How are we progressing our History skills in Year 2?

'Sequence events and photographs according to time...'

• The children have been learning to sequence the different types of castles on a timeline in chronological order. 

• Year 2 are curious and excited about the past and consistently ask enquiring questions.
• They are able to begin to recognise change over time and compare past societies and events to modern day events.
• They have a clear understanding of local history and how local events link and have been shaped by regional, national and international history through exploring castles (local and beyond).
• They have an understanding of key historical figures and how they have shaped our world today (i.e. William the Conqueror). 

'Significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements...'

In topic we have been exploring two very significant figures in history: Harold Godwinson and William of Normandy. We learnt about their fight for the throne and then we took on the role of the Witenagemot (Anglo-Saxon government) to debate who should be the next King of England in the ‘1066 election’.

We worked in two teams/groups: Team Godwinson and Team Normandy. We then fought for our chosen candidate, using reasons why they should be the next in line for the throne.

Topic Day

On our Topic Day, we fully immersed ourselves into our topic of Castles by coming in to school dressed up as knights, princesses, dragons etc!

In the morning, we learnt about the significance of a coat of arms and labelled the different parts of it on a diagram. We then designed our own individual coat of arms ready to paint onto our very own medieval style shield!

In the afternoon, we prepared for our special royal banquet by writing persuasive invitations which engaged and attracted guests. We learnt about what a medieval banquet would have looked like and then listened to some authentic music of the time. We then worked together to practice and perform a medieval style group dance!