Agora (2026/Issue 2) – Asia Since 1750

Agora is a journal of curated professional reading for History teachers. This digital download explores the new ‘Asia (1750–Present)’ investigation in the Victorian Curriculum.

The articles in this issue provide both practical classroom support and fresh perspectives for exploring the rich and interconnected histories of China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia and India – and even in parallel with the Year 9–10 investigation ‘Australia (1750–1914)’. The investigation’s extension into the present day also creates a natural bridge to VCE Modern History. Themes such as imperialism, migration, trade, reform, revolution and decolonisation can be examined through comparative and transnational perspectives, helping students to appreciate the ways societies have influenced one another across the region.

$10.00

About this item

Audience

teachers

Format

PDF

Contents

Reflection Alana Ryan
Editorial | Guy Nolch


THEMA
|Reflections on the theme

A Model for Implementing the ‘Asia (1750–Present)’ Investigation
Tanya Gordon and Dr Deb Hull
How could you fit the new curriculum investigation into a learning sequence that is logical and coherent for students?

Teaching Japanese Fascism
Jake Batty
The new History curriculum investigation ‘Asia (1750–Present)’ enables students to examine the development of Japanese imperialism in Year 9.

Indian Agency in British Imperialism
Justin Smith
Teaching early modern India requires an intentional shift away from presenting British expansion as a linear process of conquest, and towards a narrative that centralises Indian agency, economic networks and political negotiation.

Who ‘Owns’ Taiwan? History, Politics and the People of the Island
Pete Millwood
Modern history offers several ways of addressing questions of territorial ‘ownership’, but none of these provide a definitive answer in Taiwan’s case.

Factors that Drove Chinese Migration to the Australian Goldfields
Sara Pearce
Rapid population growth, land shortages, poverty, natural disasters, political instability and social upheaval prompted many Chinese people to seek economic opportunities on the Victorian goldfields.

Decolonisation’s Collision Course with the Cold War in South-East Asia
Sue Thompson
Understanding why independence unfolded so differently in Indonesia and Vietnam offers insights into the interplay between decolonisation processes and the Cold War.

The French in Vietnam: Conquer, Control, Concede
Diana Millar
The Vietnamese people share a spirit of resistance against more powerful countries, most notably oppression by the French.


PRAKTIKOS
 | Teaching Ideas

Teaching China’s Cultural Revolution with Mao Badges
Minerva Inwald
Connecting the various Mao badge designs to individual expression is a useful way to challenge student assumptions about cultural conformity in Mao’s China.

Exploring the Complexity of Conflicts in Asia
Joshua Armstrong
Conflicts in Japan, China and India since 1750 provide opportunities for students to develop historical skills that enable them to escape linear narratives and engage with different historical perspectives.

Investigating Asia Since 1750 with Your Class
Lynne Hagiwara
A step-by-step approach to structuring the new ‘Asia (1750–Present)’ investigation.

Using Mastaba Reliefs to Teach the Significance of the Nile River to Ancient Egyptians
Nerissa Marcon
The Saqqara tombs offer primary source depictions of daily life that reveal the importance of the Nile River in ancient Egypt.


KRITIKOS | 
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