Chelmsford County High School for Girls

Subjects

History - Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 History is divided into a number of topics which span Years 7 - 9. A variety of sources are used: textbooks, video, CD-Roms, the Internet, maps, Government leaflets, Essex Record Office documents, etc. There is also emphasis on developing a number of historical and research skills, such as historical interpretation and source analysis.

Year 7

As with years 8 and 9 the syllabus is largely determined by the requirements of the National Curriculum, although full advantage is taken of the flexibility offered under the latest DfE guidance. Students spend much of the year studying Medieval England, and focus on the major events and turning points in the period 1066 to 1485. In the later part of the summer term they study a unit on the Indigenous Peoples of North America.

• The Norman Invasion
  Understanding the concept of power in Medieval England.
• William the Conqueror
  His extension of control over England through the Feudal System, the Doomsday Book & Castles.
• Castles
  Understanding the siting of castles
• Medieval Villages and Towns
  Understanding Medieval society, the location of towns, development of shops and guilds.
• The Church in the Middle Ages
  The importance of the church & religion, monasteries.
• Women in Medieval Society
  Understanding the role of women.
• Beckett & the Church
  Why did Henry & Beckett quarrel?
• King John
  Was King John a good or bad king?
• The Magna Carta
  Its significance
• The Black Death
  Causes, how it spread and its effects
• The Peasants Revolt
  Interpretations
• Edward 1 and Scotland & Wales
  The beginning of the makings of the United Kingdom
• Introduction to the Tudors
  Importance of the Tudor Dynasty

Year 8

Year 8 history is again primarily concerned with British history. Students study the reformation in Britain, the Civil Wars of the seventeenth century, and the 'making of the United Kingdom' in the later seventeenth century. The focus is then switched to the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions of the eighteenth century, and the impact that these had on the people of Britain. In the later part of the summer a unit is studied on the French Revolution.

• Guy Fawkes
  Investigation of the Guy Fawkes' Plot
• The English Civil War
  Causes, outline of war & Oliver Cromwell
• Witchcraft
  Social & cultural awareness
• Ireland & Scotland
  William III & the Battle of Boyne, and Bonnie Prince Charlie
• The Agricultural Revolution
  Enclosures, agricultural improvers & mechanisation, crop rotation, and selective breeding.
• Population Growth
  Reasons & results
• The Industrial Revolution
  Causes, industry before Revolution, the Derbys of Coalbrookdale, power, the textile industry, working conditions in the mill, and mining.
• Transport
  Roads, canals and railways.
• Public Health
  Key diseases, living conditions in the nineteenth century, and improvements in public health.
• The French Revolution
  Turning point in European history: causes and consequences.

Year 9

History is entirely concerned with 'the twentieth century world'. Students study the history of the twentieth century from the so-called 'Golden Age' of Britain from 1890 to 1914, through the First World War, the 1920s, the Great Depression and the 'Dark Valley' of the 1930s to the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the continuing legacy of these events up until our own time.

• Understanding the World c.1900
  Group work which involves different groups focusing on different topics to research (such as: transport, leisure, industry/work, society, attitudes & beliefs, distribution of wealth) and then a presentation to the rest of the class.
• World War I
  
  • (a) Causes- KS3 Assignment "To what extent was the pre-war alliance to blame for the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914?"
  • (b) Western Front- timeline on major battles and trench warfare (conditions, experiences, battles & weapons)
  • (c) Propaganda- British presentation/perception of Germany, recruitment, etc.
  • (d) Ypres- field trip, worksheets, and visit from Education Officer of Chelmsford & Essex Regiment Museum
  • (e) The Home Front- the role of women: the need to use Government control in war time. (This topic is covered in more depth during Year 10).
• The 1920s
  Consequences of war and economic awareness: the General Strike, leisure (sport & music), transport, the Wall Street Crash and Ireland. Key Stage 3 Assignment- source work on the Great Depression in Britain.
• World War II
  
  • (a) Causes, beginning with the Treaty of Versailles
  • (b) Main Events- timeline
  • (c) Dunkirk
  • (d) Battle of Britain and Battle of the Atlantic
  • (e) The Eastern Front and the Siege of Leningrad
  • (f) Pearl Harbour- how the USA was brought in the War
  • (g) D-Day- capture of France
  • (h) End of the War in Europe & the surrender of Hitler
  • (i) The Home Front- evacuation, rationing but particular emphasis on the Blitz. Integrated Humanities Session on the Blitz in the drama block, involving presentations on different aspects of the Blitz.
  • (j) Bombing & V.J. Day- Dresden & Hiroshima
• The Holocaust
  Discussion & empathy
• Post World War 2
  Focus on change, looking at such areas as: race, gender, the British Empire, transport, leisure, wealth & health. Project work- students to take a theme and show changes during 1945 to 2000 and then compare with 1900.