Year 9 History Curriculum Plan

In Year 9 pupils study British history, focusing mainly on the period 1750 - 1900 and looking at cause and effect and change over time. In addition some study is made of early twentieth century history. The course includes themes as detailed below.

The enormity of change across 150 years

Much of the reason for change over this period was connected with the industrial revolution and a useful introduction can be found here. In addition a wealth of information on the whole period can be found here in this indispensable guide.

The factory system

There is an excellent gallery of sources on how safe working conditions were in Victorian Britain here.

Spinning the Web tells the story of the Lancashire Cotton Industry.

Child labour

There is an archive based analysis of the 1833 Factory Act and its effect on children here and a child labour activity here.

Conditions in towns

A useful starting point for social conditions in Victorian Britain can be found here.

The slave trade

A clearly organised and comprehensive collection of material about the slave trade can be found here and a useful overview is offered by this BBC article. Also, an interactive map explores the slave trade and its abolition. You could also try this atmospheric and well illustrated site.

Workhouses

Visit this superb site, which is well presented and resourced.

There is an excellent gallery of sources on how safe working conditions were in Victorian Britain here.

The National Archives Learning Curve site uses documents and other sources to examine the question: Did the treatment of the poor improve after the 1834 Poor Law?

Popular protest

Try this superb site from the Public Records Office on Power, Politics and Protest. Here is an encyclopaedia entry on Chartism and here is some information on the Peterloo Massacre.

Benjamin Disraeli

Famous Victorians (such as Charles Darwin & Josephine Butler)

You could look at the BBC entry on Charles Darwin or Josephine Butler.

The British Empire

The National Archives gallery on the British Empire can be found here but this clear and well designed site may be a better starting point and there are some useful timelines here. .

The Sinking of the Titanic

A source based lesson can be found here and more useful information here.

The First World War

There are countless resources available on the Great War. Trenches on the web is very good as is the BBC coverage.

In addition to classroom learning, pupils will develop research and ICT skills by doing project work and archive investigations.

Progress is monitored through regular homework and by means of a termly assessment which focuses on key skills. Pupils will learn how to evaluate historical evidence and develop an understanding of the usefulness, reliability, purpose and bias of a range of primary and secondary sources. The evaluation skills developed in Years 7, 8 and 9 are the foundations for the study of History at GCSE level.