relation with the
British). Active learning pedagogical approach students are researching and producing their own
summary of Zuxi and including their view on why they
think he is significant.

ns7870/21f/21f.027/
opium_wars_japan/
oje_essay01.html
http://acc6.its.brookl
yn.cuny.edu/~phals
all/texts/com-lin.html
https://www.youtube
.com/watch?
v=UV1pCqi40lw&fe
ature=player_embe
dded

Note First Opium War (183942) and second

Opium War (185660). Subsequent British

campaigns over the next year were likewise
successful against the inferior Qing forces, despite
a determined counterattack by Chinese troops in
the spring of 1842. The British held against that
offensive, however, and captured Nanjing
(Nanking) in late August, which put an end to the
fighting.
Homework - Finish personal summary of Lin Zuxi
Wednesday

N/A

Thursday

Period
5
(1:502:34)

What were the implications of the Treaty of

Nanjing?
Summary (settling activity) YOUTUBE
Analyzing & Evaluating.
a.
Students read the Treaty of Nanjing.
b.
In groups, assign each question to one
group member and answer the following:
i.
How would the conditions laid forth
in this treaty affect the fiscal health
of the Qing empire?
ii.
In China, (and in many Western
texts), the Treaty of Nanjing is called
the first of the unequal treaties. Is
the term unequal treaty justified by
the content and wording of the
treaty? Please explain.
iii.
On the British side, whose interests
are best served by this treaty? In

Differentiation homework (for quick

finishers is personal
summary and
homework for
others needing
more time is to
finish the class
questions on the
letter).

https://www.youtu
be.com/watch?
v=kaqyAxPneMI
http://china.usc.ed
u/treaty-nanjingnanking-1842
http://afe.easia.col
umbia.edu/ps/chin
a/nanjing.pdf

other words, who or what kind of

people stand to gain?
iv.
Are there
Chinese who might gain something
from some of the terms of this
treaty? Explain!
2. Contrasting/Evaluating (10 min):
a. Compare the Treaty of Nanjing with the
Chinese emperor's reply to Lord Macartney.
What sort of rights did the Chinese give to
the British that they previously refused to
give?
b. If the word "imperialism" is defined as "the
policy of seeking to dominate the affairs of
weaker countries," do you think Chinese
today are justified in saying that China
suffered from Western "imperialism" begun
by the British? Explain your answer!
This activity was constructed in accordance to Blooms
taxonomy to produce higher order thinking.

3. Creating (10 minsfinish for homework): Who wants to

be a diplomat? Report-writing (300-400 words) in pairs.
a. Organize yourselves into pairs.
b. Decide whos Chinese & whos British.
Imagine you are diplomats charged with concluding these
treaties for the Qing state on the one hand and for foreign
powers on the other. Write a report detailing your
negotiations. What are your main concerns? What are
different ways you could look out for your interests?
Reflection: this activity did not work. There was not enough
time to do it properly and it was rushed. The students did not
succeed to their full potential in this task as it was rushed and
unclear. Many student did not complete the task However,
this concept could be revised and then used as a whole class
activity/debate.
This reflection shows what went wrong and what could be
improved in future lessons based on student assessment
data.

Friday

Who were the Boxers & why did they rebel?

Watch the Boxer Rebellion [Youtube] and discuss

choosing two/three students to write out what they
learnt on the whiteboard
This activity catered to the visual and kinesthetic
learners in the class and provided learning that student
were actively engaged in. Upon review of this lesson

http://webspace.shi
p.edu/jkskaf/Mod.
%20China/6aOpium
WarsTrans.html
https://www.youtube
.com/watch?
v=0l4C3vZudZI

the students were asked if the videos and activities

helped them answer the Inquiry question and they all
agreed, this is shown in their exam results (no one
failed).
Work individually reading the pdf then fill out the
comprehension table. Teacher to provide feedback to
all students as they continue their work. VerbalFeedback
Watch the Cixi [Youtube], each student
writes at three dot points and then discuss as
class.
Summarise and link to exam.
Exam questions - Discuss.
Review Task for exam (webspace).
The Assessment for learning pedagogical approach
was used in planning this weeks lessons. Planning was
made in accordance to the exam questions and
knowing what the students need to learn to succeed in
the exam.

https://www.youtube
.com/watch?
v=eZbdh7_Vgj8
http://sacmodernhist
ory.weebly.com/uplo
ads/5/1/3/3/513370
83/boxer_rebellion.p
df