Mereway Middle School

WHAT CHARACTERISES AN HISTORICAL STUDY?

History involves the study of the past. the pat influences all aspects of our lives. It shapes the customs and beliefs of the communities to which we belong. Learning about the past and the methods used to study it helps children to make sense of the world in which they live.

Children should encounter their environment through direct personal daily interactions and through a variety of indirect informative secondary sources such as:-

• books
• maps
• parish records
• census material
• photographs
• artefacts
• television
• newspapers
• oral recollections

The main aims of history teaching at Mereway Middle School are:-

• to help children develop a sense of identify through learning about the development of Britain, Europe and the World.

• to introduce children to what is involved in understanding and interpreting the past.

Other reasons for teaching history are:-

• To arouse an interest in the past

• To contribute to children's knowledge and understanding of other countries and cultures

• To understand the present in light of the past

• To enrich other areas of the curriculum
  

Curric/SES/GCHisStu

HISTORY IN THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM

National Curriculum History consists of 2 main elements:-

Programmes of Study (POS)

Attainment targets (ATS)

The programmes of study set out what children should be taught. The attainment targets set out the expected standards of children's' performance.

In the Middle School we are working at

Key stage 2 (years 5+6) levels 2 to 5

Key stage 3 (years 7+8) levels 3 to 8

At the end of each key stage, standards of children's performance can be described by using level descriptions to ascertain a level of attainment for each child.

TEACHING METHODS

If all children are to achieve their full potential in History then it is essential that a variety of teaching methods are used. These should match the abilities and interests of pupils and are likely to include the following:-

• presentations by the teacher, including storytelling
• discussion and debate
• question and answer
• investigations
• use of media
• role play and drama
• fieldwork, visits to museums and historical sites
• use of IT

Historical enquiry will involve children in:-

• asking questions and forming hypotheses
• planning investigations
• finding, collecting and recording information

As part of the study of history at Mereway Middle School the children will be using a variety of sources. These will include the following:-

Written Sources

Government records -(acts of parliament, census, local government, records, militalists)

Local records -(parish registers, school records, maps, street and place names, trade and street directories, business and commercial records)

Personal records - (letters, diaries, wills, inventories, house plans)

Newspapers - (local and national)

Literature - (novels, poems and plays)

Visual Sources - objects and artefacts

photographs/posters

film and video

paintings

buildings and sites

Oral Sources -

adults talking about their own past

taped interviews and accounts of past events

Historical reconstructions -

music, dance and drama form past societies

museum displays which give an interpretation of the past.

PLANNING FOR HISTORICAL THEMES

At Mereway Middle School all historical themes follow National Curriculum requirements. Themes are also planned in line with the Northamptonshire Town Wide Agreement for History.

Planning for history should:-

• use an enquiry as a starting point for learning
• have learning objectives stated in terms of skills, concepts, knowledge and attitudes
• state the methods of working the children with experience
• identify National Curriculum requirements
• list resources
• include the use of a wide range of sources
• offer a prompt, efficient and stimulating start to each theme
• take account of previous experiences
• contain an evaluation of the work undertaken during half term
• be reviewed regularly

All historical themes are enriched with drama units to enable children to increase their understanding of historical concepts through role play. It is important that the child's acquisition of skills, concepts, attitudes and knowledge are not viewed in isolation but in the context of a whole school and even over the four year plan of the school. This is the reason for each theme having a specific focus of either science, history or geography.

Through a thematic approach towards teaching history the children will develop skills in:-

• use of reference books and written sources
• actual writing
• imaginative writing
• presenting and argument and defending a viewpoint
• collecting and clarifying data and objects, feelings and ideas
• analysis and evaluating
• devising and undertaking suitable enquiries

When planning a theme there are key points to be identified.

• the context
• the method of approach
• the childrens' previous knowledge
• the learning objectives based upon NC POS and other objectives which may be related to skills, attitude and development.
• the resources required
• the assessment criteria and strategies required for assessment
• the activities to be undertaken or the area of investigation
• the NC attainment targets to be focused upon.

A quality history lesson should include.....

• an enquiry (key question)

• specific learning objectives for the children (targets)

• use of primary/secondary sources of evidence

When using evidence for a history lesson it is important that you have varied the types e.g. don't always use written sources, try using photographs, maps (old and recent), census data, inventories, artefacts etc., (I can provide insets on using varied forms of evidence if teams require).

A real bonus here would be to build up some time into the lesson to allow the children to evaluate the sources for their usefulness. (Children working on higher levels of history will need to be encouraged to do this!)

• An activity which includes some writing/ thinking/ discussion in role.

• Important to focus on consequence not just cause

• Use of drama/hot seating etc. is excellent for enhancing the childrens understanding. It also provides an excellent starting point for historical writing in role, (the finished product is much better if drama has happened as a stimulus!)

• Think carefully about the use of I.T. within your History lessons. (Try not to always use Encarta. I have purchased a wide range of programs for use in History themes. Please make use of them!)

SUMMARY OF DRAMA UNITS WHICH SUPPORT HISTORICAL THEMES.

Year 5

The Victorians

This drama unit focuses on the lives of children living in different sections of Victorian society. It looks at street children, and the work of Dr Barnardo, and life in the Workhouse.

The Aztecs

The focus for the Aztecs drama is Aztec ways of life and the attitudes of the Aztecs towards the arrival of Cortes and the Spaniards.

Year 6

Why War?

This drama unit is focused around the issue of evacuation during the second world war. It aims to assist the childrens empathy towards a situation which is otherwise outside their life experiences.

Tudors

(to be planned) This drama will examine the issues involved with seafaring exploration during the fifteenth century.

Year 7

Native Americans

Throughout this unit, the children examine the issue of the coming of the white men from the perspective of the Native Americans. The impact of the railways cutting through the Indian Reservations is also a feature within this unit.

Medieval Realms

(to be planned)

Year 8

Making of the United Kingdom

This drama examines the union between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

France and the French Revolution

A unit which examines Napoleons rise to power. The children work in the role as members of different levels of society and the impact which the revolution had upon their lives.

THE USE OF I.T IN HISTORY

At Mereway Middle School, all children are given the opportunity of using a wide range of I.T resources to develop and apply their information technology capability within the study of history.

A well planned theme will provide children with the opportunity to:

• work co-operatively
• emphasise
• search and extract evidence from a wide range of sources
• evaluate the quality, reliability and validity of evidence
• think systematically and solve problems
• organise and analyse evidence interpreting findings critically
• communicate ideas, views and findings through appropriate media
• formulate, test and assess hypotheses and generalisations
• draw their own conclusions

SUMMARY OF I.T UNITS WHICH SUPPLEMENT HISTORY THEMES

Year 5

The Victorians

This theme has a planned unit based around census information. The children use census for Rothersthorpe and Northampton.

-An additional I.T unit is based around shoe making in Northamptonshire. It aims to increase the childrens understanding of the shift of Industry from the country to the towns. The childrens work is based around the comparison of costs involved in making a shoe.

Aztecs

This unit encourages the children to gain information on the Aztecs from a variety of different sources. The children use Encarta for information and import relevant details to desk top publishing and word processing packages.

Year 6

Why War?

-1940's photo base on CD Rom. A database of pictures and keywords from the second world war. The childrens' task is to produce a film strip about a war issue, (to be ordered)

-World War II archives on CD Rom. This encourages children to research about the period.

The Tudors

-The Fire of Northampton - a Simtex program, which stimulates the Fire and forces children to make decisions and examine consequences.

-"Life in Tudor Times" on CD Rom will be used by the children to gain more information about the period.

Year 7

Medieval Realms

- A windows grass program based upon castles in the middle ages. Focuses on Construction and features which children access from an Excel database.

(waiting for arrival after Easter)

- Archaeol, A simtex program which introduces the children to some important ideas in archaeology. It stresses the importance of accurate recording before disturbing sites and the notion of rescue archaeology.

Year 8

The Making of the United Kingdom

This theme will make use of the Simtex program which focuses on the Battle of Naseby. It encourages the children to follow eye witness reports during the battle, and to make decisions based upon evidence given.

-CD Rom "Making of the United Kingdom" (when published!)

France and the French Revolution

This theme makes use of the Simtex program "The Storming of the Bastille"

*In addition to all of these planned I.T/History activities, the children will be using CD Roms - Encarta, History of the World and the Internet for learning where appropriate.

STAFF

The history coordinator is able to support staff and year teams in a number of ways :-

1) By offering advice to supplement the forecast regarding:-

• skills and techniques
• key concepts and knowledge
• resourcing
• teaching strategies and organisation
• constructive criticism of planned intentions to enhance activities prior to delivery
• assisting with lesson planning
• suitable assessment criteria and strategies
• identifying other people who may help - advisory staff resource centres, visitors, study visits etc.

2) By giving support at the teaching stage through:

• team teaching
• leading a session
• teaching a specific unit
• initiating an activity for the class teacher to continue
• supporting while the class teacher leads
• exemplifying good practice
• creating opportunities to release staff to share an experience and work together in a learning situation
• organising outside input from people with expertise

ASSESSING PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT

Assessing children's progress and development is an integral part of teaching. From this evidence teachers are able to:-

• Identify what has been learnt and taught
• monitor children's progress in the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and the development of skills
• diagnose

At Mereway Middle School, the main tool for assessment in History is through individual target setting. This ensures that assessment is:-

(I) individualised to meet each child's needs.

(ii) continuous, rather than tacked on at the end of a unit of work.

(iii) planned for within each forecasted activity

(iv) shared criteria between the individual child and the teacher.

curric/ses/gc971.