Year 7
The units of the year 7 Humanities curriculum which focus on historical events and thinking are outlined below:
1066: The Battle of Hastings
We teach this topic as 1066 is recognised in historical terms as a seminal turning point in the development of 1000 years towards contemporary British society. 1066 is viewed as a pivotal moment in British history due to its ending of the Anglo-Saxon and Viking eras, and the long lasting impact of Norman influence on modern Britain. In particular we focus on why William was successful in winning the Battle of Hastings, and support students in developing essay writing skills to be used in their first assessment at John Mason School.
The Power of the Church in Medieval England
We teach this topic to understand how religion and the church dominated all aspects of people's lives in the middle ages. This topic includes the Crusades, murder of Thomas Becket and the Black Death and their impact on the relationship between Church and State throughout this period. This topic is then built on when we look at the power of religion in Early Modern Europe, and to help pupils foster an understanding of the central function of the church to the lives of ordinary people throughout History.
The Power of Religion in Early Modern Europe
We teach this topic to build an understanding of the Tudor dynasty. We look in depth at the 16th century and the changes that happened to the church as the nation shifted between catholic to protestant through the years of Henry VIII and his 3 children. Here we look at how each monarch dealt with the challenges of their predecessor. This helps pupils develop their understanding of monarchy in preparation for our study of how the nation moved to being a democracy.
Medieval African Kingdoms and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
In this unit we start to broaden our pupils' understanding of world history. This is the first topic in which we take our focus away from Europe. Herein we challenge many old misconceptions about the state of African societies prior to the arrival of European powers by looking at the fascinating kingdoms in Benin, and Mali. We then look at the impact of the transatlantic slave trade on the continent of Africa and across the Atlantic. We then focus on the resistance of enslaved people and how protest grew in Britain to the point of abolition in 1833.
What traveled along the Silk Roads?
We teach this topic to build an understanding of Asian history and how the east has always been connected to the west through trade and the sharing of ideas. In this topic we directly refer to the interpretation of historian Peter Frankopan from his book ‘The Silk Roads: a New History of the World. We thus introduce students to their first experience of high quality academic writing in the discipline of history. We draw connections with their religious studies work as we explore the development and spread of Islam and the trade of goods from the far east into Europe.
How did modern Russia develop from the Kievan Rus?
In this topic we focus on the development of Russia up to the modern day. We look at many leaders such as Olga of Kiev, Ivan the Terrible, Nicolas II and Vladmir Lenin to understand how the nation was ruled. Every lesson we consider how autocratic the nation was. Also, we look at the events of the revolution and how Russia pushed out the Romanov family, creating a communist government This topic is built on when we consider the events of the Cold War in year 9 when we look at the competition between the two contrasting political ideas of capitalism and communism.
Year 8
How should we remember the British Empire?
In year 8 we focus on the development of Britain during the 19th and early 20th centuries. To start this important study we begin with a focus on the nature of the British Empire. The British Empire frequently appears in news even to this day, whether in debates over statues or controversy around royal visits. It’s legacy runs much more deeply than this in shaping an understanding of contemporary global relations and international policy in the wake of the fall of the British Empire, and this unit helps pupils to develop more nuanced understanding of popular contemporary debates about the ‘rights and wrongs’ of the British Empire
What was life like during the Industrial Revolution?
It was during the Industrial Revolution that Britain first became a global power as profits from industry fuelled expansion, military and naval might and diplomatic dominance. However not everyone shared in the benefits of wealth and trade. In this unit we focus on the lives of those who lived through the industrial revolution. As well as helping pupils to gain a sense of understanding as to one of the factors in consolidating Britain's contemporary status as a leading global power the unit helps them to explore the many different experiences of the past, including often-overlooked voices. As we explore important themes such as the development of the rights of children in the modern world and social and welfare issues such as housing and public health.
World War 1
WW1 was the first conflict to cover several continents and shaped the 20th century. The war wreaked such devastation that it led to the founding of an annual memorial day on November 11th, which is still commemorated to this day. All of our students will have participated in our annual minute’s silence and many have been involved in the Remembrance Sunday events in their own community. In this topic we explore the political, diplomatic and social causes of the war but also the lives of those who lived through these events. Zooming in on topics such as the experiences of British soldiers in the trenches allows pupils to recognise the human cost of war which can often be overlooked in the context of the military history of war. As well as using the topic to deepen students’ understanding of cause, consequence and significance as historical concepts, we expose pupils to the cultural richness that came out of devastation in the form of wartime poetry of Wilfred Owen and artworks.
The interwar years, and World War 2
The purpose of this unit is to help pupils to understand why war broke out again in Europe in the late 1930’s, and introduce them to the impact of international diplomacy by covering topics such as the post WW1 Peace Agreement of the Treaty of Versailles and Appeasement policy in the 1930s. Pupils will then cover the basics of the key events and turning points of WW2, to set them up for closer focus on international events in the second half of the 20th century which will be explored in more depth in Y9.
Britain’s journey to democracy
This topic covers 1000 years of history focusing on the change and continuity of power throughout time. Within this topic, students explore how our nation has become more democratic and power has been reduced from the monarch. Key turning points include, the signing of the Magna Carta, The Bill of Rights, The Great Reform Act and the suffrage movement which resulted in the Representation of the People Act. The topic allows students to reflect on the fight many people had to gain representation and how we as to understand why democracy is so valued in Britain. With a unique focus on events in Abingdon in the course of this journey, pupils gain an understanding of democratic themes and values through an exploration of their own community and how it shaped national and even international developments.
Year 9
How did the Cold War shape the USA?
Y9 History has an international focus on the 20th century. Understanding the Cold War is essential for pupils to understand current issues in International Relations with regards to the global presence of the United States today, alongside contemporary tensions between the United States and Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. In this unit we are able to explore with pupils how an understanding of the past can lead to an understanding of the present; but also how the legacy of the past continues to shape the world around us today.
How did South Africa go from Apartheid to Rainbow Nation?
This depth study on the development of the South African Republic in the latter half of the twentieth century acts as an example of the importance John Mason School places on a diverse focus of global history. Understanding the journey of democratization of South Africa is important for pupils to understand contemporary dynamics between key international organizations such as the African Union and Western groups in the modern day, understanding how far reaching the impacts of nineteenth century European colonialism has had on modern day societies.
The Holocaust
As social history, the holocaust is one of the most important topics for students to study. A stark exploration of the extreme and devastating consequences of intolerance, racial prejudice and the power of a modern state, each study of the holocaust engages the vigilance of a new generation as witnesses to atrocity. Holocaust remembrance day is the 27th of January so therefore each year the topic is heavily covered by the British Media at this time. This also comes after our WW2 unit so there is an understanding of the nations involved and Britain were involved in the liberation of Europe.
How did people fight for civil rights in the UK?
After teaching the events of South Africa it is important to understand what race relations were like in Britain. At John Mason, we choose to focus on the development of the British Civil Rights movement, in order to help pupils more rigorously engage with our own countries History of diversity. The unit explores reasons as to why, traditionally, the UK civil rights movement has not received as much attention as its US Civil Rights counterpart, and sets pupils up for their first GCSE topic explored of the impact of Caribbean Culture on Notting Hill in the post war period.
How did Carribean Culture influence Notting Hill?
Notting Hill is the environmental study linked to the GCSE paper. Through this topic we look in depth at the challenges faced by Caribbean migrants in the Notting Hill area. Our enquiry is based on the racial tensions that occurred in the 1950s leading to the 1958 riots and then the subsequent protests that took place in the 1960s. This topic in particular demonstrates the diversity of modern Britain and how people have stood up for their rights as British citizens. Overall, the study of this topic is crucial into understanding the British fight for civil rights. This topic directly links to the themes of the UK civil rights movement topic taught in Term 4. . This also provides detail as to why the previous topic is so important as it details the racial tension within the environment in the 1950s and 1960s. Notting Hill is the historical environment that is part of paper 1 of the GCSE. Therefore,by starting this in year 9 we are able to start building essential knowledge for our GCSE and we can then start to consider the themes of our migration topic prior to the start of KS4.
