Suffragette Centenary 2018

                                           

100 years ago marked an incredible change in British history. Groups of women were finally given the right to vote after years of campaigning and protesting. As the great-granddaughter of a prominent suffragette, equality is something close to my heart. Books featuring strong and fearless heroines are becoming more and more popular. But did you know that there was a time when women would publish under a male name for fear they wouldn’t be taken seriously? Thankfully, today some of our best loved authors are women and they write about bold and courageous heroines in a way that encourages girls to be proud of who they are. This month’s blog will showcase the best female writers of today that have written about strong girls                                                                

1.      Jacqueline Wilson- Opal Plumstead

Undoubtedly one of the most popular author’s today, Jacqueline Wilson is renowned for her female protagonists. Opal Plumstead tells the story of a clever, determined girl in the early 1900s who dreams of going to university. However, her father is sent to prison and she must work instead to support her family. It is whilst at work that she is introduced to Mrs Roberts, who shows her the world of the Suffragettes and the rights they fight for.

                                                                       

                                                                 

                                                                                                                            

2.       Louisa May Alcott- Little Women

Little Women is a classic. Meg, Beth, Jo and Amy live with their mother and father, but when their father is sent away to war, the women are forced to gain independence and take care of themselves. The girls journey from childhood, to adulthood experiencing their fair share of troubles and fun along the way. 

                                                                               

                                                                                             

3.       Malorie Blackman- The Noughts and Crosses Trilogy

Sephy is a Cross. Callum is a Nought. Crosses are the superior race and rule over the lowly Noughts who act as their servants. Sephy and Callum have been friends since birth, but in a world full of prejudice, violence and racism, their friendship struggles and the pair must overcome the rigid views of the adults to stay friends.

                                                                    

4.       Frances Hodgson Burnett- A Little Princess

Another classic, A Little Princess tells the story of Sara Crewe, who moves from India to London as a rich princess, laden in velvet and expensive clothes. But when her father dies, she is thrown into poverty. She becomes a beggar and has to do hard work just to survive. Only her imagination and the kindness from others gets her through.

                                                                          

5.       Cressida Cowell- The Emily Brown Stories

Aimed at young readers, these books follow Emily Brown, a gutsy and headstrong young girl who overcomes challenges and struggles thrown at her. My personal favourite is That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown, where The Queen decides to take her favourite rabbit and replace him with a beautiful brown bear. Emily is livid. She marches straight to the Queen and demands to see her rabbit. Little does she know that her rabbit isn’t quite the same as it was… 

                                                 

6.       Beatrix Potter- The Tale of Kitty in Boots

Most famous for The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter’s Tale of Kitty in Boots was only discovered a couple of years ago, over 100 years after it was written. Potter was a self-confessed feminist, and this story shows the strong nature of girls even though it was written at a time when women weren’t seen this way.  It tells the story of Miss Kitty who leads a daring double life defeating villains.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Suffragettes or reading books with strong female leads, here are some suggestions of books you might find interesting: 

                                                          

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/whats-happening/blogs/2017/october/ten-of-the-best-feminist-books-for-children/

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tabathaleggett/feminist-childrens-books-that-every-child-should-read?utm_term=.cvwZbYrWv#.tu112bxWq

The following collection of books are also perfect for younger readers. The little people, big dreams series tell the stories of famous women through history who have made a difference. You’ll even find one on Emmeline Pankhurst:

https://www.waterstones.com/booklist/377114/little-people-big-dreams-series

This post was written by Lucy Taylor, one of our IGCSE English tutors at Blackhen Education.

Why Study KS3 History Online ?

‘It’s all about the past!’

‘Why do we have to learn about dead people?’

‘Can’t we learn about the future?’

These are just a few of the questions I’ve been asked over the years when teaching a history group for the first time.

The correct way to respond I suppose is to shoot back with a snappy defence of my subject. I’ve seen other teachers do this with a text book, prescribed response:

‘In order to understand the present, we need to know about the past’.

This is an admirable response, but I don’t use it.

I respond with ‘It’s a great subject. And you’ll find out why this year’.

I attach a personal link to it and also throw down the hint of goodies to be had in the future. Some students will continue to moan, whilst others will then ask what we’re going to be looking at. Very often this has been a project on their local town or city. Family and local connections are powerful ways to start a child thinking about the past, their identity and how they fit into the ‘big’ picture.

But what if you were born abroad (or moved at an early stage) and are British? How do you learn about your cultural heritage and develop cultural reference points? This is where we hope Blackhen Education’s new history courses will help.

Obviously a student can find out in a variety of ways, be it on the internet, TV documentaries or good old fashioned books. But where do you start and what do you cover?

Our new online History courses hope to answer these questions, for both parent and child alike. Just as keeping up their native language requires work for the ex-pat, bilingual student, cultural identity or just knowledge of their ‘home’ country does as well.

The key question for most students, even if unasked, is how did we get to where we are today? Why is it that we vote? Why don’t we execute people anymore? Why is Shakespeare so popular around the World? How did Britain become such a powerful country? Why isn’t it still?  Why did my great grandfather fight in the war? Can bad events bring about positive things?

At Blackhen Education we hope that our history courses will firstly help create an overview of key historical events in British history. This will then provide a framework for cultural knowledge and awareness.

If a student chooses, at the end of Key Stage 3 they can then start an IGCSE course in History. This is something that can definitely help if they are interested in studying at post-18 back in the UK.

Finally, by studying history the ex-pat student can also at the same time support their English language skills, both in reading and writing. As is so often the case in Education, the study of English and History overlap and complement one another.

This post was written by Andy Mackay - IGCSE English and KS3 History tutor at Blackhen Education.

For more details about our new KS3 (11-14yrs)History courses or English courses, please contact us at:

sue@blackheneducation.com

www.blackheneducation.com

Blackhen Education's Top 5 Children's books about the Holocaust

                                                                 

January 27th marks Holocaust Memorial Day. On this day we remember the millions of Jews that were murdered in the concentration camps by the Nazis during World War II. It is very important that each generation of children learn about the Holocaust and the atrocities that occurred.

At Blackhen Education we believe that one of the best ways for a child to learn about the Holocaust is through reading about the subject, whether it be autobiographical books (Anne Frank's Diary) or fiction (The Book Thief).

There are lots of resources to help children research this subject; be it books, films, online, documentaries etc. Due to the nature of this topic, parents do need to exercise some discretion and guidance for their children when finding out about this shocking episode in history. We would probably suggest that 13 years plus is probably the best age for children to first approach this subject. This is in line with most schools in the UK. 

We have complied a list of 5 books for teenagers and young adults to learn about the Holocaust and the issues raised by it.

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Number the Stars - Lois Lowry

'It is 1943 and for ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen life in Copenhagen is a complicated mix of home and school life, food shortages and the constant presence of Nazi soldiers. She knows about bravery from the stories of the dragon-slaying knights that she reads to her younger sister. But Anniemarie's best frien Ellen is a Jew. As the German troops begin their campaign to eradicate all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie is called upon for courage and a very real-life feat of bravery'. Amazon books.

Milkweed - Jerry Spinelli.

'The book is about a boy in Warsaw, Poland in the years of World War II during the Holocaust. Over time he is taken in by a Jewish group of orphans and he must avoid the German troops (or "Jackboots") while living on the streets with other orphans'. Wikipedia

The Holocaust - Susanna Davidson

'Under the cover of the Second World War, the Nazis set out to kill every Jewish person in Europe, in what is now known as the Holocaust. This book looks at the events leading up to it and describes what happened, using historical fact and survivors' stories to give a moving and sensitive account'. - Google books.

The Earth is Singing - Vanessa Curtis

My name is Hanna Michelson. I am fifteen. I am Latvian. I live with my mother and grandmother. My father is missing - taken by the Russians. I have a boyfriend. When he holds my hand,everything feels perfect. I'm training to be a dancer. But none of that matters now. Because the Nazi have arrived and I am a Jew. And as far as they are concerned, that is all that matters.

This is my story' - Usbourne books

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne

'This book follows a 9-year-old boy named Bruno growing up during World War II in Berlin, Germany. He lives in a huge house with his parents, his 12-year-old sister Gretel and servants, one of whom is called Maria. After a visit by Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, Bruno's father is promoted to Commandant, and the family has to move to "Out-With" because of the orders of "The Fury".- Wikipedia

Details of all our English courses can be found on our website: www.blackheneducation.com or contact us at: sue@blackheneducation.com