Assignment 1

During Assignment 1 students will explore some aspects of medieval Britain. Students will initially focus on what Leeds was like 1000 years ago, giving them a sense of change over time. The rest of the unit will then focus on the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman Conquest.

Students will be assessed through a formal essay titled “Why did William win the Battle of Hastings?” Having learned this in class, and revised independently at home, students will be expected to give a range of detailed reasons and judge and explain the most important reason.

The assignment will also include a range of creative activities like writing a story about going through the “village” of Leeds as well as performing a speech in the role of the victorious William the Conqueror.

Assignment 2

Assignment 2 will focus on beliefs in medieval and Early-Modern Britain. Students will investigate the role of religion in people’s lives, attitudes towards superstition and witchcraft and a study surrounding the Black Death.

The formal assessment will ask students to demonstrate their knowledge of the “Causes and effects of the 1348 Black Death.” This catastrophic illness decimated the population of Britain and resulted in far reaching and wide ranging effects.

Assignment 3

The third assignment of the year will allow students to investigate the slave trade and the British Empire. Students will assess the British Empire exploring its size, key features and the morality of our nation owning colonies around the world. Students will also investigate the horrors of the slave trade, considering both why it persisted for so long and why it was ultimately abolished.

The formal assessment will focus on different people’s interpretations of the British Empire. Students will consider the author of both positive and negative interpretations and answer the question:

“Was the British Empire a force for good or evil?”