Upper Shirley High School
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History Key Stage 3
The Curriculum
Year 7
In Year 7 the teaching of History is incorporated into the Humanities curriculum. Students receive 7 lessons a fortnight of Humanities and study 4 historical topics.
1. How did medieval monarchs keep control?
2. How hard was life for medieval people in town and country?
3. How did the medieval church affect people’s lives?
4. How should the sinking of the Titanic be remembered in the city of Southampton?
The unit on Medieval Realms explores the nature of medieval monarchy and some of the challenges faced by medieval monarchs. Students will learn about the medieval church and its impact on people’s everyday lives, about the beliefs of the Catholic Church. They will learn about the role of monasteries and nunneries in medieval life and about criticisms of the medieval church.
Students will investigate the reasons behind the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912. They will also consider the impact the disaster had on local communities within Southampton and to reflect upon ways in which ‘our’ city remembers the events of 1912.
Year 8
In Year 8 students have 3 lessons a fortnight of History and are taught in sets. There are 6 topics that will be taught across the year.
1. Black peoples of America: from slavery to equality?
2. Elizabeth I: how successfully did she tackle the problems of her reign?
3. The civil wars: was England ‘turned upside down’ in the seventeenth century?
4. The development of trade, colonisation and resistance to British rule in India
5. The British Empire: how was it that, by 1900, Britain controlled nearly a quarter of the world?
6. Industrial changes: action and reaction
Our first unit is predominantly focussed on the slave trade and the experiences of all those involved. Students will be able to describe how and why the slave trade developed between Europe, Africa and America. We then study the efforts to achieve freedom for slaves and the impact of the American Civil War before assessing the problems facing black peoples following emancipation.
The second unit on Making of the United Kingdom explores some of the key issues facing the Tudor monarchs. Students will learn about the consequences of Henry VIII’s break from Rome and England’s relations with other European countries in the sixteenth century, the succession, and the growing problem of poverty.
In the third unit on Making of the United Kingdom students will learn about the main personalities and events in the story of the English civil wars. Students will consider the connections between conflicting ideas and the events of the war. Students will study questions of cause, consequence and interpretation.
In unit four students use and evaluate sources to learn about how British trade developed in India and how the Indians resisted this control.
In unit five students gain an overview of the growth of the British Empire. They learn about how and why Britain acquired a worldwide Empire by focusing on the themes of trade, exploration, war and conquest. Students are encouraged to focus on specific people and events, to consider, in depth, various episodes in the history of the British Empire, and to consider the impact on indigenous peoples of the British desire for Empire.
In our final unit students will explore how Britain transformed itself from a ‘rural’ country to an ‘industrial’ one. Students will examine the contributions of key individuals, such as Richard Arkwright and the impact factories had on British life.
Year 9
In Year 9 students have 3 lessons a fortnight of History and are taught in sets. Topics covered will deal with the key events of the 20th century, including:
1. The changing nature of warfare
2. The Holocaust
3. The Assassination of JFK
Changing nature of warfare
This unit will look at the main conflicts of the twentieth century. Students will identify key ideas and themes and make links and connections, particularly between the First World War, the Second World War and the Cold War. The unit will focus on the widespread impact of these conflicts through the examination of specific events, the personal experiences of individuals and a wide range of visual and written sources.
Holocaust
During our unit on the Holocaust we will explore how and why the Holocaust happened. We will study the chronology of the Holocaust and the way the persecution of Jewish people developed over time. Students will be able to describe some of the ideas and attitudes underpinning the Nazi persecution of the Jews and other groups; make critical and thoughtful use of a range of sources of information about the Holocaust.
The Assassination of JFK
In this enquiry students will look at the historical sources to assess whether the Warren Commissions findings on who shot President Kennedy were correct. Students will study the background of Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby and the events of the assassination in depth.
