Part C: Evaluating Representations

How do I evaluate the usefulness, significance, accuracy, comprehensiveness and limitations of different “representations of the Vietnam conflict?

How COMPREHENSIVE is this representation/source?

• How complete is this representation of the issue/s being explored?

• Support your view with examples and references to the source

• Bring in your own knowledge where appropriate

How OBJECTIVE is this representation?

• Is this representation balanced or biased? Why?– Who produced it?– Why was it produced?– What was the purpose/aim of this representation?

• Support your view with examples and references to the source

• Bring in your own knowledge where appropriate

How ACCURATE is the source/representation?

• Does this representation give a clear picture of the issues being considered

• Support your view with examples and references to the source

• Bring in your own knowledge where appropriate

The Question:• You may see the question and the representations two

weeks before the assessment is written, but you may not take the representations out of the classroom. When you do your answer, you MUST refer to all three representations.

• Analyse the representations and choose the one which you think is the best representation of the strength of support within the USA for America’s involvement in the Vietnam conflict.

How to analyse the representations

• Your teacher will provide you with THREE representations (similar to the ones below).

• You must analyse all three representations looking at how well they show the STRENGTH of support for US involvement in the conflict.

• REMEMBER the focus is on the strength of support for (or opposition to) the war WITHIN the USA itself.

Introducing your analysis

• Explain that you will analyse all representations and explain which is the most useful/best in representing the level of support/opposition to the Vietnam conflict.

Then• Decide your order of usefulness/priority• Look at each source in turn analysing how good it is

and what its weaknesses (if any) are. State which one is best and why, which one is second best and why and which is least valuable and why.

Analysing Representation 3b• Your analysis of this representation might note that

– It should be objective , as it is taken from a school textbook– It explains why support changed to opposition – give examples– It tries to outline some of the reasons for support and

opposition – give your own examples– It gives specific examples of opposition– There are more examples of opposition than support for the

war – is this objective? Give reasons– It mainly covers the period 1964-65, so not all of the period is

represented.– What are the strengths and weaknesses of this representation

for the purpose of showing the level of support in the USA for the war?

– Give a summary of your thoughts about this representation

Analysing Representation 3c• Your analysis of this representation might note that– It is objective , as it is taken from a school textbook– It explains why opposition grew – give examples– It focuses on the period from 1969 to the end of the war –

it does not cover the whole time period– It seems biased against Nixon – give examples– It focuses mainly on opposition to Nixon and the war –

explain why with examples– What are the strengths and weaknesses of this

representation for the purpose of showing the level of support in the USA for the war?

– Give a summary of your thoughts about this representation

Analysing Representation 3d • It is a cartoon so is not intended to be fully objective – how

objective is it? Give your view and reasons for this• It has no specific date – implications• What can we learn from this representation about the level

of support for the conflict• It seems to give both sides: support and opposition –

explain how• The caption is ironic, but it makes a serious point – explain

this• What are the strengths and weaknesses of this

representation for the purpose of showing the level of support in the USA for the war?

• Give a summary of your thoughts about this representation

Coming to a conclusion

• In your final conclusion reiterate the reasons why your chosen source is a better representation of the level of support for US involvement in the Vietnam conflict, Also explain why the others are less good.

• In your actual assessment, the focus will be the same, but the sources will be different.