Unit #4: Eyewitness Truths

Lesson 4 of 20: Eyewitness Accounts and Testimonies

Curriculum Area: Social Sciences – History

Curriculum Level: Level 8 (Years 12–13 / NCEA Level 2–3)

Focus: Aotearoa New Zealand Histories within global contexts, aligned with the revised NCEA History Learning Matrix and Achievement Standards (e.g., AS91229 or AS91379 – “Examine a significant historical event ...”)

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Lesson Overview

In this 60-minute lesson, students will critically engage with primary source eyewitness testimonies from both American soldiers and Vietnamese survivors of the 1968 My Lai Massacre. They will evaluate bias, reliability, and historical significance, and begin to formulate their own judgment about how the massacre is remembered and contested.

Through culturally responsive, inquiry-based learning and collaborative activity, students will develop a deeper appreciation for varied perspectives, including concepts relevant to Aotearoa such as tuakiri (identity) and collective maumaharatanga (collective memory).

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Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson, ākonga will be able to:

• Identify and analyse different types of primary source testimonies regarding the My Lai Massacre.
• Assess the reliability, bias, and purpose of historical narratives.
• Understand how competing perspectives shape collective memory and contested histories.
• Reflect on the power of voice in creating or suppressing historical truth.

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Select and annotate key quotes from eyewitness accounts that highlight contrasting experiences.
• Explain how the inclusion–and exclusion–of voices affects historical understanding.
• Collaboratively construct a balanced historical profile drawing on multiple testimonies.
• Use evidence to discuss why events like My Lai remain controversial and relevant.

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Lesson Structure (60 mins)

Time	Activity	Description
0–10 mins	Whakawhanaungatanga & Scene Setting	Begin with karakia (optional), followed by class check-in. Activate prior learning with a brief recall of Lesson 3: the events of My Lai. Prompt students with a provocative image and the question: "Whose story will history remember?"
10–20 mins	Group Source Dive: Soldiers vs Civilians	In pairs, students receive two contrasting testimonies (one from a GI, one from a Vietnamese survivor). They skim-read and annotate using colour codes: red for emotion, green for factual info, and blue for opinion/judgment. Teacher roves and prompts deeper questioning.
20–35 mins	Insight Circles: Bias and Voice	Students are grouped into 2 concentric circles – inner circle shares their annotated insights aloud, engaging in critical discussion. Outer circle listens and takes structured notes on bias, reliability, and silences. After 7 mins, the groups rotate.
35–45 mins	Collective Memory Construction	Each group uses a shared whiteboard or Jamboard to build a visual representation of the My Lai story from multiple testimonies. Students must decide: What goes in? What stays out? Why? Introduce concepts of collective maumaharatanga and contested memory.
45–55 mins	Think-Pair-Write	Prompt: “What makes an eyewitness account reliable, and what makes it powerful?” Students write for 5 mins individually, then pair-share. Teacher collects oral or written quotes for wall display (“Voices of My Lai” board).
55–60 mins	Reflection & Signal	Conclude with a quick thumbs-up/side/down check-in on today's learning. Prompt students to think ahead: How do governments shape memory about events like this? Also, remind them to bring a media source next lesson for propaganda analysis.

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Key Vocabulary

• Eyewitness
• Testimony
• Bias
• Reliability
• Historical significance
• Maumaharatanga (memory)
• Tuakiri (identity)
• Suppression

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Assessment Opportunity (Formative)

Students’ annotations, oral contributions in Insight Circles, and final visual memory map can be used as formative assessment evidence toward understanding and using evidence to explain historical perspectives, aligned with NCEA History standards.

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Differentiation & Inclusive Practice

• Use audio versions of testimonies for ESOL or dyslexic learners.
• Include survivor stories with visuals to support comprehension.
• Te reo Māori options available for reflection questions.
• Mixed-ability pairs ensure peer scaffolding.

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Teacher Notes

• Prioritise a culturally sustaining classroom – introduce links to how Aotearoa New Zealand’s own histories also carry conflicting narratives (e.g., the Waikato Wars or Parihaka).
• Sensitive content advisory: ensure emotional safety, offer opt-out roles for particularly graphic testimony.
• Infuse whakawhanaungatanga throughout to build trust, context, and care around contested histories.

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Extension Ideas

• Compare the My Lai testimonies with accounts of the Vietnam War from New Zealand Vietnam veterans for a uniquely local context.
• Invite a guest via Zoom – a journalist or oral historian – to discuss ethical responsibility in preserving testimony.

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Materials Required

• Printed or digital primary testimonies (2 per student pair)
• Highlighters or digital annotation tools
• A3 sheets or access to Jamboard / digital whiteboard tools
• Whiteboard for vocabulary
• Reflection prompt slips or devices for journaling

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Follow-up for Next Lesson

Lesson 5: Framing the Story – Propaganda and Media Response to My Lai
Students will explore how governments and media outlets shaped public memory and understanding of My Lai during the Vietnam War period.

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He taonga te kōrero – every voice is a treasure.

Let us teach our students to listen with empathy, speak with accuracy, and question with courage.