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The Aztec Empire: a surprise ending?
Historian article
Matthew Restall explores current ideas about the end of the Aztec Empire.
For an empire that existed half a millennium ago in a hemisphere far away, we have a remarkably clear sense of what brought the Aztecs down. Or at least, we think we do. Our general assumption is that the very nature of...
The Aztec Empire: a surprise ending?
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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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Primary History 21
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
4 Primary Update – Tim Lomas
7 Making the most of ICT at Key Stage 2 – Miriam Norton
10 Mathematics from history – Colin Miller
11 Citizenship and history: equipped to meet the challenge – David Kerr
13 Changes in the National Curriculum – planning for Key Stage 1 history – Jayne Woodhouse
15 Story...
Primary History 21
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 83
The Historical Association Historical Fiction Prize
This poster includes an extract from one of the winners of our The Historical Association Historical Fiction Prize. Esther Kerr has written a story called ‘Save the Books’ detailing the effects on a bombing raid in World War II. The HA plans to run this competition in future years. Before starting, it...
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 83
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Online course: Teaching empire through material culture
HA online course for primary and secondary teachers
The topic of empire lends itself ideally to a material approach – the objects often provide the opportunity to bring in indigenous voices to our study of the imperial past, while our classroom experience has shown that objects provide a powerful channel through which to access complex and sometimes uncomfortable...
Online course: Teaching empire through material culture
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Primary History Articles for the School History Subject Leader
Multipage Article
The Historical Association has been producing its specialist primary journal Primary History since 1992. In that time there have been three editions per year and since 2017 an additional annual digital summer resource.
In 1992 a National Curriculum for history had recently emerged as had the Ofsted inspection process. Since...
Primary History Articles for the School History Subject Leader
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Primary History Summer Resource 2019: Diversity
Primary History resource
This free summer resource for primary members is designed to help primary subject leaders and teachers consider the implications of developing a school policy for teaching of diversity in history. This comprehensive guide provides timely advice and considers questions associated with teaching diversity and provides a rationale for its essential role in providing an understanding...
Primary History Summer Resource 2019: Diversity
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 82
Anglo-Saxon daily life
These images help to tell us more about Anglo-Saxon daily life.
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 82
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Using Local Buildings
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
Whilst there are many obvious historical buildings - castles, Roman Villas and Abbeys these often involve transport costs which may be beyond a school budget. Turner-Bisset suggests:
There is also history in ordinary, everyday sites,...
Using Local Buildings
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The End of Germany’s Colonial Empire
Historian article
Daniel Steinbach asks why the loss of the German colonies in Africa was perceived as a powerful symbol of Germany’s deliberate humiliation at the end of the First World War.
Famously, Germany’s first and last shots of the First World War were fired in Africa. From its beginning to its...
The End of Germany’s Colonial Empire
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English Heritage and Historical Association Local Heritage Project
Article
One year ago (2011), the south eastern branch of English Heritage and the Historical Association came together to see what we could do better in partnership. The outcome was the Local Heritage Partnership Project. The vision was to work together to provide access to and inspiration to carry out local...
English Heritage and Historical Association Local Heritage Project
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Primary Teacher Fellowship Programme: Local history
Teacher Fellowship Programme 2021-22
At the heart of this Teacher Fellowship programme in partnership with the British Association for Local History was the concept of integrating local history into the classroom through the stories of the people and places which make the history of your school's community exciting and unique. Through the lens of local history...
Primary Teacher Fellowship Programme: Local history
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Primary Quality Mark: meet our assessors
Multipage Article
Being assessed can be scary – but inviting your QM assessor into school shouldn't feel like this! Our assessors, made up of carefully selected experienced history education professionals from across the primary and secondary sector, are keen to help schools celebrate what they do well and to share the good...
Primary Quality Mark: meet our assessors
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Primary Quality Mark: Exemplar applications & case studies
Multipage Article
Just as we model examples for our pupils, we understand that knowing what a QM gold or silver school looks like is just as important to any school thinking about taking part. In this section you will find a selection of full QM case studies as well as a number...
Primary Quality Mark: Exemplar applications & case studies
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What they think they know: the impact of pupils' preconceptions on their understanding of historical significance
Teaching History article
Robin Conway suspected that his students’ concepts of the significance of different aspects of historical periods was affected by the preconceptions that they brought to his lessons. These preconceptions were leading his students into making unhistorical judgments, without any real understanding on their part of what had affected their thinking....
What they think they know: the impact of pupils' preconceptions on their understanding of historical significance
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Insights from a year of leading the development of a ‘knowledge-rich curriculum’
Primary History article
Raynville Primary School serves a highly disadvantaged area of West Leeds and we work hard to provide our children with the best opportunities to learn and enjoy their time with us. One jewel in the crown of our school’s curriculum is children’s historical learning as part of a knowledge-rich curriculum....
Insights from a year of leading the development of a ‘knowledge-rich curriculum’
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Primary History 59: Chronology
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
Editorial
06 Primary history in the 21st century: Back to the past? - Alan Hodkinson (Read article)
07 Teaching Time - John Fines (Read article)
08 Developing pupils' chronological understanding: The view from OFSTED - Michael Maddison HMI (Read article)
Features
10 A view from the classroom: Chronology - Cathie McIlroy...
Primary History 59: Chronology
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 81
What was it like to be a child in World War II? and Images of three female pilots
1. What was it like to be a child in World War II? 2. Three female pilots - can you use the words in the box to talk about each pilot?
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 81
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Primary Outstanding History Providers
Whitwell Primary School
What does it mean to be an outstanding provider of primary history? What does this look like? The best way to answer these questions is to see for yourself.
N.B. This unit was produced a number of years ago and shows some examples of what Ofsted considered outstanding history.
We...
Primary Outstanding History Providers
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Primary Outstanding History Providers
Collis Primary School
What does it mean to be an outstanding provider of primary history? What does this look like? The best way to answer these questions is to see for yourself.
N.B. This unit was produced a number of years ago and shows some examples of what Ofsted considered outstanding history.
We...
Primary Outstanding History Providers
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Progression - more than 'could do better'?
E-CPD
Some notion of progression underpins all teaching as well as curriculum, course design, work scheme construction lesson planning, evaluation and assessment. But what do we mean by progression and how do we help our students achieve it? Does our assessment reflect progression? Do our reports to parents comment on progression? In this E-CPD...
Progression - more than 'could do better'?
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Citizenship and History
E-CPD
Welcome to this on-line self supported self-study UNIT on History and Citizenship Education. While the UNIT is designed for supported self-study we hope that you will work with a school mentor, and if available, a university tutor [Expert Learning Fellow or ELF]. This Citizenship and History Education UNIT introduces History/Citizenship Education...
Citizenship and History
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History co-ordinators' dilemmas: teaching the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
Article
Dr Tim Lomas offers advice on topics, such as the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings.
Please note: this article pre-dates the current National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
History co-ordinators' dilemmas: teaching the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
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Primary History Survey Report 2012
Primary Survey
History in Primary SchoolsIn June the Secretary of State announced that history would remain a compulsory part of the primary curriculum from age 5 to age 11. We welcomed that announcement but urged a note of caution regarding slimmed down programmes of study. The Survey into History in English Primary...
Primary History Survey Report 2012
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On-demand webinar series: Meaningful and useable assessment in the secondary history classroom
HA webinar series for secondary history teachers and leaders
In recent years, many history teachers have done lots of exciting work to develop the curriculum they teach, incorporating new content, new scholarship and new enquiries. As part of this work, it is vital to uncover how far pupils are learning all that was intended, and the ways in which...
On-demand webinar series: Meaningful and useable assessment in the secondary history classroom