Using vocabulary to empower GCSE students' thinking

‘Who hates PEE paragraphs?’ A collective groan resounds around my classroom. ‘Today, Year 10 we are going to master PEE  paragraphs, and make our written historical explanations explode.’

I always remember one deflated Year 10 student who said, ‘Miss, I just don’t get PEE paragraphs. I couldn’t do them in Year 7, and I still can’t do them now.’ Given that this writing structure is used across the curriculum in many schools, it is a concern that some students feel defeated by it. When marking students’ causal essays I noticed that my students could organise, select and deploy their historical knowledge in answer to a causal question, to create ‘big points’ and supporting ‘little points’ or examples. Only for a handful, however, did explanations and judgements come independently and confidently. I needed to devise a way to help others succeed...