History
subject overview
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. |
unit overview - autumn term 1
Skills |
Black People of America
|
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.
|
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 of the impact of this topic on the wider world.
|
unit overview - autumn term 2
Skills |
The British Empire
|
Knowledge |
|
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 – 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 oppose to as 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. |
unit overview - spring term
Skills |
Medieval
|
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:
|
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 creates 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 as therefore the significance of the religious divisions of Elizabethan England |
unit overview - summer term 1
The English Civil War |
|
Skills |
|
Knowledge |
|
Rationale |
|
unit overview- summer term 2
Eilzabeth |
|
Skills |
|
Knowledge |
|
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. |
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.