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Some thoughts about talking to SLT about History as a subject, including explaining assessment and progressionAt the SHP conference Christine Counsell gave a really helpful workshop about how to talk to SLT about History. Here is a quick-guide to some of her key points. Hopefully it is not simplified too far, but simplified enough to be a quick and easy read for busy people. CurriculumChristine defines a curriculum as ‘knowledge structured as narrative over time’. OK, stop there…Immediately, notice that this is a BROAD definition of knowledge. Some of our SLT colleagues may still think about knowledge and skills. Thinking about gaining historical knowledge as encompassing learning information, learning how to use sources as evidence, learning how historians’ form interpretations etc is more fruitful. Keep it broad!What does History contribute to the overall Curriculum?No time to talk about how useful History is for its own sake here, but how many of us think about what ‘sits underneath’ doing well at GCSE in other subjects and how History can support them? So, English departments may have to study Dickens at GCSE. Therefore, in English lessons, kids need to read something like CS Lewis in KS3 years to bridge the gap between English today and the English of Dickens. But, what sense of Dickens’ period do they need to have got from their History lessons before they start Y10? Can they do Music without knowing about the difference between classicism and the baroque? Can they study Shakespeare with no knowledge of his world? What are we doing in our curriculum for the child from a bookless home who may not get a chance to understand complex political and social narrative unless through school History? Keep it tough!Why is Bloom’s taxonomy plain wrong for explaining progression in History?In school Science ‘explain’ is done with given knowledge. E.G. explain how photosynthesis works. In history explanations are up for grabs, students need to apply knowledge, interrogate source material etc. ‘Explain’ in history gets straight into argument and analysis. ‘Explain’ in history is not about adding a bit more detail to make it better. Thinking historically simply does not follow Bloom as it is used in schools.And also, ‘describe’ is not simple. Mary Beard uses a lot of historical description in her work. Read a paragraph of hers and you will clearly define it as description. You’ll also know how much research and thinking has gone into her work. Of course we don’t expect a Year 7 to describe like Mary Beard. However, nor to we think Mary Beard’s narrative is a sign of low achievement! Rather, characterising change is about detailed and precise description.Keep it generic model free!Your curriculum is your progression model!Here’s one to chew on! Pupil progression is not evidenced by marks going up. Instead, a good history curriculum adds more knowledge and more difficult tasks, so marks should flatline. Instead, think ‘what does this topic in year 7 mean they will be able to do by year 8?’Keep it moving!Historical knowledge is cumulative not hierarchicalSchool Maths is hierarchical. Of course, a sound grasp of long multiplication is needed before progressing to calculus. Students gain historical knowledge cumulatively. It’s not essential to study the Reformation before the First World War. However, if you know about both you are likely to be a better historian. That is, you need a critical mass of historical knowledge to do better, but the precise content is not vital. It follows that you can’t disaggregate historical knowledge into different sub-sections. There is disciplinary knowledge (how to use sources as evidence, how to evaluate an interpretation etc.) and substantive knowledge (what kingship meant in the Middle Ages, how to define revolution etc.). We should talk about what content repertoire students need to be able to use the concept of say ‘alliances’ confidently. And what understanding to they need about how historians construct interpretations to be able to construct their own? What do they need to learn in KS3 to support KS4 and beyond? Keep it together!Finally, History is debate and you can’t debate without knowledgeContent makes thought possible! Deep and engaging enquiries and the life-blood of History. How do our sequences knit together? History has more overlap of approach between school and university study that most other school subjects. Keep it living! ................
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