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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Grade 10 History Update

Recent Work & Skills Development: Completed our study on 19th-century ideas of race, finishing with the Australian eugenics case study and source-based task.

Source-Based Essay Mastery:

Contrasted source-based essays with discursive essay formats.

Practiced analyzing source themes and author perspectives directly from source booklets.

Deconstructed extended essay prompts (focusing on "To what extent did white settlers in Australia show understanding and respect for Aboriginal culture?").

Implemented thematic grouping (e.g., political, territorial, social) and evidence color-coding (green for support, orange for counter-arguments) rather than working mechanically through sources A–F.

Looking Ahead: Transitioning to our next content section on Marxism, covering the theories of Karl Marx and Lenin.

Grade 9 History Update

Recent Work & Assessments:

Completed/wrapping up the source-based task on the 1913 Land Act.

Most classes completed their classwork tasks, human rights origins, and the role of the UN.

Worked through the 1948 National Party election and decoded core Apartheid legislation during research-focused outdoor lessons.

Assessments & Key Dates:

Book Check: Coming up shortly.

Cycle Test: Scheduled for 1 September.

Looking Ahead: Moving into Apartheid in Practice, focusing on the Group Areas Act, Sophiatown, and Grand Apartheid/the Homeland policy, before examining the internationalization of the anti-Apartheid struggle during the Cold War.

Grade 8 History Update

Recent Work & Progress:

Concluded early Industrial Revolution resistance topics.

Finished the final Industrial Revolution source-based task; classes continue progressing through their classwork tasks and outdoor activity packs.

Assessments & Key Dates:

Book Check: Completed.

Cycle Test: Scheduled for the end of August.

Looking Ahead: Exploring the rise of trade unionism, Robert Owen’s Consolidated Trade Union experiment, and early formal resistance to colonialism and labor exploitation in South Africa (including the Bambatha Rebellion).

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

🏛️ Weekly History Update!

Hello Parents and Students!

I hope you have all had a wonderful week. Now that the June examinations are officially behind us, we have resumed full content teaching in all grades. Thank you so much to everyone who attended our recent parents' evening, as well as the Grade 11 interview evenings that took place in June.

A statement of results has been released containing the marks for the June papers only. Please note that our next reporting cycle will be a full reporting cycle, which will include both the Cycle 2 CAS marks and the June examination marks. Moving forward, all work done after the close of Cycle 2 will count toward Cycle 3, taking us to the end of October for CAS, followed by the November examinations and the final promotion report in December.

Here is a look at what we have been exploring in our classrooms from July 27th to August 7th:

Grade 8: The Industrial Revolution & Transnational Resistance

Need for New Methods: We continued our unit on the Industrial Revolution, looking at how the European population explosion necessitated advanced, more efficient production methods.

The Power of Dispossession: We adopted a comparative approach between the United Kingdom and South Africa, demonstrating how the broader colonial project makes dispossession a transnational process despite local variations.

In the UK: We examined how the Enclosure Acts and rising land rentals dispossessed people, driving them off the land and creating an abundant urban labor force. This led to the birth of a new class—the working class—and the first real historical cases of "unemployment" (as opposed to earlier periods of simple agricultural inactivity), where individuals had literally only their labor to sell. Though initially powerless, this class would grow to be incredibly powerful by the 1970s through trade unions.

In South Africa: We explored how dispossession was driven by the hut tax on the diamond mines, which was later extended into the migrant labor system with the discovery of gold, creating an African working class that was not initially urbanized.

Rising Up in Protest: We began looking at resistance, asking why it took so long for the British working class to organize. We discussed barriers like a lack of time, lack of education, and government violence. We then studied specific case studies of active protest, namely the Swing Riots and the Luddites.

What's Next: We will soon explore early resistance among South African diamond miners, Robert Owen's consolidated trade union movement, and the first trade unions in South Africa. We will highlight how South African unions directly benefited from the experience of English trade unionists who brought their ideas to South Africa—further cementing the transnational nature of the labor movement.

Grade 9: The Birth of the United Nations & The Roots of Apartheid

Founding the UN: We resumed content teaching by examining the origins of the United Nations Organisation (UNO) and the failure of its predecessor, the League of Nations. We highlighted South Africa's role as a founding member—a fact that would become deeply ironic by 1948.

A World in Crisis: We discussed how the horrific human rights abuses of World War II and the invention and use of the atom bomb served as the catalyst for the UN's creation, making it clear that humanity now had the capacity to destroy itself. The victors designed the UN to keep peace, intervene in international threats, and safeguard human rights.

The Global Human Rights Divide: We discussed why South Africa’s National Party government (among other nations) refused to sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We went back into South African history to understand the rise of the National Party in 1948 and why they introduced Apartheid just as the rest of the world was moving toward human rights.

Segregation vs. Apartheid: We also explored why some signatories of the declaration—such as the United States—were able to sign it while still practicing racial segregation. We analyzed the definition of segregation and compared it to the foundation of the Apartheid system, looking at how Apartheid's massive scope set it apart and raised urgent global alarms.

Grade 10: Theories of Race & Ideological Challenges

The Belle Époque & The Bourgeoisie: We launched a fascinating new unit on 19th-century theories of race. We began by exploring the 19th century as the pinnacle of the Industrial Revolution, focusing on the dominant middle class (the bourgeoisie). We also revisited aspects of La Belle Époque, which the students previously touched on in Grade 8.

Three World-Changing Ideas: We introduced three revolutionary 19th-century ideas that arose to challenge the bourgeoisie's comfortable assumptions of power:

1. Marxism (which we will explore in detail later).

2. The birth of modern psychology.

3. Evolution (Charles Darwin's scientific theories).

Justifying Empire: We discussed how Darwin's theories of evolution, while challenging traditional ideas of power, were twisted by European colonizers into a new discourse to back claims of racial superiority and justify colonial intervention, labor exploitation, and resource extraction.

What's Next: We are currently finishing up the topic of eugenics. Next, we will begin looking at specific historical case studies across Australia, South Africa, the United States, and Nazi Germany.

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Welcome back! We spent this week checking papers, reflecting on the papers and handling queries.

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

🏛️ Grade 10: The Legacy of Napoleon & Beyond

Our Grade 10 students began writing their exams this past Wednesday. Right before the assessment period kicked off, we successfully concluded our unit on The Rise and Fall of Napoleon.

To wrap up the section, we explored:

The lasting legacy of Napoleon's rule across Europe.

The foundational ideas that would eventually spark the liberal revolutions of the mid-19th century.

Best of luck to all the Grade 10s as they continue with their exam session!

🗺️ Grade 9: Cold War Paranoia & Human Rights

It has been a highly engaging and diverse week for the Grade 9s, balancing a unique experiential learning activity with new curriculum material that looks ahead past the June exams.

🎭 The Cold War Spy Game

Earlier this week, two of our classes participated in an immersive "Spy Game" designed to illustrate the intense atmosphere of the Cold War.

The Premise: Students secretly received cards designating them either as a "spy" (or communist) or a regular citizen.

The Objective: Students had to form strategic groups while trying to entirely exclude any secret operatives from their circles.

The Lesson: This activity perfectly simulated the real-world suspicion and paranoia that characterized the Cold War era. The students thoroughly enjoyed it, and I look forward to running this activity with the remaining classes when we deep-dive into our Cold War unit!

📜 New Content & Exam Prep

Human Rights Focus: We began looking at material that is not included in the upcoming June exam, focusing heavily on the various human rights abuses of World War II. We traced how these atrocities led directly to the creation of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and examined its direct links to South Africa's own history in 1948 with the rise of the National Party.

Extended Writing: We introduced the genre of "extended writing" (distinguishing it clearly from a standard essay format) so students are fully prepared for a practical application task after the June holidays.

Admin: We conducted our mandatory online book checks during class time.

🛠️ Grade 8: Consolidation, Source Work, & Book Checks

Our Grade 8 classes used this week to solidify their skills, finish ongoing projects, and complete vital cycle assessments during our block week.

✍️ Improving & Finalizing Work

Paragraph Rewriting: Several classes spent time rewriting and refining previous paragraphs to apply feedback and boost their marks.

Colonialism Worksheet: Students wrapped up their tasks exploring the core causes of colonialism.

Industrial Revolution Revision: We worked through a practice paragraph on the Industrial Revolution purely for revision and skills practice (not for marks).

🔍 Block Week Assessments

Source-Based Comprehension: Students completed a formal comprehension task centered on the Industrial Revolution.

Cycle 3 Marks: On the front page of that same worksheet, students completed a few key exercises in the blank space. This specific section will be assessed and used toward their formal Cycle 3 marks.

Admin: We also finalized our standard online book checks in class.

📢 Reminders for All Grades: Please ensure your history notebooks are fully up to date as we head into the heart of the assessment period. Keep up the focused effort, everyone!

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Important Changes to Class Notebook Policy

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Important Changes to Class Notebook Policy

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

It has been a dynamic and focused week across all grade levels as we engage in deep historical analysis and sharpen our examination skills. Here is a look at what our students have accomplished over the past week:

Grade 10: Imperial Structures and Exam Strategies

The Grade 10 classes spent time masterfully blending core content with advanced examination skills.

Evaluating Napoleon's Reforms: Students updated their A3 tracking sheets and completed a comprehensive unit review to assess Napoleon's domestic impact.

The Structure of Empire: We explored the spatial structure of Napoleon's realm, breaking it down into the Inner Core (France), the Middle Core (dependent states governed by appointed relatives), and the Outer Core (allied states coerced into cooperation after military defeat).

The Legacy of Ideas: We analyzed how Napoleon's conquests ironically spread the very ideals—such as nationalism—that would ultimately undermine his own imperial control.

Skills-Based Exam Prep: Working through the June 2025 past paper, students practiced placing sources in context, evaluating differing historical perspectives, and analyzing statistical graphs. We closed the week with a fascinating comparative debate on the "Dark Enlightenment" versus the traditional values of the French Revolution.

Note for Grade 10 Parents: A minor error was identified in the answer key for one of our recent multiple-choice quizzes. A clarification note has been posted on Teams, and a printed errata sheet will be provided to students in class.

Grade 9: Reflection and Human Rights Foundations

The Grade 9s split their time between evaluating their recent test performances and venturing into new historical territory.

Cycle Test Reflection: Almost all classes (with the final group finishing next week) have gone through their returned cycle tests and completed their reflection forms to target areas for individual growth.

Fascist State Recap: Students consolidated their understanding of how daily life changed under totalitarian rule, analyzing the suppression of civil liberties and the treatment of political opposition.

The History of Human Rights: We initiated our background study for the upcoming United Nations unit. This began with a sobering evaluation of historical human rights violations, starting with a source-based primary pack on the Holocaust and the legacy of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Global Perspectives: Moving forward, we will expand this comparative study to look at Japanese wartime atrocities and eventual Allied actions.

Grade 8: Industrial Foundations & Source Competency

Our Grade 8 students are building great momentum as they explore the roots of the modern economic world.

The Pre-Industrial World: Students began looking at life before the rise of the factory system. They put their analytical skills to work by writing an extended paragraph addressing the core question: “What was the economy like before factories?”

Colonialism & Propaganda: Classes wrapped up their units on either the pace or the long-term consequences of colonialism. They also explored the theory of historical propaganda, testing their skills with an impromptu classroom quiz.

Evaluating Evidence: We introduced critical conventions for evaluating the strengths and limitations of distinct source mediums, including official documents, oral histories, and historical newspapers.

Cycle Test Review: Three classes successfully completed their formal cycle test reviews this week, with the remaining two scheduled to finish early next week.

Celebrating Outdoor Learning

In celebration of International Outdoor Classroom Day this Friday, several history classes transitioned to outdoor spaces! Grade 8 students used the opportunity to complete their pre-industrial writing tasks in the fresh air, while the Grade 9s tackled an immersive source pack centered on the global impact of World War II.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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History games on Steam

Dear History Students

I just wanted to share some of the games I found on Steam. They are award-winning games (accuracy, relevance) that focus on some of the themes we cover in History and/or reinforce History skills and theory in a fun way. See image above.

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

🏛️ Weekly History Update!

Hello Parents and Students! Here is a recap of what we have been working on in History this week, along with a look at what is coming up next.

Grade 8: The Industrial Revolution and AI Revision Skills

New Topic: We have officially started our unit on the Industrial Revolution (Cycle 2, Module 2). We used a fun 'Flocabulary' rap video to introduce the topic. We explored what the economy looked like before factories, focusing on its agricultural nature, the feudal system, and how land ownership determined socio-political power. We also looked at the Agricultural Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries, discussing how the population explosion in Europe increased demand and put pressure on production methods to improve and expand.

Study Skills & Tech Integration: Two of the classes cashed in their "snack and chat" saved-up minutes this week! During this time, they had a special lesson on how to use AI responsibly as a study tool. I showed them how to take photos of their class notebooks and convert those notes into multiple-choice quizzes, fill-in-the-blank exercises, true/false questions, mnemonics, rhymes, and even short dramatic scripts for those who like to act out their work. This was a great way to demonstrate that AI can be used for very positive, educational purposes.

Grade 9: WWII Statistics, Nuclear Impact, and Focus Groups

Content & Videos: Depending on the class, some students are finishing up our unit on Germany as a fascist state, while others have begun engaging with two very exciting World War II videos.

The first is an award-winning interactive video from 2015 dealing with WWII statistics, which introduced students to using statistics as secondary historical sources. The interactive version will be made available for students to explore from different perspectives in their own time.

The second video is a Japanese artist's representation of every nuclear explosion in history, from the first test in the Nevada desert to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We used this to discuss the impact of the atom bomb on international relations, the creation of the first superpowers, the long-term effects of the Cold War, and the current global security situation. Students were also introduced to modern hypersonic nuclear weapons and their destructive power through simulations.

Upcoming: Once these units are complete, we will be shifting our focus entirely to examination revision.

Special Activity: A student teacher also took some of the Grade 9s outside for focus group discussions, which were pre-approved by Miss Williams.

Grade 10: Napoleon's Reforms and Essay Feedback

Content: We have been exploring Napoleon's reforms this week, completing a new reading every single day. We reached our fourth and final reading today. Next week, we will continue adding these reforms to our A3 summary sheet tables so students have an immediate, comprehensive overview of the reforms under different categories.

Assessments: The discursive essays and marking guidelines have been returned to the students. I have also taken photographs of their essays and will be uploading those with specific, individualized feedback over the weekend.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Weekly History Update: Week Ending May 8, 2026

Grade 10: The Romanov Dynasty

We have officially concluded our unit on the Romanovs with several engaging activities this week:

The Rise and Fall of the Romanovs: We explored the origins of the dynasty and the family conditions of Tsar Nicholas II.

Rasputin and His Assassination: We dedicated two periods to the life and death of Rasputin, including watching scenes from a film featuring the actor who played Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films (Alan Rickman).

Weakening the Tsar's Position: We reviewed the impact of the Russo-Japanese War, Bloody Sunday, and the role of the Duma.

Student-Led Assessment: Students participated in a creative activity where they designed their own discursive essay and extended writing questions, gaining insight into the principles of assessment design.

Grade 9: Transformation and Resistance

Progress in Grade 9 varied by class, focusing on Germany under the Nazi regime:

The Transformation of Germany: Several classes began a consolidated overview of how Germany changed under Nazi rule.

Resistance in Nazi Germany: Two classes completed their study on the various forms of resistance during this period.

Classwork Tasks: Students have begun their cycle 2 class tasks, which include a series of short assessments and a book check.

Grade 8: Colonialism and Beyond

Our Grade 8 students have been busy with both historical content and interactive reviews:

The Gabby D. Mystery: The final class has written its "verdict" on the Gabby D. history mystery, and we are now ready for the big reveal.

The Causes and Pace of Colonialism: Most classes have moved into the study of what drove colonialism and how quickly it expanded.

Writing Skills and Feedback: Students will soon be performing corrections on their cycle 2 writing tasks to improve their marks based on specific feedback.

Looking Ahead: We are beginning to introduce the Industrial Revolution, potentially using a "wrap video" to kick off the topic and ease the pressure after the June exams.

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

🏛️ Weekly History Update!

Hello Parents and Students! Here is a recap of what we have been working on in History over the past two weeks as we wrap up our class tasks and prepare for upcoming tests and the examinations, of course.

General Feedback Note for Grades 8 & 9: To help students prepare for the source-based and writing sections of their cycle tests, feedback for their recent class tasks will be provided online via Teams. This allows students to access their feedback timeously. The feedback will include a copy of the task, the marking guidelines, a support video covering common mistakes, and individual student feedback.

Grade 8: Propaganda, Colonialism, and Cycle Test Prep

Cycle Test: The Grade 8 cycle test will be written this coming Tuesday, 5th of May. Please note that this cycle test forms part of the CAS mark, while the upcoming June exam is summative.

Content & Tasks: Over the past two weeks, students have completed a writing task and a source-based task. We have covered the strengths and limitations of three specific sources, as well as propaganda techniques. Students enjoyed an impromptu quiz on propaganda (not for marks); please note that they will only be assessed on selected propaganda techniques. Some classes have also begun exploring the causes and pace of colonialism.

Upcoming Classwork: After the cycle test, students will complete classwork out of 20 marks: this comprises a 10-mark book check, a 5-mark definition task (on colonialism or nationalism), and a 5-mark micro-assessment on the characteristics of colonialism.

Exam Prep: A June examination revision plan has been uploaded to assist with studying. Early finishers in class have also been provided with a past June paper and a past cycle test.

Grade 9: WWII, Fascist Germany, and Upcoming Assessments

Cycle Test: The Grade 9 cycle test will take place next week. Like Grade 8, this counts towards the CAS mark, with the June exam serving as the summative assessment.

Content & Tasks: Students have recently completed a source-based task and a writing task similar to Cycle 1. In class, we have been finishing up historical skills and conventions, the strengths and limitations of all six sources, and the theory of propaganda—students must know all six propaganda techniques. Depending on the class, we are concluding our unit on the US entry into WWII and resistance to Nazism, and beginning a detailed look at the transformation of Germany into a fascist state. This will focus on day-to-day changes in education, economics, and the role of women.

Upcoming Classwork: Similar to Grade 8, Grade 9s will complete a definition task, a micro-assessment on recent content, and a book check.

Housekeeping: Notifications have been sent to students who missed Boost lessons, reminding them to please excuse themselves beforehand if they cannot attend. The same will be done for Grade 8s next week.

Exam Prep: A June examination revision plan has been uploaded for Grade 9.

Grade 10: Napoleon wrap-up and the Romanovs!

Assessments: Grade 10s successfully wrote their discursive essay cycle test on Tuesday. They have also finished their source-based task for Cycle 2, which will be marked and returned with feedback in their private Teams channels.

Content: We have officially finished our introduction to Napoleon and have moved on to our new unit tracing the rise and fall of the Romanov dynasty.

The Romanovs: We started by exploring the origins of the Russian state, the Cyrillic alphabet, and the foundational roles of Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great. We are now tracing the circumstances surrounding Tsar Nicholas II, specifically examining his bad decisions in 1905, the Russo-Japanese War, and the ineffectiveness of the Duma, which ultimately led to his abdication and the family's execution.

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

It has been a productive and reflective week what with parent-student-teacher conferences and planning Boost strategies in preparation for the examinations.

Grade 8: Propaganda, Sources, and Mysteries!

Historical Skills: All Grade 8 classes have been diving deep into historical skills, focusing on the strengths and limitations of historical sources. For Grade 8, we are specifically looking at how to evaluate documents, oral sources, and newspapers.

Propaganda: We also covered propaganda techniques. While I taught the students all six techniques, they will only be tested on the three specific to the Grade 8 syllabus.

Content & Tasks: One class wrapped up our content on the War of the Golden Stool. Moving forward, all classes will complete a source-based task followed by a writing task in class. I am prioritizing these assessments so I can mark them and provide crucial feedback on their skills.

Fun Activity: Whenever there is a gap, students are working on concluding the Gabby D mystery by writing their final verdicts in their books before I do the big reveal!.

Grade 9: World War II and Important Assessments

WWII Content: Depending on the class, we have started exploring the entry of the US into World War II. Some students have been using their devices to research the events of Pearl Harbor in 1941. To make sure everyone is on the same page, I will be handing out a comprehensive summary of the US entry into the war.

Assessments: Students are busy with two major tasks: a writing task and a visual analysis task based on a WWII cartoon. My goal is to get these assessments done as soon as possible so I can provide feedback to guide students before their next cycle test.

Housekeeping: Some classes enjoyed a reward lesson to finish their nutrition task. Meanwhile, one class still needs to complete a graph sheet and definitions task, and another class will be taking formal notes on resistance.

Grade 10: The French Revolution, Monarchy Falls, and Napoleon!

The Escape to Varennes: We spent time looking at the royal family's escape to Varennes and their subsequent return to Paris. This served as a great introduction to our recent source-based task, which most students have now successfully finished.

Course of the Revolution: We completed a narrative overview of the second phase of the revolution, taking the students through events up to the Reign of Terror and the establishment of the Directory.

What's Next: We ended the French Revolution by introducing Napoleon and discussing how the revolution came full circle when he crowned himself Emperor. To prepare for upcoming exams, our roadmap looks like this:

We will briefly go back to look more closely at the specific events of the revolution's second phase.

We will then transition to studying the rise and fall of the Romanovs, drawing comparisons between the fall of the French and Russian monarchies.

Finally, we will examine Napoleon's military campaigns and reforms.

Exam Prep Note: This structure will perfectly prepare students for Paper 1 (Napoleon and the Romanovs) and Paper 2 (Causes and events of the French Revolution)

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

It has been a productive and reflective week as we conclude the first term and look ahead to the next phase of our curriculum.

Grade 10: The Legacy of Revolution and New Beginnings

The Grade 10s finished the French Revolution unit and have begun exploring the complex legacy of Napoleon.

The Contested Status of Napoleon: Students engaged with various primary sources to understand how Napoleon is regarded in French history, examining both his achievements and the controversies surrounding his rule.

Deepening Source Analysis: We reviewed the BOYLE method for evaluating source reliability and practiced placing primary sources into their correct historical context.

Interactive Learning: We used a narrative-style PowerPoint to revisit the key events of the Revolution in detail, ensuring all students have a comprehensive understanding.

Looking Ahead: After the holidays, we will delve deeper into Napoleon and, time permitting, begin our study of the Romanovs.

Grade 9: Reflection and Critical Skills

In Grade 9, we focused on reflection and strengthening essential historical skills.

Cycle Test Reflection: Students used a reflection form to evaluate their performance in the recent cycle tests, identifying areas for growth.

Refining Source Analysis: We conducted a focused revision on identifying the strengths and limitations of various historical sources.

The Weaponization of Food: Students worked on completing the World War II nutrition pack, which explores how food was used as a tool during the conflict.

Term Recap: When we return, we will ensure all students are up to date with units 1 and 2.

Grade 8: Mastering the Tools of History

The Grade 8s have been busy mastering the foundational skills required for historical inquiry.

Evaluating Sources: We explored how to determine the usefulness of sources and practiced putting them into their historical context.

Diverse Evidence: Students began analyzing the strengths and limitations of different types of evidence, including documents, oral sources, and newspapers.

Skills Quiz: All Grade 8 classes completed a quiz covering key concepts like primary vs. secondary sources, the BOYLE method, and evaluating source usefulness and reliability.

Important Reminders for Parents & Students

The BOIL Method: This essential tool for evaluating source reliability stands for Bias, Origin, Intention, Link, and Evidence.

Cycle Test Reflections: If your child has not yet completed their reflection form in Teams, please encourage them to do so over the break.

Holiday Rest: I wish all students and their families a restful and refreshing holiday break. I look forward to seeing everyone back in class for an exciting Term 2!

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

It has been a productive week focused on refining writing skills, exploring historical resistance, and continuing our deep dives into the French Revolution and the rise of the Nazi state.

Grade 10: The Reign of Terror & Mastery of Extended Writing

The Grade 10s are nearing the conclusion of our unit on the French Revolution.

The Reign of Terror: We completed our study of this intense period and will move on to the Directory and the rise of Napoleon next week.

Academic Writing Skills: We explored the genre of extended writing, including question structure and specific tips for success.

New Resources: I have uploaded a podcast discussing the extended writing rubric and a link to a short revision course in Teams.

Feedback: Cycle test essays have been returned, and film poster marks will be released soon.

Grade 9: Resistance and the Power of Choice

In Grade 9, we moved beyond the mechanics of the Nazi state to look at those who stood against it.

Forms of Resistance: We explored the courageous actions of the White Rose Society, the Confessing Church, and rebellious youth groups who resisted Nazi influence through music and counter-culture.

Weaponization of Food: Students are currently working on a task regarding nutrition and the "weaponization of food" during this era.

Data & Definitions: We are also finalizing worksheets focused on historical graphs and key terminology.

Grade 8: Mystery, Evidence, and Source Analysis

The Grade 8s have been putting their detective hats on to apply their historical thinking skills.

The Mystery Activity: Students are currently analyzing witness testimonies and evidence in our classroom "mystery" task. They will soon be delivering their final verdicts!

Source Skills: We’ve begun looking at the BOYLE acronym to understand source usefulness and how to place evidence into its correct historical context.

Reflective Practice: Most classes have completed their cycle test reflection forms to identify areas for future growth.

Important Reminders for Parents & Students

Cycle Test Reflections: If your child hasn't yet completed their reflection form in Teams, please encourage them to do so to help them prepare for the next assessment cycle.

Teams Resources: Please check the Grade 10 Teams channel for the new extended writing podcast—it’s a vital resource for the upcoming exams.

Missing Work: A few students still need to finalize their nutrition and graphs tasks; these should be prioritized for the coming week.

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

It has been a significant week of transitions and assessments across all grade levels as we conclude key units and prepare for the upcoming exam period.

Grade 10: The Turning Tides of the French Revolution

The Grade 10s have reached a pivotal moment in our study of the French Revolution.

Revolutionary Shifts: We concluded the unit on the first phase of the revolution, ending with the Royal Family’s attempted escape, and have officially moved into the second phase.

History on Screen: To bring the era to life, students watched a moving scene from the 1989 French production of The French Revolution, depicting the proclamation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man.

Creative Projects: Students are now working on their French Revolution posters, which can cover any event up to the Royal Family's attempted escape. These are due this coming Monday.

Assessments: Source-based tasks have been marked and will be released next week. We are also in the process of moderating their cycle test discursive essays.

Grade 9: Accountability and the Road to War

In Grade 9, our focus shifted toward the global landscape leading into the mid-20th century.

The Steps to WWII: We explored the critical events from 1933 to 1939, analyzing Hitler’s domestic and international actions that set the stage for World War II.

Historiography & Human Rights: We conducted a unique exercise on Holocaust denialism through a legislative lens. By examining the sheer volume of anti-Jewish legislation, students learned how primary evidence points to clear historical intent. This serves as a foundation for our upcoming unit on the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

Reward Lessons: Some classes enjoyed an outdoor lesson working on activity packs that focus on wartime life in the United States, including the evolving roles of women.

Cycle Test: A reminder that Grade 9 students will be writing their cycle tests next week.

Grade 8: Cultural Immersion and Historical Thinking

The Grade 8s have been utilizing their analytical skills to deepen their understanding of the Ashanti Empire.

Historical "Whodunnit": Students who have finished their curriculum work are enjoying a mystery game. This exercise requires them to apply historical thinking—such as identifying bias and source limitations—to solve a fictional high school "misdemeanor".

Appreciating Ashanti Culture: We have concluded our look at the Ashanti Empire prior to British occupation, ensuring students have a firm grasp of the rich material culture and spirituality of the region.

Assessment Opportunities: Students have been given the opportunity to redo their definition tasks to improve their marks.

Important Reminders for Parents

Feedback in Teams: Detailed feedback for Grade 9 assessments is now available in Teams, including a remedial video to help students address common errors.

Missing Tasks: Several students across all grades have been notified via Teams and email regarding missing work or uncollected "nameless" answer sheets. Please encourage your child to resolve these as soon as possible.

Cycle Test Demarcations: All study information for tests is available in the "Tests and Examinations" channel on Teams.

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Grade 10: Revolution and Reflection

It’s been an intensive and insightful week for our Grade 10 students:

* Essay Completion: Students had two dedicated periods to finalize their discursive essays. These will be uploaded for feedback before their upcoming cycle test on Tuesday.

* The French Revolution: We’ve delved into the opening events of the French Revolution, covering the Meeting of the Estates-General and the formation of the National Constituent Assembly.

* Historical Inquiry: The classes explored the strengths and limitations of photographs and artifacts as primary sources.

* Analytical Themes: We discussed the "shift to the left" in the revolution and the emergence of "the mob" as a significant historical actor.

* Assessments: In addition to their essays, students are working on film posters and have completed a visual analysis task.

Grade 9: The Path to Conflict

Our Grade 9 classes have been focusing on critical analysis and the lead-up to World War II:

* Source Evaluation: Students are applying the BOIL method (introduced in Grade 8) to evaluate the reliability of historical cartoons.

* The Weimar Republic: We’ve been revising key concepts such as Diktat, reparations, and the challenges faced by the Republic.

* The Road to War: Most classes have completed an overview of key events from 1933 to 1939, including Hitler’s withdrawal from the League of Nations, the reoccupation of the Rhineland, and the policy of appeasement.

* Democracy’s Challenges: We also concluded our look at the failure of democracy before moving on to the steps leading to the Second World War.

Grade 8: Mysteries and Empires

The Grade 8s have had a mix of rigorous assessment and engaging activities:

* The Ashanti Empire: We’ve been wrapping up our study of the Ashanti Kingdom, focusing on the War of the Golden Stool and the empire's conclusion.

* Historical Mystery: Two classes have begun a "source-based mystery-solving" activity set in a high school. This task allows students to use their historical thinking skills in a fun, interactive way.

* Feedback and Growth: Students received results for their definition tasks and have been given opportunities for redo’s. They’ll be receiving feedback on their source-based and writing tasks early next week ahead of their cycle test on Thursday.

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

It has been another engaging week of exploration and skill-building. Here is a look at what each year group has been focusing on as we head toward our assessments.

Important Administrative Reminders

Book Checks: Marks for book checks have been returned for most classes. If a student has a "0" in Teams, they must submit their book urgently before the end of the term.

Task Feedback: Definition tasks and paragraph tasks are being returned with feedback. Please ensure students review these to help with their revision.

Cycle Test Preparation: All demarcations (what to study) are now available in the "Tests and Examinations" channel on Teams.

Online Skills Task (Grade 9): A reminder for Grade 9s to complete their "Future Focused Skills" task available on Teams.

Grade 10: Intellectual Currents & The French Revolution

The Grade 10s have transitioned from the political to the intellectual causes of the French Revolution.

The Power of Ideas: We had a fascinating discussion on how intellectual ideas—like Montesquieu’s separation of powers, Voltaire’s critiques, and Rousseau’s social contract—challenged absolute monarchy.

Historical Theory: We explored the relationship between the economic base and intellectual superstructure, discussing how the rise of the middle class allowed for the leisure time necessary for these revolutionary ideas to flourish.

Critical Thinking: Students are continuing their SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) on King Louis XVI’s position to evaluate how secure his reign truly was.

Essay Preparation: On Friday, students began a practice discursive essay to refine their writing and rubric application before the upcoming cycle test.

Grade 9: Consolidating Power in Nazi Germany

In Grade 9, we examined the specific mechanisms Hitler used to secure his total control over Germany.

The Path to Dictatorship: We covered the Night of the Long Knives, the personal oath of loyalty, and the merging of the Chancellor and President roles into the "Führer."

The Machinery of Control: Students learned about the roles of the SA, the SS, and the Gestapo, as well as the early transition of prison camps into more brutal environments.

Interactive Learning: Some classes enjoyed a "reward lesson" with activity packs focused on fun revision and primary source quotations, while others watched The World at War footage to see the militarization of German society in the 1930s.

The BOYLE Method: We’ve introduced the advanced BOYLE method (Bias, Origin, Intention, Link, and now Limitation) to evaluate source reliability, moving beyond the "usefulness" focus of Grade 8.

Grade 8: The Rich Culture of the Ashanti Empire

The Grade 8s have been immersing themselves in the vibrant material and spiritual culture of West Africa.

Visual History: Students watched the History of Africa series, focusing on the Ashanti Empire, the myth of the Golden Stool, and the significance of Kente cloth.

Social Learning: Through collaborative activity packs, students explored Ashanti proverbs and gold weights. The goal was to establish a deep appreciation for this rich, well-established culture before we move into the unit on colonialism, ensuring a balanced historical perspective.

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Weekly History Update: Highlights from the Classroom

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UPDATE

- This is perfect! Having the full transcription makes it much easier to organize. I’ve put together a structured weekly update for your parent Padlet, broken down by grade so it’s clear and professional.

- Thank you, Gem!!

Classroom Updates are now produced by dictating the week's events and processing the audio file.

It has been a busy and productive week across all grades as we dive deeper into our current units and prepare for upcoming cycle tests. Here is a summary of what each year group has been focusing on:

Grade 8: The Ashanti Empire & Source Analysis

This week, we explored the fascinating structure of the Ashanti Empire as a federation. A major highlight was our deep dive into the founding of the empire and the contributions of Osei Tutu I.

The Golden Stool: We conducted a close reading of the myth of the Golden Stool, examining its "vertical and horizontal" elements—specifically how it connected heaven and earth to legitimize the Ashanti throne. The students discussed why this object, believed to contain the soul of the nation, remains so holy.

Skills & Assessment: Classes finished their paragraph work on West Africa’s global connections prior to British arrival. We have now moved on to a source-based task using the CE method, giving students a head start on the types of analytical questions they will encounter in Grade 9.

Grade 9: The Rise of Nazi Germany

In Grade 9, we focused on the transition from the Weimar Republic to the Third Reich.

Economic & Political Crisis: We examined how the Great Depression plunged Germany into a second major crisis, fueling support for the Nazi party. We analyzed the failures of democracy in the Weimar Republic and the legal steps Hitler took to consolidate power via the Enabling Act.

History in Media: Some classes have begun watching segments of The World at War to visualize the transformation of Germany into a fascist state. All classes have now caught up through the Great Depression and Hitler’s early political maneuvers.

Grade 10: The Road to the French Revolution

The Grade 10s have been analyzing the complex web of causes leading to the revolution in France.

Economic Factors: We concluded our look at France’s financial crisis, focusing on overspending, poor management, and the inequities of the tax system.

Essay Skills: A highlight this week was the discursive essay workshop. Students stepped into the role of "markers," applying the rubric to sample essays. This exercise helped them identify the differences between various achievement levels, which will be invaluable for their upcoming cycle test.

Political Theory: We began discussing the Divine Right of Kings and the difference between absolute and constitutional monarchies. This led to a great discussion on the separation of powers—a principle notably absent in King Louis XVI’s France.

Looking Ahead: Next week, Grade 10 will wrap up political causes, complete a revision task, and practice a full sample discursive essay before their test.

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General Reminders & Announcements

Notebook Checks: A reminder to parents and students that I will be checking class notebooks this coming week. Students have been reminded via their WhatsApp groups to ensure their notebooks stay in class and are not taken home so that I can complete these checks efficiently.

Cycle Test Preparation: Demarcations and study content for the first Cycle Test (Grades 8, 9, and 10) have been posted on Teams.

Digital Feedback: Individual feedback for all class tasks (including definitions and paragraphs) will be provided directly on Teams. This feedback is essential for Cycle Test prep—it highlights exactly where students can improve their definitions and discursive writing to avoid common pitfalls in the upcoming assessment.

Grade 10: Revolutions & Rhetoric

This week, our Grade 10s dove into the French Revolution, focusing on its complex economic causes.

Source Work: Students completed a source-based task on statistics and a formal, marked task analyzing the social structure of France through human-figure cartoons. This will be wrapped up on Monday.

Creative Tasks: We introduced the Film Poster task to spark some visual analysis.

Looking Ahead: Next week, we’ll tackle the IEB discursive rubric by marking fabricated essay samples. This "peer-marking" style activity helps students identify the difference between mediocre and excellent historical writing.

Grade 9: The Weimar Republic & Global Shifts

Our focus remained on the fragile nature of democracy in post-WWI Germany.

Economic Analysis: We explored the economic failures of 1923–1924, specifically hyperinflation, and the brief period of recovery that followed.

Connecting the Dots: We discussed how the US Stock Market Crash alienated the German middle class and created the perfect conditions for the rise of the Nazi Party.

Skills & Research: Students practiced their discursive writing with a cartoon analysis of the Treaty of Versailles. Additionally, we utilized Microsoft Teams' research applications to help students identify reliable, high-quality historical sources—a vital "future-focused" skill.

Grade 8: Early Empires & Connections

The Grade 8s have been making excellent progress as we wrap up our first major unit.

West African History: We concluded Unit 1, debating whether West Africa was connected to the global world before European arrival. Most classes have finished their discursive paragraph tasks on this topic.

Moving Forward: Two classes have already begun our new unit on the Ashanti Empire.

Sweet Rewards: To celebrate their hard work, students enjoyed a "lollipop session." Some classes took advantage of the fresh air outdoors, while others enjoyed the air-conditioned comfort of the classroom!

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Grade 8: Highlights & Foundations

The Grade 8s had an eventful week, enjoying both their recent camp and an engaging TruLife session. In the classroom, all groups have successfully completed the Basic Skills and Conventions section. We have now begun our first unit on West Africa (pre-European arrival). Once the introductory lessons are complete, students will tackle their first discursive paragraph. They have also been busy defining "networks" within the context of historical trade. The demarcation for the first cycle test has already been posted in Teams for all "early birds".

Grade 9: The Rise of Totalitarianism

Our Grade 9s have transitioned to outdoor revision sessions, utilizing activity packs to study the rise of totalitarian states after WWI. The focus has been on the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, with some classes already completing their Cycle 1 writing task. Additionally, an online task focused on research skills has been assigned to support their independent study. The demarcation for the first cycle test has already been posted in Teams for all "early birds".

Grade 10: The French Revolution

This week, our student teacher delivered a wonderful lesson on the social causes of the French Revolution, allowing students to choose their own starting point for their investigations. We also held a specialized revision workshop on interpreting History cartoons. Next week, we will shift our focus to the economic triggers of the Revolution. The French Revolution poster task has also been assigned online in Teams. The demarcation for the first cycle test has already been posted in Teams for all "early birds".

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Weekly History Update: Welcome to 2026!

To all our new students and families who have joined us this past week: Welcome to Crawford College Pretoria! It is wonderful to have you with us as we embrace this year’s theme, "Crawford Cares."

Here is a look at what our young historians have been exploring across the grades:

Grade 10: Laying the Foundations for Success

We have hit the ground running by exploring the seismic shifts of the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment. * The Road to Matric: We began our deep dive into the theory of the discursive essay. We also started on an activity where the students marked mock-up samples and applied the official IEB rubroc to the essays. Because this skill is vital for the final Matric examinations, we often view Grade 10 as the "first year of Matric."

Coming Up: Students will soon engage in a classroom debate regarding the causes of the French Revolution, viewed through the fascinating lens of Braudel’s Historiography.

Grade 9: History in Action

The Grade 9s have been busy experiencing history through simulation and play!

Economic Systems: To understand the core characteristics of Communism, Capitalism, and Socialism, students participated in an immersive game. This provided a practical foundation for understanding the political climate of Germany following World War I.

Totalitarianism & Fascism: After a brief overview of the rise of Italian Fascism, students completed a micro-assessment to test their knowledge.

Gamified Learning: We are currently consolidating our knowledge of Fascism via a specialized board game. While some classes are still finishing these interactive tasks, others are ready to transition into the core course material.

Some classes have started with Unit 1 -the actual rise of the Nazi party in Germany.

Grade 8: Building the Toolkit

Our newest high schoolers are mastering the essential "tools of the trade" that will support them all the way through to Grade 12.

Core Conventions: We are finalizing our section on fundamental historical conventions.

Sources & Scenarios: We had a lively and insightful discussion on the differences between primary and secondary sources, sparking some very creative historical scenarios!

Camp Week: Our Grade 8s will be away at camp for three days this week. We look forward to hearing their stories and will resume our introductory section as soon as they return.

Interdisciplinary Thinking: 4/5 classes have already completed their first micro-assessment, successfully linking History to various other subjects. 4/5 classes have already completed a quiz on the subject conventions for non-assessment purposes.

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SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ARTICULATION PLAN 2026

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SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ARTICULATION PLAN 2026

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SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ARTICULATION PLAN 2026.docx

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Welcome to 2026 at Crawford College Pretoria! The theme for the year is "Crawford Cares."

Grade 10
We have already started working! We did an introduction to the course by way of a discussion of Fernand Braudel's "longue durée" and "histoire événementielle." We explored the meaning of "grievances," "watershed," and "revolt," and then explored the nature of the feudal system. Next week, we will do a rather superficial review of the Renaissance, Reformation, Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment in order to understand how slow change created the conditions for the French Revolution. Students also pasted their first set of notes and a book check form into their class notebooks. They have been added to a combined Grade 10 Microsoft Teams group for History.

Grade 9
The Grade 9 students submitted their notebooks along with the book check form I am going to use to check their books. I spent the rest of the lesson explaining the reward system, classroom rules and procedures, and the content of the History course in Grade 9.

Grade 8
I spent more time on onboarding with the Grade 8s. I explained the reward system, the layout of the class, and the resources available to them. In the case of two classes, I managed to start working on subject conventions (layout, marking allocations, and writing conventions in History).

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Grade 10s are already writing exams.

Grade 8s will be doing some content and skills revision in block teaching week.

Grade 9s are finishing their visual analysis practice.

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Grade 10s start writing on the 28th - History Paper I, Good luck!

Grade 8s are enjoying their Roaring 20s activity packets. They will do revision of skills and conventions before block teaching week.

Grade 9s are working on four cartoons to practise their visual analysis skills. This will easily take 4 periods. Only the highest mark will be taken. Yay!

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As we approach the upcoming holidays, I’d like to share a brief update on what our Grade 8, 9, and 10 History students have been working on, and how we’re preparing them for revision and reflection.

General News

With the term winding down, we’ve finalized revision plans for both Grade 8 and Grade 9 History. These have been shared with students to guide their study over the break.

All textbooks have been signed and returned to students so they can revise at home with confidence.

Grade 8

We’ve completed our study of the Treaty of Versailles (TOV), a key moment in post-WWI history.

Students received their revision plans and had time in class to complete two online tasks:

A class test on the causes of World War I

A visual analysis activity to deepen their understanding of historical sources

Once we finish the work, we will move on to a lovely enrichment task: life in the Roaring 20s. This will link to life in the Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler in Grade 9 History in 2026.

Grade 9

We wrapped up our unit on the end of the Cold War, including:

The collapse of communism in the USSR

The impact of these global shifts on South Africa

Students worked through an online unit review task focused on South African history, reinforcing key concepts and connections.

Grade 10

Our exploration of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent civil war is now complete.

Students used class time to finish two online tasks:

A propaganda analysis

A visual source interpretation exercise

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Classroom Vision 2026: Future-focused skills in the History Classroom

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Classroom Vision 2026: Future-focused skills in the History Classroom

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I am very pleased to present the broad outlines of my classroom vision for 2026.

The classroom theme is "Future-focused skills in the History Classroom". The vision for my classroom, G6, in 2026 integrates student-teacher survey feedback, classroom survey feedback, school-based professional development trends and general observation of ongoing trends.

G6 in 2026 is flexible environment that incorporates non-intrusive, natural elements in its decor and layout. The emphasis is on maximising space for comfort and access. while creating opportunities for student interaction.

It is also a space in which digital devices enhance, rather than detract from the learning process. Opportunities for higher-order thinking will be created. This means that group-centred seating, conversational approaches will inform the teaching and learning process.

Significantly, the role of the student will receive more recognition by adopting a "pathways" approach to the mandatory history courses. This approach recognises different levels of interest and long-term goals with regards to the subject. For junior History students, a broad narrative approach emphasising connections between historical process and movements will be adopted.

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General News

Interhouse Athletics is happening this Friday – we’re all looking forward to a fun and spirited day!

Early bird examination demarcations have been uploaded to Teams – please check them to start preparing early.

📘 Grade 10 – Nationalism & Ideologies

We’ve wrapped up our unit on Nationalism in South Africa.

Students completed source-based tasks on this topic and will soon receive detailed feedback on their source-based essays.

Up next: Propaganda and visual analysis tasks.

Currently, we’re diving into Karl Marx and unpacking the concepts of capitalism and communism – some great discussions are already underway!

📗 Grade 9 – Cold War & Apartheid

We’ve completed our study of key Cold War events:

Berlin Crisis (1961)

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Assassination of JFK (1963)

Coming up next: PW Botha’s attempts to reform apartheid.

One more assessment remains: an online unit review task to consolidate learning.

📘 Grade 8 – From Belle Époque to World War I

We’ve finished our look at the Belle Époque and are now investigating the suffragette mystery.

Students are learning about the causes of World War I, broken down into:

Long-term causes: M.A.I.N (Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism)

Medium-term causes: The Balkan Crises of the early 1900s

Short-term cause: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Two assessments are still to come: a class test and an online unit review.

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General Update

We’ve recently revised our classroom mobile phone policy. While some students may be disappointed by the new restrictions, I’ve included a short video with this update offering a broader perspective on the rationale behind the change. It’s designed to help students reflect on the value of focused learning environments.

Grade 10

Students have completed a tabulated summary tracing the development of the SANNC/ANC, alongside a timeline of key milestones in South Africa’s constitutional evolution. We are now transitioning to the history of the National Party, which will allow us to adopt a comparative approach to the various forms of nationalism that emerged in response to British imperialism. Students have submitted their first source-based essay, which will be returned shortly. Two assessments remain this year: one focused on propaganda, and another developing visual analysis skills.

Grade 9

Students have thoroughly enjoyed creating comic books on the Berlin Airlift and the Cold War. This creative task has helped reinforce key historical concepts in an engaging format. We’ll soon return to South African history, beginning with the pivotal year of 1948 — a turning point in both global and local political contexts. The final assessment for the year will be a class test on South African history.

Grade 8

Our focus has been on the Industrial Revolution in South Africa. Students completed a listening task on the Bambatha Rebellion and summarised the aims of early political organisations that resisted British imperialism and exclusion in the Union of South Africa. We’ve now moved on to the Belle Époque — the final section before our concluding unit on World War I. Students will also undertake a second historical mystery task, this time based on real events. It promises to be an exciting and thought-provoking activity.

Let me know if you'd like this formatted for email or newsletter distribution, or if you'd like help drafting a caption for the video link.

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Dear Parents and Students

It’s been a long time since my last update. We’ve had lovely, long holidays, examination viewing, Crawford’s Got Talent, and exciting renovations.

GENERAL

Students have gone through their June examination papers.

GRADE 8

We have explored the rise of the trade union movement in the United Kingdom, and are now doing the same for South Africa. Students have completed all their CASS tasks. Reward lessons have been used to go through the Industrial Revolution (IR) activity pack, allowing students to explore aspects of the IR such as agriculture, the textile industry, child labour, and women in the IR. This activity pack will be used for an enrichment and extension task to be completed during the next cycle test period for History. I really hope the students will enjoy the task—more on that later.

GRADE 9

We started off by completing our final CASS task on nutrition in World War II. We studied the end of World War II, including the use of the first nuclear weapons. We then explored the formation of the United Nations Organisation and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This led to an introduction to the Cold War and the first Berlin Crisis of 1948. We then discussed how the polarisation of the world enabled South Africa to present itself as a bulwark against communism in southern Africa after the National Party came to power in 1948. We will soon move on to South African history from 1948 to 1960.

GRADE 10

We began with the theory of the source-based essay—an exciting writing genre examined in the Grade 12 final examination. It is the closest we get to practising history as a craft. Our current content focus is on the South African War, the Act of Union, the Land Act, and African and Afrikaner nationalism in South Africa.

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June Examination Session

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This period covered the end of the term and the first week in June when Grade 8s and 9s had revision sessions to prepare for the June Examination Session.

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General

Students have been registering their devices using the new SSL protocol. We are monitoring the impact of this change on access to Teams.

Grade 8

Students practised their discursive paragraph-writing skills in preparation for the June examination. They will receive their cycle tests back next week. They have also started working on a past paper in class.

Grade 9

Students are completing the Nutrition in World War II activity, as well as the Cost of War exercise. They have also received a past paper for practice and have started reviewing the recent cycle test.

Grade 10

Students are exploring Social Darwinism in the context of Australia’s Stolen Generations. They are doing this by engaging in a film study of Rabbit-Proof Fence. They will review their discursive essay cycle tests this week.

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General

Grade 8s, 9s and 10s have written a cycle test. These assessments are crucial for determining the need for further assistance in Boost.

Grade 8

Students completed the unit on the causes and pace of colonialism in Africa. Students are currently practising their discursive paragraph writing skills. They will then do some revision before writing an online unit review task that will prepare them for the June Examination.

Grade 9

Students are working on a unit about the cost of World War II and the weaponisation of food. After this unit, they will do some revision before doing an online unit review assessment that will prepare them for the June Examination.

Grade 10

Students are working on a unit about theories of race in the 19th century. This will serve as the background to the unit on nationalisms in South Africa. Time permitting, we will do the South African War. Students have two assessments due at the end of the month. The June Examination revision plan for Grade 10 has been updated.

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General

Grade 8 book checks are complete, and Grade 9 book checks are in progress. We enjoyed the visit of the student teacher and trust that he enjoyed his stay with us.

Grade 8

Students have already completed their first assessment of Cycle 2. The cycle test is next, followed by an online assessment focusing on examination content. Students have completed the introduction to the Industrial Revolution. They explored how small-scale farmers were driven off the land and became the urban working class in both the United Kingdom and South Africa. Next, we will cover the rise of trade unionism and other forms of worker resistance. We will conclude this term's work with a unit on the pace and scale of colonisation in Africa.

Grade 9

Students have already completed their first assessment of Cycle 2. The cycle test is next, followed by an online assessment focusing on examination content. Students have completed a section on Nazi Germany as a fascist state. They are currently working on a section about the Holocaust. We are using this content to facilitate a general conversation about the concept of genocide and violations of human rights.

Grade 10

Students have already completed their first assessment of Cycle 2. The cycle test is next, followed by two online assessments that are fun and creative. The cycle test will be a discursive essay. I am very excited about the examination revision plan we have created for Grade 10 students. Feedback from my colleague suggests it will be highly beneficial for them.

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The students seemed to have enjoyed the camp. It was good seeing everyone again. This update covers the last three weeks.

General

Revision plans for Grades 8 and 9 were posted in Teams. I try to do this well in advance of the examination in case some students want to work ahead ad / or start revising for the examination. This year, I will trying the same for the Grade 10 students.

Exciting news! For the month of April I have taken out a subscription to Flocabulary. Students will have access to rap-style revision videos of the content we are going to cover in the period leading up to the June Examination.

Grade 8

Students completed the last assessments, reviewed their cycle tests and even started on an assessment for Cycle 2! Most classes have watched their first Flocabulary video on the Industrial Revolution. Some classes were finishing of the last slides of the unit on Africa before European colonisation. In April we will explore the Industrial Revolution and its impact on Britain as well as European expansion in Africa.

Grade 9

Students completed the last assessments, reviewed their cycle tests and even started on an assessment for Cycle 2! Having covered the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party, we are now going to look at the implementation of Nazi policies in Germany and the events that lead to World War II. Some classes have already started watching extracts from one episode of the somewhat dated but still powerful World at War series.

Grade 10

Students completed the events of the French Revolution and started on Napoleon. After an introduction to the section on Napoleon, students did a source-based task on perspectives on Napoleon. They updated their French Revolution timelines. They also completed a visual analysis task (for marks). First they did an online version. Then they were given an opportunity to do a paper-based one. The higher mark was taken. Feedback was given.

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Register Class

Students who are going on the Leadership Camp have returned their indemnity forms. During RDI this week, the students designed an inspirational message as a random act of kindness for someone else in the school.

Grade 8

Students wrote their first cycle test. They had completed a source-based worksheet using a past paper to practise question-answering techniques. Additionally, they took an online class test on the content covered in the cycle test to prepare for the actual cycle test. Most classes have finished Unit 1. As a reward, we are currently playing a mystery game that requires source-analysis skills. It is fun but extremely educational. Yesterday, we also started a section on source-based skills. This ties in beautifully with the mystery game while also preparing students for more advanced source-based questions.

Grade 9

Students are writing their first cycle test of the year tomorrow. Three classes have played the capitalism/communism simulation game. We also discussed the meaning of "left-wing" and "right-wing" in the context of Weimar Germany. Content-wise, we are nearing the end of the unit. We are currently exploring the reasons for the rise of the Nazi Party in the period from 1929 to 1933. I returned their definitions and graphs worksheets. Although students have covered most of the theory required in Grade 8, we revisited the issue of reliability of sources and added another dimension: the limitations of sources. We will practise sample reliability questions, as this is usually a six-mark question in formal assessments.

Grade 10

We have been updating our SWOT analyses and timelines. We have reached the outbreak of war and are about to start the September Massacres in France. I returned the cycle tests and the source-based worksheet we did earlier. Students were shown what to do for the film poster project and where to submit it online. Next week students will do a source-based visual analysis skills task online.

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General

It is Valentine's Day today. And it is Friday. What a treat! Apologies for the delay in my update. I will combine last week and this week's update.

Register Class

I made partitions for my register class so that they can secure their work during cycle tests. They also doubled up as a voting booth partition for the student council nominations. I even found an old box that I used as a ballot box : ) Today students also used the Team to submit proof of payments for Valentine's Day in their private channels.

Grade 8s

These past two weeks have been most productive. We are nearing the end of our first unit. We have covered the origins of the Ashanti empire, and this allowed us to explore the process of state-formation. We compared federal states to unitary states and talked about the extent to which the Ashanti empire was a federal state. The students have become used to the "Quizzies", and they are now a regular feature of our work. Grade 8s have completed one source-based task (to be returned this coming week), and will doing an online task to prepare them for the cycle test. The other online task, the speech, is of course for enrichment purposes only. Three classes have gone through their source-based assessment designed to familiarise them with question-answering-techniques. Soon I will post their cycle test requirements. They will also write an online preparatory assessment next week to help them prepare for the cycle test.

Grade 9s

In addition to finishing off the characteristics of Fascism game, we have completed a source-based visual literacy task and a worksheet on concepts related to post-World War I Germany. We will be doing and will doing an online task to prepare students for the cycle test. The other online task, the source research, is of course for enrichment purposes only. This week we explored the origins of the Nazi party and the impact of the Great Depression on Germany. In the next section, we will explore how the Nazis increased their support after 1929. Soon I will post their cycle test requirements. They will also write an online preparatory assessment next week to help them prepare for the cycle test.

Grade 10s

The students wrote their first discursive essay today. Of course, those whom I taught last year have already been introduced to the discursive essay. The essay was based on the economic causes of the French Revolution, and our preparation for the test involved continuously updating a SWOT analysis of France's position in 1789 with regards to her economy. Having also completed the intellectual causes of the revolution, we will move on to political causes and then the actual events of the revolution. This week I will also introduce the French Revolution film poster task. We will also be doing a visual analysis online task soon. We did a political cartoon about Marie Antoinette. Soon we will be doing a formal online visual analysis skills assessment using a well-known British cartoonist from the period we are studying.

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Register Class 8R

This week we checked updated timetables, collected media consent forms, and enjoyed our formal induction assembly. From now on, I will start using the register class team for mentoring purposes and for sharing general information. I have also added a birthday calendar to the classroom so that we can celebrate those special days. It is my practice to give celebrants a giant chocolate chip cookie from the canteen in lieu of a cake. 😊 Students may bring treats for their friends, but they may not wear civvies on their birthday.

Grade 8

This week we started Unit 1. I was able to show students the presentation template I use to help them organise their books. I also introduced them to a task for non-assessment purposes. It is a Microsoft Teams Learning Accelerator task that uses AI to coach the students in their presentation skills. One of the pillars of our pedagogy is "Future-focused skills". I assigned this task to address that pillar. I have completed a source-based task that I will use to assess the students' question-answering technique before they write a cycle test. I am currently finishing my Grade 10 and 9 marking. Then I will move on to the Grade 8 task. This week we explored factual, conceptual, and debatable questions before we moved on to Africa before European colonisation. We explored the importance of not following the textbook's order of topics because that would mean starting with Europe and seeing Africa through European eyes. Instead, we are starting with West Africa before colonisation to demonstrate the existence of well-established elites, polities, and networks.

Grade 9

This week we started Unit 1. I was able to show students the presentation template I use to help them organise their books. I also introduced them to a task for non-assessment purposes. It is a Microsoft Teams Learning Accelerator task that uses AI to coach the students in their research skills. One of the pillars of our pedagogy is "Future-focused skills". I assigned this task to address that pillar. I have completed a visual analysis skills task that I will use to assess the students' visual analysis skills, one of the recurring areas of concern expressed by students in their feedback. This week we did a quiz on the end of World War I. Then we explored the concept of totalitarianism and some of its manifestations (militarism, Fascism, Nazism, and communism). Some classes have already played the Fascism concept game. It is a form of Bingo! that enables students to recognise Fascist states. Later on, we will also play a game to understand the differences between capitalist and communist states. These two competing ideologies exert considerable influence on the post-World War I German domestic political context.

Grade 10

This week we managed to do quite a bit. Students have completed a French Revolution dialogue task which will be returned next week. We also explored the intellectual causes of the French Revolution before moving on to the economic causes. Since we are doing Karl Marx later on, I emphasised the notion of the "economic base" of a society. Students did the Industrial Revolution in Grade 8, and so I was able to point out the ascendancy of the middle class. This will dovetail perfectly with the rest of the course because we cover an age that is dominated by the middle class. We have been completing a SWOT analysis form to address the issue of inevitability in history. I am also using that tool to appeal to Business Studies and Economics students' interests. We are about to move on to the discursive essay. Fortunately, I covered that with last year's Grade 9s and so it is not entirely new. That said, I realise there are new students. For this reason, we are doing it again and I have also included a step-by-step lesson in the Classwork section of the History Team.

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Classroom Vision 2025:                                       "History and the Environment" 

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Classroom Vision 2025:                                       "History and the Environment" 

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Welcome to 2025

I have spent quite a bit of time incorporating suggestions and requests from students into my classroom vision for 2025.

In addition to updating and aligning policies and procedures with any updates to the existing procedures, I have also taken to heart suggestions made by students to improve the experience of the classroom.

Some features include:

EXISTING

1) A more diverse and inclusive wellness shelf

2) A classroom library

3) Educational board games reflecting Social Science

4) A more accessible projection surface experience

5) Décor that explicitly reflects the subject

6) Decorative items made of natural materials

7) Group-seating

8) More natural light

8) Courtesy stationery items ("Ubuntu Box")

NEW

9) More plants

10) Decluttered displays on the wall

11) School uniform reference charts

12) New wood laminate floors

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General

We started the year with excellent new regarding our matric results. That was followed by information sessions and then our first Assembly. The school theme this year is "Back to Basics", but my classroom theme is "History and the Environment".

Registration

I met my register class (8R), and showed them the Wellness Shelf, their private cubbyholes for personal storage and the device charging-station. I created an online Team for my register class and sent an email introducing myself to parents and students.

Grade 10 History

We covered our notebooks, pasted in the book check forms and section dividers, handout out all the notes for Term 1 and then did an introduction to the French Revolution by surveying the main contributions of the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment to revolutionary thinking. This was followed by a fun but useful dialogue task describing the attitudes and values of the different classes in France on the eve of the revolution. We then moved on to the intellectual causes of the French Revolution.

Grade 9

After sorting our books, section dividers, online resources and expectations, we started with a visual literacy task to connect the end of Grade 8 History with the beginning section of Grade 9 History. Next up: the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on domestic politics in Germany.

Grade 8

After sorting our books, section dividers, online resources and expectations, we started with an overview of basic subject conventions. This will be followed by a source-based task to practise these conventions.

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I trust you had a wonderful break. Updates will resume in 2025.

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Dear Parents and Students

Apologies for the lengthy update. We go on holiday in a few days' time, and when we return, we have only four periods per Grade 8 and 9 class left! Fortunately, we have worked very hard despite our tiredness. I am very proud of the 8s and 9s for staying the course.

Our examination scopes have been released. Soon I will allow students to take their notebooks home. I will remind everyone, but I really need Grade 8 students to keep their History notebooks. Grade 9 students who are carrying on with History in Grade 10 are encouraged to do the same.

Grade 8

Since my last update, we have completed the comparison of the rise of the working class in the UK and in SA. We have explored some of the first resistance movements in South Africa.

We have also explored the meaning of anachronism and caricature, and we completed a comparison of the strengths and limitations of newspapers, documents and oral sources. We have thus covered all the skills and theory planned for this year, and we are well on our way to covering the planned content.

As a way of introducing World War I, we explored the characteristics of the Belle Epoque and the Suffragette Movement. I promised the students we would do one more historical mystery activity. We "solved" the mystery of Emily Wilding Davison's death.

Grade 9

Since my last update, we have completed the section on South African history from 1948 to 1960. We will return to that section of the work when we explore the end of the Cold War. We moved on the origins of the Cold War in Germany. After that, we will move on the Cuban Missile Crisis, the nature of the Cold War, the arms race, the space race and the end of the Cold War in Europe and in South Africa.

Grade 10

Since my last update, we have had an exciting journey. We explored the basic principles of Marxism and Lenin's interpretation of Marxism. We moved on to events leading up to the revolution in February / March 1917. This was followed by events in July of 1917 and, finally, the October / November Revolution. We have completed the section on the Bolsheviks in power and the Russian Civil War. Time permitting, we will proceed with the section on Stalin once we have finished the section on the Bolshevik economic policy.

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Dear Parents and Students

I am trying something new. I am giving an update and providing details of the rest of the week in advance. It is getting warmer and lighter. Soon we will be celebrating Spring and the last term.

Grade 8s

Students completed and checked a revision worksheet in class. The worksheet revised source types, explaining the difference between usefulness and reliability of sources, evaluating the usefulness of sources, evaluating the reliability of sources using the BOIL method, and three propaganda techniques. In class we also discussed and took notes on reasons not to use Wikipedia in research and criteria for evaluating the reliability of websites (in addition to BOIL). Next week we will continue our exploration of the Industrial Revolution by looking at the rise of the working class in the United Kingdom and South Africa, and the impact of the Industrial Revolution on socioeconomic structures. After that, we move on the labour resistance in both countries. Soon it will be time for another book check.

Grade 9

Students worked on the discursive essays in class. We then started South African history by exploring the origins of apartheid in colonial segregation. From there, we explored the origins of Afrikaner nationalism leading up to the 1948 election. We are currently discussing key apartheid legislation and case studies on forced removals before we move on to resistance to apartheid. Soon it will be time for another book check.

Grade 10s

We worked on our source-based essays in class. Students have submitted their essays. We are moving on to the Russian Revolution. First up is an overview of imperial Russia and the internal dynamics of the royal family in 1917. We are going to investigate the deaths of the members of the royal family, including the claims made by some to be surviving members of the royal family. We will be going through the cycle test and source-based essays.

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Dear Parents and Students

The long weekend is most welcome indeed. THis update covers the period from the start of Term 3 up to today. During this period all classes went through the June Examinations and used the reflection tool to record their progress.

The students teacher has also offered Grade 9 lessons covering Human Rights and the unit on South African history.

Grade 10

The 10s have been working very hard on their source-based essays. The source-based essay is the closest we get to being actual historians in the course. The cycle test was a piece of extended writing on nationalism and a short visual literacy question.

Grade 9

The Grade 9s wrote a visual literacy assessment and are working on their discursive essays. They are currently doing a unit on Human Rights and South African history (1910-1948).

Grade 8

The Grade 8s cycle test was quite fun. Students worked on a fictitious passage created using historical sources. We then moved on to evaluating the reliability of sources and three propaganda techniques. Next up is a comparative approach to social, economic and political effects of the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

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Weekly Update June Examinations and Term 3

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Weekly Update June Examinations and Term 3

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Dear Parents and Students

That was a long examination session indeed. Still, I was pleased when I chatted to some Grade 8s and they were in agreement with me: examinations are just very long worksheets : )

To what can we look forward in Term 3? First things first: examination reflection. I will be using the examination reflection forms and audio feedback to maximise the reflection exercise. I am particularly excited about the fact that each student now has at least three reflection forms (Cycle test 1, cycle test 2 and June examination). This means we can now get a clearer sense of the areas requiring boost support. It is now possible to draw up targeted boost plans for the rest of the year. Since I keep these materials, by the time we complete two years of History, students will have at least six reflections! Just consider the value of the insights available from those forms.

Grade 8

In Term 3, we start off with a comparative approach of the effects of the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom and South Africa. I don't want to separate these two units because I think it prevents students from seeing the Industrial Revolution as a process that occurs within the context of colonialism. We will compare and contrast urbanisation, living conditions, social effects and worker resistance in the UK and in SA. Assessments will include a source-based empathy task. These are invaluable for teaching students how to understand historical subject positions through primary and secondary sources.

Grade 9

Having ended with the war in the Pacific, we will resume our exploration of history by looking at the formation of the United Nations, the issuing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the origins of the Cold War. I am seriously considering adopting a similar (comparative) approach to Grade 9 History because it makes a lot of sense to trace the phenomenon of nationalism (and national socialism, of course) in both Europe and South Africa in the period from 1919 to 1939.

Grade 10

We begin with an exciting new skill and assessment type: the source-based essay. This is the closest we get to the practical work of historians. We will continue our exploration of history by looking at capitalism in the United States.

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Dear Parents and Students

Exams have started for Grades 10-12. For the following two weeks, however, the Grade 8s and 9s have "block teaching". ach class will have two one-hour lessons. We can do a lot in those periods. My classroom is all packed up and ready for exams, but I do look forward to a new look after the July holidays.

Grade 8

Students are finishing their activity packs. They will also start work on an empathy task based on the Industrial Revolution. Last item on the agenda will be to go through and reflect on the cycle test.

Grade 9s

We are doing a unit on the war in the Pacific, the use of the atom bomb and human rights violations on all sides during WW 2. Students will do a visual literacy task and, time permitting, another discursive essay that will count for Cycle 3.

Grade 10s

Students completed an A3 worksheet comparison of the National Party and the ANC from their founding to 1948. They also completed the fourth source-based task on Afrikaner nationalism. They have thus done additional source-based practice using, among others, a cartoon and an extract from a history textbook.

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Dear Parents and Students

I hope you are well. This is my second-last update before the June Examination session.

Grade 8
We have had a wonderful productive period since my last update. We finished the work that will be examined and have moved on to the Industrial Revolution. We have been exploring this event through a delightful rap video produced by Flocabulary. The students have completed two classwork assessments and they have also completed a tutorial on paragraph writing. I trust this will assist them in writing structured, cohesive paragraphs in the examination. I have supplied students with an activity pack on the Industrial Revolution that we will use in the remaining periods before the examination.

Grade 9
We finished the work that will be examined and we have moved on to World War II. The student teacher has enjoyed his stay immensely, and I thank him for sharing his ideas with us. We have completed two class assessments, the core skills for the examination (reliability, strengths and limitations of documents, placing sources into their historical context and evaluating the usefulness of sources in context. Students will be writing a discursive essay on a topic related to the war in the Pacific.

Grade 10
The students completed a worksheet on the Land Act (1913), and are now completing the section on nationalisms in South Africa. I have adopted a comparative approach to the various organizations and parties in South Africa in the period from 1910 to 1948. Soon they will receive their Land Act worksheets as well as their discursive essays.

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Dear Parents and Students

Welcome to Term 2! It is another term that will pass quickly, and soon we will find ourselves wrapped up and ready for the June examination session.

Student teacher

Mr Tanton, our student teacher, is really enjoying his stay with us and sharing his enthusiasm and passion for the subject.

Revision plans

Revision plans are now available for Grades 8 and 9. Please check Teams.

Cycle test scopes

Cycle test scopes have been shared in Teams. I am minimising CASS assessments during this term so that students are not overburdened with class tasks while preparing for the examinations.

Grade 8 Examination

The Grade 8 June examination will be checked by Mr Henderson from the Prep. to ensure that the paper is accessible to the Grade 8s. By the end of the June examination cycle, the Grade 8s will have learned the ropes and should be settled in the conventions of the subject at high school level.

Grade 8

Most classes have finished the June examination content, skills and conventions. Some have enjoyed the game from Ghana which we have adapted a little. Soon we will go through their paragraph response and work at improving structure and linking of evidence to the topic sentence. After that, we begin work that will be tested later but not examined in June: the Industrial Revolution. We have a lovely, fun, and innovative way that we are going to use to understand the shift from pre-industrial to industrial societies.

Grade 9

We are focusing on Germany as a fascist state. This involves looking at the measures taken to transform that country according to the policies of the Nazi party. Included in the scope of the content is the Holocaust, the persecution of opponents, but also, and in a bid to counterbalance the painful aspect of the content, the power of individuals and groups to resist oppression. After that, we begin work that will be tested later but not examined in June: World War II itself and its aftermath.

Grade 10

We are currently working through a unit on nationalism in South Africa. We have explored the impact of colonial segregation policies, the formation of the Union of South Africa and the Land Act of 1913 as catalysts for African and Afrikaner nationalism. We are minimising CASS assessments during this term so that students are not overburdened with class tasks while preparing for the examinations.

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Dear Parents and Students

Unbelievable! The end of the first term! Examination demarcations and the timetable have been released and uploaded to Teams! Most of my marks will be released tomorrow (28/3), with the exception of one Grade 8 piece (writing) and one Grade 9 piece. We said goodbye to a colleague today, wished another one well on her maternity leave, celebrated the birth of another one's first child. A very busy time indeed.

Happy Holidays!

Grade 8

All classes have reflected on their cycle test. All classes have finished the online tasks. All classes have started Unit 2. We have even started the first assessment for the next cycle! This will save time next term.

Grade 9

All classes have reflected on their cycle test. All classes have finished the discursive essay. 4/5 classes have already started on Unit 2. I am really looking forward to marking the discursive essays! Although I created an adapted rubric, the basic structure and conventions are the same as the senior essay. I explained to the students that they would find the essay liberating because it offers opportunities for creativity.

Grade 10

All classes have reflected on their cycle test. We have completed Napoleon. All assessments have been completed and submitted. I am looking forward to the next topic, namely nationalism. I really enjoy making connections with all the topics we have covered in Grades 8 and 9. In Grades 10-12 students get an opportunity to see how the different historical periods and events are connected.

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Dear Parents and Students

It is getting cooler. Hurrah! Soon we will all enjoy a well-deserved break.

Grade 8

The students have finished going through their cycle tests using the reflection form and the audio marking guidelines. This week all classes will start Unit 2. In Unit 2 we will do our last assessment for Cycle 1.

Grade 9

This week we are going to go through the cycle tests. All assessments have been assigned. Two of the three will have been marked. The discursive essay will be submitted online through Teams.

Grade 10s

Students have submitted all their assessments. Cycle tests were returned and students reflected on their performance using the reflection form and the audio marking guidelines.

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Dear Parents and Students

It seems I was not the only one experiencing a little summer flu. Quite a few sniffles going around. We have a week or so before the Sports Festival and then the end of the term. I am looking forward to cooler weather.

Grade 8

We have started going through the cycle test. Some classes have started Unit 2 already. One class still needs to do the discursive paragraph. Unit 2 is about the causes of colonialism. Now the students understand why we started with African history first before looking at European colonisation.

Grade 9

I seem to have had some success in persuading the Grade 9s that the discursive essay is a liberating genre. They get an opportunity to flex their argumentative muscles instead of being constrained by the limitations of short questions. Two classes need to do the essay theory. Three classes must still watch Episode 1 of the "World at War: A New Germany". The idea is to cover the work and then show students primary source material of the section covered. This includes interviews and it is thus invaluable for creating a deeper understanding of events in Germany from 1919 to 1934. I will start returning the cycle test towards the end of the week.

Grade 10

I will hand back the cycle tests on Tuesday. On Friday students will submit their discursive essays. On the 15th of March they will submit their film posters. This week we move on to the military campaigns of Napoleon. I have bought an HD version of the latest Napoleon film. Ms Boshoff and I will view it first to determine the extent of its suitability for academic use.

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Dear Parents and Students

Finally! It's getting cooler. Unfortunately, the extremes meant my being sick for two days. Apologies for the inconvenience. I will send out my last Boost session reminder this week.

Grade 8

Soon I will be able to return the Grade 8 cycle test to the students. I will also provide a copy (see column next to this column) of my reflection form. I am very excited about the form. Students seem to enjoy the process of going through a test much more when I use the form. We are starting our second assessment for marks, a discursive paragraph. Some classes will even start Unit 2 already. We have one more assessment to complete before the end of the term.

Grade 9

I have marked the students' first assessment, a source-based worksheet. I am also going through the theory of the discursive essay. Students have written their cycle test already. That means we have nearly completed the assessments for Cycle 2. We will watch a documentary first to cover aspects of Germany after World War I done in Unit 1. Some classes also still need to do the fun practical. It is a game illustrating the principles of capitalism and communism - essential for understanding world history after World War I.

Grade 10

We have completed the course of the French Revolution. Students have completed a source-based worksheet. They will write their cycle test this week. They are already working on their film posters and their discursive essays. We will start the section on Napoleon next. Everyone would like to see the Napoleon film : ). I think it would make a lovely grade-wide activity. We shall see.

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Dear Parents and Students

Quite an update! I resume where I left off after returning from camp. I think everyone will agree that the camp came at the right time. We needed that break. In the meantime, we've also had Valentine's Day, two or three special assemblies and, of course, our first Inter-house sports day. Go Johnson House! Sorry. I had to. : )

Grade 8

Most classes are finishing off Unit 1. We write our first cycle test on Tuesday. I have also done my first book check. Wow! I am so impressed by the quality of notebook-keeping. While the method we use plays some role in that, it is still up to the student to make it look attractive. I cannot wait to award the first puffy and scratch-and-sniff sticker rewards. I particularly enjoyed covering some basic skills and conventions in this unit. The students seemed to enjoy the C-E-E method and the definition method. As I demonstrated in class using a range of subjects as examples, these skills are truly transferable.

BOOST Sessions: since the Grade 8s are new to the school, they will only be added to BOOST sessions after Term 1. However, I have created the BOOST Team and it is ready and packed with online quizzes, presentations and activities that reinforce important historical thinking skills.

Grade 9

Most classes are finishing off Unit 1. We write our first cycle test on Thursday. I have also done my first book check. I cannot wait to award the first puffy and scratch-and-sniff sticker rewards. There are some wonderful examples of improvement from Grade 8. I really enjoy seeing the growth of the students. This week, four out of the five classes will play the communism / capitalism game. I use this teaching tool so that students appreciate the impact of ideas in History. Since we are moving on to the Cold War later on, I need students to understand how ideologies affect perceptions and, indeed, actions.

BOOST Sessions: I have created the Grade 9 BOOST Team and it is ready and packed with online quizzes, presentations and activities that reinforce important historical thinking skills. Students requested to attend BOOST sessions have been invited to attend online if they cannot attend in person.

Grade 10

We have completed the causes of the French Revolution and the events leading up to the September Massacres. We started the discursive essay. I designed an essay-planning tool that we used to plan the structure of the essay. I have given students the delightful movie poster task early so that they can start planning. Soon we will write our cycle test. Then we will have completed all four assessments for Cycle 1.

BOOST Sessions: I have created the Grade 10 BOOST Team and it is ready and packed with online quizzes, presentations and activities that reinforce important historical thinking skills. Students requested to attend BOOST sessions have been invited to attend online if they cannot attend in person.

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Welcome to History with Dr Nel 2024! : )

Dear Parents and Students

I have been saving up the weekly updates for this update. There was a lot that had to happen first. That means a lovely, full update.

GENERAL

Stasy class lists have been finalized and soon we will be going on the bonding tours. Classroom rules have been explained. The reward system has been explained. Now all that remains is to put the students into groups in each of my classes. One of the rewards that can be unlocked later is to choose one’s own group. For now, I do think students should get to know and work with other students. In any case, I use some of Kagan's principles to organize group work, and this involves changing groups sometimes.

Grades 8 and 9 have a specific notebook management system. This approach is working very well. I did the first of my book checks, and it is obvious that synchronizing the PowerPoint presentations and the notebooks helps students organize their work.

GRADE 10

We have discussed the concept of revolution. We have also been completing a SWOT analysis of The Bourbon monarchy’s position on the eve of the revolution. This business tool works very well in History. We have covered the social, political, and economic factors that contributed to the revolution. We have yet to do the intellectual causes, but we have started working on a discursive essay on the causes of the French Revolution.

I have designed a tool to help students plan effectively for writing discursive essays. I believe that if the students write a very clear thesis statement and effective topic sentences they will not write off-topic and they will also substantiate their claims and their argument with evidence. In addition to the essay, we will also be making a film poster about the French Revolution. The task is indeed fun, but it also requires a good grasp of the factors that lead to the revolution.

GRADE 9

We have covered the events leading to the birth of the Weimar Republic. We have reached the Great Depress and its impact on support for Hitler and the Nazis. We have explored the concept of fascism and played a Bingo-like game to familiarize ourselves with the salient characteristics of fascist regimes. In class, I also explained to students that fascism is totalitarian, but not all totalitarian systems are fascist. I want the students to understand that the apparent similarities in managing citizen populations differs in ideology and purpose when it comes to the difference between fascism and communism in the USSR at that time.

GRADE 8

We have discussed the bias in western historiography in favour of specific kinds of primary sources and the impact that this might have on perceptions of African history. For this reason, we are starting with the Ashanti Empire and then moving on to colonialism and the Scramble for Africa. It will be clear that there is indeed an existing history and perspective from which to explore the nature and impact of European interaction in Africa. On game day, the Grade 8s are playing a delightful source-based game to solve a mystery. The skills used in the game are the same skills one would use in an historical investigation.

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Classroom Vision 2024: "Wellness by Design"

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Classroom Vision 2024: "Wellness by Design"

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Welcome to 2024

I have spent quite a bit of time incorporating suggestions and requests from students into my classroom vision for 2024.

In addition to updating and aligning policies and procedures with any updates to the existing procedures, I have also taken to heart suggestions made by students to improve the experience of the classroom.

Some changes include:

1) A more diverse and inclusive wellness shelf

2) A classroom library

3) Educational board games reflecting Social Science

4) A more accessible projection surface experience

5) Decor that explicitly reflects the subject

6) Decorative items made of natural materials

7) Group-seating

8) More natural light

9) A safe space

10) A space with softer lighting

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Dear Parents and Students

Thank you for the detailed feedback I received from the teacher appraisal and my own internal survey and reflection form in the last week before examinations started. I received an incredible amount of useful information. I am so excited about the kind of classroom students want, and I find very little conflict of vision between what students want and what I want.

It is my pleasure to present the environmental, pedagogical, disciplinary, motivational, wellness and communication changes that will inform my classroom management system in 2024.

Disciplinary

The disciplinary process has been written down and is being revised for 2024. Privileges and rewards have been re-organised into a reward system that requires active cooperation from students to "unlock" classroom rewards. Feedback from students suggested that these privileges were being taken for granted and, therefore, sometimes abused.

There is a code of conduct to which all must adhere. There will be a rule slip box in class for disciplinary records. Stasy will still be used to record misdemeanours as well as demerits. There will be a safe space.

Pedagogical

It is this aspect of my classroom management that is perhaps most exciting. While overlapping with discipline and motivation, it is clear that students want more visible, explicit structure, but fewer complicated administrative procedures. I understand very well. It is not a contradiction.

Students don't like it when I use the board. Besides legibility, there is glare, erasure and confusion regarding layout. It also increases the possibility that I spend more time on a section with one group than another. Students also have to reconcile information from the textbook, board work, oral instructions and Teams. It is confusing!

I am, therefore, very pleased to present the new integrated PowerPoint template I designed in response to the students' needs. This will ensure consistency and even coverage, accessibility (in class and at home through Padlet) and structure. Slides have specific headings that will be duplicated in the classwork notebooks. Students will thus easily see work missed and will be able to ask a friend for help and / or use the uploaded PowerPoint.

Here is the link to template I will be using

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1V5VqxQDhOCs1ml3b-51c9jgz7kESo1WnIQigDgOlnGY/edit?usp=sharing

Additional features of the PowerPoint were inspired by implied suggestions based on student feedback:

1) a game / activity slide for every unit

2) a unit plan with textbook references

3) a clear indication of the part of the classwork notebook to which a slide refers

4) formalisation of "quizzies" (mid-unit content checks)

5) provision of unit review test (not for marks)

6) indication on every slide by means of an icon permitting or prohibiting specific actions or behaviours (e.g., snacking or using a device).

Unless specifically instructed to use mobile devices, students will be asked to keep them in their bags.

There is now a written classroom assessment policy that is being revised for 2024:

https://padlet.com/carlolennel/greetings-from-dr-nel-weekly-update-office-wed-thur-14-45-15-j6307llefxyxctyo

I will now use a "super-cycle" as my basic planning unit. That is, I will work in two 8-day cycles that will form one unit (PowerPoint). Each period will be allocated to a specific slide or slides to ensure a structured approach. Students will then know that period 1 of a unit is always the background slide, slide 2 the starter and so on.

Communication

As per the students' request to avoid being locked out of vital online resources, Teams will now be used only for announcements, remedial work, online academic support meetings and online revision tasks.

A login-free Padlet will be used for vital content, planning, test scopes and tasks for marks. In this way, no student will be locked out of vital online resources. Here are the links to the new Padlet classrooms:

Grade 8

https://padlet.com/carlolennel/history-grade-8-2024-37ml3up8bziknops

Grade 9

https://padlet.com/carlolennel/history-grade-9-2024-t2wuh6j6kao0xhb4

Grade 10

https://padlet.com/carlolennel/history-grade-10-2024-jg1i62zqwid22bje

Parents and students will still be contacted through Stasy by means of SMSs and emails. Students will no longer be able to use the excuse that they did not check their email, notifications or messages. It is now an expectation of students to check their messages

Environment, Wellness and Motivation

Besides a complete aesthetic overhaul of the classroom, including the use of natural materials as decorative items, more natural light and a wellness shelf (deodorants, stress balls, sanitisers, skin lotion) that is more inclusive of women, desks will also be grouped and labelled with group-organising stickers based on Kagan's techniques. Students with visual and aural needs will be accommodated by giving them a say in seating allocations. There will be a designated safe space. Snack and outside work opportunities will be phased in as a reward for good behaviour and work ethic. A reward system will be put into place to reward both class and individual behaviour. The reward system will be known as "SSocial Points", alluding to the subject grouping (Social Science) and positive social behaviour.

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Dear Parents and Students

One more week! Just one more week! Strange though it may sound, there is something satisfying about the end-of-year examination session. The Grade 8s aren't newbies anymore. The Grade 9s are about to become seniors. The Grade 10s are about to become 11s and start the road to matric. I would like to wish everyone the best of luck with the November Examination session.

General

As we complete the work, I allow the students to take home their class notebooks. Although they do not need to use them to study, some students like to reuse their notebooks, or recycle the unused pages. My last academic support sessions take place this week. Due to professional development requirements, I will be unavailable on Thursday 26/10/23, but I will inform the students that I will stay after school on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to make up for that lost session. I will also try my best to arrange an online session before each examination, in case students have questions about that paper.

Grade 8

Three classes have finished the film and have received their notebooks. This week all classes will receive their usefulness and reliability worksheet and then they have an opportunity to do the online task on the same work to improve their mark in that task if they want to do so. Some classes still need to see their propaganda task. Marking guidelines have been given to students for both tasks.

Grade 9

All classes have completed the end of the Cold War in Europe. One class still has to do the end of the Cold War in South Africa, and then all classes have completed the work. All classes have seen their usefulness and reliability worksheet and have had an opportunity to improve their mark. Some classes still need to see their propaganda task. Marking guidelines have been given to students for both tasks.

Grade 10

We have completed the work. I have returned the last source-based worksheet. We have given the students an opportunity to rewrite their source-based essays. This genre is quite challenging and the students need to be familiar with it in order to start preparing for Grade 12. The source-based essay is assessed according to a rubric, but there are conventions that are not explicitly stated in the rubric, and the students need to be trained in producing effective responses in that writing genre.

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Dear Parents and Students

Two weeks left! I seem to have missed an update somewhere along the line, so I have some catching up to do. We are in the process of handing back the last assessments and finishing up the last themes.

Grade 8

The cycle test and propaganda task have been returned with marking guidelines. The usefulness and reliability worksheet will be returned starting this coming week. I have created an online task improvement opportunity for the usefulness and reliability worksheet - in case students want to improve their mark.

Having completed the MAIN causes of WWI and the events in the Balkans, we started the wonderful documentary "They Shall Not Grow Old". We are looking at the nature of the fighting and living conditions in the trenches on the western front, while being made aware of the range of theatres of war that comprised WWI.

Grade 9

All tasks have been handed back to the students with marking guidelines, with the exception of two classes that still need to check their propaganda task. As with the Grade 8s, I have created an online task improvement opportunity for the usefulness and reliability worksheet - in case students want to improve their mark.

With the exception of one class, we have finished the visually stunning "Bridge of Spies". As mentioned last term, the film enabled us to see and discuss aspects of the Cold War, including spy technology, the Cold War mentality and aspects of Human Rights.

We have moved on to the nature of the Cold War (space and arms race, nuclear proliferation and the end of the collapse of communism). Two classes have already moved on to the last theme of "Protest" (Nazi Germany, eastern Europe and South Africa), which includes the end of the Cold War and end of apartheid.

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[UPDATED 14/10/23]

I am very excited! At the beginning of the year I expressed a desire to create an onboarding system for students joining us late in the year that could function as a revision system as well. I have created it! I am using Grade 10 as my pilot grade. The system is now available in Grade 10 History. For the 8s and 9s, there is the equivalent of the old online tasks. But it is my intention to extend this system to all grades. Check out the screenshot above.

[UPDATE]

The onboarding course is almost finished. I am completing the section on the discursive essay. Then I will move on to the source-based essay.

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Dear Parents and Students

Yay! What a lovely day! I think we are all going to rest up a bit. I have uploaded the examination scope and revision plans for Grades 8 and 9 to class History Teams. Although a bit of studying is a good idea, I also think a bit of rest is important.

Grade 8
All assessments have been completed. Most classes have finished the MAIN causes of World War I. Most classes have done the fun revision task (including a limerick). Most classes have finished the source-based mystery on Emily Wilding Davison. Two classes have started on the exciting documentary "They Shall Not Grow Old". We will look at life on the home front during the war. I also owe the Grade 8s their task-based lemonade / tea treat.

Grade 9
All assessments have been completed. Most classes have almost finished "Bridge of Spies". What a treat! The film is visually striking and, as I mentioned, covers everything from Cold War attitudes to espionage and spy technology. After the film, we move on to the era of protest during the 1960s  and 70s - both locally and international. Finally, we end off with the end of the Cold War and the end of apartheid in South Africa.

Grade 10
Students have submitted their source-based essays. I will return those early next term. We are currently working on Capitalism in the United States. It offers a wonderful contract to the work we did on communism. We have one, short 20-mark assessment left. We will do that next term.

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I am already starting to prepare my examination revision plans! It is hard to believe that examinations are just around the corner. I think everyone is looking forward to the October break. I think it is important to rest up a bit before finals.

Grade 8
Most classes have moved on to the MAIN causes of World War 1. I also introduce students to aspects of the Belle Epoque, so that they understand what a shock World War 1. One class has started on a mystery based on a real incident. They are using primary sources to figure out what really happened.

Grade 9
Some classes have done the introduction to the Cold War (events leading up to the Berlin Crisis of 1948). Those classes have also started watching the film "Bridge of Spies". It really is a good teaching film because it touches on so many aspects of the Cold War.

Grade 10
We have started working on Stalin's five-year plans. This week, of course, is our outing to the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre. We are privileged to have a survivor who will be available to answer our questions and give us a first-hand account of the period of history under consideration.

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I trust you had a lovely weekend. I did. I settled down to do some reading on my rocking chair. Lovely! : )

On the next column in the Padlet is un updated version of the skills progression programme. You will see that I have completed some more skills with both the 8s and 9s.

Grade 8
Most classes have now completed the Industrial Revolution. We will start going through the propaganda worksheet we did. Thereafter, we will go through the cycle test and then the usefulness and reliability worksheet. Then we will have completed all the classwork assessments for the year!

We will then start on our last unit of content, the decades leading up to World War I, the war itself and then aspects of the post-war period.

Grade 9
Most classes have now completed the section on apartheid and Human Rights. As with the Grade 8 classes, we will start going through the propaganda worksheet we did. Thereafter, we will go through the cycle test and then the usefulness and reliability worksheet. Then we will have completed all the classwork assessments for the year!

We are going to study aspects of the Cold War through a lovely film based on true events. The film is entitled "Bridge of Spies". It deals with aspects on Cold War conflict, and also provides some excellent recreations of East Berlin and life behind the Iron Curtain. We will conclude the year by looking at aspects of culture and protest during the 1960s, focussing on international and local events.

Grade 10
I will be going through the cycle test this week. We will also continue with the section on the death of Lenin and the internal conflict among the Bolsheviks as various figures battle for supremacy.

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We wrote the last cycle test on Thursday! Yay! Everybody seemed most happy about that. It continues to get lighter and warmer every day. I will admit this weekend's cold front was actually quite pleasant.

Grade 8
We are finishing off labour resistance in the UK. Soon we will move on to labour resistance in South Africa. Since Cycle 2 is now officially over, I can start marking the cycle test that only counts for the final report. Nevertheless, I want to return it as soon as I can because of its emphasis on source-based skills. After that, we are going to move on to the South African War and then the decades leading up to World War I. I really want to try to emphasise the social, cultural and technological advances during the Belle Époque rather than just the military aspect of the war. Fortunately, we also get to focus on aspects of social change such as the Suffragette movement.

Grade 9
Most classes have completed the section on the Nuremberg Laws and the comparison with apartheid legislation. I have started on the history of the UN and the Human Rights charter.  The student teacher will be completing her visit soon. We really enjoyed having her in class. She also generously contributed some lovely PowerPoint presentations. After the section on Human Rights, we move on to the Cold War period. As indicated earlier in the year, I want to try to focus on aspects such as spy technology and Cold War culture, just to break the "heaviness" of the content. While I will include the protest culture of the later Cold War, there is also a lot happening in the spheres of music and art. Since Cycle 2 is now officially over, I can start marking the cycle test that only counts for the final report. Nevertheless, as with the Grade 8 cycle test, I want to return it as soon as I can because of its emphasis on source-based skills.

Grade 10
I have just completed marking the cycle test, but I cannot load the marks on Stasy as the mark books aren't loaded yet. Cycle 2's mark books have just been closed. I also did propaganda techniques with the class. I love the way this all connects with what I am doing with the Grade 9s. This week I had the students practise another introduction to a source-based essay. I am really looking forward to when the students get to actually write a source-based essay. I think they are going to enjoy it. I am also excited because we have yet another new student in our class. I am so glad History is growing as a subject at the school.

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I am enjoying my last mug of hot chocolate. Soon it will be too warm for that. I trust everyone has had a good rest after the Interhouse Sports Day.

Grade 8
All classes have finished their source-based task. The student teacher will then peruse them to see how well the students absorbed the section she covered. We are moving on to the Enclosure Movement in the UK. I have adopted a comparative approach, comparing the Enclosure Acts to the use of the Hut Tax in South Africa to secure labour. We will then move on to the discovery of gold and diamonds and the Mineral Revolution in South Africa. We have completed all assessments for Cycle 2.

Grade 9
All classes have finished their source-based task. The student teacher will then peruse them to see how well the students absorbed the section she covered. The student teacher still needs to finish the lesson on the Nuremburg Laws and how the Nazis, the SANNC / ANC and the National Party understood the concept of citizenship. After that, we are moving on the Human Rights. We have completed all assessments for Cycle 2.

Grade 10
We are finished the theory of communism and the period from 1917 to 1922, including the Russian Civil War. This will be followed by Stalin's regime. We have completed all assessments for Cycle 2.

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I am writing this with a fan on! It is getting lighter and warmer in the mornings. I trust everyone had a lovely week and made time to celebrate Women's Day.

Grade 8
As mentioned last week, we have a visiting student teacher. She is presenting the section on the social and economic consequences of the Industrial Revolution. After that, we will do a source-based task on that section. I will then continue with the Mineral Revolution in South Africa and resistance by labour resistance in Britain and South Africa.

Grade 9
The student teacher is presenting the origins of the ANC and the apartheid policy up to Sharpeville. I am presenting the origins of the National Party. I have asked the student teacher to present on the Nuremburg Laws and the National Party's concept of homeland citizenship. In that way, we can compare how different nationalist groups viewed citizenship. After that, we move on to Human Rights. Before that, however, we will do a source-based task on the section presented by the student teacher.

Grade 10
We will start on the Russian Civil War. However, I have a sense that we should do some source-based practice on the two revolutions of 1917 before we proceed. I want to be sure that students understand the ideological nuances that informed the various groups competing for dominance. I might even enlist the support of the delightful Flocabulary videos. Ms Boshoff and I have both done the theory of the source-based essay - a challenging, but satisfying essay type.

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I love this time of the year. I get to start thinking about what to change, what to add, what to remove and what I can do to improve my knowledge, skills, classroom management and teaching style.

While the spirit of inquiry will continue to pervade the History courses, it is perhaps not necessary to frame these inquiries in rigid conceptual understandings. Grouping content topics in meaningful units will go along way to helping students engage with the work, and historical connections can be made as the content is delivered and processed.

Here's what I envision for the Grade 8 and 9 History courses:

Classroom Management
1. Online tasks to be done in class, not at home
2. Use of the module function in Teams to structure course material in a way that encourages self-paced learning and onboarding of students who join us late in the year
3. Increased cooperation with another Crawford School to facilitate sharing of resources, moderation of tasks and assessments, and joint online activities
4. Addition of a skills section in the classroom paper notebook, and the use of a 96-page softcover notebook instead of a 72-page softcover notebook [UPDATE] x2 72-page notebooks. One will be used for class assessments.
5. Use of sticky page and text markers in notebooks to increase student engagement, an analogue "OneNote" notebook : )
6. Application of Kagan's techniques, particularly in Grade 8

Skills
1. Updating skills progression schedule: finer scaffolding and articulation of skills in terms of complexity and range of application
2. Introduction of the discursive essay in Grade 9

Content
1. Emphasising potential of individual and social action to achieve positive change
2. Emphasising social, technological and cultural aspects of historical topics

Assessment
1. Refining the participation mark concept by reducing the number of online tasks and doing them in class
2. Limiting the number of assessments to 3

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Dear Parents and Students

I think I spoke too soon about the coming of warmer weather. Another week. Another Friday. This week felt particularly busy. On a high note, we have a student teacher with us. It is always a pleasure to share with and learn from student student teachers. Glancing over the assessment rubric that will be used by the student's lecturer, I noticed that the phrase "inquiry-based learning" featured prominently. It is good to know that we are on the right track if student teachers are being trained to teach with that approach.

GRADE 8
This week we completed the Flocabulary rap video unit on the origins and nature of the Industrial Revolution. In particular, students read a document going into more detail with regards to the nature and scope of the Industrial Revolution.

Some classes went on to do a vocabulary task on subject-related vocabulary. Most classes have completed a revision quiz on the rap video. The student teacher is presenting a video on the social and economic effects of the Industrial Revolution.

This coming week, some classes will move on to the Mineral Revolution in South Africa. All classes will do a source-based activity on labour conditions in the Industrial Revolution. I want the students to get as much source-based practice in as possible.

GRADE 9
I found this week's Grade 9 lessons particularly interesting from a presenter's point of view. Having completed the introduction during which we unpacked the statement of inquiry, we moved on to the story of Alphonse the Camel. The purpose of the fictitious narrative is to illustrate the differences among long-term, medium-term and short-term causes.

Thereafter, I was able to segue on to our next topic: which year should be our starting point for South African history? Having discussed the implications of "starting" South African history in 1652, 1795, 1899, 1910, 1948, 1961 or 1994, we decided that the South African war, due to the scale of the conflict, its multinational dimension and the founding of the country of South Africa as one of its consequences, was  a good place to start.

We looked briefly at the nature of the conflict and then at the aspirations of the groups affected by the war. The student teacher is presenting the history of the SANNC to the students. I am presenting the history of the National Party. We are looking at how the war stimulated nationalism. This connects to our work in Terms 1 and 2, during which we looked at the concept of totalitarianism. This term we are looking at citizenship. That is why we are looking at the Nuremburg Laws in Nazi Germany and both petty and "grand" apartheid laws that lead to the disenfranchisement and loss of citizenship of persons of colour in South Africa after 1910. We also wrote a cycle test that seems to have gone well.

GRADE 10
This week the students completed an online source-based activity. They were also supposed to submit their examination reflection forms. We continued our exploration of the Russian Revolution in 1917. I was able to share some anecdotes from Helen Rappaport's excellent book "Caught in the Revolution".

The two revolutions in 1917 are complex. This coming week, I will do a revision task with the students to help them master the aims of the various groups competing for power. Then we will move on to the civil war. I do think we need to be careful not to rush, though. The cycle test scope has been uploaded to Teams.

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Dear Parents and Students

Please forget my last message about warm weather. I never thought I would say this as a winter-loving person, but enough already! : ) Apologies for the lateness of my update.

Grade 8
The new unit should prove interesting. This week I used music and timers to add a bit of fun and structure to the introduction of our new unit of inquiry. This included focussing on the key and related concepts, as well as imagining a scenario in which to apply the statement of inquiry. We also used Flocabulary's excellent Industrial revolution rap and content worksheets to explore the economy before the Industrial Revolution and the transformation that took place from the 18th century onward. We have a student teacher. She will teach a section on the social effects of the revolution.

Grade 9
I also used the timers and music strategies to liven up the introduction to our ne unit of inquiry. In addition, I am using the story of Alphonse the Camel to deal with the idea of long-term, medium-term and short-term causes. This will be followed by an introduction to the unit by means of an exploration of the South African War and its role in stimulating African and Afrikaner Nationalism. Our cycle test will only count for Cycle 3. The student teacher will teach a section on the history of the SANNC / ANC.

Grade 10
The new unit on the Russian Revolution is very exciting. We have done an introduction to the unit by means of an overview of the Tsarist period. This included the story of the enigmatic Rasputin and, of course, the mystery surrounding the demise of the Romanov family. It is wonderful to make connections with the work from previous years - in this case, the Industrial Revolution. This week we did a source-based task in which we looked at three different visual sources (photograph, painting and cartoon). It was linked to propaganda. We watched about 7 minutes of an excellent overview of the two revolutions in 1917. I was able to share some interesting stories from a highly recommended book: "Caught in the Revolution" by Helen Rappaport. I posted a photo and review in the class Team. Next week (today onward) we will look in greater detail at the two revolutions in 1917. I believe there are some excellent series and documentaries on NetFlix. The upcoming cycle test will count towards

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Dear Parents and Students

I am so glad it is getting lighter earlier in the mornings. Somehow that makes it feel warmer. This week we returned examinations to students. Students have photographic images of their scripts. They have already uploaded, or are in the process of uploading them to the reflection form I designed for each Grade and each paper. The due date for completing the reflection form is Wednesday the 26th.

Grade 8
Having covered most of the skills and writing forms in the skills progression schedule (see column 2 of this Padlet) in Terms 1 and 2, we can actually just revise that work and enjoy the remaining content. Next up is the Industrial Revolution, the Mineral Revolution and the decades leading up to World War 1, all explored, of course, through a tantalising statement of inquiry: "Ownership influences the movement of power and control."

Grade 9
I am so excited! The Grade 9s are "graduating" from structured paragraphs and extended writing to their first discursive essay! This week I introduced three of the classes to this essay type. I am looking forward to the students spreading their wings a bit and getting more control of the way they get to express their knowledge. While structured, guided writing is good, I think there comes a time when a student would like to interpret the evidence for themselves and formulate an argument.

As you might have seen in the last column of this Padlet, we are moving on to a new unit of inquiry which, I am happy to say, brings our focus back to South Africa. My plan is to go explore what was happening in South in the decades leading up to World War 1 and the period of the 1920s and 1930s. In this way, students can see what was happening in South Africa at the time of the events we studied in Terms 1 and 2. Since we explored the concept of totalitarianism by looking at various political movements and parties, I want to direct our inquiry to the rise of the National Party and the SANNC / African National Congress (as it became known later) in the post-war (South Africa War) period. It should be interesting to compare the role of war in the rise of these parties and European parties after World War 1.

Grade 10
We are in for a very exciting time! We are introducing students to a new and very engaging essay type: the source-based essay. What makes this essay so engaging is that it finally transfers control of the formulation and construction of an argument to the student. It also gives the student an opportunity to act as an historian because it involves the analysis of sources, their grouping according to perspective and the analysis of the context of an argument.

Content-wise we are also in for a treat. If you have looked at the last column in this Padlet, you will have seen that we are starting with the origins of Marxism and the Russian Revolution.

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Dear Parents and Students

Welcome to Term 3! In my last post I made some preliminary comments on the examination. In this post I want to provide a bit more detail. I shall do so later today (Sunday).

In the meantime, if you haven't seen my email or SMS yet, why not look at the video explaining how I am going to go through the examinations with the students? I have posted a link below. If the video cannot play because it is "being processed", just use the download option.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TycVMbcm-t_eV0gknqN_Bl03NBhsFt_o/view?usp=drive_link

Grade 8
I am very happy, in general, with the students' work. The visual literacy section was the best section, it seems. The extended writing section wasn't too bad. My main concerns are: questions simply left out, superficial reading of the questions and insufficient supporting detail. That said, it is clear that students have taken the C-E-E method to heart. Good! Questions could also have been left out for strategic reasons. That is, it might have made more sense to leave them out in order to focus on questions students can do. That said, if there was time left over, were the questions marked so by the students so that they could at least attempt them? Only in some cases. Perhaps that is something on which we can focus this term.

Grade 9
As with Grade 8, the visual literacy question was a mark-winner question for students. To some extent, that is a good sign. Let us see what happens when we go to the next level of questions on visual sources. Again, students seem to have left out questions, particularly in Question 5. What concerns me here is that this question focussed on core skills. In addition, answers tended to be a tad superficial.

The extended writing question went down well. Students obviously wrote about their chosen country. It does it make a difference when there is some choice of topic in extended writing. I do think the Grade 9s are ready for an adapted version of the History discursive essay. As with the extended writing rubric, I will adapt the senior discursive essay rubric for Grade 9. I wonder if the Grade 9s might not really enjoy the discursive?

Grade 10
The Grade 10s wrote two papers. Paper I had a discursive essay topic and an extended writing topic. The former seems to have gone down better than the latter. The problem with extended writing is that it is so fact-based that students can actually do worse in it than in the discursive essay question, in which fewer facts arranged in a powerful argument earn a student higher marks. I call the discursive essay the Sunlight dishwashing liquid essay: "a little goes a long way".

Paper 2, the source-based question paper, offered a few surprises in the results. What concerned me here was the number of questions left out or misread. Again, if the former was strategic, no problem. But surely one should go back to them if there are a few minutes left. Ms Boshoff agrees, we should have a workshop devoted specifically to test-taking skills in Paper 2. Another question we should focus on is the reliability question. I was happy about the fact that the questions that were answered seem to have been answered fully. Generally, students are applying the c-e-e method and using the mark allocation as a guideline.

I do believe the reflection form will assist me and the students in our goal to improve the quality of responses in summative assessments.

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Statement of Inquiry
"Culture is a process in which there can be progress."

Topics

What is communism?

The writings of Karl Marx

1905 revolution: the issues that led to the revolution

The link between the 1905 and 1917 revolutions (Mass participation of workers and peasants

Trotsky’s role

The influence on Lenin’s revolutionary theory

The February and October revolutions of 1917 (political, economic and social causes)

See post below for Grade 9.

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Statement of Inquiry:
"The social organisation of diversity is expressed in citizenship."

Topics

The Rise of the National Party in South Africa

The Rise of the ANC in South Africa

The Nuremburg Laws

The Holocaust

Segregation and apartheid

The UN Declaration of Human Rights

See post below for Grade 8.

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Statement of Inquiry
"Ownership influences the movement of power and control".

Topics

The Industrial Revolution in Britain

The Industrial Revolution in South Africa

The rise of the working class and the power of labour

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Dear Parents and Students

Goodbye Term 2! I think we are all excited about the holidays. It is time to rest, recover and recharge. In this update, I want to reflect a bit on the examinations and, of course, introduce the next statements of inquiry for each grade.

I also want to reflect on our progress in relation to the skills progression schedule in the second column of this Padlet. Please refer to "Downable Documents".

I want to start with the statements of inquiry for Term 3. Please refer to the last column of this Padlet: "Thinking Ahead".

Grade 8
Coming soon.

Grade 9
Coming soon.

Grade 10
Coming soon.

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Dear Parents and Students

We made it through Term 2! Please accept my best wishes for the Examination Session. This is my last update for the term.

Grade 8
We have completed the work that will be examined. I am also glad to we got to end of the week with something fun. Both the CIA and Mi5 have educational material on their websites. This material includes quizzes, games and activities. Of course, many of these address skills historians use, particularly close reading, close listening and viewing for detail. The links are in the students' History Team.

Grade 9
We have gone through the cycle test. In particular, I gave students feedback on answering questions about visual sources. Students will now add the last section (transformation of society) to their notes on their chosen totalitarian regime. In the examination, they will get a question based on their classwork. In this way, their classwork is extended into the examination. Hopefully, this will take the "sting" out of that question and allow students to enjoy sharing what they have learned. On the last day, one of the classes got to play the intelligence games I mentioned above under "Grade 8".

Grade 10
I managed to provide audio feedback on the discursive essay to the students. We also managed to complete the film "Rabbit-proof Fence". Those who wrote the Olympiad reported a question on the film! Students also submitted some delightful t-shirt designs for the "Bringing them home" campaign. The students also enjoyed the intelligence games mentioned above under Grade 8 above. I spoke to the students about History and a career in intelligence. I tried to explain that "spy" and "spying" did not accurately convey the importance and practice of intelligence gathering. I pointed out a possible career in this field, citing its importance in government and the private sector.

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Dear Parents and Students

What a busy week! At last! House Plays over with and enjoyed! It was a particularly busy week, what with the plays, the wonderful training I attended and a good dose of administrative odds and ends. Now for finishing up the marking, the last bits of content and then the examinations.

Grade 8s
This week we did source-based practice using two different beats (music). Most classes have finished the results of colonisation for the Ashanti Kingdom. We enjoyed Ms Naidoo's visit. She was able to sit on on one of the concluding lessons during which we had an engaging conversation about the cultural and psychological effects of colonialism. We will continue doing source-based practice, and then I think the Grade 8s deserve another thought-provoking treat. I hope it works as well as the mystery game. More on this next week : )

Grade 9s
Having finished their individual choice inquiry into totalitarian states, I am now covering the outbreak of WW 2 and some of the key theatres of war. Time permitting, we might do a film study on African-American soldiers in WW 2. There is a delightful, inspiring film I have in mind. I do hope we get to it.

Grade 10s
I have finished marking the cycle test essays. I can definitely see an improvement in structure and unpacking of evidence. I have begun setting up individual support plans in each student's OneNote notebook. Soon I will be able to share the parent / guardian links to these notebooks. We are viewing and discussing aspects of "Rabbit-proof Fence" in class.

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The "Thinking Ahead" post is a space in which to dream, conceptualise, plan and share ideas about things I could try in the classroom.

Recently, I had the privilege of having a conversation with a parent and the principal about how to do things better. I say privilege because we are often so busy doing things that we forget to reflect about what we have done and what we can do differently and better.

The June Examination is a marker in the journey towards inquiry-based learning. It will give me and the students a good sense of which skills listed in the skills progression document (see second column) we have mastered. Regarding content, I feel that my units of inquiry are too long. Six weeks might be a bit short, but two terms spent on one statement of inquiry might lead to the unit losing focus. Note to self for the future.

In Grade 8, we are going to finish off the current unit and then move on to a unit comprising the Industrial Revolution and the Mineral Revolution in South Africa. This time, I am going to focus not only on the dark side of the revolution, but also the stories of triumph over injustice and the foundations of social democracy.

In Grade 9, we are continuing under the same unit of inquiry, but now our focus shifts to South Africa in the early 20th century. We are going to look at the same concepts, but in relation to the rise of the National Party and the African National Congress. In this way, students can compare what was going on in Europe with what was going on in South Africa. Since we are using the same concepts (totalitarianism, authoritarianism and fascism), we have a common lense through which to explore the content. Again, I want to emphasise the triumph of the human spirit - often in the face of considerable odds. When we get to the Cold War, or at least the unit of inquiry that includes the Cold War, I want to emphasise the cultural and technological aspects, as well as the various popular movements that brought about change.

In Grade 10, I want to focus more on the personalised learning journey and developing individualised learning support programmes to prepare students for History in Grade 11.

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Dear Parents and Students

I hope you are well. It was a lovely, productive, celebratory weekend. I spent Saturday morning at school until 14:00 with Johnson House's actors and director. House Plays are coming up and I think there is a stronger sense of anticipation in the air. It was such a privilege to see the students engaged in something other than school work. It's also wonderful to see the students' artistic talents.

Grade 8
The Grade 8s wrote their cycle test. Some classes have finished the unit on the Ashanti Kingdom. As each class finishes the prescribed content for the June Examination, I will start doing source-based activities in class to practise their skills and to help them revise their content.

Grade 9
The Grade 9s wrote their cycle test. Most of the classes are on the last section of the totalitarianism unit. As each class finishes the unit, they will add the content from that section to their draft extended writing. Thereafter, we will finish any outstanding online tasks and begin source-based practice and general revision for the examination.

Grade 10
Students are finishing the case study on Australia's policy of assimilation. Ms Boshoff and I will be doing a short film study on that topic using the film "Rabbit-proof Fence".

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Dear Parents and Students

I hope you are well. I hope you are enjoying the new update format. We had quite a busy week. At least, it felt like it. We are finishing off the work that will be examined and getting ready to do some revision. House Plays are coming up very soon. I will be attending my house's rehearsal tomorrow.
Now for some subject news.

History Grade 8
I really enjoyed some of the activities we did this week. In addition to using one of the units as a listening exercise, we also did some interactive activities in Teams. One involved finding out if the Ashanti Kingdom's Golden Stool exists and posting our findings. Another involved posting thoughts about the forts and castles built on the African coast. These activities were done in the context of the section on the rise of the Ashanti Kingdom. We managed to talk about the meaning of a "federation" and why the Ashanti Empire was a federation. We also explored the Ashanti slave trade and discussed the differences between their slave trade and the Atlantic slave trade. Three out of the five classes have also had a look at the resource that will be used in the open book cycle test. The resource has also been uploaded to Teams.

History Grade 9
Most of the classes have had their hot chocolate / coffee date discussion. Ms Naidoo has invited staff to bring their classes to the Teacher's Cafe as a treat. Students completed their notes on the World After 1919. Then they moved on to Section 1 of their chosen country - the rise of totalitarianism (in that country). I gave the students an opportunity to change their countries, and then they sat in class by country. Students are now focusing on totalitarianism not as a broad concept, but as a concrete example in a specific historical context. The cycle text next week is open book. Students will do unseen source-based work and then the rough draft of their extended writing response on their chosen example of totalitarianism. Some of the interactive activities included using Teams to post replies to "Two Stars and a Wish", in which students reflected on what they enjoyed about the current process in class and what they would like to do differently. Another interactive activity included discussing and posting three questions they want answered about their chosen totalitarian state. I enjoyed some of the questions that came up, particularly one question in which the student inquired after the qualitative difference between different totalitarian states.

History Grade 10
The investigation into theories of race in the 19th century continues. Our current case study is Australia. This week we focussed on specific policies that produced the Stolen Generation. We had a look at Australia's attempt to come to grips with its past. We even had a tech pitstop. I showed students how to use Google Lens to search for photographs and contextual information about those photographs. Among other aspects, we also discussed the problem of language and perspective, especially in relation to colonial sources about indigenous people. We concluded the section by retracing the catastrophic effects of colonial perspectives underpinning policy and practice in Australia, thus demonstrating how worldviews can shape perceptions, actions and reactions.

Have a super weekend!

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Dr Nel: marking, moderation and training

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Dear Parents and Students

Welcome to the new format of my weekly update! I hope you are going to enjoy this format. I think it has potential. The link to my marking progress page is now under "Links" - to the right of this post. Document attachments are now also stored in a section to the right of this post. This should make it easier to find and download documents.

History Grade 8
This week we completed instruction in extended writing. We now move from a structured paragraph to the next stage before the essay. Some classes moved on the sections in the textbook that will be covered in the June Examination. I was most pleased to be able to facilitate the skill of making inferences. Using nothing but a list of products produced in the region of the Ashanti Kingdom, we discussed how historians can use such lists profitably. The next cycle test, a paper-based test, will hopefully be quite fun. Students will practise their extended writing skills on a topic with a bit of a mystery.

History Grade 9
Grade 9s continue their exploration of totalitarianism. Most classes have had their coffee / hot chocolate session. That went down well. However, I did give students an opportunity to choose another country. Fortunately, the first past of this exploration was the general background to the interwar period. Students now get to work in groups of countries chosen, and can even enlist the help of peers in other classes. I am looking forward to the students' responses in the cycle test. This time, of course, it is a paper-based test!

History Grade 10
The section on theories of race has now moved on the the first case study: Australia. Besides being topic, this theme has also allowed us to discuss the problem posed by colonial terminology, naming practices and bias. For an engaging and accessible account of aspects of First Nations culture in Australia, I mentioned Bruce Chatwin's The Songlines. I have also begun using OneNote with some students to personalise academic support. Soon, I will be using it to engage with all the students.