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First Year course begins with the historian as ‘detective’
examining ‘The Man who never was’ and Bog bodies to discover
the nature of evidence and some of the problems inherent in evaluating
it. Bog bodies lead us into the first main theme “The beginning of the English’. We examine Anglo Saxon invasion and settlement (they is a cross curricula slant here as we look at reasons for migration and choosing a site for settlement). Then we discover that Anglo Saxons were not just primitive hut dwellers by investigating the Sutton Hoo ship burial. Pupils try to work out for themselves who the grave might have belonged to. The Viking invasions create opportunities for measuring out ships on the playing fields, for individual and group display work and also some local history as we examine King Alfred and ask why he was called the Great. Pupils understand the complex interaction of factors in an analysis of greatness and are encouraged to broaden their analysis to consider criteria for greatness in more general terms. 1066 doesn’t just bring the traditional opportunity to enjoy the story but a chance to investigate why William was able to win and to understand post battle problems as we examine how William and his successors established control of the kingdom through castle building (pupils progress from being rebel leaders to acting as Medieval Estate Agents!), the Domesday Book and the Feudal system. Examining the problems of Medieval kings and how they dealt with them might then lead to a study of Henry II and Becket, the Peasant’s Revolt, the Black Death or the Crusades. At various points pupils use the library and ICT to aid their investigations, facilitated by activities on the intranet and study site. A visit to Warwick castle is planned to see the development of castle defences at first hand.
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