Schemes of work: History at key stage 3 Teacher's Guide
APPENDIX 5: LINKS BETWEEN HISTORY AND LITERACY
 |
| Speaking and listening |
Link |
|
| Unit 6 'Islamic civilisations
600-1600' |
Pupils ask questions
to clarify and gain further information about the contribution of Muslims
to the development of mathematics and science during the Middle Ages. |
|
| Unit 8 'The civil wars' |
Pupils discuss ideas
about the causes of the civil wars and then use cause cards to review and
refine their ideas. |
|
| Unit 15 'Black peoples
of America' |
Pupils consider
a range of contemporary source material (newspapers, video clips) to arrive
at a reasoned conclusion on civil rights in the USA in the late twentieth
century. |
|
| Unit 20 'Twentieth-century
medicine' |
Pupils make notes
during a mock interview with Aneurin Bevan, which they use when completing
a task on the NHS. |
|
Reading |
Link |
|
| Unit 2 'Medieval monarchs' |
Pupils use extracts
from the Bayeux Tapestry and interpret the pictures to gain an overview
of the main events of 1066. |
|
| Unit 10 'France 1789-94' |
Pupils distinguish
between facts and opinions when evaluating the usefulness of sources for
an enquiry into the motives of some of the revolutionary groups. |
|
| Unit 11 'Industrial
changes' |
Pupils undertake
independent research into some of the reactions to the industrial changes
in the nineteenth century. |
|
| Unit 18 'Twentieth-century
conflicts' |
Pupils select and
use information to produce an analysis of the causes of some of the major
conflicts of the twentieth century. |
|
| Writing |
Link |
|
| Unit 3 'Medieval people' |
Pupils write an
essay on 'Why was the Black Death so terrifying?' |
|
| Unit 10 'France 1789-94' |
Pupils produce a
piece of structured writing on the causes of the French Revolution. |
|
| Unit 12 'Middle-class
life 1900' |
Pupils use colons
to introduce lists, brackets for persuasive parenthesis, and exclamation
marks to suggest excitement, when producing Victorian holiday brochures. |
|
| Unit 22 'The role of
the individual' |
Pupils use evidence
to support their arguments in a structured account which evaluates the impact
of a key individual in history. |
|
| Unit 21 'Scientific
discoveries' |
Pupils write a formal
report of the trial of Galileo. |
|
| Vocabulary and spelling |
Link |
|
| All units |
Read and use accurately
vocabulary which relates to key concepts in the subject. |
|
| Units 1,
8,
18 and
22 |
Distinguish between
everyday uses of words and their subject-specific use. |
|
| Units
3,
8,
9,
16,
17 and
18 |
Learn and spell
subject-specific keywords correctly. |
|
In addition to the specific links made to the language for learning objectives,
the following guidance is given on reading, writing and speaking and listening
which teachers may find useful when planning schemes of work for history and,
in particular, when planning for progression across several units.
Writing
In history, pupils produce many different types of text. They need to understand
how texts are structured in order to produce historical writing that meets the
need of different types of historical enquiry. They need to select, organise
and deploy relevant information when producing texts, and making appropriate
use of dates and terms.
Historical writing also requires pupils to demonstrate different degrees of
certainty in their prose. Pupils practise using the language of speculation
and possibility, and qualifying a point. Pupils also need to understand the
relationship between an argument and the supporting evidence, and between the
general and the particular.
When planning for progression in pupils' production of texts, history teachers
should consider:
- the amount of contextual knowledge pupils need to select, deploy and organise
historical facts, ideas and evidence in extended prose;
- how to provide opportunities for pupils to practise different tasks for
different purposes, including notes and summaries;
- how to model the structure of different types of writing in history to enable
pupils to be increasingly independent;
- using a variety of writing tasks that will motivate pupils;
- how to build on prior learning in similar tasks in history, English and
other curriculum areas.
Speaking and listening
In history, pupils use a range of opportunities for speaking and listening
to develop their knowledge and understanding of history. Through listening to
presentations, taking part in discussions, and constructing and responding to
arguments, pupils develop their knowledge and conceptual understanding. They
practise and refine their use of vocabulary, including the use of specific terminology.
When planning for progression in pupils' speaking and listening skills, history
teachers need to consider:
- how to balance opportunities for short, focused speaking and listening tasks
with those for longer, more sustained tasks;
- how to structure the task and the organisation of group discussions to ensure
purposeful outcomes;
- how to link speaking and listening opportunities with work in reading and
writing;
- how to model and structure speaking activities to help pupils to select,
deploy and organise their ideas orally;
- how to build on prior learning in similar tasks in history, English and
other curriculum areas.
Reading
In history, pupils use different types of text for a variety of purposes and
need to apply appropriate skills to access and comprehend texts. They use reading
strategies such as skimming, scanning and close reading, and use inference and
deduction to comprehend texts. Pupils need to be able to identify the distinctive
features of texts - their form, style and structure. They need to discuss texts,
developing a language for interpreting them, criticising them and explaining
how they are constructed. History helps pupils to understand the context and
purpose of a text. As pupils need to evaluate the reliability and use of sources,
they need to be able to analyse a text and consider its impact on different
audiences.
When planning for progression in pupils' use of texts, history teachers need
to consider:
- how to provide opportunities for pupils to practise a range of reading strategies
and to analyse texts and move them towards greater independence and flexibility;
- the amount of contextual knowledge pupils need to comprehend and analyse
the text;
- how to develop pupils' reading of texts to help them to take account of
the writers' tone, vocabulary and structure to access meaning;
- how to link reading tasks with speaking and listening and writing tasks;
- how to build on prior learning in similar tasks in history, English and
other curriculum areas.
