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Sarah Forbes Bonetta: Scheme of Work
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 1 History (unresourced)
Children are introduced to the idea of significance, and how this might change over time. Sarah Forbes Bonetta – we don't even know her real name – was an African princess, a slave in West Africa, a god-daughter of Queen Victoria, a wife, mother and missionary teacher.
Does that make her...
Sarah Forbes Bonetta: Scheme of Work
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Scheme of Work: Significant Individuals at Key Stage 1: Ibn Battuta
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 1 History (unresourced)
The history programme of study for Key Stage 1 requires pupils to be taught about: 'The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements, some of whom should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods.'
In this unit, children are...
Scheme of Work: Significant Individuals at Key Stage 1: Ibn Battuta
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The Great Fire of London and the National Curriculum
Primary History article including Scheme of Work for Key Stage 1 (unresourced)
The Great Fire of London is a favourite National Curriculum teaching topic. This paper draws on the latest resources and teaching ideas to suggest how you can meet both the NC history requirements and the wider ones of the National Curriculum, particularly in integrated programmes that include teaching about the Great...
The Great Fire of London and the National Curriculum
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Scheme of work: Journeys - the story of migration to Britain
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 2 History (unresourced)
This unit is designed as a thematic course looking at the big picture of migration to Britain over time. There are many ways that the course can be adapted to include different content which may be more relevant for the local community around your school. Most of the content described in...
Scheme of work: Journeys - the story of migration to Britain
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Scheme of Work: Grace O'Malley
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 1 History (resourced)
This unit encourages pupils to explore the past by examining their ideas about pirates, with particular reference to Grace O’Malley. The key question leads children to consider what are the characteristics of a pirate and to challenge stereotypes in the light of historical enquiry. The key question also leads to...
Scheme of Work: Grace O'Malley
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Scheme of work: Queen Elizabeth II
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 2 History (unresourced)
Prior to completing this unit of work, it would be useful for the children to have started to develop an understanding of the substantive concepts of monarchy and royalty through their prior learning. Direct links can be made between studies of specific monarchs and their roles, as well as stories...
Scheme of work: Queen Elizabeth II
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Scheme of Work: Walter Tull
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 1 History (unresourced)
Pupils will look at the childhood and football career of Walter Tull, what happened to him when he fought in World War I and why he was different from most people of his time. They will compare his experiences to issues and people still relevant today including the double Olympian...
Scheme of Work: Walter Tull
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Scheme of Work: Brunel
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 1 History (unresourced)
At Key Stage 1, pupils are asked to examine the lives of significant individuals who have also contributed to national achievements. A study of Isambard Kingdom Brunel provides a fascinating example of an individual whose technological and engineering advances have helped to shape the face of Britain.
Children can identify...
Scheme of Work: Brunel
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Overground, underground and across the sea
Article
Communication is at the heart of what it is to be human, and the British postal service has helped to shape the modern world as we know it today. From cryptic Victorian Valentine cards to a lion encountered on Salisbury Plain, there is nothing ordinary about the story of the post! The British postal service...
Overground, underground and across the sea
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Significant people: Mary Wollstonecraft
Primary History article
‘I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves’ – Mary Wollstonecraft
The National Curriculum gives the freedom to select any significant individual and many schools have already chosen those outside the commonly-used ones such as Florence Nightingale, Christopher Columbus and Queen Victoria. There is also...
Significant people: Mary Wollstonecraft
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The year without a summer and other cautionary tales
Primary History article
Susie Townsend explores the story of the Tambora volcanic explosion of 1815 and the catastrophic effect that this had on climate around the world. She uses contemporary accounts and images to set the scene. She demonstrates how this one event far away in Indonesia affected climate across the whole world....
The year without a summer and other cautionary tales
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She sells seashells by the seashore: teaching Mary Anning at Key Stage 1
Primary History article
Mary Anning was a fascinating individual who would be a purposeful addition to a history curriculum. This article outlines the rationale behind including her as a significant individual but also offers ideas for developing young children’s understanding of historical interpretations.
She sells seashells by the seashore: teaching Mary Anning at Key Stage 1
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An approach to teaching the British Civil Wars in the primary classroom
Primary History article
Denise Greany and Andrew Hopper show how to make the British Civil Wars of the mid-seventeenth century readily accessible to primary-aged children by focusing on the experiences of people who lived through these tumultuous times.
An approach to teaching the British Civil Wars in the primary classroom
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Who was King Alfred? And was he really ‘Great’?
Primary History article
Gaining the depth and richness of subject knowledge needed to teach different aspects of history effectively can prove challenging for busy primary school teachers. In this article Francis Leneghan presents key subject knowledge and suggested enquiry questions to inform and structure a depth study of King Alfred. The article focuses...
Who was King Alfred? And was he really ‘Great’?
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How much has the weather mattered in British history?
Primary History article
Tim Lomas has considered the effect that weather has had on shaping Britain. He explores how weather conditions and human actions have affected these islands and the communities living here. He suggests three potential areas of investigation. First, he looks at how weather changes might affect crop failure and so...
How much has the weather mattered in British history?
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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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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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Pull-out posters: Primary History 95
Deaf Londoners in the 1660s
Everywhere you look in history you can find deaf people and sign languages.
Pull-out posters: Primary History 95
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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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Exploring the Great Fire of London and Deaf history
Primary History article
Kate Loveman and James Harrod offer new insights into the Great Fire of London by focussing on the inclusion of Deaf history in this popular topic. They shares the online teaching resources created in their joint partnership between the University of Leicester and the Museum of London.
Each year thousands...
Exploring the Great Fire of London and Deaf history
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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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My favourite place: Lyme Regis, Dorset
Primary History feature
Claire Bradshaw describes why Lyme Regis is a very special place not just for its stunning scenery but for its educational value. It probably has a history dating back to earlier than any other article in the ‘My Favourite Place’ series – this one running into millions of years. ...
My favourite place: Lyme Regis, Dorset
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Making the most of a visit to the Museum of London Docklands
Primary History article
In this article Susie Townsend explores one of her favourite museums, the Museum of London Docklands, and explains why it has a real value and interest far beyond the locality. As well as covering the benefits of a visit, she also provides ideas for teaching activities across the primary age range....
Making the most of a visit to the Museum of London Docklands
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The Coronation of King Charles III
Resources for Key Stages 1 and 2
2023 will see the first coronation of a British monarch for 70 years. Only those now in their 70s or above will remember the last one. The UK is the only country in Europe still to carry out a coronation, a ceremony that has its roots in traditions over a...
The Coronation of King Charles III
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The Coronation
Primary History article
On 6 May 2023 King Charles III, together with Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be crowned in Westminster Abbey. The Coronation provides rich opportunities for history lessons at both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 1 it naturally lends itself to Key Stage 1 ‘changes within living...
The Coronation