Project

Welcome to our Year 6 History Topic!

How Can We Make Our Mark?

This unit focuses on social justice – justice in terms of discrimination, wealth, opportunities and privileges within a society. Lesson one outlines what protest is and how nonviolent resistance (peaceful protest) is the most effective way to achieve change. This lesson gives examples of nonviolent activism that has occurred throughout the last century. Throughout the unit, pupils will look at this nonviolent activism in more detail and will grapple with key causes of this activism such as environmental issues, gender equality, racial equality and community cohesion. These causes are sensitive and important and still exist today. This unit has opportunities throughout to facilitate dialogue and to enable pupils to understand how people and movements have caused change over time using nonviolent resistance. Lesson two explores protest for the protection of the environment. Pupils will explore the current movements working to raise awareness of global warming as well as the way governments are ignoring the scientific research to benefit their own political aims. Pupils will also be exposed to how nonviolent protest still has risks as police have powers to remove protesters that pose as a public nuisance. Lesson three explores gender equality with regards to women’s right to vote and equality for the LGBTQ community. In this lesson, pupils are exposed to how protest can resort to violence if it seems there is no other option. Lesson four explores racism and racial discrimination through the civil rights movement actions taking place in 1963 around the world; looking at the Bristol bus boycott in depth and then highlighting the recent actions of Black Lives Matter movement. Lesson five focuses on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her fight for social justice and gender equality. Pupils explore the legacy Justice Ginsburg left behind and how she made her mark. Lesson six explores how people can make their mark through art. Using the artist Mohammed Ali as a case study, pupils learn how art as a form of nonviolent resistance is a powerful one and one they can choose if they want to protest about issues that are important to them.