This week we will examine a provocative revisionist historical argument: That China circumnavigated and mapped the globe centuries before the European explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries.
The claims are laid out at http://www.1421.tv/
Your tasks are as follows:
1. Find a provocative passage that challenges the version of history you were familiar with.
2. Find an account of the 'official' history that the above passage differs with - ie the competing claim/argument
3. Once you have read around the evidence for and against the two perspectives, write an opinion piece in your blog about which argument you find convincing. Ensure that you:
- Evaluate the knowledge issues around how the evidence is used to back the claims
- Evaluate your own emotional response and existing beliefs in coming to your conclusion.
