20 replies to this topic

[Chris Higgins]

I have been asked by my head of department to draw up a scheme of work for the King John depth study. It's a great challenge as I am still doing my PGCE. I would be grateful for any suggestions on what to include. In particular whether I should stick to Banham and Culpin's original key questions or whether anyone thinks they have better alternative ideas. Many thanks, once again.

Chris

[Andrew Field]

You should most certainly include a section on interpretations of King John. You then have the excuse to show part of the Disney Robin Hood film - one of my favourites!


I've found King John an excellent topic to examine interpretations with Year 7. Using various sources you can then guide students towards a "How accurate is the stereotype?" or something simliar question.

It is good to hear that your Head of Department wants you to do things like this. Sign that both the department has confidence in you and that they want to gain a few ideas from you. I guess it also saves them the job!

The following page should also help (from the DFES schemes of work):
http://www.standards...tory/his02/02q6

[Dan Moorhouse]

Writing a Scheme of Work should prove to be a very useful exercise for you. As Andrew has said Interpretations are a MUST in relation to King John. The Banham and Culpin ideas are fine BUT if you are to get as much out of this as possible I would suggest that you consider making some moves away from the pre-prepared. That way you'll learn more about the planning process and will get much more out of the experience - though you'll inevitably come back to quality textbooks throughout the scheme. Be imaginative, use ICT if you can - and if it's worth it, be prepared to offer ideas that take some risks - Roleplay, putting the King on trial, group based investigations etc... and make sure that there's a range of activities in there.

I've got an online lesson about King John, it requires an element of prior learning but might be of use for the purpose of writing your scheme of work.

[Richard Drew]

at my school we do "has history judged King John fairly?" and we have scaled down the Dale Banham enquiry to about 6 lessons including assessment so that it does not overcrowd our y7 schemes of work but we still cover the main issues:

1) Comparison of images of Richard I and John (picture of statue of Richard outside Parliament and cartoon of John from Robin Hood), does Richard deserve his heroic image? (context - john seen as bad because richard seen as good)

2) How much worse was John than Richard had been? study John's bad points

3) Bad or Unlucky? - John's good points and unlucky situations

4) What does the evidence from the time tell us about John? - study monks texts and question reliability

5) Has John always been seen as a bad king? - historiography looking at +ve image under Henry 8, -ve under Victoria and lastests revisionist views since 1960's.

6) Key question assessment (writing frame)

i hope some of this helps

[Dan Dyson]

I have just sent a message to Dale Banham to let him know about this thread. Will be interesting to see if he gets in touch

Dan D

Higgins Family - send me your email address and I will be happy to send you all I have. One terms work on John Complete with lesson Plans etc. Suggest you adapt them if you use them.

[Dan Dyson]

You should most certainly include a section on interpretations of King John.  You then have the excuse to show part of the Disney Robin Hood film - one of my favourites!

You don't need an excuse - the teachers book suggests you use it especially the scene with the song about John being so evil - Dale also says that this is a superb start to the depth study and suggests that those that don't will struggle to get proper enthusiasm for it at the start. You need the enthusiasm from the start to maintain interest through the topic especially if it is covered for any significant length of time.

Dan D

[Chris Higgins]

Many thanks one and all for your help to date with the King John scheme of work. Dan asked for my email address to post me extra details, so I've included it below.(See my edit below. Carole)

Great to hear other people recommending the Robin Hood video because I had toyed with the idea but was worried about its value as a historical tool. Personally I love to use materials that engage and 'activate' students and then unpack them with the class to assess the historical value.


Many thanks once again. Any further suggestions would be hugely welcome.


Chris Higgins

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Edited to say that I have removed this email address. If anyone wishes to contact Chris Higgins via email then please use the email link at the bottom of this message. Doing so helps to maintain a modicum of privacy

Edited by Carole Faithorn, 19 January 2003 - 08:57 PM.

[Dan Dyson]

I love addign horrible history annecdotes into my teaching. One some of you may not be familiar with on King John - he is buried in Worcester Cathedral. (You probably know that!) However historians couldn't agree why when most Kings of the time tended to be buried in London or Winchester. A few years ago a team of archaeologists got permission to exhume his remains from the tomb. When they opened it up they were surprised not to find the remains of what looked like a king - but a man who had been buried wearing the black clothes of a monk.
A few interpretations have been put forward to explain this.
1) It isn't John
2) John himself knew he had been a horrible person during his life and that he was unlikely to get in to heaven. Therefore he was buried in a "strange" place (Worcester is VERY strange) and in disguise to try to enable him to get in to heaven. This idea certainly fits to the medieval religious ideas of the time.

Dan D
Lives in Ipswich now - used to help with the foreign tourists on tours round Worcester Cathedral hence being told the above.

[Dale Banham]

Very interested to read the comments about planning a depth study centred around King John.
The Walt Disney interpretation is an excellent 'hook' for the enquiry.
Our pupils carried out some interviews and they found that it is a very influential interpretation!
The Robin Hood myth and films such as this contribute to the popular (and unfair) interpretation of 'bad' King John. Dan is right - studying this is very worthwhile. We should not feel guilty about having fun and motivating pupils!
There is some advice on how to plan a study unit in the King John TRB.
If you do not want to buy it, I could send you some relevant materials.
I'm also glad to see that teachers are adapting the ideas for use within their own school.
I would be very interested to hear from teachers who are using the 'King John' (SHP) book or 'The Trenches' books in their own schools.

[Marta Gunner]

One thing that we are using that we have found useful is the SHP KIng John stuff from Hodder Stoughton. (These are quite new as they only came out a year ago.) These are extendable activities and they are really friendly. The teacher's book is also excellent and has all the photocopies that we need. He also extends into Kings and the country. I would put it as must have really.

[Dan Dyson]

Thanks for dropping in Dale! Also encourraging to see an author (and teacher) looking for feedback and offering free help.
Dan D

[Dan Moorhouse]

Thanks for dropping in Dale! Also encourraging to see an author (and teacher) looking for feedback and offering free help.
Dan D

...and having just received an e-mail from him I can confrm that Ian Dawson's been taking a look as well.

[Dan Dyson]

I am so dumb!

I have just had a year 7 class. We are doing King John - the Dale Banham book. We have just got to the section on contemporary evidence where they have to suggest a piece of music to represent John's character.

I have just given them some practice time in class and a homework to perform - sing, hum, or "intro round" (as in Nevermind the Buzzcocks) their chosen piece in tomorrows lesson. When the inspectors may be in.

I have also suggested for the more confident that they might like to add dance to their performance.

Pupils are very excited at this. It could go very horribly wrong!

I suppose it brings reality to the term of "all singing all dancing lessons" for the inspections.

Will let you all know how this goes - suspect it will sink - at least it can't be any worse than I am dreading.

Will also post this in the An inspector calls thread.

[Andrew Field]

Excellent - remember this is exactly what the inspectors want to see - dynamic history teaching with risks being taken. Perhaps as a backup you could have a CD ready with some music you feel is appropriate than can then lead into some analysis. Also really highlight the cross-curricular links inherent in this lesson. For Year 7 music most schools cover 'instruments of the orchestra' which involves studying the use of different instruments to produce different effects and feelings.

[Dan Dyson]

The pupils want me to do one too - I'm going to be slightly chicken and have a CD backing me up as they can work in groups and go for the Wonderstuff's Give Give Give me More More More, or It's yer Money I'm after Baby. They won't know it but at least I'll be rockin!

History Rocks soon - just had a practice..... oh dear!