The task
The big question: "Museums in Britain and Europe hold famous objects taken from other countries during the colonial era. Some people say these should go back to where they came from; others say a great world museum should keep them. Should colonially-acquired artifacts be returned to their countries of origin?"
Write two SEAL paragraphs with a clear position. Paragraph 1 is the main argument and uses because and consequently. Paragraph 2 gives the strongest point from the other side, concedes it with despite plus a noun phrase, then rebuts it with nevertheless. Aim for about 200 to 300 words in total.
Success criteria
- I wrote TWO SEAL paragraphs (Statement, Evidence & Explanation, Link).
- Paragraph 1 states a clear position and supports it with specific evidence from the reading.
- Paragraph 2 fairly states the other side's STRONGEST point and rebuts it.
- I used despite correctly with a noun phrase and nevertheless correctly for rebuttal.
- I explained why the evidence matters instead of only naming examples.
- I did not conflate returning ancestral remains with returning cultural objects.
The classroom draft
314 words. Paragraph 1 makes a clear case with evidence from the reading.
Colonially-acquired artifacts should be returned to their home, because they are not just ancient, display objects, but rather hold significant historical, cultural, or spiritual meaning for descendant communities. The Benin Bronzes originally came from the Kingdom of Benin, now known as Nigeria, and were looted during the 1897 British Punitive Expedition. Since these precious artifacts were taken away, Nigeria has sought their returns for decades, but recent returns show a real shift. As the text states, in 2021, the "University of Aberdeen returned an Oba head", while Germany's SPK and Cambridge transferred ownership of 628 Berlin objects in more recent years. In this case, although Nigeria did not get most of these artifacts back, it demonstrated that return can sometimes mean resorting to middle-ground options such as transferring ownership. However, the marble sculptures that were once apart of the Parthenon in Athens, were removed by Lord Elgin when Greece was under Ottoman rule. Today, the sculptures are displayed in the British Museum. Unlike the 1897 Benin looting, solutions such as transferring ownership, no longer becomes an option. Instead, pieces of one damaged monument should be seen together, in the city where it still stands, rather than scattering the surviving pieces. This is significant as reunification could "restore the integrity" and brings back the historical depth the Parthenon carries. Many of these objects, like the Benin Bronzes and the marble scupltures of the Parthenon, carry living cultural, historical, or spiritual meaning for communities. Taking them away not only takes away a piece of that meaning, but it also removes the ability for descendant communities to teach others about their history, research them, or care for them under their own authority. Overall, colonially-acquired artifacts should be returned to their original heritage, even if it just means transferring ownership, as it brings back the parts of history, culture, and stories that they once lost.
Paragraph 2 is the whole of this:
In contrast, counterargument.
The feedback, the next day
In regular classes and homework, a teacher reviews the scoring draft and the written feedback before the student sees them. Admission assessment reports are reviewed by a teacher, who can edit the report before it is sent to the family. This feedback was teacher-reviewed and released the next day. Extracts:
Extract 1“The sharpest thinking here is that you worked out the two cases need different answers.”
Extract 2“But your second paragraph is three words. You had the right opening word in place, so next time write that paragraph first if you have to: concede the universal museum argument with 'Despite the access a single world museum provides,' then answer it with 'Nevertheless.'”
Extract 3“One number to check as well, because 512 and 116 are two different returns from two different places, not 628 Berlin objects.”
The homework revision, five days later
579 words. Paragraph 2 went from 3 words to 265.
Colonially-acquired artifacts should be returned to their homes, because they are not just ancient, display objects, but rather hold significant historical, cultural, or spiritual meaning for descendant communities. The Benin Bronzes originally came from the Kingdom of Benin, now known as Nigeria, and were looted during the 1897 British Punitive Expedition. Since these precious artifacts were taken away, Nigeria has sought their return for decades, but recent returns show a real shift. As the text states, in 2021, the "University of Aberdeen returned an Oba head", while Germany's SPK and Cambridge transferred ownership of 628 Berlin objects in more recent years. In this case, although Nigeria did not get most of these artifacts back, it demonstrated that return can sometimes mean resorting to middle-ground options such as transferring ownership. However, the marble sculptures that were once a part of the Parthenon in Athens, were removed by Lord Elgin when Greece was under Ottoman rule. Today, the sculptures are displayed in the British Museum. Unlike the 1897 Benin looting, solutions such as transferring ownership no longer becomes an option. Instead, pieces of one damaged monument should be seen together, in the city where it still stands, rather than scattering the surviving pieces. This is significant as reunification could "restore the integrity" and bring back the historical depth the Parthenon carries. Many of these objects, like the Benin Bronzes and the marble sculptures of the Parthenon, carry living cultural, historical, or spiritual meaning for communities. Taking them away not only takes away a piece of that meaning, but it also removes the ability for descendant communities to teach others about their history, research them, or care for them under their own authority. Overall, colonially-acquired artifacts should be returned to their original heritage, even if it just means transferring ownership, as it can help restore cultural heritage and give descendant communities greater authority over their own history.
However, the strongest argument against returning colonially-acquired artifacts is that major world museums allow people to experience a variety of cultures in one place. The British Museum argues that its collection provides "broad public access" to cultures and histories from around the world. Despite the access a single world museum provides, this does not mean that the museum must keep ownership of every artifact. The example of Germany's SPK and Cambridge show that ownership can be transferred while museums continue to display the objects, so that the public can still access them. Furthermore, the Parthenon sculptures highlights how returning an artifact can hold more impact than simply keeping it on display to a global audience. The sculpture are pieces of one damaged monument, so displaying them separately in the British Museum means visitors cannot see all the surviving parts of the parthenon together. Reuniting them in Athens could allow the monument and its history to be understood more completely, while the British museum could still maintain public access through other forms of cooperation. Nevertheless, transferring ownership or returning artifacts shows that museums can respect the cultural ownership without completely removing public access. The purpose of a museum is not only to display artifacts, but also to help people understand the history and cultural significance behind those artifacts. It's important to realise that we need to recognise who they really belong to and where their stories began. In the end, returning colonially-acquired artifacts isn't just taking history away from the world, but about giving communities back the pieces of their history that were taken from them.
What changed
- It names the other side's strongest point: "However, the strongest argument against returning colonially-acquired artifacts is that major world museums allow people to experience a variety of cultures in one place."
- It concedes with "Despite" plus a noun phrase, then answers: "Despite the access a single world museum provides, this does not mean that the museum must keep ownership of every artifact."
- It reuses evidence from paragraph 1: "The example of Germany's SPK and Cambridge show that ownership can be transferred while museums continue to display the objects, so that the public can still access them."
- It rebuts with "Nevertheless": "Nevertheless, transferring ownership or returning artifacts shows that museums can respect the cultural ownership without completely removing public access."
- It links back to the overall position: "In the end, returning colonially-acquired artifacts isn't just taking history away from the world, but about giving communities back the pieces of their history that were taken from them."
Paragraph 1 was lightly edited: six spelling and grammar corrections and a reworded closing clause.