1. Part C: Evaluating Representations
How do I evaluate the usefulness, significance, accuracy, comprehensiveness and limitations of different “representations of the Vietnam conflict?
Part C: Evaluating Representations

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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 , 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.