History
History is all about time travel! Godstowe’s History lessons give our pupils time travelling powers and the ability to understand complex stories and unusual characters, their motivations and personalities.
Pupils will be provoked and challenged to analyse historical material and to reach well-founded conclusions. They are taught to expect the unexpected, nothing is ever as straightforward as it might at first appear, and detective work is everything!
We encourage girls to develop and discuss their own interpretation of events. Discussion and argument are at the root of progress and fun!
Pupils develop listening and note-taking skills as stories unfold, analytical skills as evidence is explored, and essay-writing discursive skills to persuade and describe events. Today’s current affairs or news will be tomorrow’s history – we are living in it right now (some of our pupils may even be lucky enough to make it in the future) and there is no escape! Patterns will emerge between what has already happened and what may happen tomorrow. Pupils are encouraged to keep up to date with current affairs, and to assess events with a critical and analytical eye.
Towards the senior end of the School, History lessons take place in a designated History room, with relevant and interesting displays and pupil work. We use a variety of resources, including fascinating textbooks and DVD presentations by such notable professional historians as Simon Schama and David Starkey to give visual, original and alternative interpretations of key historical events.
The use of ICT is encouraged for research purposes and to locate relevant photographs and pictures to help bring text to life. Powerpoint presentations are designed and presented by pupils - they become ‘experts’ on their chosen topics.
Beyond the classroom
Our girls can expect to go to famous castles and stately houses on Activity Days, and they are encouraged to make an effort to get out and about themselves with their families, to historical events and sites whenever the opportunity arises. We also run a four-day historical and cultural visit to France and Belgium each year.
We encourage pupils to read historical novels for another insight into history topics – the school library has loads of interesting literature to consider! Larger, more detailed personal research projects are undertaken periodically.
Lower Division
Years 3 and 4
Years 3 and 4 cover the following topics in chronological order, starting with the Egyptians, followed by the Greeks, Romans, Anglo Saxons and Vikings. We do loads of Brainstorming – particularly at the start of a topic to establish what we know, and what we want to find out. We watch relevant videos – for both Ancient Greeks and Egyptians, followed by discussion. We use the Interactive whiteboard/Powerpoint, alongside Gogglebox resources which include video clips and quizzes.
Our creative work includes hieroglyphic cartouches, cat mummies, writing on papyrus, Egyptian collages, Greek masks and Medusa heads. We love doing Drama – particularly linking it to English, and acting out Greek myths. Food tasting – traditional Greek foods like olives, honey, pitta bread and dressing up in Egyptian outfits are among our favourite activities. We enjoy exploring artefacts/photographs and looking at papyrus models of Egyptian gods, jewellery and Greek pots.
Middle Division
Year 5
Specialist History teaching for 2 lessons each week is provided. The pupils learn to use more complex historical texts, pictures and some artifacts, as we delve the rise of the Tudors and Stuarts through both social and political aspects of their lives.
Year 6
Teaching in a specialist room for 2 lessons a week is provided. Pupils gain a wider range of skills, through a variety of historical activities and topics, focussing especially on the Victorian era through the Edwardians and the Great War, depression years and the Second World War, emerging with the ‘revolutions’ of the 1950s and 1960s. Resources which are stimulating and challenging are used to enhance pupils knowledge and understanding.
Upper Division
Year 7
At the beginning of the year, we start the CE course and over the next two years we prepare for the Medieval Realms 1066-1500 paper. The Main topics include the Medieval Kings, Henry II and Becket, the First Crusade, Norman Conquest, the Peasants’ Revolt, Medieval Women, King John and Stephen & Matilda. We attempt team challenges, practise essays, as well as some constructive drama tasks
Year 8
The main topics are the Black Death, Richard III, Stephen & Matilda and The First Crusade. We attempt team challenges, practise essays and sources question analysis from past papers, as well as some constructive drama tasks. In preparation for CE or school examinations, we also discuss “model” answers to boost knowledge, an understanding of topics covered and confidence.
