History

Through studying History students will gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past, and that of the wider world.

Students will be taught how to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh up evidence, put forward an argument whilst also developing perspective and judgement to help them to formulate their own opinions and reach their own conclusions.

The studying of History will allow students to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, as well as the diversity of different societies.

Students through their study of History will understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, and then use these to create their own structured accounts and form their own opinions.

In History at KS3 students at Ysgol Aberconwy will be given the opportunity to develop their historical skills and build on their knowledge and understanding of life in Wales and Britain over the last 1,000 years. Students at KS3 will be regularly assessed by their class teacher on key pieces of work,and they will receive feedback about their work and then given targets that will then help them to improve upon what they have done. Exploring History at KS3 will help students to acquire, develop and retain the knowledge, understanding and skills that they will need to become confident historians.

Year 7
History is taught as part of project based learning for students in year 7

Years 8
Students will study the following:

The events of 1066

What was Britain like in 1066?

Why did the death of one King cause so many problems? Who were the contenders for the English Crown in January 1066? What took place at the Battle of Stamford Bridge and at the Battle of Hastings in September and October 1066? How did this drastically change Great Britain?

The development of Castles. Why were they built? What types of castle were they? What would it have been like to live in a Castle?

Health and Medicine in the Middle Ages – What happened when people got ill? Who looked after them? What were the cures? Who was an Apothecary? What would it have been like to live in a town in the Middle Ages?

The Black Death -What was the Black Death? What caused it? What did people in the Middle Ages think was causing it? What reasons did people give at the time for why it existed? Why did the Black Death eventually disappear?

Year 9
students will study the following:

World War One 1914-1918

Why did war break out in 1914? Which countries were involved? What was trench warfare? Why did World War One become a stalemate? What types of weapons were used in World War One? Why did the First World War end? What was the Treaty of Versailles?

World War Two 1939-1945

Why did the Second World War begin in 1939? What was Appeasement? Why did Great Britain follow this policy when dealing with Hitler in the 1930’s? Students in Year 9 will then examine the key events of World War two including, Dunkirk, The Battle of Britain, the Blitz, Pearl Harbor, D-Day, The Holocaust, the dropping of the Atomic Bombs on Japan and the American war in the Pacific.

GCSE History

GCSE History is a fascinating subject which will allow you to study a range of time periods, topics and countries. This will help you to gain an understanding of significant historical events that have helped to shape our lives and the world around us. This GCSE in History will help you to develop skills such as: how to organise information, construct an argument, question the reliability of the information in front of you, select evidence and make judgements. By studying GCSE History you will be equipped with transferable skills which are valued in other subjects across the school. Furthermore, Universities, higher education establishments and employers all recognise the value of a history qualification. You must have a passion for History and be ready to get involved in the lessons. This GCSE is primarily written based, and so competent writing skills will also be required. Studying History does not mean that you can only become an Historian or a History teacher. The skills that you develop in History will help you in any career that involves processing information or making judgements. Many students who have studied GCSE History at Ysgol Aberconwy have gone on to eventually pursue careers in Law, Politics, Sociology, Business, Journalism, Policing, Finance, Psychology, Tourism and Medicine to name just a few.

Students receive five hours of tuition with an experienced teacher of History, participate in various group activities and use a variety of sources for information including books, DVDs, PowerPoint presentations and the Internet.

Students are taught to ask questions, make notes, mind maps and diagrams all helpful tools for reference when revising. Once the course gets underway students will have one piece of work per week, usually an investigation using a variety of different sources.

Unit 1: A Study in Depth – Depression, War and Recovery 1930 -1951. 25% of qualification. 1 hour exam

Unit 2: A Study in Depth –  Germany in Transition 1919 -1939. 1 hour exam 25% of qualification. This unit is a study of the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and what it was like to live in Germany under the Nazi regime.

Unit 3: A Thematic Study – Changes in crime and punishment, 1500 to the present day This unit is a study of the events and personalities which have shaped the causes of crime, policing and the changing methods used to combat crime and the changing methods of punishment. 30% of qualification 1 hour 15 min

Unit 4: An investigation into an issue of historical debate or controversy. This will account for 20% of the final GCSE grade (coursework).

There is no specific requirement for prior learning, although many students will have already gained a knowledge and understanding and will have developed a range of historical skills of selected periods of history, through their study of history at Key Stage 3.

For more information about this courses, please take a look at our Year 9 Options Booklet.

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