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Trees
Primary History article
This article includes a compilation of a series of articles about significant trees around Britain. It is hoped that this will prompt readers to explore their own environments, helping children to engage with and enjoy nature. Some of the trees in the article are designated as Great Trees. These were significant...
Trees
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Teaching about the Kindertransport without the Kinder
Primary History article
The Kindertransport, literally ‘children’s transport’, was the rescue operation of almost 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish child refugees to Britain between December 1938 and the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939.
Many of the Kinder (children) regularly share their experiences in primary schools, where their visit is regarded as...
Teaching about the Kindertransport without the Kinder
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The Elizabeth cake
Primary History article
Hidden away on top of a dusty, battered cupboard in a local primary school were two equally dusty and battered log books. Each has seen better days and each could provide a range of links to local and national history. The log book was one of two found in one...
The Elizabeth cake
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The Phoney War: teaching WWII
Primary History article
The term ‘phoney war’ refers to the period at the beginning of WWII between September 1939 and April 1940 when there was little fighting. It was brought to an abrupt end by the German invasion of Norway in April 1940. The term is thought to have been coined by an...
The Phoney War: teaching WWII
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Children in the Second World War
Lesson Plan
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These lessons with Year 6 children at a voluntary-aided primary...
Children in the Second World War
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Muslim soldiers in World War I
Primary History article
The objective of this lesson plan was to enable pupils to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of the input of Muslim soldiers in World War I and to do so through empathy and creative discussion. I very much enjoyed teaching this session with a group of Year 6s, all...
Muslim soldiers in World War I
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World War II medals at KS2 and Remembrance Day
Lesson Plan
Where World War 2 took placeI wanted the year 5 children to understand World War II in a wider context than just the Home Front in Britain. After reading the lesson on
World War II medals at KS2 and Remembrance Day
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Jarrow Crusade
Lesson Plan
1930s Depression: a case study
Bringing this decade of economic depression and hardship to life for the children, using the story of the 1936 Jarrow march.
(These resources are attached below)
As an introduction to the 1930s the class had already watched the How We Used to Live video. The...
Jarrow Crusade
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Dates of a Decade: the 1960s
Book Review
Dates of a Decade: the 1960s by Nathaniel Harris. Franklin Watts, pub 2008, ISBN: 978 0 7496 7882 1
Reviewed by Alf Wilkinson
This book contains a selection of the key events of the 1960s. Each double-page spread has at least one image, detail of and background to the event, and a...
Dates of a Decade: the 1960s
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World War II: breathing life into a local history enquiry
Primary History article
Debbie Doolan explores how the locality of her school, Worle School in North Somerset, was impacted by a significant event, World War II. What is particularly pertinent is not just the range of activities in this topic but the way the theme was refined over a number of years. It...
World War II: breathing life into a local history enquiry
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Earth heroes: Etta Lemon, ‘The Mother of Birds’
Primary History article
In this article Ailsa Fidler considers Etta Lemon and her role in halting the plume boom, which saw many bird species driven to the edge of extinction, all in the name of fashion. Linking a study of Etta to the government’s policy on Climate Education, the article shows how Etta’s...
Earth heroes: Etta Lemon, ‘The Mother of Birds’
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The wheels (and horses…) on the bus
Primary History article
A theme in the Early Years will have many cross-curricular links, encompassing many of the different areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework. The focus for this article is on historical elements of Understanding the World; however there will be some cross-over into other areas of...
The wheels (and horses…) on the bus
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Teaching about Remembrance Day in EYFS
Primary History article
Remembrance Day (11 November) is an important time for children to learn about how we choose to both represent and remember significant events in the past. Within EYFS, learning about remembrance most obviously lends itself to Understanding the World – with a focus on children making connections between past and present,...
Teaching about Remembrance Day in EYFS
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Exploring sustainability in the Early Years
Primary History article
Lucy Hawker has thought about how we might begin to explore the idea of sustainability with very young children. She suggests focussing on why we might save or reuse materials and objects. She presents a loose structure that could be used to develop talk. She also considers how we might...
Exploring sustainability in the Early Years
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A Significant Local Event: Carlisle floods
Primary History article
Sue Temple has used her personal experience of flooding around Carlisle as a basis for exploring local history. She suggests strategies for how we can explore events that have occurred in our own environments by making use of photos and oral history to link to the personal and immediate. As extreme...
A Significant Local Event: Carlisle floods
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Dig for sustainability!
Primary History article
Paul Spear uses World War II government advertising strategies such as ‘Make do and Mend’ to consider how to promote modern campaigns related to sustainability. He investigates what the wartime government did to engage with the population as a whole and generate national action. By analysing how images were used...
Dig for sustainability!
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Significant anniversaries: The Bristol Bus Boycott, 1963
Primary History article
It is sixty years since the Bristol Bus Boycott highlighted race inequalities and discrimination in the workplace. In this article, Stuart Boydell revisits this watershed moment and considers how the Bristol Bus Boycott could be incorporated into the curriculum today.
Sixty years ago, Bristol was at the centre of a...
Significant anniversaries: The Bristol Bus Boycott, 1963
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Teaching about the German Occupation of Jersey through the Occupation Tapestry
Primary History article
The German Occupation and subsequent liberation of Jersey is particularly significant for schools in Jersey and is included in a new history curriculum being trialled for Key Stage 1 and 2 to be implemented in 2023. For children in Jersey, it relates to a significant event at Key Stage 1...
Teaching about the German Occupation of Jersey through the Occupation Tapestry
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Women and space: reaching for the stars
Primary History article
The exploration of the heavens has drawn mankind since the dawn of time. Vast monuments reached to the stars marked with astrological key points. Astronomers sought to understand the movement of the universe. Since the twentieth century however this investigation has moved into space itself, pioneered by restless and inquisitive souls...
Women and space: reaching for the stars
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What do children think about the the royal family and the coronation of King Charles III?
Pupil voice vox pops films
Recently, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, was interviewed for American television about the future of the monarchy and thoughts about a slimmed down royal family in line with how some European royal families operate. At a recent event in partnership with City, University of London and Southampton University about the...
What do children think about the the royal family and the coronation of King Charles III?
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Changes in an aspect of social history from 1945 to 2000: youth culture
Primary History article
A history-themed topic based around music is a popular choice among many teachers and children. Music is after all a thread which runs through all of history, and one through which we can explore many other aspects of life in different times. It can be an exciting avenue into exploring...
Changes in an aspect of social history from 1945 to 2000: youth culture
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Significant anniversaries: the infamous Beeching Report 1963
Primary History article
March 2023 sees the anniversary of a report that had profound significance on social history and which affected many parts of the United Kingdom. There is every chance that it had an effect close to your school especially if you are in a more rural or coastal area.
The Beeching...
Significant anniversaries: the infamous Beeching Report 1963
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The new King
Primary History article
King Charles III acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022 on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. This article looks at the lives of the three kings named Charles and investigates how things will change with our new king. It includes activities and a timeline of British monarchs from Tudors to present...
The new King
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Sporting legacy: the history of endeavour
Primary History article
One of the highlights of 2021 for many people was getting up early over the summer and avidly watching events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics unfold: feats of bravery and endurance, heartbreak and celebration. It will, of course, enter the history books and the pub quiz questions, not least because...
Sporting legacy: the history of endeavour
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50th anniversary of the UK’s first official Pride march: 1 July 2022
Primary History article
2022 is a special year as it marks the 50th anniversary of the first official UK Pride march which was held in London on 1 July 1972. The Pride movement, and events like the London in Pride march, were inspired and influenced by the Stonewall riots. These were protests that took place...
50th anniversary of the UK’s first official Pride march: 1 July 2022
