Sample Preliminary Program: Case Study List B

Students apply historical inquiry methods within a range of historical contexts to investigate key features, issues, individuals, groups, events, concepts and other forces relevant to Nuclear Testing in the Pacific in the 1950s to 1960s.

SELECTED RESOURCES

Robert Miliken, No Conceivable Injury

Denys Blakeway and Sue Lloyd Roberts, Fields of Thunder

Stewart Firth, Nuclear Playground

Bengt Danielsson, Poisoned Pacific: The Legacy of French Nuclear Testing

B and MT Danielsson, Mururoa Mon Amour

Karen Throssell, The Pursuit of Happiness: Australia, the empire, ANZUS, nuclear disarmament and neutrality

Roger T Cross, Fallout: Hedley Marston and the British Bombtests in Australia
Documentary Films

Trinity and Beyond: the atomic bomb movie, Visual Concept Entertainment, 1995–97

Silent Storm, Dir Peter Butt

Half-life – a parable for the nuclear age, O’Rourke and Associates

Quantum: French Nuclear testing (ABC TV program)

George Negus Tonight – Maralinga (ABC TV Program)
Websites

www.naa.gov.au?Publications/fact_sheets/FSI129

www.rmiembassyus.org

www.greenpeace.org/international_en

www.thebulletin.org/article.php?art_ofn=mar90danielsson

www.iratiwanti.org/iratiwanti.php3?page=silence

www.anawa.org.au/weapons/monte-bellos.html

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  analyse the major events and issues relevant to selected studies of the modern world
  

• 
  ask relevant historical questions
  

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  communicate an understanding of relevant concepts, features and issues relevant to the selected study
  

Map work locating major Pacific test sites, eg French nuclear test sites, American nuclear test sites and British test sites in Australia

Teacher outlines the development of nuclear weapons within the context of the Cold War, including the first atomic bomb and the H-bomb. Students make notes and begin a glossary of terminology

Students view selected documentary films on the development of nuclear weapons, eg Silent Storm. They identify and discuss major issues.

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  ask relevant historical questions
  

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  locate, select and organise information form different types of sources, including information and communication technologies (ICT), to describe and analyse relevant features and issues of the study
  

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  present the findings of investigations on selected studies of the modern world, analysing and synthesising information from different types of sources
  

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  communicate an understanding of relevant concepts, features and issues using appropriate and well-structured oral and/or written and/or multimedia forms including ICT
  

In groups, students access relevant websites to research nuclear testing at one of the following sites: Marshall Islands, Mururoa Atoll, the Monte Bello Islands and Maralinga using a ‘who, what, when, where, why?’ notemaking scaffold.

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  www.rmiembassyus.org (Marshall Islands)
  
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  www.thebulletin.org (Mururoa)
  
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  www.iratiwanti.org/iratiwanti.php3?page=silence (Maralinga – Aboriginal view)
  
• 
  www.anawa.org.au/weapons/monte-bellos.html (Monte Bello)
  

Representatives from each group form new groups to present their findings to each other.

Teacher leads class discussion to elicit from groups their understanding of the relationship between those conducting the nuclear tests and local authorities affected by them (based on previous group research). Teacher provides necessary feedback.

Discuss reaction of different groups (eg residents, governments and political groups).