Radnor House Sevenoaks - Curriculum Overview A Level History Year 8
Vision: to encourage Year 8 students to develop their understanding of different interpretations, recognising that their study is an enquiry which allows them to ask
questions about why events are interpreted differently by different people at different times. Students should explore the events and individuals studied thoughtfully,
accepting that there will often be more than one answer or conclusion. Students will benefit from seeing historical events as an engaging story which leads them in search
of clues that can help them to explain their conclusions. Their evaluations and explanations of events should help them to understand more about the world in which they
live and the significance of the decisions made by the rulers of the age.
Reading List:
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Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden - Evacuation & adventure during WW2
PoW by Martin Booth - A novel of conflict and adventure.
Kezzie by Theresa Breslin - Mining and transportation…
Remembrance by Theresa Breslin -The story of two families in WW1.
King of Shadows by Susan Cooper - A time travel adventure into the world of Shakespeare
Arthur and the Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland - The first of a trilogy set in Medieval England (Arthur at the Crossing Places & King of the Middle
March)
The Kin by Peter Dickinson - A historical family adventure
Children of Winter by Berlie Doherty - Set in Eyam – a village isolated by the plague in the 1600s
Street Child by Berlie Doherty - The story behind the foundation of Dr Barnado's children's homes
The Diary of Anne Frank / Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank - The diary of a Jewish girl in hiding during WW2
Coram Boy by Jamilla Gavin - Orphans, the Coram Hospital, Slaves…
Changeling by Philippa Gregory – The year is 1453 and all signs point to it being the end of the world.
Stars of Fortune by Cynthia Harnett - What happened when Elizabeth I was imprisoned by Mary I?
I Am David by Ann Holm - A journey from imprisonment
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr - A humorous adventure story from WW2
Witch Child by Celia Rese- Sixteenth century witch hunts - a horror mystery
The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier - A journey to escape from attack during the WW2
Last Train from Kummersdorf by Lesley Wilson - Consider the events of the WW2 from the perspective of two young Germans.
Radnor House Sevenoaks - Curriculum Overview A Level History Year 8
Autumn Term 13 WEEKS
Year 8
2 hours
per week
An overview and study in depth – The
Tudors
What makes a good monarch?
Was being religious difficult in Tudor
England?
Did Henry VIII do a good job?
Why did Edward and Mary struggle to rule
England?
Did Elizabeth I control her people?
Assessment: How significant was the
decision made by Henry VIII to end his
marriage to Catherine of Aragon?
A study in depth and thematic learning –
James I and Scotland / The English Civil
War and the Protectorate.
Why did Civil War break out?
Oliver Cromwell and the execution of
Charles I
Cromwell’s actions and policies, 1649-58.
Changing views of Cromwell
Spring Term 10 WEEKS
An overview and a study in depth – Empire
and Slavery
Why did Britain want an Empire?
Was the British Empire ‘Great’ for everyone
living within it?
The economy of the British Empire and the
reasons for the slave trade.
The journey of a slave.
Why was slavery abolished?
Summer Term 12 WEEKS
Thematic – The changing lives of women in
Europe.
Assessment: Olaudah Equiano failed in his
campaign to abolish slavery. How far do you
agree with this statement?
Assessment: How significant was the work of
Josephine Butler for women?
A study in depth and thematic – The Civil
Rights Movement / The USA: The role of
leading Civil Rights figures.
What were the causes of the American Civil
War?
How did the two sides differ?
Did the Civil War really divide a nation?
How far had the lives of Black people
improved by the 20th C?
How did Black People fight for their rights?
Who played the most important role in
creating equality for Black People?
What can evidence tell us about the lives of
English women between 1500 and 1750?
What can film tell us about Queen Victoria?
Who was Josephine Butler really fighting for?
Was making changes easier for Nightingale than it
was for Butler?
An overview and study in depth – Migration and
the Industrial Revolution / Thematic - Ruler and
Ruled: The British Empire
Why were so many people on the move between
1750 and 1900?
Why was Quarry Bank Mill so successful?
What were children’s working conditions like
during the Industrial Revolution?
How different were the attitudes of the rulers and
the ruled within the British Empire?
Why was Ireland divided?
Assessment: Year 8 End of Year Examination
Assessment: Charles I was an incompetent
king who deserved to be executed. How far
do you agree?
Assessment: Interpretations assignment on
The Little Rock Nine.