Humanities
Humanities is delivered following the National Curriculum and we are passionate about the teaching and learning of Humanities across the school. Humanities covers the teaching of Geography, History and Religious Education.
At Collingwood we want our pupils to leave us with the knowledge and skills that they need to understand the world that they live in. It is this world that they will need to use and engage with. We want our pupils to learn to cherish and appreciate the diverse world around them, to make choices that sustain it and make a positive difference.
“People must feel that the natural world is important and valuable and beautiful and wonderful and an amazement and a pleasure” – David Attenborough
Humanities subjects are about how people if different cultures and societies relate to each other and the world in which we live, or in which people have lived in the past, providing a means by which pupils can apply their understanding of it in personal, local, national and global contexts. At Collingwood we aim to develop the skills and understanding needed to equip young people to play an active, well-informed role in the community, and prepare them for further education in the world of work in a rich range of fields.
At Collingwood, our learning activities are chosen to engage, challenge and motivate our pupils. We match our teaching to the needs of our learners and activities are designed so that pupils of all abilities can maximise their learning. A range of teaching techniques are used to accommodate the individual difference in learning
styles, interest and aptitude. Activities are planned to ensure the most able pupils are stretched and that those who are struggling are fully supported.
The pupils are able to access ASDAN short courses in both History and Geography.
Humanities Curriculum Overview
Humanities Curriculum Topics
Humanities in Primary
In Key Stage 1 pupils learn about the following themes: What is Geography, Our school and the local area, Weather, Explorers, Travel and Transport followed by Why Do We Love Being Beside the Seaside, Oceans and Seas, Sappho the Destruction of Pompeii, Florence Nightingale and finally Everyday Materials & Let’s Build
In Key stage 2 our pupils learn about earthquakes, the Stone Age, Beyond the Magic Kingdom, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
Humanities in Year 7
3.1 What does it mean for Christians to believe in God as Trinity? (God)
What do Christians mean by God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, using evidence from Bible texts. Make links between the concept of
Trinity and the roles and actions of God through the ‘big story’ of the Bible. Give examples of how the Christian community respond to
the idea of God as Trinity.
3.8 The Buddha: how and why do his experiences and teachings have meaning for people
today?
Describe how the life of the Buddha led to his teachings (dharma / dhamma). Dharma, Noble Truths, Wheel of Life. Examining
Buddhist practice today, how do Buddhists connect teaching and practice.
Humanities in Year 8
3.18 How can people express the spiritual through the arts?
What is ‘the spiritual’? itWhy are music and art important ways of expressing ‘the spiritual’. Examining the spiritual and arts in Sikhism,
Islam, Christianity and Judaism
3.10 What is good and what is challenging about being a Muslim teenager in Britain today?
.What is ‘British Islam’? Positive and negative portrayals of Islam in the UKWhat is ‘Islamophobia’?
Humanities in Year 9
3.12 How are Sikh teachings on equality and service put into practice today?
Explain some key beliefs about God and the Gurus, Guru Nanak’s main teachings, the importance of the gurdwara in Sikh life, what does
it mean for a Sikh to be part of the Khalsa. Sikh duties and what Sikhs might need to do to progress through the stages of life.
3.13 What difference does it make to be non-religious in Britain today?
What is meant by the terms atheist and agnostic, reasons for non-religious views, how non-religious people might decide to live, is
science a source of authority for nonreligious people.
Humanities in Key Stage 4
Geography: Holidays
Producing a leaflet on three holiday destinations; investigating the positive and negative pints about a tourist destination; produce a holiday brochure on a UK seaside resort; investigating different types of holidays; investigate the places that overseas visitors would like to go in the UK; investigate the work of the Regional Tourist Board in Northumberland.
Geography: Physical Processes
What is weathering? Why do earthquakes happen? What modern methods are used to construct earthquake proof buildings; how can the school grounds be improved? Visit a local area of natural beauty and consider why people go there
History: European History
Choose a leader from Europe and create a mind map of their achievement; looking at photographs of cities in Europe and describing similarities and differences; investigating how WW1 or WW2 affected people in European countries; design and make a memorial to remember a key event in the history of Europe; watch a film about an event in European history, and write and publish a review of the film; study a painting of a European leader and talk about hoe the artist portrayed them in a positive light.
British History: Our Island Story
Studying a British monarch and describe key events in their reign; comparing ways in which a famous British person or event has been portrayed in recent representations; exploring images on the current British bank notes; examine paintings of a British monarch and their symbolism; exploring the history of the Union Flag.
Beliefs and Values
Positive and negative peer pressure; the concepts of uniqueness, personal qualities and making a positive contribution; moral decisions are complex and choices have consequence; people have religious and non-religious beliefs, and that these views affect moral decisions; recognise that we live in a multicultural society where everybody matters.
The Environment
Recognise that we all affect the environment; understand global warming and its importance; understand how human activity contributes to global warming; understand that people with similar views form environmental action groups; understand that there is a huge amount of natural energy that we can use.