Welcome to Year 7 History at Jumeirah College

Introduction
The study of History in year 7 will be active and interesting. We aim to enable all students to achieve their very best while developing new skills and areas of interest in this challenging subject.

Curriculum Organisation
* 2 lessons per week of 55 minutes each
* students are taught in their form groups, which are mixed ability
* the main class course books used by Year 7 students are “Rediscovering Medieval Realms” by Colin Shephard and Alan Large and “The Roman Empire” by Chris Hodgson  (both published by Hodder Murray)

Independent Study
Students will be set one History Homework a week according to the Homework Timetable.

Within each of the year’s two Study Units, there will be a History Investigation, which students are expected to plan and undertake on their own within the clear guidelines and frameworks that will be issued by the Department.

In addition, independent study is extremely useful and valued in History. This may take the form of reading around and ahead of the topics studied in class using the class text together with books from the library and websites (see below).

Students are also encouraged to branch off in to new periods and areas of History and to investigate them on their own initiative. Their efforts and findings can then be presented to their colleagues in order to win “Passport to the Past” points. This is our competitive, History outside the classroom, scheme.

Assessment and Reporting
A formal, National Curriculum levelled assessment takes place every half term (with the exception of the last half of Term 3, where the end of year examination replaces the classroom levelled assessment). These assessments, or “CHATS” as we call them (Common History Assessment Tasks), will be worked on both in class and at home. Usually they are carried out “open book”: in other words, the students may make use of their notes, research etc (rather than being done “closed book” under test conditions). There may be a few exceptions to this format.

Each student will do the levelled tasks appropriate to their ability and their past performance in History.
Each CHAT will assess one or more of the N.C. skills strands in History. These are:
- Describing and linking historical events and ideas and using   historical chronology
- Causes and effects of events and developments in the past
- Changes and continuities in the past
- Using historical sources
- Differing interpretations of the past
- Historical enquiry
- Organising historical ideas to form structured communication

Students’ progress is also monitored by a range of other methods including their Term 3 examination, on-going exercise-book evaluations and monitoring of Homework performance.

Autumn Term
Areas of study: THE ANCIENT ROMANS, including the founding of Rome, the expansion of the Roman Empire, the Roman Army, a tour of the city of Rome, Roman entertainments
Skills and key homeworks: the levelled assessments will include a
baseline assessment near the start of term, and a Roman Army assessment later in the term, both of which aim to consolidate and develop each student’s crucial skills of describing and linking ideas and events, and explaining causes and effects.

Spring Term
Areas of study: The Ancient Romans Study Unit continues, with work on the Emperors, Roman hygiene, home and family life, and the town of Pompeii. The students then embark on their second Study Unit: MEDIEVAL REALMS, BRITAIN 1066-1500.
Skills and key homeworks: the programme of levelled assessments continues, with an historical enquiry CHAT on Pompeii, and a cause and effect essay on the Battle of Hastings.

Summer Term
Areas of Study: Students will expand their understanding of how the Normans gained control of England, for example by the building of castles and setting up the system of justice. The students will then go on to investigate and interpret the murder of Thomas Becket, and the problems of King John. The study is completed with a study of the Black Death and the Peasants’ Revolt.
Skills and key Homeworks: the main levelled assessments here are on King John (differing interpretations) and the Term 3 examination on which more details will be published nearer the time.

Learning objectives: the aims and expected outcomes of each lesson are made clear to the students, in terms of both historical content and skills. These aims often include differentiated outcomes for students of differing abilities in the particular skill(s) being focused on in the lesson.
Students are expected to be achieving between levels 4 and 6 during Year 7.
Extension opportunities: each type of activity that the students engage in offers opportunities to achieve the highest levels and standards of historical analysis and investigation. For example, several Homeworks contain tasks at different levels of challenge: students will be guided to the level that will stretch and develop their ability.
Useful websites: include

www.bbc.co.uk/history
www.historyonthenet.com
www.knockonthedoor.com
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk
www.schoolhistory.org.uk
www.historylearningsite.co.uk