Sample learning activities
- Using at least five pieces of audio, create a mind map or Lotus chart to show the motivations and experiences of different people who participated in the Melbourne moratorium in May 1970.
- Analyse a range of excerpts (be sure to have a cross-section of ages) using these prompts:
- The age of the speaker in 1970;
- Why they attended the May 1970 moratorium, if mentioned;
- What they experienced at the May 1970 moratorium;
- Anything else significant.
- Use this analysis to write a short paragraph about how some people remember the May 1970 moratorium, and what this suggests about the day as an experience.
- Compare these audio excerpts with newspaper articles from the time, other recollections of the moratorium, and modern explanations (eg from Labour History, museum websites, and the ANZAC Portal). Use a T-chart or other graphic organiser to outline broad similarities and differences.
Sample assessment tasks
- Use these sources as part of an historical inquiry into how and why people protested against the Vietnam War.
- Use these sources as part of an evaluation of historical sources. Suggested short-answer questions include:
- Describe the general emotions remembered from involvement in the May 1970 moratorium;
- Explain some of the reasons for being involved in the May 1970 moratorium;
- Suggest some reasons for why violence did not occur, despite fears and warnings beforehand.
- Use these sources as evidence in answering an extended response or essay. Suggested questions include:
- Analyse changing attitudes in Australia towards the Vietnam War and the National Service Act.
- Evaluate the role of public protests in changing public and political attitudes towards the Vietnam War and the National Service Act.