-
Why we need to teach about the history of trees and woodland...
Primary History article
Michael Riley highlights the importance of educating children about the history of trees and woodland. He explores the potential of primary history to develop an understanding of our changing relationship with trees. The article shows how a focus on trees and woodland could enhance an existing history study, and suggests...
Why we need to teach about the history of trees and woodland...
-
Blending history and creative writing: imagining a lost Anglo-Saxon poem
Primary History article
Decoding a manuscript, exploring glittering archaeology, imagining the emotions and sensations of a battle, and learning Old English vocabulary. These are all tasks that we, as teachers of medieval literature in the English Department at King’s College London, have assigned to our undergraduate classes.
However, Key Stage 2 children can...
Blending history and creative writing: imagining a lost Anglo-Saxon poem
-
A Local History Toolkit
Article
IntroductionIn this short paper you will discover some of the tools for ‘doing' local history. They are based on where I live: you can get similar types of sources from where you live, work or teach. Your main source will be a local library or record office, but there is...
A Local History Toolkit
-
Teaching black British history through local archives
Primary History article
The huge benefits that local archives can bring to primary history are explored by Steven Kenyon. He illustrates this with a case study of Lancashire Archives. The central focus is on ways in which local history can support diversity in the curriculum by providing three examples – one for Key Stage...
Teaching black British history through local archives
-
Lessons with strong literacy links
Lessons
Please note: these resources pre-date the 2014 National Curriculum.
All history lessons have literacy links. The following lessons on this website have particularly strong links with literacy and the Literacy Hour.
Urban spaces near you - cross-curricular work history, literacy, art & design, and science
The Aztec experience persuasion genre: producing...
Lessons with strong literacy links
-
Archimedes and the Syracusan War
Lesson Plan
Cross-curricular History and Science in the Literacy Hour
Archimedes and how his weapons worked
Archimedes is an excellent subject. Indeed, Archimedes offers an excellent cross-curricular lesson opportunity, as he covers science, mathematics and a range of other areas, including cunning plans to defeat enemy armies and navies.
The previous week...
Archimedes and the Syracusan War
-
Teaching Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings in Britain
Reference guide for primary
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 leaders, join the Historical Association today
Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
‘Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings' is the...
Teaching Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings in Britain
-
The British Association for Local History (BALH)
History Network
The British Association for Local History is the national charity which promotes local history and serves local historians. Its purpose is to encourage and assist the study of local history as an academic discipline and as a rewarding leisure pursuit for both individuals and groups.
Local history enriches our lives...
The British Association for Local History (BALH)
-
Implementing the 2014 curriculum in Year 2
Primary History article
The chance to pilot the new National Curriculum presented me with the opportunity I was looking for to revamp a tired Year 2 curriculum. I began teaching in Year 2 two years ago, having previously spent five years working in Key Stage 2. As in many other schools across the...
Implementing the 2014 curriculum in Year 2
-
Belmont’s evacuee children: a local history project
Primary History article
Teaching about World War II, particularly the home front, continues to be popular in primary schools, despite the government deciding not to include it as a compulsory subject in the new National Curriculum introduced in 2014. Many primary schools still choose to organise an evacuee experience of some kind for pupils...
Belmont’s evacuee children: a local history project
-
What’s in your pocket, Peg?
Primary History article
What’s in your pocket, Peg? is a story book about Jersey which experienced German occupation throughout most of World War II. We wanted to create a book that appealed to children across different primary age groups, helping them to imagine the first-hand life experiences of a child alive at that time. The...
What’s in your pocket, Peg?
-
Primary History 46: Citizenship, Controversial Issues & Identity
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
04 Editorial: history, citizenship and the curriculum – a fit purpose (Read article)
05 In My View: citizenship education in primary schools – Lord Adonis
06 In My View: history and identity – Sir Keith Ajegbo
07 Citizenship, identity and culture: Two Poems – Benjamin Zephaniah and an 8th century...
Primary History 46: Citizenship, Controversial Issues & Identity
-
Using different sources to bring a topic to life: The Rebecca Riots
Primary History article
For primary school pupils a key aim of the National Curriculum for history is to understand the method of historical enquiry. Working with original sources is of course central to the whole process and provides a great way to inspire pupils’ experience of the subject. Young pupils, once they have...
Using different sources to bring a topic to life: The Rebecca Riots
-
Primary History 45: History in the Foundation and Early Years
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
04 Editorial
05 2006-2007 Historical Association History and ICT project — Alf Wilkinson
08 Citizenship: Citizenship through the English National Curriculum’s The Romans In Britain Study Unit — Hilary Claire
10 In my view: consigning history to the history books — Denis Hayes
11 Introducing history into the KS1 curriculum...
Primary History 45: History in the Foundation and Early Years
-
The Poor Law in Nineteenth-century England and Wales
Classic Pamphlet
Variety rather than uniformity characterised the administration of poor relief in England and Wales, and at no period was this more apparent than in the decades before the national reform of the poor law in 1834. Unprecedented economic and social changes produced severe problems for those responsible for social welfare,...
The Poor Law in Nineteenth-century England and Wales
-
Recorded webinar: The Great Fire of London
Boosting subject knowledge at Key Stage 1 webinar series
Capture the sights and sounds of the insanitary and overcrowded capital city of Stuart England in 1666 with Andrew Wrenn. Compare how city fires were fought in London then and today, learn why the Great Fire spread so quickly from Pudding Lane, hear how Samuel Pepys the diarist witnessed events...
Recorded webinar: The Great Fire of London
-
School war memorials as the subject for enquiry-based learning
Primary History article
A visit to a local war memorial to coincide with Remembrance Day leaves a lasting legacy. Every year, groups of primary school children visit a war memorial in their town and village or local church, and increasingly benefit from educational visits to sites of remembrance such as the National Memorial...
School war memorials as the subject for enquiry-based learning
-
Teaching about ‘these islands’ since 1066
Primary History article
This article builds on an earlier publication in Primary History Issue 89 which considered the history of ‘these islands’ before 1066 in the primary history curriculum. Both articles address the first aim of the National Curriculum which indicates that children should:
know and understand the history of these islands as...
Teaching about ‘these islands’ since 1066
-
One of my favourite history places: Meldon Viaduct
Primary History feature
'One of my favourite history places' is a regular feature in Primary History – see all favourite history places here. In this edition, Tim Lomas explores Meldon Viaduct and its surroundings:
Visiting places you have read about or seen pictures of can sometimes prove an anticlimax. Others far exceed expectations. One such is...
One of my favourite history places: Meldon Viaduct
-
KS2 Egyptian Story & Lesson Resource
Book & Lesson Resource Review
Ma'at's Feather: A story set in Ancient Egypt by Juliet Desailly, The Book Guild, p/b £6.99 Pub 2008, ISBN: 978 1 84624 273 1 and accompanying lesson resource Ma'at's Feather: Cross-Curricular Lesson Ideas by Juliet Desailly Pub 2008, ISBN: 978 0 955668 0 4
Reviewed by Alf Wilkinson
Ma'at's Feather...
KS2 Egyptian Story & Lesson Resource
-
Local history and a sense of identity
Article
The history co-ordinator often finds some real challenges as well as opportunities in addressing local history in primary schools. The advantages are well rehearsed – making history relevant to the lives of the children and giving them an improved sense of identity and place through engagement with the ‘real thing’....
Local history and a sense of identity
-
Teaching Ancient Egypt: developing subject knowledge
Primary History article
Ancient Egypt is one of the most popular societies taught in primary schools. In this article Karin Doull argues the importance of having a coherent approach to the content. Much of the article focuses on the key areas that teachers may wish to consider if they are to achieve a...
Teaching Ancient Egypt: developing subject knowledge
-
Ideas for Assemblies - Remembrance
Article
A debt of honour...
During the months of September to November 2015, assemblies in my school will focus on remembrance relating to the First World War culminating in a special Armistice Day assembly. In conjunction with this focus a possible approach could be to introduce the children to the growth...
Ideas for Assemblies - Remembrance
-
Subject leaders: supporting colleagues to develop their subject knowledge
Primary History article
Many teachers are especially concerned about subject knowledge and knowing what to teach. Using the example of the ancient Egyptians, this article focuses on how a subject leader can support colleagues develop and use their subject knowledge to become more adept at teaching.
One of the most frequent concerns of...
Subject leaders: supporting colleagues to develop their subject knowledge
-
Exploring empire, artefacts and local history
Primary History article
This article introduces us to the Colonial Countryside Project. Many of the sites we visit, especially the great country houses and stately homes, have long been visited by children. They are often fascinated by both the buildings and the history associated with them. However, there is a growing recognition that...
Exploring empire, artefacts and local history
