History

At Meadow View, History is taught through topic-based learning. We recognise that high-quality history teaching helps pupils to gain a better understanding of Britain’s past, as well as that of the wider world. We aim to equip children with a coherent understanding of historical events and their chronology, as well as helping them to develop their ability to:
- Ask questions about the past,
- Think critically about people and events from history,
- Analyse both primary and secondary sources and their reliability,
- Develop their own perspectives about events and people of the past,
- Make comparisons between time periods.

We also encourage children to learn lessons from actions and events in history. We encourage children to empathise with people who lived in the past, and to understand how the actions of today will become the history of tomorrow.

Black History Month

Throughout the month of October, we celebrate Black History Month. As a school, we learn about some of the amazing Black men and women who have shaped our history. In Year 1, children learn about local hero, Sir Lenny Henry and his amazing charitable work for Comic Relief. Year 2's focus is on Space Travel and the incredible work of Mae Jemison and Katherine Johnson. Year 3 spend their curriculum lessons studying a range of Black sporting stars from Simone Biles to Sir Mo Farah. Meanwhile, in Year 4, children learn about key black figures in the world of medicine, including Harold Moody and Rebecca Lee Crumpler. Year 5's focus is slavery and abolitionists including Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth. Year 6 learn about the injustice of South Africa's apartheid and the campaigning of Nelson Mandela. What an amazing array of work they have completed!

Year 6

During the Autumn Term, Year 6 learn all about the Industrial Revolution and answer their Big Question of 'How did the Industrial Revolution impact Birmingham?'. They learn about the invention of the steam engine, importance of the canals and railway system. They also create a persuasive advert encouraging Victorian business owners to set up their factories in Birmingham.

In Spring Year 6 have a Geography focussed topic. They answer the big question 'What is the future of planet Earth?'. They learn about global warming and how our climate has changed since the industrial revolution

In the Summer term, Year 6 then complete another History focussed topic which is World War II. In this topic, they answer the question "What was it like to live through a war?". They learn all about how and why World War II started, and then learn about what life was like for everyday people on the home-front.

Year 5

Year 5 start the year with a Geography-focussed topic all about Natural Disasters. They learn about volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural events. They look at the structure of the Earth, before learning why volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur, and study the location of the Earth's tectonic plates. They even experienced a 'real' earthquake!

In the Spring term the big question is 'Where do British people come from?'. They learn about how Britain changed when the Romans left Britain. They learn about the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings and how they invaded and settled in Britain, and their influences on our culture, language and way of life.

In the Summer term, Year 5's focus is again Geography with their big question "How can we live sustainably?".

Year 4

Year 4 kick off the year with a topic all about The Ancient Greeks. They locate the country of Greece within Europe, and place the Ancient Greek era on a timeline. They learn about a range of Ancient Greek myths, as well as learning about some of the many different Greek gods and goddesses. They learn about how we can use artefacts and ruins to help us understand what life was like for the Ancient Greeks. Their big question is "What have the Ancient Greeks left behind?".

In Spring Year 4's big question is 'Why do rivers flood?'. They learn about the features of rivers, from the source to the mouth and learn to locate some of the longest rivers on planet Earth.

Year 3

Year 3 travel far back in time to learn about the periods of the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. They learn about how the earliest humans were hunters and gatherers, and the children look at how life, hunting and housing change from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. They learn about what everyday life was like, and how we can use things left behind, such as tools, bones and cave drawings, to learn about the earliest humans. Their big question is "How did life change from the Stone Age to the Iron Age?".

In Spring year 3's focus is Geography and their big question is 'Why does the world need rainforests?'. They learn about what deforestation is and the causes and effects of this on our planet. As part of this topic, they also study the History of the Ancient Maya.

In Summer, Year 3 again focus on History in their curriculum lessons and their big question is "What was important to the Ancient Egyptians?". They learn about the importance of the River Nile for everyday ancient Egyptian life. They learn about the ancient Egyptian beliefs, their gods and goddesses. They also learn about which other civilisations existed concurrently with the Ancient Egyptians.

Year 2

Year 2 learn about the Medieval period in Great Britain. They learn about how a group of people called the Normans came to Britain and began building castles for defence. They look at how castles changed from those made from wood, to stone-built castles and the reasons for this. The children look at the different people who lived inside a castle, from Lords and Ladies to cooks and jesters. Their big question is "Why did people build castles?" which links to much of their later learning in KS2 regarding invaders and settlers from different points throughout history.

In Spring Year 2's big question is 'Who inspires you?'. They learn about the following key figures: Martin Luther- King, Florence Nightingale and Rosa Parks.

In Summer, Year 2's learning has more of a Geography focus with their big question "Are all islands like ours?". Children learn about the British Isles and other island nations around the world, comparing them with our home. As part of this topic, children learn about famous explorers such as Captain Cook and the history of pirates.

Year 1

Children in Year 1 locate where we live within the world. They learn that we live near a city called Birmingham, in a country called England. They learn that England is located in Europe, and that the capital city of our country is London. The children look at the lives of other children around the world, and made comparisons between where we live and other countries.

In Spring Year 1's big question is 'Could the Great Fire of London been avoided?'. They learn about where and when the fire started, as we as why it spread so quickly. They learn to use a variety of historical sources, from Samuel Pepys' diary to items such as fire hooks, to ask questions and find things out about the past.

In Summer, Year 1's big question is "What was life like before technology?". They learn about how all sorts of things from toys to telephones have changed throughout history and how life has been made easier by various inventions and advancements.