Year 7
Year 7 students have started Half Term 3 in History looking at the Black Death – One of the deadliest diseases to have ever arrived in England! We have learnt that the disgusting living conditions of the Middle Ages played a huge part in why so many people died from the plague. Students have looked at how the Black Death was actually spread and why it was so deadly, however, students have also studied the many reasons that medieval people thought caused the Black Death – ranging from God punishing them for their sins to the bad smells in the air! Medieval people had various ‘cures’ for the plague – some of these were very weird, such as tying toads and chickens to their skin because they thought it would remove the painful buboes (huge, black blisters) – and students have made judgements on whether they think these ‘cures’ would have worked or not. Year 7 students have also started to practice writing actual GCSE questions – they have worked very hard on this! Next half term, we will be learning about the Tudors.
Year 8
Year 8 students have continued studying the causes of the First World War. Students have learnt what long term and short term causes are and have given some very thoughtful insights into how long term factors, such as the Arms Race, Empires and Alliances might have led to the outbreak of war in 1914. They have learnt what key terms, such as ‘militarism’, ‘nationalism’ and ‘imperialism’ mean and have studied each cause and have reached judgements on which they think was the overall main ‘long term’ reason why the world went to war in 1914. Students have also learnt how the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was actually the ‘trigger’ that led to Europe declaring war on each other. Moving into Half Term Three, year 8 students will be focusing on the way that this first ‘modern age’ war was fought.
