How can we help?

1. Slides, attached below.
2. Students will need access to their Kialo discussions from Lesson 1.
3. Ensure students complete the homework preparation task.
4. Videos/readings accompanying the case studies of your choice should be viewed in advance.

Case Study Task

• Divide students into small groups and assign each group a case study related to the topic. Students will add their evidence to the Kialo discussion from Lesson 1.
• Each group will:
  • Reflect on how these cases connect to the concepts discussed in Lesson 1.
  • Explore their assigned case using the provided resources and their own research.
  • Prepare a short presentation (5–10 minutes) responding to the following question: " How do real-world examples of contested or suppressed historical narratives reveal tensions between power, representation, and knowledge?"
• Students should include details of:
  • What happened in the case.
  • How perspective and power dynamics influenced what was included as historical evidence in the case and what was excluded and why.
  • Which TOK concept (perspective, evidence, certainty) is most relevant.
  • Whether the case supports or challenges a claim from Lesson 1. 

Case Study Options

The “Prehistoric” Label for Indigenous Societies

• Focus: How defining “history” by written records excludes oral traditions and Indigenous knowledge systems.
• Key Question: What counts as historical evidence, and who decides?
• TOK Concepts: Evidence, Perspective, Responsibility
• Suggested Sources: How to Do Oral History | Smithsonian Institution Archives, What Do Historians Think of Oral History? | Myths Highlights 

Rewriting National History Textbooks (e.g., India, Japan, Turkey)

• Focus: Government influence on shaping national identity through history curricula.
• Key Question: Who controls the “official” version of the past, and why?
• TOK Concepts: Power, Ethics, Perspective
• Suggested Sources: India accused of rewriting textbooks — and history, Modi's Government Changed India's History Textbooks. What Do Students Think? | CNA Correspondent, EU vs Disinformation - Manipulating Memory Rewriting School History Books  

Controversies over Historical Statues/Monuments (e.g., Cecil Rhodes, Columbus, Confederate leaders)

• Focus: Debates around memory, honor, and historical accountability.
• Key Question: Does taking down a monument erase history — or reframe it?
• TOK Concepts: Responsibility, Perspective, Power
• Suggested Sources: The Guardian - Why every single statue should come down, Britannica – Historic Statue Removal

Museum Repatriation Debates (e.g., Benin Bronzes, Parthenon Marbles)

• Focus: Ethical debates around who owns cultural artifacts and who gets to tell their stories.
• Key Question: Is the act of displaying history also an act of control?
• TOK Concepts: Power, Ethics, Evidence

Suggested Sources: Shortform – Debate over repatriating museum artifacts, ArtReview – Why we need to change the art-repatriation debate

Recap and Frame the Task

• Recap Lesson 1: Review key arguments from the previous Kialo debate on the objectivity of history.

• Prompt: What claims did you find most convincing or problematic in last class’s debate? Were there any arguments that felt hard to prove without real-world examples?

• Present the Central Question:
  • “How do real-world examples of contested or suppressed historical narratives highlight tensions between power, evidence, and responsibility in the construction of history?” 
  • Emphasize applying evidence, perspective, power, and responsibility to evaluate how historical knowledge is shaped by access, representation, and authority.
    

Bridge to Lesson 2

• Explain that students will now explore real-world historical controversies where power influenced which histories were legitimized, silenced, or contested. 
• Clarify the shift: This is no longer just about theory — we’re now examining specific policies, textbooks, museums, or public debates that determine who gets heard, trusted, or erased in the telling of the past. 
• Reinforce the goal: Move from opinion to evidence. These case studies should show how historical knowledge is constructed, challenged, or reclaimed in specific contexts.

Presentations

• Students present their case studies to the class. 
• Students should take note of any useful points from other groups’ presentations to use in the Kialo discussion.

Recording Findings in a Kialo Discussion 

• Students return to the Kialo discussion from Lesson 1 and:
  • Add at least one new claim or counterclaim based on their case study.
  • Reply to at least one peer’s argument, using insights from another group’s case.
  • Label their post with the relevant TOK concept (e.g., evidence – rewritten history textbooks). 
• Focus areas for Kialo updates:
  • Historical Gatekeeping: Who decides which historical accounts are preserved, taught, or commemorated—and which are not?
  • Ethical Framing of the Past: What responsibilities do historians, governments, or institutions have when retelling or revising history?
  • Knowledge Inequality: Are all ways of knowing the past (e.g., oral traditions, archaeology, community memory) valued equally in mainstream history?

Discuss the following reflection questions in open discussion or exit ticket format:

• How did your case study affect your understanding of who gets to define and preserve history?
  
• What made certain examples feel more like suppression or distortion — versus empowerment or reclamation?
  
• In your case, who had the most control over the historical narrative — governments, institutions, or communities?
  
• Can efforts to include marginalized histories ever be truly equal when power and access to platforms remain uneven?
  
• What role should visibility, credibility, and consent play in deciding how histories are shared or retold?
  
• Should all public uses of historical knowledge (e.g., education, museums, monuments) require consultation with the communities they represent, or are there exceptions?