learning links
On Thursday 3rd March David Towler (Head of History at Robert Clack) was invited to the launch event for Professor Niall Ferguson’s Channel 4 series and book on ‘Civilisation’. This took place at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in London Last year Niall Ferguson chose to come to the school to film a sequence for this exciting new book on how the west came to dominate the rest of the world. The evening gave us the chance to listen to his concepts on this process before participating in a question and answer session with the professor chaired by Krishnan Guru-Murphy from Channel 4 news. During the talk Pro At the end of the evening he took the time out from book signing to speak to the pupils and again reiterate his thanks for their participation and helping to make the series. The documentary on ‘Civilisation’ is to be screened on Channel 4on Sunday 6th March at 8pm and pupils from our current year 11 who took part will be in the openingscenes of episode one and will feature in episode six. The DVD of the series is released on 11th April 2011.
History SocietyUpper School History Society have spent the year creating a documentary about the Cold War. This has involved extensive research into the causes of, key events, and impact of the Cold War. Students then used that research to write their script and film their documentary on this major event in 20th century History. Meanwhile, the Lower School History Society had the opportunity to visit the British Museum in central London this half term. This trip was the culmination of a month long project on the British Museum and BBC Radio series A History of the World in 100 Objects. On the day, the students were set the challenge of finding as many of the featured objects on display all over the museum as possible and making notes on what made these objects significant. Sam Mulligan, Tev Gokensel, Luke Bradford, and Jack Meakin distinguished themselves by finding all of the objects currently on display! Students were also asked to find an additional artefact in the museum to submit to the BBC and British Museum official website, including an explanation of why their chosen object tells a unique story about the history of the world. The trip was a great success and a very enjoyable day out for everyone. Many thanks go to Miss Valentine, Mr. Saleem, and Mr. McMahon for giving up their Saturday to come along.
Miss Common |
latest news (March 2010)
On Tuesday 16th March the History Department had the pleasure of welcoming Professor Niall Ferguson to the school. He is currently a professor at Harvard University and is also a Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College, Oxford University, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He has made significant contributions to both television and radio with a six part programme on the history of the British Empire being one such work.
He chose to come to the school in order to film the opening sequence to his new documentary about the rise of western civilisation. He spent all morning with 28 of our current year 10 history students and explored their knowledge of history before allowing them to discuss his six key themes which he believes help to explain the rise of the west. At the end of the session he took the time to speak to each student and sign a copy of his book ‘The Ascent of Money’ for them.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all and Professor Ferguson was extremely impressed with the students that he saw. I am sure that those that participated relished the chance to interact with a leading historian. The series is scheduled to be shown on channel 4 in about March next year and we are all very much looking forward to it.
Year 7 Castles Project
The Year 7 pupils completed their model castles last week. Once again the standard was incredibly high with the History department having to hire the use of the Old Hall to display all of the entries. During the course of the day, all pupils had the opportunity to view the castles during break and lunch time.
Below are some examples of the castles produced by our Year 7 pupils:
gifted and talented in history
How do we identify gifted students?
We look for students who:
- Show a thirst for knowledge and a curiosity about the past (this will be expressed both through their questions and their participation in activities such as History Society)
- Understand abstract/ difficult concepts quickly
- Make links between ideas and concepts
- Think analytically and independently
- Express their ideas in a sophisticated and articulate manner
How are gifted students supported in history?
By presenting all lessons as questions we give learners a chance to tackle historical problems creatively.
Particular attention is paid to increasing the range of technical and conceptual language pupils use in order that they are able to express themselves precisely. They are given extensive opportunities to produce extended writing and detailed feedback.
Our new key stage 3 history curriculum gives gifted students opportunities to make links across different periods of history. We do this by studying chronologically but using themes such as empire and protest to make links between historical epochs.
Gifted historians have the chance to work with pupils from another top London school, North London Collegiate, as part of an annual collaboration. Last year we designed websites to on whether William Wilberforce deserved his heroic reputation.
Extra-curricular opportunities are offered to nurture the gifts of young historians, for example, History Society, Latin Club, Black History month celebrations and annual trips to Auschwitz and the Imperial War Museum. In addition, Model United Nations, Mock Trial and Debate Club offer gifted historians opportunities to become more confident in forming and responding to arguments.
What can gifted students do to pursue their interest in history?
Visiting historical sites and museums is a good way of bringing the subject alive. The Imperial War Museum (www.iwm.org.uk/), the Museum of London (www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/) and the National Maritime Museum (www.nmm.ac.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/) are a few of the great places to visit in London.
Discussing historical films or television such as Amazing Grace, the HBO series on Rome, Elizabeth, Roots or Hitler: The Rise of Evil can be a good way to develop understanding of historical interpretations.
There are lots of good websites that are aimed at young gifted historians. The National Archives www.learningcurve.gov.uk/ site has a wealth of primary sources. www.bbc.co.uk/history/ and http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ are great sites for finding out more about a topic being studied in class. www.historytoday.com is a great place for older students to find issues being written about by historians today.
Doing extra reading is the way to achieve the highest level in history. Ask your teacher to recommend a book on an historical subject you are interested in. In addition, regularly reading newspapers such as The Times, The Guardian, The Independent or The Telegraph will develop students’ vocabulary and awareness of historical concepts.
Finally, we recommend getting involved in History Society, Latin Club, Black History Month celebrations, trips, debating and Model United Nations.
Related Links
2010 CASTLES PROJECT
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The curriculum is outstanding and meets the needs of students extremely well. A wide range of vocational courses and work-related opportunities at Key Stage 4 offer helpful pathways into training and employment. Provision for personal, health, social and citizenship education is excellent and supports students' personal development successfully as well as providing exciting opportunities for developing enterprise and work-related skills.
