History teaching tips Archives

Take a new look at assessment in history in your school.

Now is the perfect time to get your assessment system for history in better shape. If colleagues know the criteria…

What can you do at KS3 to make your history curriculum more representative?

In a recent article for the Historical Association ( HA news- Autumn 2020) Jake Subryan Richards offers his advice: ”…

What is primary history? Have a look at this ‘at a glance’ diagram which encapsulates the essence of the subject

The accompanying diagram attempts to display all the main elements of developing your pupils’ historical understanding, in one place. You’ll…

Linking your early civilizations at KS2

There is a real and present danger in KS2 of failing to make links between topics. If we are not…

Thinking about evidence at KS2. How do we know what happened in Saxons times?

Where does our knowledge of the Anglo-Saxons come from? It is important that we ask the recurring question “How do…

The importance of getting your key questions right in your KS2 history planning

Scanning through a number of KS2 history websites recently, I realised just how narrow a view of history was being…

How much do you need to talk about chronology when studying Ancient Egypt?

This is a question that has concerned many primary teachers for a long time. I have sat in the back…

Improving diversity in your KS2 history curriculum

Amid the current state of heightened racial tension across Britain and the USA, I thought it might be a good…

Getting your enquiry questions right for your history topics at KS1

Getting your enquiry questions right at KS1 On the Historical Association website is a scheme of work on George Stephenson…

Thinking historically: ‘learning to’..as well as ‘learning about’

While so many of you are locked down, it seems a good time to remind you of the key features…

Improving history in your primary school: a short cameo of a success story

So what does effective leadership of primary history look like? A case study When Lara took over as history subject…

GCSE history: Answering the question set , not the one they would prefer to answer.

Many of you teaching GCSE will be familiar with the issue. Your students answer the question they think the examiner…

Key ideas in primary history

When we are teaching 11 subjects it is often difficult to catch the essence of each. If we’re not careful…

Great learning activity: Prove it! See examples for Scott of the Antarctic, Man on the Moon, Tudor theatre, Grace Darling, Louis Braille

One of the most effective learning activities which you will find in a small number of the outstanding lessons is…

Creating your own timelines at KS2: one school’s recent find.

Charley Chanter of HertfordHeath primary school has just brought this Timeline making package to my attention He wrote:.I have been…

At last a way forward with KS2 assessment for history that will work for my school

Even though we will have had the National Curriculum for history ( albeit in different guises) for nearly 30 years,…

We learn by being excited not by being told; abiding principle of Keystage history

I get a lot of enquiries about Keystage history, largely from teachers who want to know what to expect from…

Did you know there were over 1000 Roman sites in England and Wales?

The numerous discoveries of Roman finds, often by private metal detectors, have revealed more than 1,000 Roman sites in England…

Teaching the Iron Age at KS2: are you teaching the right things?

In a recent article in Primary History by Karen Doull of the Historical Association adumbrated a list of the ‘Ten…

5 things primary history subject leaders should be doing next term

It obviously makes no sense to ordain a calendar of must-do tasks that all primary history leaders should be following….

KS2 update on Saxon conversion to Christianity-the first stone churches

Excavations in Kent have just revealed that there were STONE Saxon churches being built in England as early as AD…

Making the Saxons relevant for BAME pupils

In the corridors of academia there has been much debate about the relevance of the british university and school history…

Making links in history at KS3: 5 simple questions to ask your pupils

5 quick and simple questions to help pupils make links in history at KS3 When else have we come across…

Swapping a Great Fire for a volcanic eruption? Looking for a new famous Event at KS1?

In a recent article in the Historical association’s Primary History Sue Townsend makes a very strong case for introducing…

How many of these 50 KS2 history concepts do your pupils understand?

How many of these KS2 history concepts do your pupils understand? Afterlife Army Blitz Border Christianity City Civil war Civilization…

What does greater depth look like in history at KS2 and 3?

What does greater depth mean in history? So, we all know it doesn’t just mean knowing more stuff. We also…

Writing frames in KS2 and 3 history: Uncomfortable Procrustean bed or essential tool for explanatory writing.

For years history teachers have been using writing frames. Some are better than others. Some are downright unhelpful . It…

How to implement successful curriculum change in history: using the EAST model

Most schools will have come up with a new curriculum for history at a time when the statutory changes took…

Using small stories to reveal big pictures in our history teaching: a practical example

Small stories and big pictures As history teachers, we love telling stories. We do this to motivate pupils as we…

Improving your questioning in history to improve learning

We all know that less than 10% of questions we traditionally ask in British classrooms actually caused new learning. Most…

Don’t bark up the wrong tree with progression-its all about the history curriculum not content-free skills

There has been a lot of confusing talk recently about progression in history. Schools are still wrong-headedly trying to build…

Do all revolutions in history end badly? Historians compare Russian, French and Chinese revolutions.

Interesting article in History Today (one that is free to read), in which authors compare the outcome of three revolutions:…

Using place-name evidence to find out about the Vikings at KS2: 3 things you MUST know

Place-name evidence is really important to historians studying the Vikings. Not only is there so much of it, it is…

Using colourful highlighter pens to mark text. Is there a better alternative to promote deeper thinking in history?

Highlighting text is a commonly used technique in history teaching right up to, and including A level. I have spend…

How well do your pupils know the periods of history?

Chronology is difficult for young children. They generally get batter as they get older, as they can relate one period…

Are you up-to-date with your teaching of the trial and execution of Charles I?

Sean Kelsey has recently published his research in a paper from the Institute of Historical Research which you can read…

How to close the attainment gap in history at KS3 and 4

Kate Smee,Director of Humanities, Fairfield High School, Bristol recently gave a couple of examples of what works for her on…

Don’t over-complicate your teaching

OFSTED recently published this exemplification of successful history teaching in one school using the new EIF 2019 Framework criteria. Teachers…

Dos and Don’t of concluding your history lesson

When the National Strategies were all the rage over a decade ago now, a lot of attention was paid in…

What does good leadership of history look like at KS 1 and 2?

A recent report from a history HMI to a primary school reveals what they are looking for : One of…

Keeping up-to-date with your teaching of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings at KS2- dealing with fake news

Subject knowledge is vital for any KS2 teacher. You can rely on this website to provide not only the background…

Top 10 Command words when your primary history activities

As well as listing and describing, what other forms of command words can we use to make sure that pupils’…

How can I raise standards in learning in history in my primary school? Doing the right things.

One of the hardest jobs for a history subject leader in primary schools is to build up a clear idea…

7 ways to ensure that your history curriculm is 2019-ready

There has been a lot of coverage recently of OFSTED’s intention to focus more on the quality , range and…

So, are we getting the emphasis right in our teaching of the Peterloo massacre at KS3?

The Peterloo massacre is one of the best-documented events in British history and now the subject of Mike Leigh’s recent…

Getting the level of difficulty of your history work just right.

We all know that pupils’ minds wander. Some brave researchers claim that this happens, on average, as much as 50%…

9 ways to ensure that your local history topic is successful at KS1 and 2

9 ways to ensure that your local history topic is successful Don’t even begin your chosen local topic unless…

10 things you must know about King Alfred before you teach about Saxons and Vikings at KS2

1. Was Alfred born to be king? An unlikely ruler for a start. Although he was the son of the…

Using stories in history at KS3 and 4 as well as primary classes

Daniel Willingham and other have long made the case for the use of story in history teaching at all keystages…

Top 10 Command words for primary history activities

A simple way of ensuring that your pupils are thinking historically is to focus their activities using key command words….

History teaching tips

Login

Search

Recent added

Recent searches