The Three Strands The Junior Cycle History specifi cation is common level and contains three strands:
1. The nature of history 2. The history of Ireland 3. The history of Europe and the wider world
The nature of history is an overarching strand concerning the skills and attitudes students will develop in their study of history. Artefact introduces these concepts with chapters on The Historian and The Archaeologist and reinforces them throughout with tasks, questions and discussions. Through these tasks, students will develop their historical consciousness, work with evidence and acquire the big picture.
The history of Ireland and the history of Europe and the wider world are contextual strands through which students can continue to develop their historical skills as they explore and gain knowledge of key events of the past. They will recognise key changes; explore people, culture and ideas; and apply historical thinking to the topics they encounter.
On the contents page, you will see the chapters of Artefact coloured according to the strand that they relate to.
Key 1
2 3
The nature of history The history of Ireland
The history of Europe and the wider world
You will also see the number of the relevant learning outcome(s) that it relates to listed beside each chapter. This is to assist you in navigating the new course and choosing the sequence of topics you will cover. It is recommended that you tackle the course chronologically, in the order topics are presented, so that students can consider events in the context of what was happening in the rest of the world and so that they can tackle simpler topics in fi rst year before moving on to more diffi cult material later on.
A Comprehensive Approach
Throughout Artefact, you will see that popular and familiar topics have been used to fulfi l learning outcomes. Where useful, a narrative has been knitted together for students that will help them overcome any gaps in understanding as they move through topics and time periods. Sources and Skills Book and Research Portfolio tasks move beyond the basics of Q&A and
