Icons and Impact

Overview

This 80-minute lesson introduces Year 8 students to the idea of historical icons, focusing on their significance and exploring Nelson Mandela as a key example. Students will critically examine what makes someone an ‘icon’ and begin to develop inquiry questions that will guide learning in the subsequent lessons. The lesson aligns with the National Curriculum for England, focusing on developing students’ historical understanding, critical thinking, and enquiry skills.

National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 3 History Program of Study:
- Pupils should be taught to:
  - Understand how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
  - Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance.
  - Address and devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
  - Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.
Historical Skills Focus:
- Developing historical enquiry and questioning skills.
- Recognising the significance of historical figures.
- Encouraging active participation and discussion.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

Define what an icon is in a historical context and explain its significance.
Analyse criteria that make a historical figure an icon.
Identify key facts about Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy.
Formulate their own historical questions about Nelson Mandela to drive enquiry.
Collaborate and communicate their ideas effectively in a small group setting.

Resources

Whiteboard or flipchart and markers
Sticky notes or coloured cards
Images of historical icons (diverse figures across time and cultures)
Brief biography handout on Nelson Mandela (age-appropriate)
Enquiry question planning worksheet
Timer or stopwatch

Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes) – What is an Icon?

Activity: Display images of various historical icons (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Winston Churchill, Malala Yousafzai) on the board and ask students to vote on who they think is an icon and why.
Teacher Input: Facilitate a discussion to draw out ideas on what makes someone an icon (e.g., impact, values, leadership, symbolism). Write student suggestions on the board under the heading “Icon Criteria.”
Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and encourage critical thinking about the concept of significance in history.

2. Introduction to Nelson Mandela (15 minutes)

Activity: Distribute a one-page simplified biography of Nelson Mandela covering key aspects of his life – apartheid, activism, imprisonment, presidency, and legacy.
Guided Reading: Read together, pausing to model note-taking of key points on the board.
Discussion: Reflect briefly on how Mandela fits the icon criteria identified earlier. Highlight unique aspects of his story.
Purpose: Introduce the case study figure succinctly and link to the lesson’s theme.

3. Group Brainstorm: What Do We Know? (15 minutes)

Activity: In pairs (to ensure all six students participate), students brainstorm everything they already know about Mandela and write ideas on sticky notes or a shared worksheet.
Sharing: Each pair sticks their notes on a whiteboard section titled “Mandela: Known Facts.”
Teacher Role: Facilitate, highlight common knowledge and dispel any misconceptions gently if they arise.
Purpose: Assess current understanding and build a knowledge base for enquiry.

4. Inquiry Question Formulation (20 minutes)

Mini-Lesson: Explain what makes a good historical enquiry question: open-ended, focused on cause, consequence, change, significance, or perspectives. Use examples related to Mandela.
Activity: Students individually write down 3 questions they would like to investigate about Nelson Mandela (e.g., Why was Mandela imprisoned? How did Mandela’s actions impact South Africa?).
Pair and Share: Students share questions with their partner and refine them collaboratively, then share with the whole group.
Recording: Collect all questions and group similar ones into themes on the board for future lessons.
Purpose: Engage students in independent historical thinking and promote ownership of the learning journey.

5. Reflection and Plenary (15 minutes)

Activity: Each student chooses one question they find most exciting and explains why in a 1-minute talk to the class.
Teacher Summarises: Wrap up by linking back to the concept of icons and why Nelson Mandela is a powerful one. Encourage students to think about how the questions they posed will guide their learning in upcoming lessons.
Exit Ticket: On a coloured card, write one new thing they learned today and one question they still have about Mandela or historical icons.
Purpose: Consolidate learning, promote metacognition, and provide informal assessment data.

Assessment & Differentiation

Formative Assessment:
- Observe group discussions for understanding of icon criteria and historical significance.
- Review enquiry questions for depth and relevance.
- Use exit tickets to gauge learning and outstanding queries.
Differentiation Strategies:
- Provide scaffolded biography with key vocabulary highlighted for lower ability learners.
- Challenge more able students to think about differing perspectives on Mandela’s legacy.
- Pair work supports peer learning; teacher circulates to prompt and support as needed.

Extension Ideas

Homework: Research a different historical icon and prepare a short presentation on why they are significant.
Creative task: Create a “Mandela icon” poster illustrating key moments of his life and values.

Reflection for Teacher

Did students grasp the complex idea of significance and iconography in history?
Were enquiry questions varied and thoughtful?
Did all students participate and engage actively?
How can the next lesson build strongly on this foundation, possibly exploring Mandela’s impact in more detail?

This immersive, inquiry-driven lesson sparks curiosity about Nelson Mandela while grounding students firmly in historical enquiry skills in line with the National Curriculum’s aims. It fosters collaboration, critical thinking, and connects individual learning to wider historical concepts of significance and change.

Teaching Instructions