Nathan Cole and Denise Thompson have really thought about Key Stage 3. They have been forced to; they now teach it in only two years. The switch to a two-year Key Stage 3 has made them re-evaluate their entire programme of study, and their rationale for teaching history. The result is illuminating. They argue convincingly that social history should be taught first as a grounding for understanding political developments, and for building up a picture of the whole past through the use of "really" big questions. But make sure you read on--there is a twist in the tail which helps them to show that teaching history is teaching history--whatever key stage it is supposed to be.