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History and language
Primary History article
Literacy was at the heart of the Nuffield Primary History Project. The paper below summarises the eight linguistic areas which were a major focus. Here there is considerable congruence with the proposed 2014 NC for English and Literacy with its language across the curriculum focus...
History and language
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Teaching famous people at key stage one
Primary History article
The draft English NC for history highlights the study of ‘significant individuals and people'. Michelle Dexter provides an insight on how to approach this biographical requirement; it also opens up biography as a major genre for pupils to master - augmenting their development of literacy...
Teaching famous people at key stage one
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Urban spaces near you
Primary History article
The public spaces in built up areas contain a rich collection of historical clues about our identity - the way in which the past has framed the present. Such spaces are available for all pupils to study in all areas. Jacqui introduces this fascinating and valuable aspect of our historical...
Urban spaces near you
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History and identity
Article
A sense of identity is at the heart of the proposed new NC for History. Sir Keith explores what this means for immigrant children of mixed heritage who grew up in Britain. Significantly, the last sentence of his paper dovetails with the government's views...
History and identity
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Archives in Primary History
Primary Expert Podcasts
In this series of podcast Sue Temple, Senior Lecturer in Primary History at the University of Cumbria looks at the value of using archives in the primary history classroom:
Archives in Primary History
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An Olympic Great? Dorando Pietri
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
The Italian confectioner Dorando Pietri is one of the most famous figures from the 1908 Olympics - famous for not winning. His story raises issues of sportsmanship suitable for class discussion. There are detailed accounts readily...
An Olympic Great? Dorando Pietri
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Resources for courses: ideas for your history curriculum
Primary History article
In times of tight budgets and with the new financial year on the horizon in April, now might be a good time to look at different ways to resource your history curriculum effectively. Alongside all the resources for teachers available from Primary History and the HA website, the following list...
Resources for courses: ideas for your history curriculum
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What can you do with an old postcard?
Primary History article
Whether looking at ‘events in living memory’ at Key Stage 1, or a local history study at Key Stage 2, old postcards are extremely useful. They are also relatively cheap and easy to get hold of.
One aspect that can easily be explored using old postcards is evidence - they are an...
What can you do with an old postcard?
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'Doing Local History' through maps and drama
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
Editorial note: John Fines produced two case studies of Local History for the Nuffield Primary History Project. One on them is published here for the first time.
'Doing Local History' through maps and drama
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Local history fieldwork
Article
Successful Local History fieldwork How can you and your children get the most out of a site visit? Read this brief account of an example of Local History fieldwork with children: it was based on the NPHP Top Ten Pointers...
Local history fieldwork
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Ideas for assemblies: significant women in history
Primary History feature
For this edition we have chosen an overarching theme of significant women in history to link your assemblies. We have also looked for a link between the women to the month in which your assembly is being delivered. A common approach when introducing each of the women could be to...
Ideas for assemblies: significant women in history
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What do we mean by Big Picture History?
Primary History article
Perhaps the best way to start thinking about Big Picture history is to say what it is not - it is not about rote learning dates or remembering ‘famous people and events' - Alfred the Great, The Battle of Hastings, Henry VIII, Florence Nightingale ....and so on! This factual knowledge...
What do we mean by Big Picture History?
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Helping pupils to view historical film critically
Primary History article
Introduction: The teaching potential of film
Films about historical events seem like the nearest thing we can give our pupils to a time machine. In commercial film, the physical appearance of the past has often been carefully researched, thus a snippet from Gladiator, for example, can give pupils some idea of...
Helping pupils to view historical film critically
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Mini Scaffolds: Charts, Concept webs, Diagrams, Mini-Frames
Primary History article
The language of History develops subject content knowledge and associated vocabulary & phraseology, p. 30. Pupils can record, extend and develop their historical language through using a range of mini-scaffolds or frameworks that they flesh out with teacher guidance and support.
A class can build upon basic historical vocabulary through questioning,...
Mini Scaffolds: Charts, Concept webs, Diagrams, Mini-Frames
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Questions you have always wanted to ask about... Accessing Archive Sources
Primary History article
Mary Mills answers questions about accessing archive sources.
Please note: this article dates from 2003 and some of the sources and services referenced may no longer be available.
Questions you have always wanted to ask about... Accessing Archive Sources
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Ideas for Assemblies: historical events
Article
Here are a few suggestions for assemblies over the next few months (March-June); each idea is linked to a specific historical event from that month...
Ideas for Assemblies: historical events
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Recorded webinar: Exploring representations and attitudes to disability across history
Webinar
This webinar was presented by Richard Rieser, who is a campaigner and champion for disability rights and the coordinator of UK Disability History Month.
His presentation is part of our ongoing work to explore disability history and the arguments and representations of it and ensure that people from disability groups...
Recorded webinar: Exploring representations and attitudes to disability across history
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From Kings To Queens to Sources and Evidence
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
Until the mid 1930s the vast majority of children attended elementary schools, which went through from five to fourteen. In theory pre-war schools were left relatively free to teach in the way they chose as there...
From Kings To Queens to Sources and Evidence
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Children's Thinking: Developmental psychology and history education
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
Editorial note: Hilary Cooper outlines the main features of historical thinking. These ideas are embedded in the government's current requirements for teaching National Curriculum History [England]
Introduction
It is important that children develop a coherent, chronological...
Children's Thinking: Developmental psychology and history education
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Three first-class ladies – teaching significant individuals in Key Stage 1
Primary History article
The turn of the 20th century was in many ways a golden age of aviation. In 1903 the Wright brothers conquered heavier-than-air flight. From that time onward there were many other visionaries who wanted to be part of the dream of flying. The topic of early aviation history is an...
Three first-class ladies – teaching significant individuals in Key Stage 1
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Elizabethan times: Just banquets and fun?
Primary History article
Although much of the Key Stage 2 history curriculum relates to the period before 1066, we are expected to include 'a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066' (DfE, 2013,p.5)
This raises two questions:a) How can a post-1066 topic be related...
Elizabethan times: Just banquets and fun?
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What confuses primary pupils in history? Part 2
Primary History article
Part 1 of this article looked at some of the main areas of confusion that often characterise primary pupils’ historical thinking. Part 2 continues this theme by looking at three more key areas of misunderstanding and possible strategies to help improve their understanding:
Confusion 4: Not really grasping how sources can be...
What confuses primary pupils in history? Part 2
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Women’s History Month: Female Voices
Primary resources
March is Women’s History Month each year. We have produced resources to support primary school assemblies exploring the history of female suffrage in the UK. If you would like some ideas for a special assembly during Women’s history month, download our assembly ideas and powerpoint presentation to support your school assembly....
Women’s History Month: Female Voices
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Having fun through time
Article
This article is about planning and teaching about ‘having fun across time’ for use in the later years of Key Stage 2 – investigating questions such as ‘Were people having fun in the same ways in the Middle Ages as in the Roman or Victorian periods?’ ‘What did our parents...
Having fun through time
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‘Not again!’ - an additional viewpoint on using railways
Primary History article
‘Not again!’ I can remember my son muttering as his football thudded against the kitchen wall, ‘I went there in Year 2 and then in Year 4 and now I have to go there again in Year 6.’ He was referring to his school trips to the remains of the gunpowder factories in our village,...
‘Not again!’ - an additional viewpoint on using railways
