- Have fewer sources - it was too overwhelming for some to select from a multitude of maps, photographs, graphs, newspaper clippings, internet printouts etc...
- Break down the task requirement more. The first thing they should have done is to decide, based on the sources, what to call their short history (was it a slaughter? Crisis? Assault? Crime? Offensive? Attack?) and to give reasons for this. It would have been a nice little exercise to hand in.
- Be more explicit early on with the difference between long term and short term causes. Perhaps have had a few long term causes in their primary source pack.
Pretty soon they are starting their research assignments where they have to show how history is important to the present. I am planning on a couple of periods per week for 3-4 weeks to be in the library with the other two periods carrying on with the long term causes of the Israel/Palestine conflict. It will be interesting to see whether this works without confusing them too much. I am hoping that together we can learn how an historical understanding of the Israel/Palestine conflict is essential to understand the present situation which will at the same time provide a model for their own research. Some have some excellent ideas which I will write about once they have been firmed up. One thing that has become clearer to me than it has in the past, is that research, done well, takes a lot of time. They need time to decide on a topic, read around it, develop some research questions, do the research, take notes, possibly rejig a question, write up a draft, have it peer edited, write the final copy and have it published in an authentic manner as possible. Weeks of hard learning!
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