Discover how students of all abilities can engage with higher order historical concepts. Jonathan Howson's mixed ability class are asked to test a hypothesis about John F. Kennedy in the Cuban Missile Crisis using sources and to construct alternative accounts. They then analyse a statement by Schlesinger, praising Kennedy, examining its language and building lists of alternative words. Jonathan then screens Kennedy's TV address to the nation, modelling an analysis and the class discuss his strategy. Small groups analyse archive sources, including Kennedy's doodles, testing the hypothesis. Finally, pupils write alternative accounts of the President's performance. Jonathan concludes that the pupils' progress over the series of lessons moves from them not knowing anything about the Crisis, to being able to critically evaluate a popular understanding and construct their own accounts.

Video Series: KS4 History
Release Date 2005