KS3 Year 7 and Year 8
Pupils (and some parents) frequently ask me:
“Why bother to teach History?
Let’s see what some people from history have to say about the subject.
‘Not to know what has been transacted in former times is to continue always a child’ – Cicero
‘A nation which does not know what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do.’ - Woodrow Wilson
‘Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.’ - Winston Churchill
‘That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.’ - Aldous Huxley
‘A study of history shows that civilisations that abandon the quest for knowledge are doomed to disintegration.’ Bernard Lovell
It’s not just about Kings, Queens, battles and dates. (Funny, it was when I was at school…) By studying History, pupils can put many of the key skills taught in other subjects to good use. There are strong links with reading and writing, discussion and debate. Issues of right and wrong reinforce Citizenship and R.E., as does the study of other cultures. History builds pupils’ understanding of the need to reflect on sources, recognising bias and poorly constructed arguments. Through our studies we develop thinking skills, research skills, ICT skills, note taking, mind-mapping and much more.
During Year 7 and 8 pupils will study the following topics and themes:-
‘What is History?’ – an introduction to Year 7-9 subjects that develops skills in interpretation, using evidence and historical dating. Pupils gain empathy as they explore causes, effects and motivations of people from the past that shape their world today.
‘Write your own Roman story’- researching Roman times, using their knowledge to produce a short story for the Emperor Vespasian’s library.
Changing Times 1066-1500 - a study of the social, political, religious and technology changes that shaped Middle Age Britain and Europe
‘Images of an age’ - explore how various artists and photographers have helped (and hindered) their understanding of the past (and present).
‘Revolutionary Times’ – continues our study of the social, political, religious and technology changes that shaped Britain, Europe and the wider world from 1500 to 1750 A.D.
Take pleasure in the past at Beauchamp.
History Knowledge, Understanding and Progress.
Can YOU see where you are?
Level 1
• You can recognise the difference between present and past in your own and other
people’s lives.
• You show you can chronologically place a few events and objects in order, using
everyday terms about the passing of time.
• You can recount episodes from stories about the past.
• You find answers to some simple questions about the past from sources of information
Level 2
• You can develop a sense of chronology by using terms concerned with the passing of
’- time, by placing events and objects in order, and by recognising that your own lives are.different from the lives of people in the past. ,.
• You show knowledge and understanding of points from the past beyond living memory,
and of some of the main events and people you have studied.
• You are beginning to recognise that there are reasons why people in the past acted as
they did.
• You are beginning to identify some of the different ways in which the past is
represented.
• You can look at sources of information to answer questions about the past on the basis
of simple observations.
Level 3
• You can develop understanding of chronology by your realisation that the past can be
divided into different periods of time.
• You recognise some of the similarities and differences between these periods, and their
use of dates and terms.
• You can show knowledge and understanding of some of the main events, people and
changes studied.
• You are beginning to give a few reasons for, and results of, the main events and
changes.
You can identify some of the different ways in which the past is represented.
You can use sources of information in ways that go beyond simple observations to
answer questions about the past.
Level 4
• You can show factual knowledge and understanding of aspects of the history of Britain
and the wider world. And use this to describe characteristic features of past societies
and periods, and to identify changes within and across different periods.
• You can describe some of the main events, people and changes.
• You can give some reasons for, and results of, the main events and changes.
• You can show some understanding that aspects of the past have been represented and
interpreted in different ways.
• You begin to select and combine information from different sources.
• You are beginning to produce structured work, making appropriate use of dates and
term
Level 5
You can show increasing depth of factual knowledge and understanding of
aspects of the history of Britain and the wider world.
You use these to describe features of past societies and periods and to
begin to make links between them.
You describe events, people and changes. And make links between events
and changes and give reasons for, and results of, these events and
changes.
You know that some events, people and changes have been interpreted in
different ways and suggest possible reasons for this.
You use your knowledge and understanding to evaluate sources of
information and identify those that are useful for particular tasks.
You can select and organise information to produce structured work, making
appropriate use of dates and terms.