History Key Stage 1 and 2

 Aims:

History is a vital area of study for pupils, offering access to the happenings of the past and a means of understanding and of chronological order.

• All pupils will have opportunities to develop a sense of the past and understand its differences from the present
• Pupils will be helped to place their study within a chronological framework and to understand some of the methods of finding out about the past.

  

KS1:

• Develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time.
• Know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.
• Use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms.
• Ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events.
• Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

KS2:                                                                                                                                                                                                    

• Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
• Note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms.
• Regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
• Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.
• Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.        

Term 1 *Autumn 1*

Year 1-2 – KS1

Black History

October is Black History month; This unit will focus on significant individuals from around the world who have fought for equality.

Year 2 will be learning about Mary Seacole and her work.

Year 3-4 – KS2

Black History

October is Black History month; This unit will focus on significant individuals from around the world who have fought for equality.

Year 3-4 will be learning about Rosa Parks and her contribution in fighting for equality for black people in America.

Year 5-6 – KS2

Black History

October is Black History month; This unit will focus on significant individuals from around the world who have fought for equality.

Year 5-6 will be learning about Martin Luther King, his life, work for equality and legacy.

 Term 4 *Spring 2*

Year 1-2 – KS1

The Great Fire of London

This unit looks back to 1666 and the era of the Stuarts focussing on the Great Fire of London and the effect it had on the people of the time. Lessons will cover when, where, how and why the Great Fire happened, as well as exploring how we know about it through the diary of Samuel Pepys and other sources.

Year 3-4 – KS2

Early civilisations

This unit explores when and where the earliest civilisations appeared (including Ancient Sumer, Indus Valley, Ancient Egypt and the Shang Dynasty) and the amazing achievements of each civilisation. Children will explore when and why writing and number systems started to be used, find out how trade developed, investigate ancient structures such as the Egyptian pyramids and Sumerian ziggurats, as well as explore other inventions.

Year 5-6 – KS2

The Shang Dynasty

This unit covers the Shang Dynasty of ancient China, a fascinating and pivotal era in Chinese history, full of innovation and advances. Children will explore what the Bronze Age was like in China, consulting ancient history books and archaeological finds to compare evidence and draw conclusions about a wide range of features.