War has been a major force in shaping Australia over the last century. Over one million Australians have taken part in wars, and over 100,000 of these have died.

All other Australians have been affected by this.

There has been much written about people’s experiences during war, but what about after the war? What have the effects of war been on the returning warriors, their families, and the welcoming nation?

This activity brings together a number of pieces of evidence from Australia’s three major wars - World War 1, World War 2 and Vietnam - to help students explore this topic.

Outcomes

By the end of this activity students will be better able to: 

• understand aspects of Australia’s experience of three major wars;

• analyse and evaluate evidence from the past; 

• select and synthesise evidence to create narratives; and 

• reflect on the impacts of war on communities.

Working through the activity

This activity is designed for a class, consists of a Worksheet, 3 segments each providing evidence and questions pertaining to each of the wars, and a Conclusions segment containing relevant thought-provoking questions. The activity is completely self-contained within a single, 11 page Acrobat™ file (240kb).

All that needs to be done is to download the Acrobat™ file, print pages from it as required and distribute them to activity participants. The Worksheet has provision for students to record, in writing, their comments or answers. 

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