1. Year 9 Independent Learning Project
Your Critical Quest
Year 9 Independent Learning Project

2. Have you watched any TV programmes about WW1 which have sparked your curiosity?
Is there a personal story that has moved you to investigate further?
Are you brave enough to try and make sense of something about the war which perplexes you?
My Investigation into an aspect of the Great War which Intrigues, Concerns or Moves me
My Critical Quest: Y9 Independent Learning Project
What have you studied that you would like to take a critical eye to?
Is there a topic we haven’t covered that you are brave enough to tackle?
Is there something we have studied in class which you feel curious about?

3. An aspect of Life on the Home Front: Conscientious objectors
The Changing world of Women
The Home Guard
Something of your choice
Technology and Weapons:
The War in the Air
The Development of new weapons
Battle:
A specific Battle or series of Battles (such as in Ypres)
The Nature of Warfare
The Human Dimension:
Life for Soldiers
Personal and/or Ancestor’s Story
Poetry and/or Art of the First World War
STEP 1 SELECT:
Choose a topic which intrigues, concerns or moves you …
Tip:
A little research can help you to decide if this is definitely the topic for you … it is best to change your mind early if you find a more interesting topic …

4. Choose a topic which intrigues, concerns or moves you …
Women and WW1
Dulce Et Decorum Est animation

5. Ask the right kinds of questions
LOWER ORDER QUESTIONS:
Who?
What?
Where?
When?
HIGHER ORDER QUESTIONS:
Why?
How?
How Significant was?
To what extent did?
How important was?
CHECK POINT … PREPARE FOR THE END:
Have you got to the nitty-gritty details?
Have you considered how much the war changed us?
Have you learnt anything that surprised you?
What further questions did your research give rise to?
STEP 2 ENQUIRE:
Ask the right kinds of questions
Check:
AIM for one overarching BIG Higher Order enquiry question
and between 3-5 Lower Order questions to help you answer your overarching BIG question

6. Team challenge Lower order questions get 5 points
There are 4 boards around the room for each TOPIC
In teams of 4 your task is to write as many questions as you can on the boards
Lower order questions get
5 points
Higher order questions get
10 points
Wobbly, weird or wonky questions get
0 points
Extra special, super-duper questions get
15 points
Team challenge

7. Fill in your READING LOG as you go
MORE ACCESSIBLE READING:
E.g. Peace and War (Y9 History textbook)
MODERATE READING:
E.g. Britain and the First World War (GCSE textbook)
AIMING HIGH READING:
E.g. BBC History Magazine
History Today
Contact an expert (In school, online, contact or take a visit! IWM, Northern Ireland War Memorial, In Flanders Field Museum, Historical Association)
OTHER: Websites must always be credible
BBC world war one
Historylearningsite.co.uk
Spartacus educational
Thefirstworldwar.com
Imperial War Museum
Documentaries
STEP 3 INVESTIGATE:
Read, Think, Note-take!
Fill in your READING LOG as you go
Check:
AIM to read between 3-6 different sources of information (e.g. pages from a textbook or an article)
You MUST read at least one book (e.g. a chapter) / article / website from each coloured box

8. STEP 4: Note-taking Skills
Consider what you are trying to find out first
Read without taking any notes
(this may be skim reading)
If you can, use highlighters or underlining to emphasise parts in the text which are important and relevant to your investigation
Prepare how you are going to take your notes
(e.g. a table or a spider-diagram to separate information)
Use short, bullet points to write down what will help you to answer your enquiry questions
(avoid copying but short quotes can be helpful ‘don’t forget to use quote marks’ and note where the quote came from p.17 SHP textbook)
Fill in your reading log
(which pages did you read, was it helpful?)

9. Sources come in all shapes and sizes! Pictures, drawings, photos
CHOOSE:
Select a source related to your topic which has some use for your investigation
INFER:
Consider what inferences you can draw out of this source
USEFULNESS AND LIMITATIONS:
Explain the uses (these may be important inferences you have drawn from the source) and limitations (these may be related to the purpose of the source) of your selected source
PRESENTATION:
Think logically about how you will present your source analysis … could you use an inference gird? Will you write up an assessment of the source?
STEP 5: Source
Sources come in all shapes and sizes!
Pictures, drawings, photos
Text, newspaper articles, diaries, artefacts … choose something that makes sense for your project

10. Creative, Logical and Individual!
You have relative creative freedom.
But keep it MANAGEABLE!
Remember you have a limited TIME and must ensure that your project shows knowledge, understanding and analysis
LOGICAL:
Consider how your presentation method can best display your learning in a coherent, focused and thoughtful way
INDIVIDUAL:
Be brave and try presenting your work in a different or unusual way
LEARNING LOG:
A critical part of your project is your reading log – this should remain in the format given but complete with your own project title, questions and reading material
STEP 6 PRESENT:
Creative, Logical and Individual!

11. Table / Chart / Pyramid to answer enquiry questions
Short essay to answer enquiry questions
Mind map to answer your enquiry questions
Textbook Style to answer enquiry questions
Collage / storyboard / comic strip to answer each enquiry question
Questions answered by a First World War Soldier (narrator, interview, diary, play)

12. My Critical Quest: Q&A? Expectations and limits
Use of source material and expectation of source skills
Research material and LRC
Presentation of findings
Use of Reading Record
My Critical Quest: Q&A?

13. My Critical Quest: Year 9 Independent Learning Project on the First World War
Guided deadlines:
Week 1: Select topic, establish enquiry questions (remain flexible), select and read from at least one book / article / website and record this in Learning Log
Week 2: Reflect on quality of chosen enquiry questions (adapt if necessary), continue to select, read, note-take and fill in learning log
Week 3: Consider ideas for presentation, continue to select, read, note-take and fill in learning log
Week 4: Complete presentation and hand in along with learning log
My overall deadline is ___________
TASK:
To select a topic of my choice on the First World War (approved by my teacher).
To create my own enquiry questions. These are of my own choosing but I must have an overarching HIGHER ORDER question and LOWER ORDER questions to support this.
To select my own reading material (minimum 3-6 sources of information) and take appropriate notes using the guidance given. I must use a combination of accessible, moderate and higher level reading material.
I will include a source of my choice in my project and demonstrate the skills of inference. I will also assess how useful the source is for my investigation.
I will present my findings in a logical and creative method of my choice (approved by my teacher). Minimum 600 words and maximum 1,000 words (anything else can go into an appendix).
I will keep a detailed bibliography of the books I read on my Learning Log which I will also use to review my work in class once my project is complete. I will fill this in as I go along (electronic version on the VLE) and hand in at the end with my project.
Give students a copy of this (on a sticker??) to place in their books as a focal point for their project and also something a parent can access and understand quickly