Enquiry 6: Contested evidence
A two-lesson enquiry for KS4 by Kristian Shanks
Why is the use of biological weapons in the Korean War a controversial subject?
This resource will enable students to explore a key controversy from the Korean War – whether or not the US used biological weapons against civilians in North Korea and China in contravention of the modern-day ‘rules of war’.
The resource will also enable students to think about how certain we can be of the answers to historical questions and about the contested nature of historical evidence and the way in which it is interpreted.
Key areas of focus
- The reasons for the emergence of allegations of biological weapons usage by the USA during the Korean War.
- The nature of the debate surrounding the allegations of biological weapons usage, both at the time and subsequently by historians.
- Analysis and evaluation of a range of evidence on either side of the debate, leading to the development of a considered argument.
Attached files:
- Enquiry 6: Contested evidence. Why is the use of biological weapons in the Korean War a controversial subject?
5.66 MB PDF document - Lesson 6.1: Why and how did allegations of biological warfare by the USA develop during the Korean War?
3.88 MB Powerpoint presentation - Resource sheet 6.1A: extract from Milton Leitenberg, ‘China’s false allegations of the use of biological weapons by the US during the Korean War’
234.9 KB Word document - Resource sheet 6.1B: Text marking template
510.4 KB Word document - Resource sheet 6.1C: Sequencing map
1.14 MB Word document - Lesson 6.2: How convincing is the evidence about US biological warfare?
1.56 MB Powerpoint presentation - Resource sheet 6.2A: Evidence pack
828.2 KB Powerpoint presentation - Resource sheet 6.2B Evidence-recording grid
183.2 KB Powerpoint presentation - Resource sheet 6.2C: How certain can we be that the USA used biological weapons during the Korean War?
189.7 KB Powerpoint presentation