History

Key Contact:  Rob Harris, roh@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk

The History Department at the Gryphon school believe that the past is a cabinet of curiosities. It is a collection of events and individuals that are not only fascinating but offer up infinite connections. It is through an understanding of these links between the past and the present that the students can work out the rhythms of history. These are the patterns that keep reappearing throughout our past and create our present. This is the content we study – the wonderful stories of this nation and its place in the wider world. The other strand are the skills which involve the comprehension; evaluation and analysis of information. Our goal is to facilitate the students with the desire and skills to be able to investigate any period and topic independently and understand how the universal ideas and themes echo through time. We aim to get all students excited about learning history and keen to further their own studies in whatever topic they want. We cannot teach about every time periods and global topics within school, but we can prepare the students to do it for themselves. History is a cabinet of curiosities waiting to be discovered. Our job is to spark that interest in the students and provide the tools for further study. Through source-based tasks, essays, reports, posters, plays, songs, presentations, films and models; our students can take a multitude of information and give it meaning. It is this ability that makes the study of history so valuable. It is this ability that means our history students are capable of taking on any and everything as the world is in their hands.

Year 7

Half Term 1 Introducing the skills of history and life in Britain leading up to 1066 Hastings

Half Term 2 How William consolidated power; life in Medieval Britain

Half Term 3 The Islamic Empire and its impact in Europe

Half term 4 Late Medieval life and the War of the Roses

Half Term 5 The Tudors focusing on the Reformation Period

Half term 6 The Tudors – Elizabeth and Sherborne Castle project

Year 8

Half Term 1 The Stuarts from Gunpowder Plot to Civil War

Half Term 2 Cromwell and the Restoration to the forming of the United Kingdom

Half Term 3 History of America; Native Americans and the Spanish

Half term 4 History of America ; the British; Revolution and the USA

Half Term 5 The French Revolution. Getting rid of dictator and gaining a new one

Half term 6 The Industrialisation of Britain, and project on Big Pit.

Year 9

Half Term 1 The history of Slavery in Britain & factory Reform

Half Term 2 Reform in Britain – social and political

Half Term 3 First World War  = causes; experiences; the Somme

Half term 4 Between the Wars and build up to Second World War

Half Term 5 The Second World War

Half term 6 Life since 1945 and sketches of History project

Assessment

Year 7

• Assessment 1: Hastings essay
• Assessment 2: William consolidation essay
• Assessment 3: Medieval Test
• Assessment 4: Islamic legacy end of essay
• Assessment 5: Elizabethan Propaganda sources
• Assessment 6: Tudor test

Year 8:

• Assessment 1: Gunpowder Report
• Assessment 2: Cromwell essay
• Assessment 3: Stuart Test
• Assessment 4: Manifest Destiny Sources
• Assessment 5: French Revolution causes
• Assessment 6: Factory Essay/PPE

Year 9

• Assessment 1: Slave story
• Assessment 2: Empire Sources
• Assessment 3: Causes of WW1
• Assessment 4: Turning point
• Assessment 5: PPE test (causes of WW2)
• Assessment 6: Sketches of History Project

Homework

KS3: Students should expect a homework every fortnight. This will take a wide variety of forms including writing an assessment; practicing questions; revision; designing title pages; researching a topic; preparing for presentations; reading articles; watching short documentaries. This will be set on Teams/assignment and is always designed to add to the knowledge and skills facilitated in the lessons.

Useful information, links and resources

Please see our extensive reading lists which include specific reading; wider reading; things to watch and places to visit.

Key Stage 4 Subject overview

Syllabus Information:  OCR  GCSE (9-1) History B (Schools History Project)

Course Content

Year 10

Half Term 1: Crime and Punishment in Britain 1250-2000

Half Term 2: Crime and Punishment in Britain 1250-2000

Half Term 3: Nazi Germany 1933-45

Half Term 4: Nazi Germany 1939-45

Half Term 5: History Around Us = Hohensachsen, Berlin

Half Term 6: HAU and Normans 1065-1087

Year 11

Half Term 1: Normans 1065-87

Half Term 2: Making of the USA 1789 -1900

Half Term 3: Making of the USA 1789-1900

Half Term 4: Revision

Half Term 5: Revision

Assessment

Year 10

• Assessment 1: Consolidation 1250-1500 Exam questions
• Assessment 2: Consolidation 1500-1750 Exam Questions
• Assessment 3: 1750-1900 Transportation essay
• Assessment 4: Crime and Punishment End of Module Test
• Assessment 5: Nazi Consolidation of Power Essay
• Assessment 6: Propaganda and Terror essay
• Assessment 7: Usefulness of sources on Hitler Youth
• Assessment 8: Nazi Germany End of Module Test
• Assessment 9: 10 PPE Crime and Punishment & Nazi Germany
• Assessment 10: HAU Importance of Individuals essay
• Assessment 11: HAU End of unit test 1
• Assessment 12: HAU End of Unit test 2

Year 11

• Assessment 1: Norman Conquest : Anglo-Saxon Golden Age essay
• Assessment 2: Battle of Hastings essay
• Assessment 3: Treatment of Rebellions 1066-1071 essay
• Assessment 4: Norman Castles source questions
• Assessment 5: Norman Conquest End of Module Test
• Assessment 6: 11 PPE1 Crime and Punishment/Nazi Germany/HAU/ Norman Conquest
• Assessment 7: USA Visions of the West Essay
• Assessment 8: USA : Civil War Reconstruction Essay
• Assessment 9: USA : End of Module Test
• Assessment 10: 11 PPE2 Crime and Punishment/Nazi Germany/HAU/ Norman Conquest

Homework

Students should expect a homework every week. This will take a wide variety of forms. However the planning; drafting and writing of exam questions will dominate the types. Other homeworks could include revision tasks; reading; watching documentaries; researching.  This will be set on Teams/assignment and is a vital part of preparing each student to perform to their maximum potential in the GCSE. Every task is designed to add to the knowledge and skills facilitated in the lessons.

Useful information, links and resources

• OCR GCSE History B my revision notes guide ISBN 978-1-5104-0406-9
• We will supply extensive revision guides and exercises
• Please see our extensive reading lists which include specific reading; wider reading; things to watch and places to visit.

History Learning JourneyDownload