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The Blitz: All we need to know about World War II?
Primary History article
The Blitz of 1940 is certainly a significant event in Britain’s past, one which has repeatedly been drawn upon as a symbol of national consciousness. It was a time when most of Europe had been defeated by the Nazi regime in Germany, typically through ‘Blitzkrieg’ – or lightning war methods...
The Blitz: All we need to know about World War II?
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Rethinking the Stone Age to Bronze Age
Primary History article
Every so often archaeologists make a discovery that forces you to sit up and take notice. It might challenge our traditional view of the period, or accepted beliefs about how people lived their everyday lives. One such discovery was made in the 1980s when an amateur archaeologist discovered some flint tools...
Rethinking the Stone Age to Bronze Age
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Resource Sharing Hub: Key Stage 2
The HA: here for you virtually
Our education committees have developed an HA home learning resource-sharing hub to support the history community and parents throughout the current period of school closures.
We are calling upon the history community to submit your home learning ideas and resources to share with others. The HA is well-placed and ready to act...
Resource Sharing Hub: Key Stage 2
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Resource Sharing Hub: Key Stage 1
The HA: here for you virtually
Our education committees have developed an HA home learning resource-sharing hub to support the history community and parents throughout the current period of school closures.
The HA is well-placed and ready to act as a hub for the history community to share the home learning resources you have developed. Our education...
Resource Sharing Hub: Key Stage 1
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The Victorians
Topic Pack
The Topic Pack gives you a brief summary of the Victorians.
The Victorians
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How significant is the tragic story of the SS Mendi?
Primary History article
Historical anniversaries and events are often in the news, commemorated locally and nationally. I have found that getting the children involved in topics relating to these can really help them feel the importance of their learning, help them to appreciate the past and feel a sense of responsibility – a...
How significant is the tragic story of the SS Mendi?
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One of my favourite history places: Mount Fitchet Castle
Primary History feature
Alf Wilkinson explores Mount Fitchet Castle in Essex – one of his favourite history places.
As every schoolchild knows, William the Conqueror landed near Hastings in 1066, pursuing his claim to the throne of England. He was accompanied by the pope’s blessing, but also by an army of adventurers who...
One of my favourite history places: Mount Fitchet Castle
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Women in parliament since 1918
Primary History article
At the 1918 election just one woman, Constance Markievicz, won a seat, in Dublin, for Sinn Fein. She was in prison at the time. At the time, of course, the whole of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom. All 73 Sinn Fein MPs refused to take up their seats, and...
Women in parliament since 1918
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Castles: distinguishing fact and fiction in the early years curriculum
Primary History article
Castles is a popular topic which fits well into the expectations for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum. This article focuses on suggestions for the EYFS but there are links in the resources section for Key Stage 1 articles previously published. If you are...
Castles: distinguishing fact and fiction in the early years curriculum
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Dora Thewlis: Mill girl activist
Primary History article
Dora Thewlis was born in 1890 in Yorkshire to a family of textile workers employed in the mills around the Huddersfield Canal. She followed her mother and elder siblings into the mill at the age of 10, earning around £1 a week.
Dora’s family, and especially her mother, were very...
Dora Thewlis: Mill girl activist
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Why stop at the Tudors?
Primary History article
When deciding to teach the topic of Benin to my Year 5 pupils I was somewhat daunted by the fact that I had never taught it before, and I was determined that it be a meaningful experience which benefited their narrative, chronological and historical skills-based understanding of the subject. I was...
Why stop at the Tudors?
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Using the back cover image: Moustache cup
Primary History feature
The moustache cup I purchased on ebay is one of the most popular artefacts I use with students in a good game of ‘guess the object’. It has a wonderful quality of being at the same time familiar yet strange. Despite telling the students not to start with the question...
Using the back cover image: Moustache cup
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‘So why did they go into hiding?’ Anne Frank in her historical and social context
Primary History article
All too often Anne Frank becomes a symbol, used to show ‘the triumph of hope over evil’, even though she was killed during the Holocaust. Sometimes she is quoted utterly out of context to provide uplifting sentiments, or short phrases with redemptive messages.
What this lesson sets out to do...
‘So why did they go into hiding?’ Anne Frank in her historical and social context
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Your Local Railway: a local history investigation in Key Stage 2
Primary History article
In this article Tim Lomas discusses one of the best resourced themes you can find: your local railway.
Railways make one of the best themes for a historical study. No place has ever been far from a railway station even if Dr Beeching wiped out one-third of the network in...
Your Local Railway: a local history investigation in Key Stage 2
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Learning about the past through ‘ourselves and our families’
Primary History Article
‘Ourselves and our families’ is a popular theme in foundation settings and Reception classes. It is often undertaken at the beginning of the academic year, although it can be taught later when teachers have a better understanding of children’s home circumstances. This theme can provide many opportunities for children to...
Learning about the past through ‘ourselves and our families’
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Reading documents and simulation exemplar: Victorian trade directories
Exemplar
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...
Reading documents and simulation exemplar: Victorian trade directories
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Visual image and discussion exemplar: questioning a photograph
Exemplar
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....
Visual image and discussion exemplar: questioning a photograph
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Texts for the Classroom: Ma’at’s Feather
Primary History article
Alf Wilkinson discusses a book first published in 2008, and set in Ancient Egypt.
Ma’at’s Feather is the story of Qen, a young boy growing up in ancient Egypt. He is part of a farming family, and we discover how their livelihood is totally dependent on the River Nile...
Texts for the Classroom: Ma’at’s Feather
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Ideas for Assemblies: Linking historical events with geography
Primary History article
In this edition we highlight some interesting anniversaries that might provide a link with geography, either through maps, ideas about climate change or conservation and protection of wild animals. We hope these anniversaries might inspire some stimulating historical investigations, as well as provoke lots of discussion and debate. Some of...
Ideas for Assemblies: Linking historical events with geography
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What can you tell about the Maya from a Spanish soldier?
Primary History article
This article focuses on the links between the Maya and Europe in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, exploring the impact of the Spanish on the life and times of the Maya, as seen through the eyes of one man – Gonzalo Guerrero, who was shipwrecked off the Yucatan peninsula...
What can you tell about the Maya from a Spanish soldier?
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Food – a theme for learning about the past
Primary History article
Food is a theme that can provide many opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the past. This is a popular theme in many Early Years settings and Reception classes. It can be planned at any time of year and can be adapted in many ways.
Food – a theme for learning about the past
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Here comes the ‘60s
Primary History article
The 1960s were a decade of great change in Britain. The previous decade had seen America begin its gradual global cultural domination while Britain had to revise its role from imperial state to a member of the new Commonwealth of Nations. Recovery from the war had not been easy and...
Here comes the ‘60s
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Writing & History Overview
Primary History article
History provides an extremely rich context for literacy and writing, see Case Study 3: Evacuees. As such, Writing History is an element in a whole school policy towards literacy that emphasises Language Across the Curriculum for all subjects and areas. references. Case Study 1 illuminates the concept that pupil writing permeates...
Writing & History Overview
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A European Study: Ancient Greece
Primary Study Unit
Ancient Olympic Games and other lessons available on this site:
Ancient Greek Government is one of the most popular lessons this website - it's good for citizenship too.
Olympic GamesTheseus and the MinotaurAncient Greek Government at KS2Archimedes and the Kings CrownArchimedes and the Syracusan WarAncient Greek Ideas: ScienceThe IliadAncient Greek...
A European Study: Ancient Greece
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What your local Archive Service can offer to schools
Primary History article
Imagine a place where your pupils become detectives working on mysteries from the past such as the tale of Thomas Sargeant, a 15-year-old factory worker who died in a chemical works in 1898. Your local archive is bursting with stories about real people like this which can give children an...
What your local Archive Service can offer to schools
