Online CPD Unit: Creativity in the History Classroom

E-CPD

By Andrew Wrenn, published 25th September 2010

Oh no - not more extended writing! Firing pupil motivation through creative tasking.

This E-CPD unit considers the issues departments needs to consider in planning for both challenging and engaging history.

The example of teaching below comes from the Historical Association Key Stage 2-3 History transition project website (2005).  The activity showed Dave Morel a primary school teacher impersonating American filmmaker Oliver Stone and Matt Stanford, a secondary history teacher playing a stereotypical historian.  The Year 5/6 pupils were reporters at a Hollywood news conference debating the historical accuracy of Stone's film on Alexander the Great.  The conference was chaired by secondary AST, Geraint Brown.  Arguably this example combines academic rigour and great fun for all involved but it was not devised in a vacuum or on a whim.  

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Level 1: Exploring the Issue

  • 1. Exploring the Issue
  • 1.1 Can creativity and rigour go hand in hand?
  • 1.1 Gallery continued...
  • 1.1 Outcomes
  • 1.2 History planning and tasking through a VAK lens?
  • 1.2 Task 1: Is Multiple Intelligence (MI) a healthy influence on rigorous history planning?
  • 1.2 Task 2: Is VAK a healthy influence on rigorous history planning?
  • 1.3 Conclusion

Level 2: Addressing the Issue

  • 2. Addressing the Issue
  • 2.1 How do planning carefully crafted historical enquiries ensure academic vigour?
  • 2.1 Task 1: Why did a murder lead to war in 1914?
  • 2.1 Task 2 - Crafting an Enquiry Question
  • 2.1 Historical Enquiries and Interpretations
  • 2.2 How important is historical enquiry in setting creative tasks?
  • 2.2 Conclusion