Lower School Scheme of Work

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Gervais Pitts
7 years ago
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1 Lower School Scheme of Work FIRST YEAR HISTORY AIMS: The course aims to introduce history to pupils new to King Edward s, some of whom may not have studied it before as a stand-alone academic discipline. The primary aim is to stimulate the pupils' interest in history through an appreciation of human achievements and aspirations. At the same time, the course will introduce important historical skills to be developed in subsequent years. These include the ability to: 1. Understand what history is and its relevance to the contemporary world. 2. Develop a sense of chronology with which to organise pupil understanding of the past. 3. Appreciate that historical knowledge is determined by the evidence available and the importance of interpreting that evidence critically. 4. Develop a tolerance of a range of opinions and an appreciation of the varied nature of human experience in different ages, different countries and different cultures. 5. Extract relevant information from primary and secondary sources and to present that information in a logical and coherent written form. 6. Begin to make sense of the past through simple causal connections and to appreciate the ongoing development of British institutions and society. 7. Start to appreciate the appealing idiosyncrasies of the past CONTENT: The course begins in 1066 and is based upon a single textbook: Power and the People from the Heinemann Headstart in History series). It concentrates on English history although Welsh and Scottish topics are sometimes covered as is England's place in the Medieval World is in many ways a European event and the Crusades might be termed world history!

2 The Main areas covered are:- First Term 1. The Norman Conquest The disputed succession, the Norwegian and Norman invasions and the battle of Hastings. Interpreting the Bayeux Tapestry. 2. The Rule of the Conqueror and his sons William's consolidation of power, Feudalism, the Domesday Book, the other Norman kings. Crime and punishment. Second Term 3. Henry II and Becket The Angevin Empire, quarrels between Church and state, the murder of Becket, Henry's judicial system. 4. The Crusades (focus on the First and Third) The origins and spread of Islam, the Christian response, Richard the Lionheart, the later crusades. Third Term 5. Magna Carta and the origins of Parliament How to interpret John's reign, quarrels with the Church and barons, Magna Carta, Simon de Montfort, Edward and Parliament. In addition, all First Year pupils study Medieval Castles as a part of their extended study afternoon. This includes two classroom sessions, one IT session, and a trip to Portchester Castle. The aim of the course in the First Year is to cover about 250 years of Medieval History including political, social and economic topics, though three lessons per fortnight makes this a tall order. The teaching of this material will naturally vary according to teacher preference but will include use of text book, whiteboard and audio visual material. The department has a number of videos and DVDs available aimed at this age group and also teacher prepared material including worksheets, information sheets and sectional tests to monitor progress. Pupil work should involve a range of activities such as: Short answers Longer, developed writing

3 Group work and pair work Project work Source analysis Dramatic/performance related activities e.g. the famous 1066 election. During the First Year, there is also a very popular Castle Building competition in which two prizes are awarded on the basis of technical skill and historical accuracy. SECOND YEAR HISTORY Aims: The aim of the Second Year Course is to teach pupils about the intellectual, scientific, cultural, social and political changes in Western Europe and specifically in England from the Fifteenth to the beginning of the Seventeenth Centuries. Pupils are taught about features of particular periods or situations and the way they are interrelated. They are also helped to analyse ideas, beliefs and attitudes of people within the same or in different societies. They are given opportunity to describe, analyse and explain reasons for and results of the historical events and developments. Pupils are shown how to organise and communicate historical knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways; by recall and selecting historical information. They are encouraged to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the period orally, by extended writing of different types and by factual tests and annual examination. Pupils will also engage in project work where appropriate, thus allowing for a measure of pupil-led research to take place. First Term Voyages of Discovery. a) The widening of scientific knowledge about the world and the search for new routes to the East, the voyages of Diaz and Da Gama and their consequences. b) The voyages of Columbus; the discovery of the New World - consequences. c) Voyage of Magellan- the first circumnavigation, consequences. d) The exploration of the New World by Europeans, the destruction of the native civilisations of Aztecs and Incas.

4 Political and religious changes of the Tudor Monarchy. a) Henry VII and the power of the Monarchy after the Wars of the Roses. b) Henry VIII and the problems of the succession: his six wives; the establishment of the Church of England and the break with Rome: The Dissolution of the Monasteries; the consequences of the religious changes. The above carries over into the spring term. Spring Term a) Religious changes and tensions of the later Tudors and early Stuarts. b) Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation c) Mary and the Catholic restoration Summer Term a) Elizabeth and the establishment of the Anglican Church b) The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots, the Armada, c) Elizabethan Culture and Society d) The Seventeenth Century Resources Textbook: The Early Modern Age Snellgrove Reformation & Rebellion Heinemann Headstart in History BBC Schools Video Series BBC Timewatch - The Columbus Conspiracy Voyages of Discovery DVDS, Documents, pictures, photography. In practice many staff do not get beyond the Tudors, which is not a little unfortunate as the seventeenth century has become something of a tabula rasa for our pupils.

5 THIRD YEAR HISTORY AIMS: The Third Year course is the final stage of the Department's Lower School syllabus which consists of one year each of Medieval, Early Modern and Late Modern history. In the Third Year, pupils study c.1700-c.1918 in British and European History. The course provides a chronology of the main events while examining the major themes in separate topics. There are elements of political, economic, social, technological, religious and cultural history. Pupils look at the lives and contributions of the great personalities of the period - the monarchs, the military men such as Nelson and Napoleon, the inventors and designers, the reformers and the politicians. Together with this, the study of the First World War also allows both a fabulous case study of international relations and also a move away from the high politics approach to the subject through the analysis of the experience of the ordinary man in the war- recruitment, trench warfare etc. The course develops analytical skills especially in explaining the reasons for and results of events and changes. In addition, pupils examine a variety of interpretations about the period using both primary and secondary sources. In this crucial year before GCSE begins, various writing methods are developed - the essay, the response to documentary material, the empathic viewpoint etc. Appropriate historical language and terminology are introduced. CONTENT The planned programme of study is as follows:- Autumn Term: British society and politics in an introduction Colonies and trade in the 18th Century/Slavery The War of American Independence The French Revolution and the Revolutionary war Nelson, Napoleon and Wellington. Spring/SummerTerm:

6 The First World War: Causes, events and consequences Europe before The European Alliance System - Trouble in the Balkans - Arms Races - Colonial Tensions The July Crisis of 1914 The initial stages of the war with particular focus on the development of trench warfare Trench Warfare IT research project The Battle of the Somme The Third Battle of Ypres The end of the War - The German Offensive of The Hundred Days - Examination of the factors leading to German defeat Pupil interest/teacher expertise might also allow time for analysis of less mainstream issues such as: o Naval warfare o The war in the air o Gallipoli o The Home Front o The experience of King Edward s and its pupils in the war The period after the summer term exams is to be used for a stand-alone Second World War project, focusing on an anniversary event. For 2012 the topic will be the Battle of Stalingrad. RESOURCES 1. Main textbook: Colonisation and Conflict Heinemann Headstart in History 2. Teacher produced material - maps, notes, documentary sources

7 3. DVDs - BBC series for Key Stage 3 programmes on the Industrial Revolution, Nelson and Napoleon. Lots of excellent DVD material on WWI SUMMARY These themes are developed using Colonisation and Conflict as the basic source book and a series of videos produced for Key Stage 3. Individual members of the department pursue their own particular interests and specialisations within the above course and determine the precise order in which the themes are pursued. At the end of Year Three pupils are equipped to begin GCSE.

History programmes of study: key stage 3

History programmes of study: key stage 3 National curriculum in England Purpose of study A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain s past