Role play with elements of practical demonstration
(Activity designed to concretise key or particularly difficult concepts)
A key part of most Modern World GCSE specifications is the examination of the consequences of the Vietnam war in terms of US confidence and reputation in the world following its unthinkable defeat. It was difficult for US contemporaries who were not involved in the fighting to understand why such a well equipped and supported force such as the US Army was being defeated by an irregular, poorly equipped semi guerrilla force. How much more difficult then is it for the student of today to master the concept why the kind of war fought by the Viet Cong was so successful.
Objective
‘To analyse and explain the reasons for, and results of, the historical events, situations and changes in the periods studied’ KSU 2c thus enabling pupils to move on to KSU 2e ‘to consider the significance of the main events, people and changes studied’
Method
Arrange the classroom in traditional rows
Play the class a section from the Vietnam sequence from the film Forrest Gump. The section from the introduction of Forrest and Bubba to ‘Lieutenant Dan’ to the death of Bubba by the shores of the Mekong . During the film pupils should be plotting Forrest’s emotions on a living graph – one axis labelled ‘boredom’ the other ‘fear’
On the finish of the film issue the role cards face down to the students. Call out the two GI’s and give them the soldier briefing as below:
Soldier Briefing
Walk through the countryside (the room). Your mission is to detect and destroy the Viet Cong villages. You may only walk forwards until you reach the very back of the room. You have three attempts to track down VC villages. If you suspect a village of being VC place your hand on the shoulder of a person – this signifies village destruction.
- If you destroy a VC village you are helicoptered home to receive the CMoH.
- If you destroy a friendly village you are court-martialled.
- If surprised by a VC ambush you are dead!
Leave the GIs outside the room and brief the VC and friendly villages as follows:
VC Briefing
Smile at the GIs.
- If they walk past you stand and SHOUT ‘Death to US Imperialists’. You have destroyed an enemy!
- If they pick you out, hang your head and raise your arms
Friendly Village
- Smile at the GIs. Hope you don’t get killed. If you do, die noisily protesting your innocence!
Order the GIs in in a drill sergeant voice. Make a big show of’died for his country if killed by VC. If GI destroys a friendly village bawl him out.
The tension in the room will be palpable. This is as close as one can get to the fears and uncertainties of the war in Vietnam . Now students will appreciate how difficult was the job of the young US soldiers.
Vietnam Simulation Character Cards
