Grace Darling

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Pupil's Work (149 KB)
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The Year 3 cohort in the school has a wide spread of historical knowledge and understanding. However, the children had limited experience of evidence-based learning in Key Stage 1. Evidence-based tasks undertaken in Year 3 so far have shown a lack of understanding in the use of observed evidence to support their own conclusions; instead many children bring their own previous personal knowledge to these investigations, without looking at the clues in the evidence. I am increasingly observing collaborative and co-operative skills, but so far these are not widespread throughout the class.

I taught a short history topic on Grace Darling, using a painting as the main focus, to encourage evidence-based learning. The painting depicts Grace and her father rowing towards the rocks where the remains of the Forfarshire are resting, with the lighthouse in the distance.

The speaking and listening elements of the English National Curriculum were the main vehicle for the historical learning, as the children investigated the Grace Darling story through group and class discussion to investigate, select, sort, explain, justify, report and evaluate.

(This lesson described here could be adapted for a Key Stage 1 class.)

by Sue Charlton, Northumberland

For the painting see
Grace Darling painting.
For the RNLI and their lifeboat rescues see their website RNLI