Humanities Curriculum
The Orion Mead Road Humanities Curriculum sets out to foster an understanding and fascination of the world, its history, and its people. Pupils will be encouraged to ask and answer big questions from the world around them, providing them with key knowledge and skills to develop an understanding of their place in our world. We want pupils to gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.
As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. They should also develop an understanding of the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. The study of humanities at Mead Road should be fun, interesting and exciting, helping to foster an inquisitive nature in all children.
Alongside developing the above knowledge and skills, Orion Mead Road pupils will:
- Know where people and events fit within a chronological framework.
- Study historical periods, some of which they will go on to study fully in KS2 and beyond.
- know how individuals have helped shape our society and values.
- make judgements based on historical evidence.
- learn how life has changed over long periods of time and make comparisons.
- Identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.
- Develop awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time.
- Choose and use parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events.
- Understand some of the ways in which they find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.
- Develop knowledge and understanding of the human and physical processes which shape places.
- Undertake local history and geography studies to promote understanding of changes to, and influences on, their locality.
- Develop geographical knowledge and an understanding of the world through maps and its people.
- Promote a sense of national identity and place it within a European and global context.
- Use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key physical and human features.
- Use simple compass directions and locational and directional language.
- Use simple fieldwork and observational skills.
- Undertake geographical enquiry, ask and find out about pertinent questions and promote awareness of global environmental issues.
- Learn key transdisciplinary skills (communication, research, social, thinking, self-management).