History
“ A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots ".
Marcus Garvey
Department Vision Statement/ Curriculum Intent
At the Malling School we believe that students deserve a broad, diverse and ambitious History curriculum which emphasises both skills and knowledge. The aim of our History curriculum is to have students leave school with an enquiring mindset, the ability to critically analyse the world around them and to have a strong understanding of how the present is rooted in the past.
Our curriculum is framed from a largely chronological perspective which allows students to develop an understanding of the wider context of events, people, and societies. Within this, case studies give students the opportunity to develop a rich and deep subject knowledge. These are chosen to challenge pupils and to offer them the chance to explore different perspectives at local, national and international level from the Middle Ages through to the Modern Era. This allows pupils to make links not only to different time periods but also to different regions. Thematic units allow students to examine skills and concepts such as change and continuity, similarities and differences and cause and consequence whilst examining and weighing the significance of driving factors behind them. These key concepts help focus students and lead them to build a critical and analytical mindset where they can evidence their reasoning and make substantiated judgements in writing and orally.
The History curriculum is also tied to the Malling School’s core values of ‘caring, determination and reflection’. Through the different topics, pupils will need to empathise, make moral and ethical judgements on themes such as power, identity and belonging. They will be inspired to push themselves to develop their skills and understanding and will be expected to use built in feedback time to master this.
YEAR GROUPS
Year 7 - KS3
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1 |
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What can we learn about the Roman from Pompeii? |
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This is an evidence based enquiry that will help establish and build upon source analysis skills. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| Enquiry |
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2 |
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When did England become England? |
| WHY? |
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An enquiry that looks at the formation of England through the theme of change and continuity. From the Romans, to the Anglo-Saxons and Jutes to the Vikings. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| Enquiry |
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3 |
| TOPIC |
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Why did William win the Battle of Hastings? |
| WHY? |
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A causation enquiry where pupils will have to make a judgement on the extent to which different causes led to the outcome of the Battle. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| Enquiry |
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4 |
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What were the consequences of the Norman Invasion of Britain? |
| WHY? |
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This enquiry will examine consequences such as the feudal system and the Domesday Book |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| Enquiry |
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5 |
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How did castles change between 1066 and 1600? |
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This is an enquiry that focus on castles have changed overtime and the reasons for this change. Within this unit, we will examine local castles in Kent as an example. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| Enquiry |
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6 |
| TOPIC |
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What does the murder of Becket tell us about the power of the Church? |
| WHY? |
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| This enquiry focuses on the significance of the Church during the Middle Ages and pupils will need to examine the relationship between the Church and monarch. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| Enquiry |
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7 |
| TOPIC |
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Why have opinions of King John changed? |
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This enquiry focuses on historical perspectives and why different views of key historical figures can change over time and the factors which can influence this. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| Enquiry |
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8 |
| TOPIC |
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What are the differences between the European and English Reformations? |
| WHY? |
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This enquiry will explain the creation and impact of the reformation both in Germany and England. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| Enquiry |
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9 |
| TOPIC |
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How did life change under the Tudor Monarchs? |
| WHY? |
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This enquiry will examine different elements of Tudor life, focusing on ordinary people. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| Enquiry |
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10 |
| TOPIC |
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What is the impact of migration on England? |
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This enquiry will focus on consequences of migration and how migration prior to the 1600s has influenced and impacted the country we live in. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
Year 8 - KS3
| TERM |
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Term One |
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The Stuarts |
| WHY? |
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| In this unit students will study key events during the 1600s including the Gunpowder Plot, the English Civil War and the Great Fire of London. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| TERM |
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Term Two |
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Industrial Revolution |
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| Students will develop their understanding of what the Industrial Revolution was and how it changed the landscape of Britain. It will focus on the social History of Britain and the experiences of ordinary people. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| TERM |
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Term Three |
| TOPIC |
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Jack the Ripper |
| WHY? |
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| This unit acts as a case study for policing and law and order in Victorian Britain. Students will examine the hardships faced by those without social security and will be challenged to question pre-conceptions about the victims. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| TERM |
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Term Four |
| TOPIC |
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West African Kingdoms |
| WHY? |
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| This exciting unit will explore three kingdoms of Ancient Ghana, Mali and Songhai that existed in West Africa from c.300 to c.1500. Students will examine the rise and fall of these kingdoms, including that of the richest man to ever have existed. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| TERM |
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Term Five |
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Empire and Slavery |
| WHY? |
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| In this unit, students will examine the origins of the British Empire and resistance to it as well as the legacy of the slave trade. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| TERM |
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Term Six |
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Rights and People in America |
| WHY? |
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| This unit will allow pupils to examine an overview of rights in America from British rule and the American Civil War to the music of Bob Dylan and what students can learn from that about Emmett Till. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
Year 9 - KS3
| TERM |
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Term One |
| TOPIC |
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Titanic |
| WHY? |
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This unit acts as a case study for life in Edwardian Britain. Within it pupils will also investigate the reasons for the Titanic hitting an iceberg and sinking and will need to judge the significance of each factor. Students will study the experiences and inequalities women faced in the early twentieth century and their campaign for suffrage and equal rights. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| TERM |
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Term Two & Three |
| TOPIC |
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World War One |
| WHY? |
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| Students will examine the causes of the First World War and judge the significance of each factor. They will also focus on key battles such as the Battle of the Somme and the reasons for Germany’s defeat. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| TERM |
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Term Three & Four |
| TOPIC |
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World War Two |
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| Students will start this topic off by looking at the interwar years and the impact of the Treaty of Versailles. They will then continue to examine the causes, practices and effects of the Second World War. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| TERM |
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Term Five |
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The Holocaust |
| WHY? |
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| Students will begin this topic by investigating the case study of Leon Greenman, a British Jew, whose wife and son were both murdered during the Holocaust. Students will examine further case studies where they will need to determine whether individual or groups were perpetrators, collaborators, or bystanders. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
| TERM |
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Term Six |
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Events that Changed the World |
| WHY? |
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| This unit is an exciting opportunity for teachers and pupils to examine aspects of History that don’t fit into our wider schemes of work but have all had huge impacts on the world around us. This includes, the Russian Revolution, the Space Race, the growth of Feminism, 9/11 and the War on Terror, the growth of Social Media and the History of LGBTQ+. |
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Curriculum Booklet |
Year 10 - KS4 - Exam Board Edexcel
| TOPIC |
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Medicine Through Time |
| WHY? |
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Students will develop an understanding of the nature and process of change in this thematic unit. They will investigate patterns, trends and turning points and the factors that inhibited or encouraged this across different periods. The unit will focus on ideas about what caused disease, approaches to prevention and treatment as well as a case study from each time period. Students will also do an in-depth look at the historical environment which is the British sector of the Western Front, 1914-18: injuries, treatments and preventions. They will investigate the theatre of war in Flanders and Northern France, the trench system, the nature of wounds from rifles and explosives, the effects of gas attacks, developments in brain and plastic surgery and new techniques in the treatment of wounds. This section will be focused on the use of sources for historical enquiries. |
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Curriculum Booklet Recommended Revision Guide:
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| TOPIC |
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Weimar and Nazi Germany A modern depth study which gives pupils the opportunity to analyse different historical interpretations. |
| WHY? |
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The content will cover the origins of the Weimar Republic, the early challenges it faced as well as the legacy of the First World War. Students will then examine Hitler’s rise to power between 1919 and 1933 weighing up the significance of different factors from use of propaganda to the growth in unemployment in Weimar Germany. The focus will then focus on the creation of a dictatorship and the different methods of control from use of the media to the role of the Gestapo and the SS. Students will also have the opportunity to what life was like in Nazi Germany from policies towards women to the persecution of minorities. |
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Curriculum Booklet Recommended Revision Guide:
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Year 11 - KS4 - Exam Board Edexcel
| TOPIC |
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The American West (Temporarily removed 2020-2021 due to COVID course changes) |
| WHY? |
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| This is a period study which will allow students to examine an unfolding narrative about the settlement of the West. Students will examine the Plains Indians – their beliefs and their way of life, the impact of settlement on this group and the gradual destruction of their way of life. Students will also explore further conflict and tension through the range wars, Billy the Kid and the OK Corral. |
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Curriculum Booklet Recommended Revision Guide:
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| TOPIC |
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Early Elizabethan England This is a British Depth Study which allows pupils to examine a substantial period of early modern British History. |
| WHY? |
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| Students will explore the issue of religion in Elizabeth’s reign and the challenges Elizabeth I faced when she ascended to the throne. The claim of Mary Queen of Scots to the throne and the multiple plots to overthrow Elizabeth. Students will also investigate Elizabethan society during the Age of Exploration from topics such as education and leisure to the increase in poverty and vagabondage during Elizabeth’s reign. |
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Curriculum Booklet Recommended Revision Guide:
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