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Anything but brief: Year 8 students encounter the longue durée
Article
Inspired by The History Manifesto, Suzanne Powell describes in this article her rationale for expanding her students’ horizons by asking them to think about change, similarity and difference on a grand scale. She sets ‘big history’ into its curricular context, and shows the way in which her students could, and...
Anything but brief: Year 8 students encounter the longue durée
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Move Me On 171: Using existing lesson plans
The problem page for history mentors
The 'Move Me On' feature of Teaching History is designed to build critical, informed debate about the character of teacher training, teacher education and professional development. It is also designed to offer practical help to all involved in training new history teachers. Each issue presents a situation in initial teacher...
Move Me On 171: Using existing lesson plans
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Trampolines and Springboards
Teaching History article
Frustrated by his pupils’ tendency to compartmentalise source analysis into two discrete parts of ‘source’ and ‘own knowledge’, Jonathan Sellin reflected that his use of scaffolds might be to blame. Inspired by recent work by teacher-researchers Hammond and King on the importance of secure substantive knowledge in the area of...
Trampolines and Springboards
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Teaching History 171: Knowledge
The HA's journal for secondary history teachers
This edition is free to download via the link at the bottom of the page (individual articles are also free to access).
For a subscription to the journal (published quarterly), plus access to our library of high-quality secondary history materials along with free or discounted CPD and membership of a thriving community...
Teaching History 171: Knowledge
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Triumphs Show 171: preparatory reading for A-level essays
Teaching History feature: celebrating and sharing success
The first question my A-level students always used to ask when receiving back an essay was, ‘What mark did I get?’ The second question I used to hope they would ask was ‘How could I improve my work?’
I stress ‘used to’ because increasingly I do not give marks when...
Triumphs Show 171: preparatory reading for A-level essays
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‘It’s kind of like the geography part of history, isn’t it, Miss?’
Teaching History article
Verity Morgan took an unusual approach to the challenge of teaching the Holocaust, coming to it through the lens of environmental history. She shares here the practical means and resources she used to engage pupils with this current trend in historiography, and its associated concepts.
Reflecting on her pupils’ responses,...
‘It’s kind of like the geography part of history, isn’t it, Miss?’
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Right up my street: the knowledge needed to plan a local history enquiry
Journal article
Inspired by the claim that local history can be taught effectively ‘Any time, any place, anywhere’, Katharine Burn and Jason Todd took up the challenge of planning Key Stage 3 enquiries related to an unusual and diverse, but frequently neglected and often despised, corner of Oxford. They sought not merely...
Right up my street: the knowledge needed to plan a local history enquiry
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Medieval Trade Routes
Classic Pamphlet
The subject of Medieval Trade Routes presents certain difficulties at the outset. There is no clear definition of the word ‘medieval' and, whatever period is chosen, it is obvious that trade routes within that period would be unlikely always to follow the same direction or to be of the same...
Medieval Trade Routes
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Out and About in Oxford
Historian feature
The Sheffield Branch of the Historical Association is a very active one. In addition to our monthly meetings we organise a range of study visits, from one-day trips to longer residential tours in the UK and occasionally in mainland Europe. In recent years, these have included visits to Portsmouth, Lincoln and Newark, Newcastle and Northumberland, and the battlefields of Waterloo....
Out and About in Oxford
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Home Rule for Ireland - For and against
Historian article
At a time when the United Kingdom continues to review its internal constitutional arrangements, Matthew Kelly explores how this constitutional debate can be traced back to Gladstone's decision to promote Home Rule for Ireland and how these proposals evolved over time and were challenged.
Irish political history decisively entered a...
Home Rule for Ireland - For and against
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Lucy Hughes-Hallett on telling an HA branch about a book
Historian article
Dave Martin interviews the author of Cleopatra: histories, dreams and distortions, winner of the Fawcett Prize and the Emily Toth Award.
Lucy Hughes-Hallett on telling an HA branch about a book
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‘Cromwell’s trunks’
Historian article
Ted Vallance discusses the extent to which Richard Cromwell was able to muster broader support for his rule than is sometimes acknowledged.
If the second Lord Protector, Richard Cromwell, is remembered at all, it is as a byword for political failure. Succeeding to the position of head of state after his father, Oliver Cromwell’s death in September...
‘Cromwell’s trunks’
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My Favourite History Place: Edinburgh's Royal Mile
Historian feature
Maggie Wilson whets our appetite for exploration of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
Edinburgh’s Royal Mile runs between the Castle and Holyrood Palace. In addition to these and other well-known sites such as St Giles Cathedral, John Knox’s house, the Canongate Tolbooth and Canongate Kirk, and stories of Deacon Brodie, David Hume, James Boswell, Robert Burns and, obviously,...
My Favourite History Place: Edinburgh's Royal Mile
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New, Novice or Nervous? 169: Developing a sense of place
Journal article
This page is for those new to the published writings of history teachers. Each problem you wrestle with, other teachers have wrestled with too. Quick fixes don’t exist. But in others’ writing, you’ll soon find something better: conversations in which other history teachers have debated or tackled your problems – conversations any history...
New, Novice or Nervous? 169: Developing a sense of place
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Paris: 50 Years on from the Great War, 2 August 1964
Historian article
Just over 50 years ago, Chris Wrigley, a past President of the Historical Association, while a sixth-former, witnessed a highly significant historic re-enactment in Paris to mark the anniversary of the start of the Great War.
Paris: 50 Years on from the Great War, 2 August 1964
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National distinctions entirely laid aside?
Historian article
Bethan M. Jenkins considers why it was important to Lewis Morris and others to have the distinctive Welsh contribution to British history and culture properly acknowledged.
National distinctions entirely laid aside?
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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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What can you do with an old postcard?
Primary History article
Whether looking at ‘events in living memory’ at Key Stage 1, or a local history study at Key Stage 2, old postcards are extremely useful. They are also relatively cheap and easy to get hold of.
One aspect that can easily be explored using old postcards is evidence - they are an...
What can you do with an old postcard?
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Primary History 78
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
This edition of HA's Primary History magazine is free to download via the link at the bottom of the page (individual article links within the page are not free access unless otherwise stated). You can access a more recent free edition here (PH 95, October 2023).
For a subscription to Primary...
Primary History 78
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 70
Alternative sources for the Romans, and a variety of Enquiry questions
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 70
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 66
Process map for writing a new Scheme of Work for history
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 66
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Ideas for Assemblies: Linking historical events with geography
Primary History article
In this edition we highlight some interesting anniversaries that might provide a link with geography, either through maps, ideas about climate change or conservation and protection of wild animals. We hope these anniversaries might inspire some stimulating historical investigations, as well as provoke lots of discussion and debate. Some of...
Ideas for Assemblies: Linking historical events with geography
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 68
Britain and World timeline 2000BC to 0BC; The Dark Ages
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 68
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 78
Investigating the Shang Dynasty and History in the primary curriculum
1. Investigating the Shang Dynasty; 2. History in the primary curriculum - what does it offer?
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 78
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Move Me On 170: adapting to a second school
The problem page for history mentors
This feature of Teaching History is designed to build critical, informed debate about the character of teacher training, teacher education and professional development. It is also designed to offer practical help to all involved in training new history teachers. Each issue presents a situation in initial teacher education/training with an...
Move Me On 170: adapting to a second school
