Scholarly Snippets
The implementation of ‘Scholarly Snippets’ to improve scholarship amongst pupils
By Katie Jolley
Head of History
This year, in History, we have changed our way of teaching the curriculum content to our pupils (particularly at KS3) by switching from using exercise books to work booklets with our KS3 and KS4 classes. The rationale behind this being that work booklets would provide us with the opportunity to introduce scholarship easily and effectively in the form of ‘Scholarly Snippets’ to the pupils, as soon as they embark on their historical learning journey in Year 7.
What was the inspiration?
I am a keen and avid Twitter user and found that many teachers were trying to increase the amount of scholarship practiced amongst pupils at KS3. One idea which I was going to present to the department was the idea of ‘Scholarly Postcards.’ Scholarly postcards are small snippets of historiography that are supplemented with structured questions to increase pupils’ knowledge of a particular topic. These postcards would be completed as home learning and were supplementary to the lessons. I liked the idea of these postcards but wanted to actually explore the ‘Historiography’ within the lessons themselves! So, the idea of the ‘Scholarly Snippet’ came to be and are now tactically placed within all KS3 booklets and are regularly used as discussion points in lessons.
What is the purpose of the ‘Scholarly Snippet’?
The purpose of the snippet is to introduce a wider discussion around a particular topic - for example the Russian Revolution in 1917 – to develop and challenge pupils’ thinking around that topic. For example, within Year 9, pupils are currently studying the rise of Dictatorships in countries such as Russia and Germany in the early 20th century. However, in order understand how a new political structure manifests within a country, pupils must first comprehend the breakdown of its predecessor; therefore the ‘Scholarly Snippets’ are supplemented with metacognitive questions which help pupils to make connections between historical events. Thus, when considering the Russian Revolution, we must first look at Tsar Nicholas II’s downfall.
Below are some examples of questions that are asked to help develop pupils’ understanding of the learning and the snippet itself (these examples are from the Year 8 work booklet who are currently learning about the suffrage movement):
Metacognitive discussion (thinking about the snippets)
· From the snippet, do you think that the Suffragettes had always existed? Use evidence from the snippet to prove your explanation.
· How do the past actions of the Suffragettes make you feel? Do you sympathise with them or disagree with them? Explain
· “To thwart sympathy toward the suffrage movement, Parliament passed the ’Cat and Mouse Act’” Why do you think Parliament passed this Act?
· How has the scholarly snippet extended your understanding?
I particularly like the last question because it encourages the pupils to not only think about the content of the snippet but also supports them in thinking about how it enhances their learning experience and topical knowledge.
Another reason for introducing the ‘Scholarly Snippets’ was, not only to increase literacy within History but, to also aid the pupils understanding of what a ‘Historian’ does and the purpose of ‘Historiography’. I have often found that we have taught History without really referring to the work of Historians and without emphasising the importance of their role within society. Moreover, pupils need to be aware of the work that Historians do in order to understand their interpretations of events. For example, in the Germany GCSE History paper, there are several interpretation-style questions that feature ‘snippets’ of various Historians’ work which pupils then have to analyse using their historical knowledge to identify biases etc. As these sources range from a variety of different historical periods, pupils often struggle with the language used in them. Therefore, by incorporating varied, challenging language and the idea of ‘Historiography’ within our ‘Scholarly Snippets’ from Year 7 onwards, pupils are being exposed to a plethora of historical sources which they can use to develop their interpretive skills right from the beginning of their curriculum journey.
How are the ‘Scholarly Snippets’ signposted?
The ‘Scholarly Snippets’ are signposted in the work booklets with a ‘Scholarly Owl’ cartoon figure. After using this strategy for a full half term, it is now embedded into the pupils’ practice that when they see the ‘Scholarly Owl’, they get their pens and highlighters ready as they know they are about to dissect a historical source. Alongside the snippet, we also try to include a picture of the Historian and publication details of the snippet to encourage pupils to engage with wider reading.
Things to consider when using ‘Scholarly Snippets’:
· Use a wide variety of mediums when creating snippets to expose pupils to different means of communication: this can be anything from a newspaper article to a small clip from a historical documentary.
· Consider creating a glossary of any challenging language to make the snippet more accessible within mixed ability groups and encourage independence.
· Provide some contextual information about the Historian to enable pupils to identify the purpose of the source’s publication and any possible biases within it.
Lastly…
We have found that the ‘Scholarly Snippets’ have been an effective and efficient way to challenge our learners at BCA. Furthermore, incorporating these sources into our work booklets has enabled students to become accustomed to engaging with their skills of scholarship and the concept of historiography* at regular intervals.
*Historiography: The study of the writing of history and of written histories.