Resource #V111181

Précis

This is a History resource which engages students with the History of the Solent and the surrounding area. It will also allow them to explore the theme of ?Weapons Through Time? from the fifteenth to the twenty first centuries, should teachers wish. Students will see how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. The resource pack will give students the content and the context to develop all of the ?History Skills?: continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts and analyse trends.

Contextual Summary

The resources have a consistent format making it easy for students to identify the facts needed to construct meaningful answers. All of the sites are clearly visible from Wightlink Ferries and this will make it much easier for students to understand how each site worked. Four of the sites have sheets that are set out with a specific focus on military technology. The sheets are placed in order as seen from the vessel from Portsmouth.

Curriculum Relevance

History → History Study → Aspect or theme in British History

Implementation

The first activity is to identify what can be seen while they are on the crossing, this covers a range of visible sites. There is a simple matching activity for the crossings from Portsmouth. The students draw a line from the picture to the description of the feature. To check they have really been looking they then need to ring if it is on the Mainland, in the Solent or on the Island. There is then a second sheet that focuses on the military technology features of what can be seen. It is a simple tick box exercise that can be done with a clipboard but will generate plenty of discussion. There are information sheets that have more information about each of the sites that can be seen. Each sheet begins with a photograph of what the site looks like from the ferry. There is a description of the site, some historic context, what innovation it shows in terms of military technology and then how it is used today. To link with the Geography work, the students could be asked to identify these features on the OS map.

Key Skills Practised

• understanding and identifying continuity and change
• considering cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance
• making connections
• drawing contrasts
• analysing trends

Learning Opportunities

Pre-Visit

Students will think about weaponry and undertake tasks such as listing all the weapons they can think of: a stone, spear, bows & arrows, sword, cannon, guns, bombs and so on. They will begin to understand chronological order, understand context and the types of weaponry they might see evidence of around them. They can also look more generally at the other sites seen from the ferry, gaining historical context and a wider understanding of local history.

On Site

Students will make observations from the ferry in order to identify what can be seen while they are on the crossing. They will engage with specific locations and can also identify key weaponry-related aspects of these locations, where relevant.

Post-Visit

Post-visit questions are provided in the pack; they are colour coded to indicate the level of difficulty . Students could begin each answer with a group discussion, so that they remind themselves of the sites, what they looked like and how they worked. This will give them the information they will use. To help construct their answer they can use the following plan: » What point are they going to make » What evidence or facts are they going to use » How will they explain their answer. Students could use all the information they have gathered to produce a poster of one of the sites to explain: what the site it, how it was used and how it is related to the other sites. They could include the site chosen by the school for their local study. These posters could then be placed on a timeline around the classroom, or turned into a larger project.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to identify the common features of a military site. Students will gain an understanding of local history in the Solent area. Students will have the facts to develop their use of the history skills. Students will develop speaking, listening and presentation skills.