Exemplars & Study Units

The Nuffield Primary History project developed a range of approaches and techniques for doing history with children, between and 1991 and 2009. The resources produced by the project are all real lessons which have been taught by real teachers. They include guidance on teaching and examples of children's work. Many of the lessons have been developed by teachers as part of their continuing professional development. A narrative style was used to describe the lesson and what happened. Read more

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  • Children writing accounts: the Battle of Trafalgar

    Article

    Paul Newton's Year 6 class was investigating the Battle of Trafalgar as the introduction to a Victorian study. The sources Paul had chosen were an extract from the diary of Lieutenant Paul Harris Nicholas, of HMS Belleisle, and the famous painting showing the death of Admiral Nelson on the quarterdeck...

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  • Reading documents exemplar: Victorian school advertisement

    Article

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  • Reading documents and simulation exemplar: Victorian trade directories

    Article

    The Year 5 class was soon to visit a local museum where a Victorian parade of shops is recreated. We decided to use the 1857 trade directory for our town, Crediton in Devon, to bring its main shopping street to life before the visit. Trade directories, together with census returns...

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  • Chronology exemplar: overview of Britain since 1930

    Article

    History co-ordinator Sharon Amess helped a student teacher in the Year 6 class with the Britain since 1930 unit. They decided to introduce the topic with a timeline, followed by group research into elements of British life since 1930, decade by decade.Timescales discussionPlacing photographs along a timeline helped the children...

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  • Visual image and discussion exemplar: questioning a photograph

    Article

    Almost more than any other source a photograph provides an incentive to dig, to burrow, to stretch, to tease out, to investigate and follow up leads. A good starter activity. We used a photo in this way to begin our Britain since 1930 unit with a mixed Year 5/6 class....

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  • A Local Study

    Article

    Please note: these free resources pre-date the 2014 National Curriculum. For more recent resources see:  Local significant individuals Scheme of work: Local history - the story of our high street Scheme of work: Local history - transport Using a house for your local history study Lessons available on this site...

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  • Visual image exemplar: Using pictures of Sutton Hoo objects

    Article

    Please note: this lesson was produced as part of the Nuffield Primary History project (1991-2009) and pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum. The Sutton Hoo ship burial contained a king's ransom in gold and jewellery. Indeed, it contained the worldly and spiritual goods needed for the king's voyage into the next world. But...

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  • Story-telling and discussion: KS1 exemplar: Columbus the explorer

    Article

    Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum. Setting the scene: what is an explorer? This resource is free to everyone. For access to hundreds of other high-quality resources by primary history experts along with free or discounted CPD and membership of a thriving community of teachers and subject...

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  • Discussion and debate exemplar: Columbus: was he a hero?

    Article

    Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum. Lynn Cowell's Year 2 class had been doing a topic on a famous person from the past: Christopher Columbus. It began with a story and picture sequencing, followed by some research into the life of Columbus. Lynn had invited Ray Verrier...

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  • Mystery of the Missing Cake

    Article

    Please note: these resources pre-date the 2014 National Curriculum and some content and links may be outdated History Mysteries at KS1 and KS2 The lessons centred round a mystery, the theft of a cake in an imaginary land where soft toys or characters from children's nursery rhymes live - Nursery...

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  • Action Research

    Article

    The Nuffield Primary History Project's development work in schools has taken the form of action research. Action research is a way of improving your teaching.Action research involves repeated cycles taking the form:Identify improvement needed Analyse the issues Form teaching plan, drawing on your knowledge and experience, and on others' ideas...

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