History at Excalibur

"I liked drawing my favourite toy. It is made of plastic so they wouldn't have them in the past because they didn't have plastic." Year 1

"It was fun looking at all of the artefacts and thinking about what they were made of and used for. I learnt that they used quills to write in the past instead of pencils." Year 2

"It is hard to choose a lesson that I enjoy because I enjoy it all!" Year 2

"I enjoyed learning about what the astronauts did on the moon. They planted a flag, spoke to the president and collected moon rock. They also left things behind like an olive branch and a badge." Year 2

"I liked considering whether the Mayans were bloodthirsty or civilised. I think they were civilised because they cropped out the jungles, they were good astronomers and they could farm and trade." Year 5

"They used propaganda in World War 2 to make it look like things were fine and to encourage people to send their children to the countryside." Year 5

"I liked analysing photos and exploring why they got censored which means that they are not shown to the public as they are - they are often changed to make things not look as bad." Year 6

"I liked comparing portraits of Henry Vlll and trying to decide which were real. Mr Hancock tricked us as they were all real! We noticed that he had been painted in a way which made him seem tough." Year 6

Pre-School FS1

Pre-school have been exploring their own personal history. Each child brought in a 'well-being box' into school. inside the box, the children chose photos of their family and special events, as well as special objects which mean something to them. They then shared their boxes with their peers, giving details of their family, holidays, days out and favourite objects. It gave the children a fantastic opportunity to recall events from their past.

In Pre School, we have been looking at sharing our special moments with our family and friends through whole class discussions and using Seesaw to ignite our prior learning. This helped us to gain confidence in oral speaking and to acknowledge that we are all different and unique but can take time to value and respect each other. 

In Pre-school we take lots of time to listen to our peers and use familiar stories to help us to understand that we are all important. We also have recently explored the role of different occupations within the community and how this may have looked in the past and now in the present e.g. by looking at old and new fire engines. 

EYFS - Reception

Reception class have been developing their historical thinking and vocabulary. 

Chronology:

• They talked about members of their immediate family and the relationship to them, name and describe people who are familiar to them both in the past and present.

• They have begun to develop a sense of continuity and change by comparing characters from stories.

How we did it:

Through listening to stories, sharing photographs of people and events and talking about them. Using the language of chronology to talk about what happened today, yesterday, last week, last year, before we were born, a long time ago, a very long time ago. 

Talking about important events and people such as bonfire night and Guy Fawkes, why we are wearing poppies?, Diwali and the story of Rama and Sita and The Christmas Story. 

Using a simple timeline to place events like today, last week, being born, our grown-ups being born, and then back 400 years ago to the time of the gunpowder plot and Guy Fawkes and then 200 years to the birth of Jesus. 

Year 1

Year 1 have been learning all about the history of Bonfire Night! They shared how they celebrate, before journeying back in time to explore what happened on the 5th November 1605. Year 1 acted out the events, including Guy Fawkes hiding in the Houses of Parliament. They then compared their own Bonfire Night celebrations to those in the past, exploring the difference between past and present.

Year 1 had lots of fun exploring different sources of historical information. They took on the role of 'History Detectives' and had to find the 'evidence' (source) which supported the facts.

Year 2

Year 2 have learnt all about the Great Fire of London! They looked at how we know that the fire happened, exploring lots of different historical sources. They investigated why the fire spread so quickly and burned down so many houses, as well as finding out about how they fought the fire. It was very different to today's fire brigade's equipment, especially their fire engine! They were lucky enough to handle artefacts from Nantwich Museum to learn about what life was like in Nantwich at the time of their great fire in 1538. They enjoyed a visit to the museum to learn more about the Great Fire of Nantwich and visit places which were affected all those years ago!

Year 2 had an 'out of this world' time learning all about the moon landing. Their journey began by exploring how we know there was a moon landing at all. They interrogated different sources to see what information they could learn from them. Next, they were introduced to the astronauts and explored the life of Neil Armstrong, considering why they all risked their lives to go to the moon. One of the most exciting lessons was learning about the events in the moon landing. After watching footage of the moon landing, they ordered photos from the event in the correct order and added captions to explain what was going on. Then they looked in more detail at what the astronauts did whilst on the moon. To finish the topic, Year 2 were introduced to another explorer, Christopher Columbus. After learning about his life and achievements, they compared and contrasted the two significant figures.

Year 3

Year 3 journeyed all the way to prehistoric times to explore the period from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. They learnt that life in the Stone Age changed significantly as people moved from being hunter-gatherers to farmers, living in settled communities, training cattle to pull ploughs, and growing crops. They enjoyed exploring evidence from sites such as Skara Brae which showed them that Stone Age people could fish, farm, and even play games. They also learnt about the Bronze Age including new developments such as metal tools, roundhouse settlements, barrow burials and textile production. They made use of archaeological evidence to learn what life was like in Iron Age hillforts. They learned about what daily life was like in more depth including farming, food storage, and clothing production.

They also completed an exciting unit on The Roman Empire. We compared the invasions of Julius Caesar and Emperor Claudius, explored why Boudica rebelled against the Romans, and discovered how the Romans controlled their vast empire. Through a range of activities, pupils investigated how life changed for Celtic people under Roman rule and examined the evidence historians use to understand the past. They also explored the reasons for the decline of the Roman Empire and considered the lasting legacy the Romans left behind. We are now looking forward to our visit to the DEVA Centre, where children will explore Roman artefacts and bring their learning to life.

Year 4

Year 4 have been learning about the Anglo-Saxons and how they came to Britain after the Romans left. We explored who the Anglo-Saxons were, where they came from, and why they decided to settle here. The children learned about everyday life in Anglo-Saxon times, including homes, jobs, laws and beliefs. We also looked at important kings and how small kingdoms were formed, helping pupils understand how England began to take shape during this period.

As part of 'No Pen Day', Year 4 explored the impact of the introduction of the railway on lots of different people during the Victorian times. Using a concept cartoon, they debated who would be most affected and explored both the positive and the negative effects.

Year 5

In year 5 we looked at why and how World War II began. The children discovered how and why children were evacuated and what life was like for them. They linked this to their learning in English too, reading Carrie's War. We discussed the government's use of propaganda and why food was rationed in Britain.

During our visit to RAF Cosford, we took part in interactive activities, examined real artefacts, learned about life during wartime and discovered the important role the RAF played in protecting Britain.

Year 5 have been studying the Ancient Greeks. They discovered that we know so much about the Greeks because of what was left behind - such as artefacts and buildings. They also found out why Athens was such a strong state during 5th and 6th Century BC. Through research and discussion, the children decided whether they would prefer to have lived in Athens or Sparta. Finally, the children researched the legacy that had been left behind by the Ancient Greeks. They were shocked but the many ways the ideas from the Greeks over 2000 tears ago continue to influence our lives today!

Year 6

In their history lessons during the autumn term, Year 6 learnt about Black British history, beginning with the first Black visitors to Britain during the Roman period, moving through the Tudor period with a trumpeter called John Blanke and then on to the World Wars and the Empire Windrush. They then considered what life was like for Black people currently living in Britain. During the topic, they used a range of sources to learn about what happened, including looking at Roman artefacts such as an ivory bangle, which was found in the north of England and dates back to the later part of the Roman Empire. The children also considered the experiences of people based on their witness statements and how events of the time shaped how they felt about the country as a whole.

In history, as part of their unit on Beyond Face Value, children in Year 6 used their historian skills to look at a range of sources and consider what could be learnt from them. In particular, they looked at a painting by Ford Madox Brown, who created a piece of artwork to show the social class differences in Victorian England. The children used their observational skills to consider what was being depicted in the painting and what they could learn about the time period from what was shown.