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History

History at Leeds West Academy

At Leeds West Academy we know students enjoy the study of History and we are passionate about offering a dynamic curriculum that enhances our students' understanding of the world they see around them.

Our five key aims are:

  • To fuel and ignite student passion for history; the challenge, the wonder and the excitement
  • To encourage open, enquiring minds to challenge their and others' opinions bravely
  • To use the study of history as a powerful vehicle for transferable skill development
  • To use historical enquiries to develop independent learning
  • To help students make good progress and gain external accreditation in History

 Key Stage 3 - Year 7 Curriculum 

Year 7

Topic  Learning Outcomes
What is history? Roman Britain
  • To develop key disciplinary concepts such as chronology, change and continuity, cause and consequence, significance, historical interpretations, source analysis, similarity and difference.
  • To develop key knowledge of the impact of Roman rule on Britain

The Silk Roads - How did the Silk Roads shape the world?

  • To analyse the significance of Baghdad and the spread of ideas on the Silk Roads
  • To analyse the significance of Genghis Khan
  • To analyse historical interpretations of Genghis Khan

Norman England - To what extent did the Normans bring a ‘truck load of trouble’?

  • To analyse the causes and consequences of the Battle of Hastings
  • To analyse the causes and consequences of Norman rule
  • To analyse similarity and difference between Norman England and Medieval Baghdad

Medieval England - How ‘merry’ was medieval England?

  • To explain the causes, events and consequences of the Black Death
  • To explain the causes, events and consequences of the Peasant’s Revolt
  • To analyse whether medieval England can be described as ‘merry’

‘Damsels in Distress?’ – how well does this describe medieval women?

  • To analyse the position of women in Medieval society
  • To analyse the significance of females from the medieval period

Medieval Monarchs - Who had the power in medieval England?

  • To analyse the causes and consequences of Thomas Beckett’s murder
  • To analyse the personality of King John – was he useless or unlucky?
  • To analyse the significance of the Magna Carta

Why was Mansa Musa the greatest Mansa of Mali?

  • To analyse the causes and consequences of Mansa Musa’s rule
  • To analyse historical interpretation about the significance of Mansa Musa

Why is the Tudor period known as a religious rollercoaster?

  •  To assess the role of religion in Tudor England
  • To analyse the causes and consequences of the reformation in England
  • To analyse historical interpretation about Queen Mary I

Elizabeth I – was it the age of

Gloriana?

  • To assess the success of Elizabeth I’s reign
  • To analyse the success of Elizabeth I’s Middle Way
  • To analyse the causes, events, and consequences of the Spanish Armada

Who turned the world upside down during Stuart England?

  • To analyse the causes and consequences of the Civil War
  • To analyse the significance of the death of King Charles I

Key Stage 3 - Year 8 Curriculum 

Year 8

 Topic

Learning Outcomes

The British Empire – How similar was the experience of the colonised in Africa, India and Australia?

  • To describe the experiences of the colonised in Africa, India and Australia
  • To assess how similar the experiences of the colonised was in these countries
  • To analyse how Britain justified its empire

The Industrial Revolution – To what extent was the Industrial Revolution “Liberty’s Dawn”?

  • To analyse the changes and continuities and changes from early modern to industrial England
  • To analyse historical interpretations about the extent of improvement in the industrial period

Industrial Revolution - A perfect wilderness of foulness”. Is this the best way to describe Victorian Leeds? 

  • To describe the living conditions in industrial Leeds
  • Analyse the continuities and changes in industrial Leeds

Slavery - What can Harewood House reveal about the Transatlantic slave trade?

  • To analyse historical sources about Harewood House and its involvement in the slave trade
  • To analyse the conditions on the middle passage and on a plantation

Slavery – How did Africans resist slavery?

  • To describe how Africans resisted slavery
  • To analyse historical sources and historical interpretations about the success of resistance

Slavery - How did different people contribute to the end of the Transatlantic Slave Trade? 

  • To explain how different factors contributed to the abolition of slavery
  • To analyse the most significant factor in causing the abolition of slavery

How close did British people come to achieving democracy in the 18th and 19th centuries? 

  • To analyse the development of democracy in the industrial period
  • To analyse the significance of the changes to democracy in the 19th century

What can the Jack the Ripper case reveal about attitudes towards women in 19th century Britain? 

  • To describe attitudes towards women in the 19th century
  • To analyse historical sources to reveal attitudes towards women in the 19th century

How similar were the aims and actions of Suffragettes and Gists? 

  • To describe the actions of both suffragettes and suffragists
  • To analyse how similar their actions were

Key Stage 3 - Year 9 Curriculum 

Year 9 Topic

Learning Outcomes

World War One - Why did the First World War break out?

  • To analyse the long term and short term causes of the First World War

 

World War One - To what extent was trench warfare ineffective? 

  • To describe the conditions in the trenches
  • To analyse the outcome of the Battle of the Somme and the role of General Haig
  • To analyse the strengths and weaknesses of trench warfare

World War One - How did different people experience the First World War? 

  • To describe the experiences of men and women in Britain, India, Australia and Africa
  • To analyse how similar their experiences were

Interwar period - How did Hitler gain control of Germany? 

  • To explain the impact of World War One on Germany
  • To analyse the factors that led Hitler to gain control of Germany

World War Two - Why did war break out in Europe again? 

  • To explain the causes of World War Two
  • To analyse the responsibility that each country had in the build up to World War Two

World War Two - What were the key turning points of World War Two?

  • To describe the events and consequences of key battles in World War Two
  • To analyse which battle could be considered the turning point of World War Two

The Holocaust – How did people resist the Holocaust?

  • To analyse historical sources to explain how people resisted the Holocaust
  • To assess the extent to which the Nazis had control over their occupied population

The Holocaust - How should the Holocaust be remembered? 

  • To analyse historical interpretations of the Holocaust by investigating states and memorials
  • To design your own memorial based on how you think the Holocaust should be remembered

The Cold War - Why did tension increase after World War Two between USA and USSR 

  • To explain the causes of increased tension between USA and USSR
  • To analyse which country was at fault for this increase in tension – USA or USSR

The Civil Rights Movement – Who was the most significant individual that contributed towards the Civil Rights Movement?

  • To describe the treatment of African American people after the American Civil War
  • To explore the significance of key individuals such as Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin, Malcolm X and Ella Baker in the Civil Rights Movement

Key Stage 4 - Year 10 Curriculum 

Year 10

Half Term  Exam Paper  Topics to be Learnt
In all units of work students will be taught how to: analyse sources; structure and develop their extended writing; revise for tests and exams; develop their written vocabulary; and organise their notes and learning.
Autumn 1 USA: A Nation of Contrasts

Immigration: Why did immigration become such a major issue in American society?

 

Religion and race: Was America a country of religious and racial intolerance during this period?

 

Crime and corruption Was the 1920s a decade of organised crime and corruption?

The Open Door; demands for restriction; government legislation; xenophobia; anarchists – the Red Scare; Palmer Raids; Sacco and Vanzetti case

 

Religious fundamentalism – the Bible Belt; the Monkey Trial; treatment of Native Americans; segregation, Jim Crow, KKK; black reaction, migration, NAACP, UNIA

 

Reasons for, life under and enforcement of prohibition; organised crime – Al Capone, St Valentine’s Day Massacre; corruption – Harding, ‘Ohio Gang’, Tea Pot Dome scandal

Autumn 2 USA: A Nation of Contrasts

Economic boom What were the causes of the economic boom experienced in the 1920s?

 

The end of prosperity What factors led to the end of prosperity in 1929?

 

Popular entertainment How did popular entertainment develop during this period?

America’s economic position in 1910 - assets and natural resources; economic impact of the First World War; hire purchase; electrification; mass production; laissez faire; individualism and protectionism

 

Overproduction; falling consumer demand; boom in land and property values; over speculation; the Wall Street Crash – panic selling, Black Thursday, market crash

 

Advent of silent movies; popularity of the cinema and movie stars; advent of the talkies; popular music; jazz; impact of radio and gramophone; dancing and speakeasy culture

Spring 1

USA: A Nation of Contrasts (2 weeks)

 

 

How did the lifestyle and status of women change during this period?

 

 

 

Role of women in the pre-war years; impact of the First World War; changing attitudes; influence of Jazz culture; flapper lifestyle and feminism; new fashions; opposition to the flapper lifestyle.

 

 

Medicine Through Time

Medieval Medicine

Causes of disease such as poverty, famine, warfare, lack of hygiene with reference to the Black Death of the fourteenth century, the spread of bacterial and viral diseases in the twentieth century. Early methods of prevention of disease with reference to the Black Death: alchemy, soothsayers and medieval doctors. Traditional treatments and remedies common in the medieval era: herbal medicines, barber surgeons, use of leeches. Common medical ideas in the medieval era: the influence of alchemy, astrology and the theory of the four humours. The role of the church and monasteries from medieval times up to the mid sixteenth century; Public health and hygiene in medieval society.

Spring 2  Medicine Through Time Early Modern and Industrial Medicine Causes of disease with reference to the Great Plague of the seventeenth century; the effects of industrialisation and the incidence of cholera and typhoid in the nineteenth century; the application of science to the prevention of disease in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries: the work of Edward Jenner and vaccination; the influence and spread of inoculation since 1800; James Lister and the use of antiseptics in the later nineteenth century; James Simpson and the development of anaesthetics; the influence of the medical work of Vesalius, Pare and Harvey in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; nineteenth century advances in medical knowledge: improved knowledge of the germ theory: Pasteur and Koch; the roles of voluntary charities in patient care after the mid sixteenth century; science and the development of endowed hospitals in the late eighteenth century; Florence Nightingale and the professionalising of nursing in the nineteenth century; public health and hygiene in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries ; the impact of industrialisation on public health in the nineteenth century; the work of Edwin Chadwick leading to Victorian improvements in public health.
Summer 1 Medicine Through Time Modern Medicine

Causes of disease and the spread of bacterial and viral diseases in the twentieth century; the discovery of antibodies and developments in the field of bacteriology; Marie Curie and the development of

radiation; the roles of Fleming, Florey and Chain regarding antibiotics; Barnard and transplant surgery; modern advances in cancer treatment and surgery; alternative treatment; the development of scanning techniques in the twentieth century: X-rays, ultrasound and MRI scans; the discovery of DNA and genetic research in the later twentieth century; the impact of the early 20th century Liberal reforms; the Beveridge Report of 1944 and provision under the NHS after 1946; efforts to improve housing and pollution in the twentieth century; local and national government attempts to improve health.

Summer 2  Elizabethan England Elizabethan government: How successful was the government of Elizabeth I? Lifestyles of rich and poor: How did life differ for the rich and poor in Elizabethan times? Popular entertainment What were the most popular types of entertainment in Elizabethan times? The coronation and popularity of Elizabeth; Royal Court, Privy Council and councillors; local government; the role of Parliament; taxation and freedom of speech The coronation and popularity of Elizabeth; Royal Court, Privy Council and councillors; local government; the role of Parliament; taxation and freedom of speech The importance of popular entertainment; cruel sports; entertainment enjoyed by the rich; the Elizabethan theatre; design, plays; attitudes towards the theatre

 Key Stage 4 - Year 11 History Curriculum 

Year 11

Half Term  Exam Paper  Topics to be Learnt
In all units of work students will be taught how to: analyse sources; structure and develop their extended writing; revise for tests and exams; develop their written vocabulary; and organise their notes and learning.
Autumn 1 Elizabethan England

he problem of religion How successfully did Elizabeth deal with the problem of religion?

 

The Catholic threat Why were the Catholics such a serious threat to Elizabeth?

 

The Spanish Armada How much of a threat was the Spanish Armada?

 

The Puritan threat Why did the Puritans become an increasing threat during Elizabeth’s reign?

Religious problems in 1559; aims of the Religious Settlement; the ‘Middle Way’, Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity; reactions to the Settlement

 

Early toleration; excommunication in 1570; recusancy ; rebellion of Northern Earls; Catholic Plots – Ridolfi, Throckmorton, Babington; role of Mary, Queen of Scots

 

Reasons for the Armada; war in the Netherlands; course of the Armada – events in the Channel, Calais, ‘fireships’ and return to Spain; results of the Armada

 

Puritanism; challenge to the Settlement; Puritan opposition in Parliament and Privy Council; measures taken to deal with the Puritan challenge

Autumn 2 The Development of Germany 1919-1991

Weimar Germany: How successful was the Weimar Government in dealing with Germany`s problems between 1919 and 1933?

 

The Rise of the Nazi Party and its consolidation of power between 1933 and 1934: How did the Nazis take total control of Germany by 1934?

 

Life under the Nazis: How were the lives of the German people affected by Nazi rule between 1933 and 1939?

The impact of war and impact of the Treaty of Versailles; opposition to the government; economic and political reform under Stresemann; improved foreign relations

 

Reasons for Nazi support; Hitler as Chancellor; steps to dictatorship; the creation of the police state

 

Economic control; control of workers; the treatment of women; children and education; the treatment of Jews up to 1939

Spring 1 The Development of Germany 1919-1991 Life during the Second World War: Why did life change for the German people during the Second World War? West and East Germany between 1949 and 1991 Why were conditions in West and East Germany different after 1949? Cold War relations How did relations between the two Germanies change between 1949 and 1991? Co-operation and reconciliation What factors led to the reunification of Germany in 1990?

Changing conditions on the Home Front; opposition to the Nazis; the treatment of Jews; the impact of defeat

 

The division of Germany; economic recovery in the West; control and repression in the East; the separation of Germany by 1961

 

The emergence of the two Germanies; the Berlin Blockade and Airlift; the significance of the Berlin Wall; military alliances; Brandt and Ostpolitik

 

The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe; the role of Helmut Kohl; the end of the Cold War; the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification

Spring 2 Revise USA: A Nation of Contrasts Revise Medicine Through Time Revise Elizabethan England
Summer 1 Revise Development of Germany
Exams

  

For further information on the curriculum offered please contact the academy F.A.O Charlotte Dowd, Curriculum Leader for History, dowd.c@whiteroseacademies.org