Why Study History?

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As an enthusiastic and exciting department, the aim of the History Department in Lurgan Junior High School is to encourage a strong focus on knowledge and analysis of historical evidence. We view history as a five-year course; centred on preparing our pupils for studying GCSE History.  Pupils at Lurgan Junior High School study a diverse curriculum containing some of the key political, social, economic and cultural events which have taken place in Ireland, Britain, Europe and across the world between the 16th and 20th centuries.

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Year 8 begins with historical skills and is followed by a study of the Reformation and the Tudor Dynasty and deals with characters such as Martin Luther, Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots and King Philip II of Spain and his Spanish Armada.  

In Year 9, pupils study the causes of the partition of Ireland which includes topics such as the Ulster Plantation, Oliver Cromwell’s actions in Ireland, the Home Rule Crisis, WW1, the Easter Rising and the War of Independence.  Following the partition of Ireland, pupils go on to study key events from the Troubles in Northern Ireland which span from the foundation of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association to the Good Friday Agreement.

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In Year 10, our focus is on modern history with a study on the rise of Hitler and the Nazis which includes events such as the Great Depression, the Munich Putsch and the Reichstag Fire.  Following Hitler’s rise to power, pupils will study life in Nazi Germany, Hitler’s foreign policy and major events that changed the Twentieth Century such as the assassination of President Kennedy and the dropping of the Atomic Bomb.

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Outside the classroom, biannually, our pupils are afforded the opportunity to travel to Belgium and France to explore the involvement of soldiers from the island of Ireland in WW1.  The tour consists of visits to Thiepval Memorial, the Ulster Tower, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele Museum etc. along with involvement in the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. 

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