Planning learning activities

Systematic planning by the teacher for the acquisition of knowledge, the development of skills and attitudes and the use of appropriate assessment within such units of work will be crucial for the success of the history programme.

In planning units of work for his/her class, the teacher should

be aware of the progress the children in the class have made in developing an awareness of historical topics, their ability to apply historical skills and the special needs of some pupils
select from the possible topics and suggestions listed in the curriculum and school plan for history, and should consider the level of skills described in the section Working as an historian. The strand units of the curriculum describe the content which is to be covered, and they suggest, especially in the exemplars, how the objectives and skills development are to be achieved
clarify and identify the detailed content which is to be covered in the unit of work, having regard to the needs and aptitudes of pupils, the local environment and the skills which could be developed through the topic chosen. Having a clear sense of the outcomes to be achieved will be crucial to the planning of the teacher’s work and will provide a basis on which he/she may assess the success of the pupils’ learning
consider the teaching approaches which could be used. Using a range of teaching approaches will be important in ensuring the balanced development of knowledge and skills and the engagement of all pupils in the lessons. The use of these methodologies and their contribution to learning and assessment are outlined in Section 5, Approaches and methodologies
identify the methods of assessment which could be used and the ways in which learning activities could produce evidence of children’s progress in achieving the objectives of the unit. The ways in which the main techniques of assessment recommended in the history curriculum may be used as part of teaching and learning are discussed in the section Looking at children’s work. The outcomes of assessment will provide important information for the planning of follow-up activities and future work in history
consider pupils with special needs. Aspects of the topic which might be completed by all pupils should be identified in addition to work and approaches for the less able or more able. The benefits of group work and other means of differentiation should be considered and the support which may need to be offered to individual pupils when they are engaged in certain of the learning activities
plan for the presentation of work and findings. The communication of children’s findings is an essential part of history. Thought should be given to ways in which work could be presented to other pupils in the school and to parents and friends, especially those who may have helped in the projects. A history day or exhibition might be considered.

Some planning exemplars

The exemplars which follow show how a number of strand units from the curriculum have been analysed so as to produce a comprehensive plan for teaching, learning and assessment.

Each exemplar shows

the relevant strand unit from the curriculum and the skills for the class level outlined in Working as an historian
the development of the unit by the teacher
the methodologies adopted
the techniques of assessment used.

The sample units include:

a unit for infant classes based on the story of Maria de Sautuola, a younggirl who, while exploring caves with her father in Spain, discovered the Stone Age cave paintings of Altamira. The emphasis is placed on the sequence in the story but the lesson can also make valuable contributions to children’s awareness of a time different from their own
a unit for first and second classes based on a study of the lives of pupils’ grandparents. This unit shows how extremely valuable contributions may be made to children’s knowledge about the past and their historical skills through the use of easily acquired evidence, especially oral recollections from members of the children’s families and other older people in the area
a unit for third and fourth classes based on a local study of a parish church. Churches and other religious buildings are often among the more substantial and older buildings in an area and they can provide the basis for excellent local studies. Many protestant churches were built or reconstructed in Ireland in the first half of the nineteenth century, while an enormous number of Roman Catholic churches and cathedrals were built in the mid and late nineteenth century. Attached school buildings, graveyards and memorials provide further rich sources for local history.
Churches and other parish buildings can also provide excellent samples of change and continuity: for example, changes to the Catholic liturgy in the wake of the Second Vatican Council may have resulted in the construction of a new church or substantial alterations in older buildings, while family names on gravestones may remain common in the area. The exemplar which follows is based on the parish church of Whitechurch in what was, until the 1970s, part of a largely rural area of south County Dublin. It indicates some of the possible activities which could be developed in such a study
a unit for fifth and sixth classes based on ‘Life in Norman Ireland’. The unit has been developed as a patch study, using Morgan Llywelyn’s historical novel Strongbow and Aoife (O’Brien Press, 1994) and incorporating local, national and international aspects of the topic as they might be used in a school near the village of Thomastown in County Kilkenny. This type of study, in which local evidence is illustrative of aspects of national or international history, provides an excellent link between local and national or international studies and helps to place local history in a wider historical context.

EXEMPLAR 1 - A unit of work based on the story of the girl who discovered the Altamira cave paintings (infant to second classes)

EXEMPLAR 2 - A unit of work based on the lives of the pupils' grandparents (first and second classes)

EXEMPLAR 3 - A unit of work based on a study of a local parish church: Whitechurch, South Dublin (third and fourth classes)

EXEMPLAR 4 - A unit of work based on life in Norman Ireland (fifth and sixth classes)

Integrated learning

Planning for integration

Integrated learning is an important principle of the curriculum and it allows blocks of time to be used in the most efficient way. It is also particularly useful in multi-class situations in small schools.

A number of factors are necessary for integration to work successfully. These include:

systematic planning by the teacher which is consistent and carefully structured to ensure continuity and progression
taking careful account of curricular requirements
the structuring of topic work. Integrated topics work best when they have a single-subject bias or emphasise particular subjects
whole-school planning to ensure adequate subject coverage and a balanced range of content within each subject.

Integration could take place

within history. A number of items of content could be linked together: for example, a local study which includes a prehistoric grave might lead to the examination of the burialpractices of Stone Age peoples, which is a requirement in the strand Early people and ancient societies. It should also be remembered that the study of each unit in the history curriculum will provide opportunities for the simultaneous development of historical skills
within SESE or between history and other subject areas. Many content elements in the history curriculum have close links with units in other curricula. The cross-reference notes included in the curriculum statements will help to identify some possibilities for practical links. In addition many skills, such as mathematical and investigation skills, will be common to several areas.
History, because of its emphasis on narrative and discussion, has a major role to play in the development of the child’s oral language and literacy. The emphasis which the curriculum places on skills such as the recognition of bias, the evaluation of different opinions and pieces of evidence and the communication of knowledge and interpretations means that history activities will support many of the aims of the language programme
using a broad-based theme or topic approach. A theme such as ‘Water’, ‘Homes’ or one based on a novel or story can be chosen and explored in a number of ways which would include elements of many different subject areas. This approach is often used with very young children. It requires careful planning in order to avoid superficial treatment of a wide range of content.

Suggestions for integration

A number of possible themes through which work in SESE might be taught using an integrated theme-based approach is shown on the following pages. Further suggestions may be found in the guidelines for the other SESE subjects. The themes used are not prescriptive and have been chosen by way of illustration only.

Planning a unit of work