History
Learning Journey & Sequencing Rationale
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As teachers of History at Harrow High, we want our learners to generate an interest and passion in the past that will remain with them for life. We wish to transmit knowledge and understanding of the past, both within the United Kingdom and of the wider world and aim that our learners continuously develop life skills such as thinking, evaluating, analysing, empathising and communicating. It is also part of our responsibility, to instil the gift of developing written skills and critically assessing events. Therefore, learners can formulate their own views on which explanations they think seem most convincing. In this way, they develop their own ability to argue both logically and lucidly and have every opportunity to do the best they can. Sequence History at KS3 & KS4 is taught by a combination of different historical concepts and skills. At KS3 we touch upon both the main skills and concepts: The curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils: know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. Bearing all this in mind, we teach a variety of different skills and historical concepts: such as chronology, continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference, significance and historical enquiry and evaluation at KS3 & KS4 in order to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum and exam boards.
Rationale for Sequencing Year 7 Year 7 begins with a study of the module ‘Black People of the America’s’. The reason why we begin with this unit is due to the fact that it is a different period of History compared to what students would have studied at primary school, a fresh start and an engaging topic. It also provides a study of a significant society and issue in world history and shows how it interconnects with other modern day world developments, for example ; Black History Month in October. We move onto teaching the British Empire as this will provide students a broader understanding of Britain’s role in the world and not just as an isolated Island. This unit also will embed some of the key ideas taught later on in Yr 7 and at KS4 in the Elizabethan unit. It also provides links to the Black people of America's module showing a vivid link to the empire and some of its reasons for existing. The second term in Yr 7 introduces students to the Medieval module as the curriculum requires us to teach a certain amount of British History and based on the concept of chronology, the development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509 is taught. Leading to term 3 and the next module: Elizabeth 1509 -1603, where the development of Church, state and society in Britain is established and uprooted at times by the last module of the year the ‘Stuarts’ and the significant impact the English Civil war had on all aspects of society between 1603-1745. Year 8 With a sound base of British and world History established, year 8 sees the introduction of the beginning of more modern and changing times. The ‘Industrial Revolution’ is the first module taught in year 8 because of the key concepts it explores when Britain was the first industrial nation and had a significant impact on society and the world. Furthermore, the influence Britain had on developing and spreading technology across the globe is an idea which will allow students to relate to today. It also introduces the role of urbanisation, migration and diversity played in our History and the changing place of Britain around the globe. These ideas underpin the next module ‘Changing Societies 1700 -1900’. At this point, students develop a deeper understanding of revolutions, political power and nationalism in Britain and abroad. It gives them the chance to explore how different countries dealt with such huge changes and how they can be traced back to their links with Britain. This sound foundation prepares them for the last two modules in year 8; ‘World War One’ and the ‘interwar years’ enabling students to gain a secure understanding of the beginning of the challenges the twentieth century faced. It will also allow those who go on to choose GCSE History to gain a basic level of knowledge required for later on at KS4. Year 9 The start of year 9 links and further embeds the key concepts that were taught at the end of year 8 in its last two modules; The first module in year 9; ‘World War Two’ will allow students to learn about the challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world from 1901 to the present day. New concepts have been introduced in this unit to give students a well-rounded version of different aspects of the war. Topics such as: the Japanese invasion of China, British & Japanese POW camps, The Enigma code and what type of justice there was after WW2 will foster student’s engagement and curiosity about how and why the world is what it is today. Term 2 sees the introduction of the module ‘Cold War.’ This is a natural development from what happened after WW2 and students will learn about the political ideologies that have shaped our world today and the global consequences of various decisions made by key world leaders. It will also give the opportunity for students who wish to study History at KS4 to have a basic level of understanding needed for KS4. We finally finish year 9 with a skills-based module called ‘Mysteries in History’, which allows students to explore unsolved historical mysteries and use their skills that they have built up over the last three years in order to unpack and come to their own conclusions on the various topics taught. Year 10 At KS4, the beginning of their GCSE exam course we have chosen to begin with the unit Germany. The reason being that students will have a basic knowledge of this unit from KS3 in year 9. This will allow them the opportunity to build confidence in themselves at the start of the GCSE course with some knowledge that they are familiar with and then use it as a stepping stone to acquire new knowledge that the exam board will require and propel themselves to do well. The next topic we study in year 10 GCSE, Medicine through time. This is a brand new topic but has some similarity to some elements of the Medieval module studied in Yr 7. As this is a rather long topic we prefer to teach it in year 10 as we have more time compared to yr 11 where some of the year has to be dedicated to revision. Year 11 The last two modules studied in year 11 are ‘Elizabeth’ and the ‘Cold War.’ We begin by teaching the ‘Elizabeth’ module as it is a shorter module and the exam skills needed for it are the same as the Medicine module from year 10. Therefore, the focus is more on the content. Lastly, we finish off the syllabus by teaching ‘Cold War’. This module has had its basic ideas laid down in year 9 so it is not new knowledge for the students, however the style of exam questions is slightly different from the previous module and thus needs to be the main focus of the module. The time that is left in year 11 before their final exams is dedicated to revision and exam skills preparation. In regards to revision in Year 11, we will use a variety of revision techniques such as quizzes, analysing and breaking down how to do exam questions, interleaving, revising the knowledge and content of the course through questioning, matching exercises, diagrams and learning how to make useful and concise notes as well using the schools knowledge organisers and revision booklets we have prepared for students. |
unit overview - autumn term 1
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Skills |
Topic: Black People of America
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Knowledge |
In this topic learners will start by examining the causes of the slave trade as well as gaining an understanding of the concept of slavery and its definition. They will understand that there were many causes of the transatlantic slave trade and that these are often linked to one another and linked to wider topics and aspects of history, such as the development of the British Empire. The living conditions of slaves in North America will be evaluated by learners through the use of historical sources and documents to understand the ways in which they were treated and the conditions in which they were forced to live and work. This will also incorporate stories of resistance such as the experiences of Harriet Tubman and the underground railroad, in order to ensure that pupils understand that those affected by slavery did resist those who aimed to keep them enslaved. Analyse the impact of the slave trade on both the British Empire and the growth of America.
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Rationale |
This topic will allow pupils to gain a broader understanding and give contextual knowledge of how the slave trade has impact the development of the world and how it still impacts people in the world today. The legacy and impact of slavery did not stop at the point of abolition and has influenced events for the last 200 years. It is especially important that learners are able to understand the causes and events of the Slave Trade in order to contextualise both later and modern day events and attitudes. The study of the slave trade and abolition movement provides endless opportunities to incorporate sources enquiry activities, analyses the key concepts of continuity and change, cause and effect, complexity, unity, and diversity over time which are all key KS4 exam skills. As this is a relatively recent historical topic, there exists a range of documents, photograph, diary’s and other primary sources with which pupils can engage. These resources help pupils to contextualise and understand the past in a deeper and more meaningful way. Within this topic there are also a great deal of misconceptions which need to be addressed within learners own knowledge to ensure they are fully understanding the impact of this topic on the wider world. |
unit overview - autumn term 2 & spring term 1
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Topic: Medieval |
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Skills |
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Knowledge |
This topic begins by introducing learners to the contest for the English Crown in 1066, after the death of the childless monarch, Edward the Confessor. They study the three main claimants to the throne, Harald Hardrada, Harold Godwinson and William, Duke of Normandy along with the two major battles, Stamford Bridge and Hastings. They will then study and evaluate the changes brought about by William I including the Domesday book, violence towards the North of England and the building of motte and bailey castles. This will allow learners to develop a sense of the change and continuity that in evident across all historical period and is a key skill in history. After exploring the battle of Hastings and its impact on England, learners will go on to lean about the major events of the medieval period including the peasant’s revolt, King John and the Magna Carta, the plague and Thomas Beckett. These will help learners to develop an understanding of some of the major ‘stories’ from British history which are often considered to be culturally significant. Finally, learners will analyse the everyday lives of medieval people. Although this is a difficult topic to cover as the lives of people at the start of the medieval period would have experienced life in a very different way to those at the end of the medieval period, learners will cover an average, mid-period experience, focusing on elements consistent across the period such as food, where people lived and what jobs they did and importantly, their relationship to religion. The relationship between medieval people and the church will be covered in some depth looking at the role of the church and the reasons people were so heavily influenced by it. Learners will also look at elements such as doom paintings to enhance their understanding of this period. Learners will cover the following in this topic:
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Rationale |
1066 and the Battle of Hastings is often considered to be the point at which England as a country takes on its current form, as William I created a unified kingdom which would be recognisable today. The medieval period had a significant impact on the language, culture, religion and politics of the UK and medieval ideas, such as those in Magna Carta are still relevant today. Through studying this topic, learners will start to understand the context of Medieval England which will then later support their study of Elizabeth I at KS4. Although the Elizabethan period takes place significantly after the end of the Medieval period, it is useful for learners to know how Elizabethan society, especially the role of the church developed. This helps to contextualise the importance of the church and its role in society and sets the basis of the significance of religious divisions in Elizabethan England. |
unit overview - spring term 2
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Topic: Tudors |
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Skills |
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Knowledge |
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Rationale |
Through the study of Elizabeth I, pupils are able to encounter a number of examples of women in positions of power and leadership that are often absent from history. In particular Elizabeth I, Mary I and Mary, Queen of Scots. Through the stories of these women learners, especially girls, may become more engaged in historical content. The Religious conflict between Catholic and Protestant that first began in this period is something that has affected both British and world history ever since and to some extent continues to do so. Understanding the origins of these conflicts is helpful in the study of later historical periods and to understand the consequences of earlier events. This topic will also prepare learners to study early Elizabethan England at KS4. The knowledge needed to understand Elizabeth’s policies and actions is very complex and so by giving learners a general knowledge of the Elizabethan period, they will be more able to understand the more complex issues of the period at KS4. |
unit overview - summer 1
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Topic - Stuarts |
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Skills |
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Knowledge |
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Rationale |
To understand the transition from and absolute to a constitutional monarchy, which begins in this period and is crucial in understanding how the monarchy has developed from earlier periods into its current form. This will also build upon learner’s understandings of monarch that have been developed through the medieval and Elizabethan modules. The ability to understand complex historical and political ideas and in particular the precarious positions of monarchs in this part of history will be crucial for those who go on to study history at GCSE as they will need these skills to understand the Early Elizabethan England topic. While the civil war took place 50 years after Elizabeth’s reign had ended, it is important to be able to understand the nature of the relationship between monarch and parliament which was as much a concern for Elizabeth as for Charles I. Lastly for students too know how the UK regained its monarchy after the Civil war. The restoration allows learners to grasp the importance of monarch within the British political and cultural systems. |
unit overview - summer term 2
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Topic – The British Empire |
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Skills |
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Knowledge |
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Rationale |
This topic will allow learners to build upon the knowledge gained in the earlier topic on slavery and give them the contextual knowledge to study the Industrial revolution in Year 8 and to create a bigger historical picture for pupils. This will also allow learners to develop a sense of history as a continuous and interlinked series of events as opposed to separate topics. The study of the British Empire encompasses the study of a range of countries and societies and the planned scheme of work aims to allow pupils to study the history of a wider range of people. This topic will include the histories of India and Ireland in particular, alongside the history of Britain itself. The British Empire created the foundations on which modern Britain is built – the legacy of the British Empire affects the way in which Britain works and interacts with the rest of the world today and this knowledge is important for understanding contemporary social and political issues. As many of the learners at Harrow High School have links to former British Empire countries, it is a topic that can engage learners with their own backgrounds and own knowledge of the world. |
knowledge OrganiserS
A knowledge organiser is an important document that lists the important facts that learners should know by the end of a unit of work. It is important that learners can recall these facts easily, so that when they are answering challenging questions in their assessments and GCSE and A-Level exams, they are not wasting precious time in exams focusing on remembering simple facts, but making complex arguments, and calculations.
We encourage all pupils to use them by doing the following:
- Quiz themselves at home, using the read, write, cover, check method.
- Practise spelling key vocabulary
- Further researching people, events and processes most relevant to the unit.