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Out and About in Runnymede
Historian feature
The Runnymede area is rich in historical associations. Nigel Saul looks at other places of interest near where King John gave his assent to the Charter in 1215.
The birthplace of our democratic heritage is a broad meadow on the banks of the lower Thames near the meeting-point between Surrey...
Out and About in Runnymede
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 77
Posters: Fun across time and Write your own historical fiction
1. Fun across time; 2. Write your own historical fiction
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 77
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 76
Posters: Communication and Sutton Hoo helmet
1. Communication Across the Ages; 2. The British Museum's Sutton Hoo Helmet
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 76
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What confuses primary pupils in history? Part 1
Primary History article
This article is primarily concerned with how pupil progress is affected negatively by general misunderstandings and confusions. What are some of these confusions? Here are what some teachers felt were some of the main ones:
Muddling issues from one period or place with those of another place.
People in the past must...
What confuses primary pupils in history? Part 1
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The Mary Celeste: the history of a mystery
Historian article
Graham Faiella guides us through the historical evidence and literary speculation surrounding one of the ultimately unresolved incidents of recent times.
One hundred and fifty years ago, sometime between 25 November and 4 December 1872, the brigantine Mary Celeste was abandoned at sea somewhere between the Azores and the coast of Portugal....
The Mary Celeste: the history of a mystery
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Dialogue, engagement and generative interaction in the history classroom
Teaching History article
Michael Bird has a long-standing interest in the power of classroom dialogue, not only as a means of elicting students’ prior knowledge or checking their understanding of new ideas and information, but also as a powerful tool for generating new knowledge through a collective process of meaning-making. In this article, he...
Dialogue, engagement and generative interaction in the history classroom
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What Have Historians Been Arguing About... medieval science and medicine?
Teaching History feature
The phrase ‘medieval science’ may seem nonsensical. ‘How can... a synonym for “backward”,’ the editors of The Cambridge History of Science Volume 2 ask rhetorically, ‘modify a noun that signifies the best available knowledge from the natural world?’ To answer their question, we must rethink our assumptions, both about the...
What Have Historians Been Arguing About... medieval science and medicine?
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Establishing a dialogue with Year 9 about why environmental history matters
Teaching History article
The enquiry sequence on which Alex Benger reports in this article was inspired by two specific concerns: a sense that history education must have more to contribute to young people’s understanding of and ability to confront the climate crisis; and a desire to help pupils to engage more broadly with...
Establishing a dialogue with Year 9 about why environmental history matters
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Primary History 33
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
3 Editorial
4 Primary Noticeboard
5 In My View: Revolting subjects? – Dr Grant Bage
7 Breadth and Balance within the primary history curriculum? – John Clements
8 History co-ordinators’ dilemmas – Karin Doull
10 QCA Update – Jerome Freeman
11 Multicultural teaching in Portugal: a perspective – Manuela Carvalho...
Primary History 33
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Social Unrest in the Isle of Man in 1916
Historian article
The Isle of Man played a remarkable role during the First World War. Over 8,000 men enlisted, which was 82.3% of the island’s men of military age. Even by the standards of the time this was high. Over 2,000 were either killed or wounded and two Victoria Crosses were awarded....
Social Unrest in the Isle of Man in 1916
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 75
Posters: Sources, and How to read a house
1. How to 'read' a house; 2. What sources can we use to learn about railways?
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 75
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Creating effective history displays
Primary History article
Having been an history co-ordinator for over 15 years, I was fortunate enough to be able to plan a wide range of history displays which covered multiple periods. I enjoyed it because, for me, it provided the opportunity to inspire, inform and provoke a response. When preparing a display, I would...
Creating effective history displays
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The experience of Bilston in the cholera epidemic of 1831–32
Historian article
Alannah Tomkins introduces a well-chronicled early example of how a local community dealt with cholera.
In September 1832 James Holmes, the governor of the workhouse at Bilston in Staffordshire wrote a letter to the salaried parish overseer of Uttoxeter. The initial impetus for the letter came from the two parishes’ shared interest...
The experience of Bilston in the cholera epidemic of 1831–32
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Trade and pilgrimage in the Abbasid Caliphate
Primary History article
The Abbasid Caliphate stretched from North Africa across to Afghanistan and the North West Frontier. Within the caliphate there were movements of people, goods and ideas. The golden period of this early Islamic caliphate was around 900 AD. As the caliphs were building a major trading empire across the Middle...
Trade and pilgrimage in the Abbasid Caliphate
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Creativity in history
Primary History article
Ask anyone for a list of creative subjects in schools and it is unlikely that history will be top of that list. However, over the last two-and-a-half years we have been working as part of a Creativity Collaborative of schools that seeks to foster creativity across the whole curriculum, including...
Creativity in history
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Move Me On 163: Ahistorical thinking
Teaching History feature
Jane Whorwood’s concern to encourage students to think for themselves is leading to some very ahistorical thinking.
Jane Whorwood has proved to be a generally confident and positive trainee, largely due to two years’ experience as a cover supervisor before committing to a formal training programme. She has made a...
Move Me On 163: Ahistorical thinking
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Two Babies That Could Have Changed World History
Historian article
'At last have made wonderful discovery in Valley; a magnificent tomb with seals intact; re-covered same for your arrival. Congratulations.’ This telegram was sent from Luxor on the 6th November 1922 by Howard Carter to his coarchaeologist Lord Carnarvon in Britain. It started the Tut·ankh·Amen story which led to a...
Two Babies That Could Have Changed World History
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Writing books for young children about the First World War
Article
It is hardly surprising that there are very few books for young children which tackle such a difficult subject as the First World War. In considering our approach, we knew we had to balance two distinct considerations – being absolutely true to the facts, yet, being sensitive to the effect of...
Writing books for young children about the First World War
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Stories and National Identity
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the current National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
If you were asked to select just one story which you thought all children should know about British history, what would it be? Would it be Guy Fawkes or Florence Nightingale? The battle of Hastings...
Stories and National Identity
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Good practice in primary history: the Quality Mark scheme
Primary History article
This article aims to cover two separate but related aspects. Firstly, using the evidence of Quality Mark visits to primary schools, Bev Forrest identifies and explains some of the best practice observed on these visits. Secondly, Mel Jones focuses on one specific case study illustrating the type of primary history...
Good practice in primary history: the Quality Mark scheme
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Decolonising the Partition of British India, 1947
Historian article
Amrita Shodhan explores the complex legacy of Partition in India and the difficulties faced by historians in unpicking these narratives. She re-evaluates the events of August 1947 through personal stories and popular memories.
The Partition that we have inherited from 1947 has a complicated lineage. It was born out of...
Decolonising the Partition of British India, 1947
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Using picture books to explore ideas around history with very young children
Primary History article
This article looks at the relevance of picture books in the Early Years Foundation Stage as a resource for introducing children to the idea of the past. Firstly examining its relevance to the Framework, Karin identifies some appropriate resources and how they can be used. In particular, she links them...
Using picture books to explore ideas around history with very young children
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Using museum and heritage sites to promote higher-level learning at KS2
Primary History article
The Key Stage 2 Primary History Curriculum sets ambitious challenges for pupils: "…They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge...
Using museum and heritage sites to promote higher-level learning at KS2
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The Olympic Games, Classical and Modern
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
Possibly a ‘once in a lifetime' experience will be witnessing the British hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games. Despite the inevitable commercialisation of the event, it will certainly be possible for children to be excited and...
The Olympic Games, Classical and Modern
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Exploring the relationship between historical significance and historical interpretation
Teaching History article
Jane Card’s previous work on the power of images in conveying particular interpretations and her advice about how to use visual material effectively in classrooms will be familiar to readers of Teaching History. In this article she focuses specifically on the capacity of visual representations to convey a compelling message about the...
Exploring the relationship between historical significance and historical interpretation
