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Hinterland Knowledge

CPD: Subject Level Curriculum (by Kat Howard and Claire Hill), topic 3.1.2

Hinterland Knowledge

It is worth making distinctions between different types of knowledge. This will help to inform not only what we include in the curriculum but also the way it is sequenced.

Hinterland knowledge

Hinterland knowledge

  • Hinterland knowledge refers to the elaborations and embellishments that we use to frame the core knowledge.
  • This can include the narratives, metaphors, analogies or anecdotes we use to reinforce meaning and provide texture to the core knowledge,
Taking care

Taking care

  • Hinterland knowledge must not conceal or distract from what we want students to remember.
  • Students should be able to retain and later recall the core knowledge and not solely the hinterland knowledge.
Examples

Examples

  • Looking at Pre-Raphaelite paintings when teaching The Lady of Shalott or Hamlet is an example of hinterland knowledge.
  • Another is embellishing the explanation of vacuum through the tagline from the film Alien:
  • ‘In space no one can hear you scream’.
Questions to ask yourself

Questions to ask yourself

  • How have you decided on the hinterland knowledge for your subject?
  • How will you ensure that this is balanced so it does not become a distraction?
  • How will collaborative planning inform this hinterland knowledge?

Test yourself on Hinterland Knowledge

  • Which of the following would be an example of hinterland knowledge while teaching Frankenstein by Mary Shelley?

  • Which type of knowledge is the most important for the student to be able to recall?

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