Should the US government apologise for the ‘genocide’ of the Native Americans?
This project happens every year as part of a unit on the American West in preparation for national examinations.
Students work in groups to create an answer to the big question ‘Should the US Government apologise for the “genocide” of the Native Americans?’ They work with local historians and learn from experts online in order to develop a thoroughly-researched, persuasive argument to be presented
at a local university.
The first incarnation of this project involved creating imaginary emails to send to the American Embassy, but in recent years students have instead split into two ‘teams’ (for and against the US apologizing) and travelled to a local university to publicly debate the issue with academics who
hold the opposing view.
Copleston High School Ipswich, United Kingdom
Designer:
Neal Watkin (history teacher), with help from academics at University Campus Suffolk and University of
East Anglia
Students:
Approximately 160 students each year, 14−15 years old
Time:
5 weeks (approximately 2 hours per week)
Exhibition venue:
Lecture Hall at local university
Examples of content covered:
overview of American West 1830−1900, nature of change on the plains, roles of US government and army in destruction of plains tribes