Research Skills Workshop

Overview

Duration: 80 minutes
Class Size: 6 students
Unit: Icons of Change: Mandela (Lesson 2 of 4)
Age Group: Year 8 (12–13 years old)
Curriculum Reference:

History Programme of Study: Key Stage 3 (National Curriculum for England)
Specifically supports the development of historical skills focusing on enquiry and interpretation as outlined in the KS3 history framework.
Literacy and critical evaluation skills from English framework integrated within History.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

Understand the difference between primary and secondary sources. (NC History KS3, ‘historical enquiry’ strand)
Be able to identify and use various historical research tools and databases suitable for their age.
Develop skills to critically evaluate the reliability and usefulness of sources, considering provenance, purpose, and context. (NC History KS3)
Begin gathering relevant information about Nelson Mandela from a mix of sources to inform future lessons.
Collaborate effectively and communicate findings clearly within small groups.

Curriculum Links and Key Skills

National Curriculum Ref	Description
History KS3, Strand: Historical Enquiry & Interpretation	Ask historically valid questions, analyse and evaluate a range of sources...
History KS3, Strand: Constructing an Argument	Develop understanding by making substantiated explanations and judgements
Literacy in History	Develop reading, comprehension, and vocabulary through historical texts

Lesson Breakdown

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge about research and Mandela; introduce lesson focus.

Begin with a quick oral quiz: "What do you already know about Nelson Mandela?" Use this as an informal formative assessment and record key points on a whiteboard.
Pose the question: “How can we find out more, and how do we know if information is true or reliable?” Immediate brainstorming around what makes a source trustworthy.
Introduce the terms primary and secondary sources with simple, relatable examples (e.g., a diary by Mandela’s friend vs a textbook written about Mandela).

2. Interactive Teacher Input (15 minutes)

Objective: Introduce research skills, tools, and source evaluation criteria.

Demonstrate different types of sources using classroom materials or printed excerpts (e.g., excerpts from Mandela’s autobiography = primary, a documentary transcript = secondary).
Present an easy-to-understand framework for evaluating sources, e.g., the acronym CRAPP: Currency, Reliability, Authority, Purpose, and Point of View.
Showcase research tools and databases suitable for Year 8, for example:
- Online historical archives (provided by school library)
- BBC Bitesize (offline material extract)
- Printed newspapers and photo archives
Highlight key questions when using these tools: Who created this? When? Why? Do they have a bias? How does it fit into Mandela’s story?

3. Guided Practice: Source Evaluation Activity (20 minutes)

Objective: Practice evaluating sources in pairs.

Provide 3 different sources related to Nelson Mandela (including one primary source excerpt, one secondary source article, and a propaganda poster image).
In pairs, students use the CRAPP framework to evaluate each source’s reliability and usefulness.
Record findings on a provided worksheet (to build writing and reasoning skills).
Teacher circulates, prompting deeper questioning and clarifying misconceptions.

4. Independent Research Task (25 minutes)

Objective: Begin gathering information for the Mandela project.

Students individually use a mix of printed and digital resources (pre-selected and curated by the teacher) to find 3 key facts about Nelson Mandela’s life, relating to his role as an icon of change.
Encourage note-taking focusing on where their information came from, distinguishing whether it is primary or secondary.
Teacher supports with scaffolded help where necessary, encouraging each student to think critically about each fact’s source.
Use mini-whiteboards or sticky notes for students to jot down interesting points or questions they want to explore further.

5. Plenary & Reflection (10 minutes)

Objective: Consolidate learning, assess understanding, and set homework.

Each student shares one interesting fact they found and explains why they think their source is reliable.
Group discussion: “Why is it important to check who made a source before we trust it?” Connect to current media literacy themes.
Homework: Students are tasked with finding one further piece of information on Nelson Mandela at home from a primary or secondary source (could be a family member’s recollection, a newspaper archive, or a library book), ready to share next lesson.

Resources Required

Printed source packets (primary/secondary excerpts, posters)
Worksheets for CRAPP evaluation and note-taking
Mini-whiteboards or sticky notes and pens
Access to pre-selected offline/offline research materials
Teacher laptop/projector to demonstrate research tools

Assessment and Feedback

Ongoing formative assessment through questioning and observation during pair work and individual research.
Worksheets used to assess students’ ability to evaluate sources systematically.
Plenary sharing offers informal peer and teacher feedback; encourages confidence in articulating critical thinking.
Homework provides evidence of independent research application with opportunity for personalised written feedback next lesson.

Differentiation

Support: Scaffolded evaluation worksheets with sentence starters (e.g. “This source was made by… so it might be…”).
Challenge: Extension task to compare conflicting accounts about Mandela’s imprisonment and suggest reasons for differences.
Visual learners benefit from posters and images; discussion supports auditory learners.

Cross-Curricular Links

English: Developing literacy through reading comprehension and writing structured evaluations.
Citizenship: Understanding bias, media literacy, and questioning the reliability of information sources.

WOW Element: "Source Detective Challenge"

Transform students into 'History Detectives' with detective badges provided. The CRAPP evaluation task can be framed as a mystery-solving game where each source has hidden clues about Mandela’s life and character, encouraging enthusiasm for inquiry and deeper historical thinking.

This lesson plan exemplifies engaging, curriculum-aligned instruction that nurtures critical historical thinking while building foundational research skills essential for Year 8 learners studying the transformative figure of Nelson Mandela.

Teaching Instructions