Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

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Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

Why Comics? Key Stage 3 (age 11-14) History Lesson Plan: The Roma People in Europe

IntroductionLooking to engage your students in contemporary human rights and social issues? Based at SOAS University of London, Why Comics? Education Charity brings contemporary humanitarian and social issues into the classroom (such as racism, conflict, migration, trafficking and climate change) through interactive literary comic books based on real-life testimony.

Our free easy-to-use KS2-5 resources build empathy and enhance learning for 7-18-year-old students and teachers alike, alongside UK national-curriculum relevant lesson plans to support multiple subjects.

Each sample UK National Curriculum based Lesson Plan is provided as a Word.doc – so you can use it as a building block. Please feel free to adjust the content to suit your teaching style and students’ needs, all the content is only suggested.

Our innovative resources help enhance learning to support multiple subjects (such as English, ESOL, Personal, Social, Health and Economic [PSHE] education, Citizenship Studies, Art, Media Studies and Geography). Our support materials are intended to inspire teachers and enhance teaching practices and different ideas.

Why Comics? resources are embedded with a wealth of age-appropriate contextual multimedia (such as news articles, maps, videos, infographics and reports) to educate and inspire pupils across a wide demographic.

Our materials encourage learners to make connections between their own lives and the lives of others throughout the world, promoting critical and reflective thinking on vital global themes. In this way, Why Comics? can help combat racism and intolerance in schools.

Already, over 600 schools in 27 countries have provided detailed feedback on our free interactive educational resources to overwhelmingly positive feedback. From September 2017, our materials will be disseminated to over 25,000 schools worldwide.

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Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

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Please email info@whycomics.org for more information. Thank you.Why Comics? Charity number - 1172791

Table of ContentsIntroduction..........................................................................................................................................2

UK National Curriculum History requirements....................................................................................3

Suggested Why Comics? History Lesson Plan for Daria’s Story The Roma People in Europe..............4

Aims..................................................................................................................................................4

Learning Objectives...........................................................................................................................4

Lesson plan 1.....................................................................................................................................5

Additional Follow on Lesson: History of the Roma in Europe..............................................................8

Aims..................................................................................................................................................8

Learning Objectives...........................................................................................................................8

Lesson plan 2.....................................................................................................................................8

Feedback...............................................................................................................................................9

Future Plans..........................................................................................................................................9

Who backs Why Comics? - About PositiveNegatives.....................................................................10

UK National Curriculum History requirements:[Source: UK Gov KS3 National Curriculum]

A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.

History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

History education at Key Stage 3 will enable students to:

know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind

understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw

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Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses

understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed

gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales

challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day.

Please note teaching notes are in purple.

Suggested Why Comics? History Lesson Plan for Daria’s Story The Roma People in Europe

Here is a suggested History lesson plan about the history of the Roma people told through the eyes of Daria and a suggested follow-up lesson plan. Both lessons are 45 minutes long, consisting of a reading in class, followed by group discussion and an assigned homework. Thought to originate in India, the Roma arrived in Europe in the middle ages. From the beginning, they faced prejudice and persecution due to their differences in appearance and culture. The Roma were also victims of the Holocaust although this has only been recognised in recent historiography. Daria’s Story brings to light some of the struggles faced by the Roma, who are still a minority highly discriminated against today. This lesson will outline these struggles and the history underlying them. The class can either read the comic collectively via projector, or at home via the web (www.whycomics.org).

Aims:

This session will focus on the historical struggles of the Roma embedded in Daria’s Story. Students will:

Learn who the Roma are Consider the ways the Roma have been discriminated against in the past Consider the current situation of the Roma in terms of historical cause and

consequence.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, students will be able to:

Explain who the Roma people are Describe at least one historical situation in which the Roma have been persecuted Explain causes and consequences of historical persecution of the Roma.

Lesson plan 1:

1. Read through the comic as a group – Project the story in class and go through the comic panel by panel. Ask different students to read each panel aloud. If there is time, you

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Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

could explore several of the additional resources in the interactive boxes dispersed throughout the comic. (20 minutes)

Teacher’s Note: Use the discussion points at the end of the comic as a means to transition into a class discussion.

2. Classroom Discussion/Divide the class in groups – Ask pupils to express their opinion about the Roma – who they are, why are they categorised as a discrete group and any examples of discrimination against the Roma that they might already be aware of, etc. Show the image of Roma at concentration camp included in the Teacher’s Notes below and ask the students what they think it shows. Explain that persecution of Roma people massively predates the Holocaust. Show the video linked in Teacher’s Notes and ask the class to consider why they think the Roma experienced such a negative reception and think about repercussions of this today (poverty, decreased access to education and employment, etc.) (20 minutes)

3. Homework – Each pupil will research and note down 5 facts about the history of the Roma people. (5 minutes)

Teacher’s Notes

The Roma in the UK – See News Report after UK Roma insecurity following Brexit vote [Source: The Guardian]

Movement to the UK [Source: Equality.uk.com]British Gypsies of the Romanichal and Kale Romani groups have lived in the UK since the 15th century. The first Roma from the new EU countries, particularly from the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, came to the UK in the 1990s seeking asylum to escape persecution. Since the enlargement of the EU in 2004 and 2007, many more have moved legally to the UK to find work, equal opportunities and a good education for their children (economic and social rights largely denied them in their countries of origin), and to escape racism and discrimination. They have established significant communities in the north of England, East Midlands, Kent and north and east London. It is not known how many Roma live in the UK. The best estimate is around 300,000. Many Roma avoid declaring their ethnicity and instead use their nationality.

Situation in the UK [Source: Equality.uk.com]Many Roma in the UK work for low wages on temporary contracts organised by gang masters and recruitment agencies. Their vulnerable position is often exploited. Many live in sub-standard accommodation, shared with other families. This often leads to poor health, and low school attendance and attainment by children. There are Roma who want to help their communities overcome these problems. However, they have been frustrated by few opportunities, with very little funding available and limited capacity to implement community-based projects. Many local authorities and organisations that provide services are unaware of the numbers, locations or needs of the Roma residing in their areas. This lack of knowledge constrains these authorities from providing suitable services for Roma communities. Barriers and restrictions on employment, particularly on people from Romania and Bulgaria, adds further disadvantage.

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Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

Equality assists Roma communities to work in partnership with local authorities and service providers to resolve social and economic issues by empowering and promoting social inclusion and equality.

An image of Roma at Belzec Concentration Camp [Source: Holocaust Research Project]

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Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

Brief animated video about the history of the Roma [Source: Youtube]

Roma History Bits [Source: BBC]Historians agree that the Roma's origins lie in north-west India and that their journey towards Europe started between the 3rd and 7th Centuries CE – a massive migration prompted by timeless reasons: conflicts, instability and the seeking of a better life in big cities such as Tehran, Baghdad and, later on, Constantinople.Some of these Indian immigrant workers were farmers, herdsmen, traders, mercenaries or bookkeepers. Others were entertainers and musicians. They settled in the Middle East, calling themselves Dom, a word meaning "man". To this day, they retain their name and speak a language related to Sanskrit.Large numbers moved into Europe, where the D, which was anyway pronounced with the tongue curled up, became an R, giving the word Rom. Today's European Roma (the plural of Rom) are their descendants. By the 14th Century, journeying further into Europe, perhaps fleeing the Turks or perhaps the plague, the Atsingani were to be found in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece. They worked on the land or as craftsmen but in two Romanian principalities, Wallachia and Moldova, they were pushed into slavery and feature prominently in property deeds.About a century later, the Roma fled towards Ukraine and Russia. Some presented themselves as pilgrims or penitents, and like any such group wandering throughout Europe during that era they were given aid or shelter. This welcoming attitude changed dramatically around the year 1500. Historians believe this might have happened because the numbers of the immigrants grew bigger, but they also were seen as spies for the Turks, and consequently hunted and killed by decree.This led to what some historians dub "the first Roma genocide" - a period of fierce repression. There were hangings and expulsions in England; branding and the shaving of heads in France; severing of the left ear of Roma women in Moravia, and of the right one in Bohemia. Following these expulsions and killings, large groups of Roma travelled back East, towards Poland, which was more tolerant.

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Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

In contrast, the policy of the West, especially during the Age of Enlightenment was to "civilise" the Roma through brutal forced assimilation. The repression included: 24 strokes of the cane for the use of the "Gypsy language"; forbidding Roma to marry among themselves; restricting the numbers of Roma musicians; taking away children as young as four years old from their parents and distributing them among the neighbouring towns, "at least every two years".

In some cases, these policies did force Roma to become assimilated. But many took to the road again.The persecutions culminated in the Holocaust, or Porajmos - "the Devouring" - as it is called in Romany. Yet post-war European governments on both sides of the Iron Curtain denied the Roma Holocaust survivors any recognition or aid. In the communist bloc, some managed to reach the modest living standards of the era, most often at the price of giving up their language and identity, while the majority of Roma continued to lead poverty stricken lives on the margins of society. In many cases there were special policies towards Roma, including coerced sterilisation (Czechoslovakia) or forcing them to change their names and hiding their dwellings behind concrete walls (Bulgaria).

The demise of the communist regimes in 1989 in Central and Eastern Europe was followed by an upsurge of anti-Roma violence in almost every country. Today, six million out of the estimated 10 million European Roma live in Central and Eastern Europe.

Please help us by filling out a short anonymous SurveyMonkey questionnaire after you have used our materials for our funders. This helps ensure that our great resources remain free.

Please email info@whycomics.org for more information. Thank you.

Additional Follow on LessonHistory of the Roma in Europe

Aims:

This session will focus on consolidating awareness of the Roma in Europe. Students will:

Reconsider Daria’s Story in the light of what they know about the situation of the Roma today

Make a poster outlining the history of the Roma.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, students will be able to:

Explain the history of the Roma people Talk about how the history of the Roma leads to difficulties like Daria’s Present key information in a visual manner.

Lesson plan 2:

1. Summarise the previous lesson: recap on the comic and on what the class discussed and ask students to each share one of the facts that they learned for homework – to be used in the making of posters (15 minutes)

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Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

2. Individual/group activity – You can either let pupils work on their own or in pairs/small groups to make posters of key information and history of the Roma (25 minutes)

3. Homework – Assign the class to finish their posters, arranging to meet up outside of school if working in pairs/small groups. (5 minutes)

Teacher’s NotesFind 50 facts about the Roma community in Europe here [Source: Child Protection Hub]

FeedbackPlease help us by filling out a short anonymous SurveyMonkey questionnaire for our funders. This will help keep our great resources free. We will be happy to hear about how it works in the classroom, and are keen to receive any comments or feedback.

We are particularly interested if you would like to receive more resources like this. If so please include on the SurveyMonkey questionnaire which topics you would like us to cover (e.g. Divorce, Migration, Racism/Prejudice, Cyber/Bullying, Identity, Memory, Racism, Conflict, Natural Disasters, Human Trafficking/Slavery, Asylum/Refugees, Homelessness, Climate Change, Remittances & Migrant Workers, and Drug Trafficking & Addiction).

We are also interested to have feedback from pupils so if it is possible, please pass on the SurveyMonkey questionnaire link to them as well. Many thanks again, your help is most appreciated.

Future Plans

Over the coming year, we’re intending to expand our bank of database for KS2 (age 7-11) and KS3 (age 11-14) and KS4-5 (age 14-18) and their teachers, and produce national curriculum based accompanying lesson plans for multiple subjects. You can view all our resources on our Teachers Resources page.

We will continue to design and test our resources to ensure that they are made by teachers for teachers.

If you would like any more information or would like to be involved further, please contact info@whycomics.org. Thank you.

With very best wishes,

Dr Benjamin Dix

Director: Why Comics? Education CharitySenior Fellow: SOAS University of London

Web: http://www.whycomics.org/Email: info@whycomics.org Twitter and Instagram: @WhyComicsOrg Facebook: Why Comics? Education Charity

Why Comics? Education Charity is based at the Faber Building, SOAS University of London.Why Comics? Charity number - 1172791

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Why Comics? KS3 History Lesson Plan

Who backs Why Comics? - About PositiveNegatives

The award-winning non-profit PositiveNegatives produce literary comics, animations and podcasts about contemporary social and human rights issues. We combine ethnographic research with illustration and photography, adapting personal testimonies into art, education and advocacy materials. Since 2012, PositiveNegatives has worked extensively for an array of international organisations such as United Nations (UN), Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Open Society Foundations (OSF), The Nobel Peace Centre, The Guardian, BBC, and with leading academic institutions such as; Harvard South Asia Centre, SOAS University of London and University of Sussex.

Our work endeavours to combine literature, journalism and education. Visual story-telling engages audiences of all ages, backgrounds and levels of literacy. Approaching subjects like conflict and forced migration through the prism of personal narratives emotionally engages general readers and students alike. We have developed comics from research, policy papers and first hand testimonies for organisations such as these and many more. Each comic has reached millions of viewers, and many have been translated into multiple languages reaching diverse international stakeholders.

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