Student Instruction Project Part 3 Form Resources for Events and People of the Vietnam War
Locate 5 resources (print, DVD/video, audio, online, primary source, etc.) that both enhance your own knowledge about the Vietnam War.
Title and location of resource
Brief description of information provided by resource
How information could be utilized by teachers, students, media specialists, technology specialists
Joesph Conrad's Heart of Darkness
(Novel)
Novel about an Englishman who takes a job a ferryboat captain in Africa (specifically the Congo River).
Even though this novel is not specifically about the Vietnam War, it explores the ideas colonialization of nations. It is also the basis for the Vietnam War movie Apocalypse Now.
Apocalypse Now
(Movie)
Vietnam War movie about a US Army special ops officer sent into the jungle to assissinate a rouge office who is assumed to be insane.
Visually shows the effects of the war on the country of Vietnam and on the soldiers fighting in Vietnam.
This Gilder Lehrmar Institute to American History website provides an excellent overview of the Vietnam War. Included are numerous links. One chart is # of troops from 1960-1972. Also, link to primary doc - Declaration of Independence by President Ho Chi Minh 1945.
The Ho Chi Minh doc describes the maltreatment of his country at the hands of the French and Soviets. It is quite moving and provides the "other side's" perspective. I found many personal stories link from first site to be fascinating reading. These all would be great to use to teach the many sides of history for teachers and for the media specialist to introduce the use of primary documents as another type of resource.
Vietnam War movie about a small unit going back into Vietnam and trying to find POW's (prisoners of war) and bringing them back to their families.
Depicts the effects of war on families and friends that fought in the Vietnam War.
The Vietnam Reader: The Definitive Collection of Fiction and Nonfiction on the War anthology collection by Stewart O'Nan - ISBN: 978-0385491181 eBook (Kindle edition) not yet released
According to the description of the book, Stewart is a literature professor who taught an American Lit class focused on literature during the Vietnam era. He compiled an anthology of resources to be used with the subject matter. I have not personally read this book - merely researched (possibly)_ applicalbe material and read reviews. According to Amazon.com reviews this book provides several different aspects of media related to and/or from the Vietnam era - both FICTION and NON-FICTION.
Teachers could use this book/collection to offer various opinions and formats for media from and concerning the Vietnam era/period. Poems, songs from the time period, essays on films/movies, commentary from indiduals as well as several famous photographs would offer a wide variety of resources to use.
Strange Scent from a Good Mountain (Essay collection, book) by Robert Olen Butler ISBN: 978-0802137982
Pulitizer Prize winner for fiction - collection of 15 short-stories detailing/describing Vietnamese assimilation and immigration to the US after the Vietnam War. AMAZING read! Details and contains Vietnemese history and culture. Also highlights prejudices felt by Vietnemese when coming to this country as a result of the War. Several reviews of this book speak of its authenticity to the true experiences of Vietnemese immigrants. Its fiction that has the truth and feel of non-fiction...
This book could be used to have students discuss the effects after the war. Essays/stories could be divided among the class and have each person/pair/group discuss the major issues and events of the immigrants seen in their individual stories and then talk about broader issues of the prejudices after the war.
I used this video as an overview of Vietnam in my 7th grade Social Studies class. It describes the colonial history and the fight for independence through Vietnamese history. The war is mentioned but is not thoroughly described. The major events are not detailed - but the country is showcased in this video. Ho Chi Minh is mentioned. A great way to show the country today...
This could be used at the beginning of the study or at the end to show a more current picture of Vietnam today. The pictures and descriptions are rather stunning and would show a modern and up-to-date Vietnam. Students could discuss the effects of Communism on the country today - the video portrays and describes a booming, west-like economy.
Vietnam War: Battles and Leaders Aaron R. Murray (Ed.) (series: Battles and Leaders) (2004) won Wilson Junior High School Award
A guide to the major battles and figures of the Vietnam War that offers a chronology of the war, profiles of key military and government figures, and detailed maps
This could provide detailed factual information about the war and its battles. The teacher could use to supplement the meat of the factual lesson. It could also be available for those students who want to learn more detail about the facts. Good for differentiation.
10,000 Days of Thunder: History of the Vietnam War by Phillip Caputo (2005) won Wilson Junior High School Award, VOYA, Horn Book, and others
Contains a collection of illustrated photographs and maps depicting the war in Vietnam from its beginning to the fall of Saigon in 1975. It contains accounts from soldiers and civilians, and at the role of women on the battlefield.
Same as above, plus more of the personal side of the war. Also good because nothing else thus far as focused much on the role of women. Also, very visual but in print form and thus accessible in a different way than the online materials (ex. easily browsable in classroom). Good for differentiation.
Resources for Events and People of the Vietnam War
Locate 5 resources (print, DVD/video, audio, online, primary source, etc.) that both enhance your own knowledge about the Vietnam War.
of resource
(Novel)
(Movie)
and the link to
http://coombs.anu.edu.au/~vern/van_kien/declar.html
(movie)
anthology collection by Stewart O'Nan - ISBN: 978-0385491181
eBook (Kindle edition) not yet released
by Robert Olen Butler
ISBN: 978-0802137982
Discovery Education (UnitedStreaming video): http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=32f47591-cebc-4f65-b5ba-9ab90ffdd790
Aaron R. Murray (Ed.) (series: Battles and Leaders) (2004) won Wilson Junior High School Award
by Phillip Caputo (2005) won Wilson Junior High School Award, VOYA, Horn Book, and others