Download Lesson suggestions – local history

History
Purpose of study
A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s
past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching
should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and
develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the
process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their
own identity and the challenges of their time.
Aims
The national 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
 know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient
civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European
societies; achievements and follies of mankind
 gain and deploy a historically-grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’,
‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
 understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity,
difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends,
frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written
narratives and analyses
 understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make
historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past
have been constructed
 gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding
the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural,
economic, military,political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term
timescales.
Attainment targets
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and
processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
HISTORY Key stage 2
Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local
and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They should note
connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They
should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity
and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful
selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of
the past is constructed from a range of sources and that different versions of past events may exist, giving
some reasons for this.
In planning to ensure the progression described above through teaching the British, local and world history
outlined below, teachers should combine overview and depth studies to help pupils understand both the
long arc of development and the complexity of specific aspects of the content.
Pupils should be taught about:
Light Oaks Junior School
HISTORY CURRICULUM
YR
British Historical
Chronology
World History or
local history
3
Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to
the Iron Age
This could include:
 late Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early
farmers, e.g. Skara Brae
 Bronze Age religion, technology and
travel, e.g. Stonehenge
 Iron Age hill forts: tribal kingdoms,
farming, art and culture
Ancient Egypt
The achievements of the earliest
civilizations – an overview of
where and when the first
civilizations appeared and a depth
study of one of the following:
Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley;
Ancient
Egypt;
The
Shang
Dynasty of Ancient China
Ancient Greece – a study of
Greek life and achievements and
their influence on the western
world
4
The Roman Empire and its impact on
Britain
This could include:
 Julius Caesar’s attempted invasion in 5554 BC
 the Roman Empire by AD 42 & the
power of its army.
 successful invasion by Claudius and
conquest, including Hadrian’s Wall
 British resistance, e.g. Boudica
 “Romanisation” of Britain: sites such as
Caerwent and the impact of technology,
culture and beliefs, including early
Christianity
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and
Scots
This could include:
 Roman withdrawal from Britain in c. AD
410 and the fall of the western Roman
Empire
 Scots invasions from Ireland to north
Britain (now Scotland)
 Anglo-Saxon invasions, settlements and
kingdoms: place names and village life
 Anglo-Saxon art and culture
 Christian conversion – Canterbury, Iona
and Lindisfarne
Mayan civilization
non-European
society
that
provides contrasts with British
history - one study chosen from:
early Islamic civilization, including
a study of Baghdad c. AD 900;
Mayan civilization c. AD 900;
Benin (West Africa) c. AD 9001300.
The Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for
the Kingdom of England to the time of
Edward the Confessor
This could include:
 Viking raids and invasion
 resistance by Alfred the Great and
Athelstan, first king of England
 further Viking invasions and Danegeld
 Anglo-Saxon laws and justice
 Edward the Confessor and his death in
1066
A local history study e.g :
 a depth study linked to one of
the British areas of study listed
above
 a study over time tracing how
several aspects national history
are reflected in the locality (this
can go beyond 1066)
 a study of an aspect of history
or a site dating from a period
beyond 1066 that is significant in
the locality.
5
6
Key stage 2
British Thematic
History
A study of an aspect or theme in British
history that extends pupils’ chronological
knowledge beyond 1066
Canals
Victorians – Mills and Mining
The Two World Wars
My Local area – the history of
the school and it’s locality
History Learning Outcomes by Year
Below is a table outlining history learning outcomes by year group. This is divided into two sections – ‘child
statements’, which can be used when creating a learning journey for each topic and an overview for the
teacher which can be used for assessment against the age group. There is some overlap between age
abilities, intended to reflect the progress of the child as they move through the school.
Child statements
Year 3
 I can use the right historical words Pupils show their developing sense
to explain the passing of time by
putting events and objects in the
right order of time
 I can show that I know and
understand about things that
happened before I was born or
can’t remember.
 I can pick out that there are
reasons why people in the past did
things.
 I can find answers to the questions
about the past by looking at
sources of information.
Year 4
 I can show that I understand time





Year 5
Overview


and the order of things because I
know that the past can be divided
into different periods of time.
I can pick out things that are the
same or different between different
time periods and know some dates
and historical words.
I know facts and understand about
the important events, people and
changes of different periods.
I can give some reasons for the
main events and reasons for the
changes.
I can pick out different ways that
the past is shown.
I can use sources of information in
different ways to help me answer
questions about the past.
I can show that I know and
understand some historical facts
about Britain and other countries.
I can use my knowledge to
describe the individual and special
of chronology by using terms
concerned with the passing of time,
by placing events and objects in
order, and by recognising that their
own lives are different from the
lives of people in the past. They
show knowledge and
understanding of aspects of the
past beyond living memory, and of
some of the main events and
people they have studied. They are
beginning to recognise that there
are reasons why people in the past
acted as they did. They are
beginning to identify some of the
different ways in which the past is
represented. They observe or
handle sources of information to
answer questions about the past on
the basis of simple observations.
Pupils show their developing
understanding of chronology by
their realisation that the past can
be divided into different periods of
time, their recognition of some of
the similarities and differences
between these periods, and their
use of dates and terms. They show
knowledge and understanding of
some of the main events, people
and changes studied. They are
beginning to give a few reasons
for, and results of, the main events
and changes. They identify some of
the different ways in which the
past is represented. They use
sources of information in ways that
go beyond simple observations to
answer questions about the past.
Pupils show factual knowledge and
understanding of aspects of the
history of Britain and the wider
world. They use this to describe
characteristic features of past
features of past societies and times
and pick out things that happened
during these periods and across
different periods.
 I can describe some of the main
events, people and changes and
give some reasons for and results
of the main events.
 I can show how features of the
past
have
been
retold
and
interpreted in different ways.
 I have started to pick out and put
together information from different
sources.
Year 6
societies and periods, and to
identify changes within and across
different periods. They describe
some of the main events, people
and changes. They give some
reasons for, and results of, the
main events and changes. They
show some understanding that
aspects of the past have been
represented and interpreted in
different ways. They are beginning
to select and combine information
from different sources. They are
beginning to produce structured
work, making appropriate use of
dates and terms.
 I can prove I have a very good Pupils show increasing depth of





knowledge of historical facts and a
clear understanding by describing
them.
I can describe and make links
between features of past societies
and periods by comparing and
contrasting.
I can give sensible reasons for, and
results of, events and changes.
I know that some events, peoples
and changes have been interpreted
in different ways and can make my
own suggestions for why this has
happened
I have started to judge which
sources of evidence are reliable
and pick which sources will be most
useful for particular tasks.
I can find and organise information
to produce well-structured work
using the important dates and
historical terms.
factual knowledge and
understanding of aspects of the
history of Britain and the wider
world. They use this to describe
features of past societies and
periods and to begin to make links
between them. They describe
events, people and changes. They
describe and make links between
events and changes and give
reasons for, and results of, these
events and changes. They know
that some events, people and
changes have been interpreted in
different ways and suggest possible
reasons for this. Using their
knowledge and understanding,
pupils are beginning to evaluate
sources of information and identify
those that are useful for particular
tasks. They select and organise
information to produce structured
work, making appropriate use of
dates and terms.
Lesson suggestions – main
Topic
Stone Age/Iron Age
Ancient Egypt
Anglo-Saxons
Maya
Possible Lesson Ideas
- How do we know about prehistory?
(The nature of archaeology – artefacts,
remains)
- Cave painting in the classroom
- Hunter-gatherers and the invention
of farming (what changed? Food, cities,
writing, religion)
- Stonehenge and Druidic religion
(How did they build Stonehenge? Why
was it built?)
- How did stone-age people survive?
- The Iron age ‘revolution’ – how did
life change afterwards?
- Egyptian gods
- Pyramids and the Sphinx
- Hieroglyphics and the Rosetta Stone
- Mummies and mummification
(Canopic jars, embalming, curses and
talismans)
- The tomb and curse of
Tutankhamen (Including about
Archaeology and the search for the
past)
- The life and times of Ramses II (‘The
Great’)
- Cleopatra and the end of
Independent Egypt (Antony and
Cleopatra, the war with Rome, Roman
conquest in 31BC)
- Daily life in Ancient Egypt (school,
living, the Nile)
- Fall of the Roman empire –
‘barbarian’ tribes (including the Angles
and the Saxons)
- The beginnings of Saxon England –
invasion, trade or settlement?
- Christian conversion of England by
Augustine in 597, (founding of
Lindisfarne, cathedrals at Canterbury
and Durham)
- Offa’s dyke and Saxons vs. the
Welsh
- Sutton Hoo and Saxon burials
- Who were the Maya? (where?
When? Etc.)
- Decline of the Olmec and rise of the
Maya (foundation of cities – Tikal,
Copan, Palenque)
- Mayan gods
- Daily life of the Maya (food – maize
– religion, schooling, writing,
environment)
Cross-Curricular
- Science – Food groups,
materials and their properties
- English (Reading, writing,
speaking and listening)
- Drama
- Art – cave painting
- Maths – timelines/number lines
- English (Reading, writing,
speaking and listening)
- Drama
- Maths – timelines/number lines
- Art – Hieroglyphics and tomb
paintings
- DT – Creating a
tomb/pyramid/sarcophagus
- Speaking and Listening –
cracking codes (Rosetta Stone)
- English (Reading, writing,
speaking and listening)
- Drama
- Maths – timelines/number lines
- English (Reading, writing,
speaking and listening)
- Drama
- Maths – timelines/number lines,
- Science – Earth and solar system
(linked to the Mayan pyramids
which were used as celestial
calendars)
- DT – build a mayan pyramid
Vikings and late AngloSaxons
- Chichen Itza and Mayan pyramids
- Write with Mayan glyphs
- The mystery of the Maya (Why were
the Mayan cities abandoned in around
900?)
- The Maya today (where are they
now? What happened after 900? Have
things changed much?)
- Who were the Vikings? (Where did
they come from? Customs?)
- Norse gods
- Danelaw (Eastern England from mid
c.9th Century)
- Viking Warriors (Longships,
Berserkers, looting and pillaging)
- Runes and runic writing
- Alfred the Great and the kingdom of
Wessex
- Lindisfarne, St Cuthbert and
monasteries in England
- King Cnut (‘Canute’) and the
unification of England
- Edward the Confessor, his death in
1066, and claimants to the throne
(leading to, and ending with, the
battle of Hastings)
with cardboard boxes/foam blocks.
- Art – writing in mayan glyphs.
- Geography – Mexico and
tropical climates.
- English (Reading, writing,
speaking and listening)
- Drama
- Maths – timelines/number lines
- Art – runic writing
- Art/DT – make a Viking shield,
helmet or model longship.
- Geography – Scandinavia and
how terrain affects culture
(farming/settlement)
- PSHE – stealing and ownership
- Science – forces, floating and
sinking/materials and properties
(try different materials to build
a longboat)
Lesson suggestions – local history
Year 3
Canals
Year 4
Victorians and Factories
Year 5
World War I, World
War II
Year 6
My Local Area
Suggestions of areas to cover
Suggested areas and extra-curricular links
Growth of canals
connected to growing industry
Canals used to ship goods
from coast/mines to inland
factories
Growth of Salford ship
canal/Bridgewater canal
Building an aqueduct (look at story of
Barton swing aqueduct) (DT link)
Diary of a canal trader (English link)
Brindley and the Bridgewater canal
Using locks (Science link)
Change from rural areas to urban
areas. How did this effect people’s health?
Factories and the cotton
industry
Working in cotton industry
– what was it like for children?
Life for children (tenement
housing, schooling, work)
Victorian schools
Jobs for Victorian children
(chimney sweeps, mine work,
factories)
Life in the trenches (Salford
Pals)
War poetry
The Blitz and evacuations
Focus on one battle from
one of the world wars (eg. Battle
of the Somme, Marne, Dunkirk,
Battle of Britain, D-Day)
Hitler and the Nazis
Focus on a local mill
(Islington Mill, Monton Mill, Eccles
works) or mine (East Lancs road
coal pits)
Lancaster Road before and
after the building of the school.
Salford slums
Lessons in a Victorian classroom
environment (hand inspection, rote learning,
copying, drills) (Drama)
A day in the life of a factory worker
(English)
Letter to parliament demanding end
to child labour.
The Cotton trade (India – Manchester)
(Geography, Science – Materials)
Design a mill (Group work, Art/DT)
Poetry writing (English)
Journals and newspaper writing
(English)
Drama [create a trench with tables in
the classroom]
Map work with major battles/fronts
(Geography)
Where did the bombs fall? Why?
(Geography)
Racism and intolerance (PSHE)
Map studies and changes over time
(what was there before? What changed?
Why?)
Photograph starters – show a picture
and ask children to generate what they can
gather from it. Repeat with different pictures
to build up a bank of info.
Information texts on mill/mine of
choice. (Could create a class book?)
1940s style teaching for a morning –
rote learning, repeating back, chalk boards (?)