History
History in the new National Curriculum
Key Stage 1
Pupils should be taught about:
- The lives of significant individuals from the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods, e.g.:
- Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria
- Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong
- William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee
- Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry
- Rosa Parks and Emily Davison
- Mary Seacole and Edith Cavell
Key Stage 2
Pupils should be taught about:
- The achievements of the earliest civilizations, including an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth of study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer, the Indus Valley, Ancient Egypt, the Shang Dynasty of Ancient China.
- Ancient Egypt – a study of Egyptian life and achievements and their influence on the western world
- A non-European society that provides contrasts with British history. The options are: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300
Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
This could include:
- late Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early farmers, e.g. Skara Brae
- Bronze Age religion, technology and travel, e.g. Stonehenge
- Iron Age hill forts: tribal kingdoms, farming, art and culture
In history, children find evidence, weigh it up and reach their own conclusions. To do this they need to be able to research, sift through evidence, and argue for their point of view - skills that are prized in adult life.
History is concerned with chronology and is the study of evidence about the past. It gives us a sense of identity, set within our social, political, and cultural relationships. History is about real people and real events which happened in the past.
History fires the children's curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world and plays an essential part in preparing us for living and working in the contemporary world.
Pupils consider how the past influences the present, what past societies were like, how these societies organised their politics, and what beliefs and cultures influenced people's actions.
As they do this, children develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people.
They see the diversity of human experience, and understand more about themselves as individuals and members of society. What they learn can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and values.
These are the periods in History which are covered throughout the children’s primary education