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Pull-out posters: Primary History 88 – Diversity
Diversity in Primary History
There has been much emphasis on ensuring that we teach a balanced history curriculum that reflects diversity. Teachers often ask the Historical Association where they can get their ideas and find examples of good practice. From the start, this journal has addressed the many strands of a diverse primary history...
Pull-out posters: Primary History 88 – Diversity
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How to make a toy museum
Primary History article
Making a museum in your setting or classroom is easy and children can learn all kinds of historical skills as well as developing their mark making and writing. Tees Valley Museums are a consortium of seven venues across the Tees Valley. Together they have created online support to develop a museum...
How to make a toy museum
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Back to basics: How might we organise historical knowledge?
Primary History article
There has been much emphasis on pupils having a rich knowledge and this has led to many schools devising knowledge lists and knowledge organisers. This article argues that is a valuable element in a good history curriculum in primary schools but that it is important that this is properly thought...
Back to basics: How might we organise historical knowledge?
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Recorded webinar: What is diversity within the primary history curriculum?
Webinar recording
In 2021 we ran a series of webinars aimed at teachers working in primary schools: Diversity in the primary history curriculum. This series considered the following questions: What is diversity? Why has it proved to be controversial? How can we respond to this? Why is it so important in developing children's...
Recorded webinar: What is diversity within the primary history curriculum?
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Exploring empire, artefacts and local history
Primary History article
This article introduces us to the Colonial Countryside Project. Many of the sites we visit, especially the great country houses and stately homes, have long been visited by children. They are often fascinated by both the buildings and the history associated with them. However, there is a growing recognition that...
Exploring empire, artefacts and local history
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Using trade directories: reconstructing life 100 years ago
Primary History article
Alf Wilkinson has previously covered the importance of trade directories as a source that teachers can use in primary history. Alf develops this into a case study for a Lincolnshire village that can be used as a template for primary teachers. All communities have distinctive characteristics and Alf outlines these...
Using trade directories: reconstructing life 100 years ago
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The revised EYFS Framework: exploring ‘Past and Present’
Primary History article
A new Early Years Foundation Stage framework will become statutory from September 2021. Around three thousand primary schools in England are already implementing this revised framework – these settings have been deemed early adopter schools.
The actual curriculum for EYFS is not changing. There will still be seven areas of learning...
The revised EYFS Framework: exploring ‘Past and Present’
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How did a volcano affect life in the Bronze Age?
Primary History article
Recent discoveries have greatly altered our view of life in the Bronze Age. Must Farm, for example, was built in the Cambridgeshire Fens around 1000 BCE.
Sometime around 1159 BCE (no-one is quite sure when) Hekla, a volcano in Iceland (a country no-one yet knew existed) erupted, throwing millions of...
How did a volcano affect life in the Bronze Age?
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Storytelling the past
Primary History article
This article will demonstrate how to engage children through storytelling and how it can be used to develop their critical understanding of the past.
Why story?
Despite their common derivation, the words ‘history’ and ‘story’ suggest very different kinds of knowledge, the former carrying overtones of detached understanding of the...
Storytelling the past
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Using shoes as an historical source
Primary History article
There is something fascinating about what people wore in the past. From corsets to clogs, the evolution of clothing and footwear can give an insight into different periods of history, an excellent way of engaging with the past. Shoes, in some form or another, have been around from the earliest...
Using shoes as an historical source
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Primary history and British values
Article
In this article, Michael Maddison provides an overview of what schools must do in relation to promoting British values, as well as preventing extremism and radicalisation, and why it is so important that opportunities are taken in history to deal with these two pressing issues. It is an updated version...
Primary history and British values
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Fifty years ago we lost the need to know our twelve times tables
Primary History article
In the first year of junior school, I was in Mrs Phillip’s class. She was one of those teachers who you remember, but, sadly not for good reasons. I was very frightened of Mrs Phillips and the worst part of every week was the tables test… forwards, backwards and questions...
Fifty years ago we lost the need to know our twelve times tables
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Using original sources
Primary History article
Why would I want those old books in my classroom?
It has always been recognised that good primary history is able to connect the past with the world the children currently inhabit. That is why focusing on schools can be so useful. If there is one experience the children have...
Using original sources
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All the fun of the fair! Key Stage 1 – Beyond living memory
Primary History article
Alf Wilkinson outlines three activities looking at fairs past and present.
We all enjoy a visit to the fair, don’t we? There’s always a bit of a buzz when the fair comes to town. In my village it arrives just in time for Feast Weekend, in the summer holidays. The rides...
All the fun of the fair! Key Stage 1 – Beyond living memory
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Anniversaries: The Coventry Blitz and the Grave of the Unknown Soldier
Primary History article
This Autumn we remember two events related to the impact of war and how people have reacted to them. The first anniversary remembers the Nazi devastation of Coventry 80 years ago on 14 November 1940 and the second event relates to the body of the ‘Unknown warrior’ who was laid...
Anniversaries: The Coventry Blitz and the Grave of the Unknown Soldier
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The back cover image: Malachite Urn
Primary History feature
This large green urn was given as a gift to Queen Victoria in 1839 by Emperor Nicholas I, to thank her for the way in which his son Alexander had been welcomed in England the previous year. It was placed in the Grand Reception Room of Windsor Castle, and has...
The back cover image: Malachite Urn
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Pull-out posters: Primary History 87
Could you manage old money? and Examples of picture books
‘Twelve pennies make a shilling; twenty shillings make a pound’ - Could you manage old money?
Examples of picture books
Pull-out posters: Primary History 87
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Recorded webinar: Making sense of the Vikings
Key Stage 2 Webinar
Focusing on the Viking world, this webinar explores how careful choice of content in one subject can extend what your pupils will achieve in another. It offers some practical suggestions on how you might combine a Key Stage 2 History study of the Vikings with the geography of their world...
Recorded webinar: Making sense of the Vikings
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Subject leader’s site: assessment and feedback
Primary History article
Very few teachers prefer assessment to teaching yet the latter has little point if there is no way of knowing that what we teach is beneficial to our pupils. The problem is that there is no such thing as perfect assessment and feedback. For example, you cannot assess everything –...
Subject leader’s site: assessment and feedback
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Belmont’s evacuee children: a local history project
Primary History article
Teaching about World War II, particularly the home front, continues to be popular in primary schools, despite the government deciding not to include it as a compulsory subject in the new National Curriculum introduced in 2014. Many primary schools still choose to organise an evacuee experience of some kind for pupils...
Belmont’s evacuee children: a local history project
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Developing chronological understanding and language in the EYFS
Primary History article
Developing secure chronological understanding is an essential aspect of effective history learning. Chronological understanding develops over time and children’s progress in this can be most effectively secured if schools plan for development in this area and provide opportunities for children to build upon their understanding throughout their time in school....
Developing chronological understanding and language in the EYFS
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One of my favourite history places: Studland Village
Primary History feature
Studland village is situated in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. Purbeck is not an island in the normal sense of being surrounded by sea. However, it is surrounded by large hills to its north and has a coastline to its south, both of which cut it off from the...
One of my favourite history places: Studland Village
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Take one day: undertaking an in-depth local enquiry
Primary History article
Local history units of study provide teachers with valuable opportunities, but these can also seem daunting. Potential challenges for teachers include the perceived overwhelming scope of the topic, difficulties in developing subject knowledge and knowing where to find resources. However, none of these is insurmountable, if teachers identify a clear learning...
Take one day: undertaking an in-depth local enquiry
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History in the news: George Floyd protest in Bristol – Colston statue toppled
Primary History feature
The killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25 May 2020 sparked off protests against the way in which black people are treated both in America and many countries across the world. Thousands of people attended an anti-racist demonstration in Bristol. A group of the...
History in the news: George Floyd protest in Bristol – Colston statue toppled
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Film: What's the wisdom on... Change and continuity (Primary)
Article
Please note: the 'What's the Wisdom On' film series has been produced principally for secondary school history teachers, however some of the content is transferrable to a primary setting. Secondary members can view the film here
We know how difficult life is for teachers in the current circumstances. We also understand your need...
Film: What's the wisdom on... Change and continuity (Primary)
