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Film: What's the wisdom on... Enquiry questions Part 2 (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... Enquiry questions Part 2 (Primary)
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Alternative Suggestions to the QCA Planning
Briefing Pack
In the light of recent uncertainties about the new Primary Curriculum, we at the HA felt that it might be helpful to teachers in schools looking to adapt next year's planning to have a few alternative ideas at their fingertips. Those topics identified contain links to medium term plans that are...
Alternative Suggestions to the QCA Planning
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Film: What's the wisdom on... Enquiry questions Part 1 (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... Enquiry questions Part 1 (Primary)
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Film: What's the wisdom on... Historical Interpretations (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... Historical Interpretations (Primary)
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Film: What's the wisdom on... Evidence and sources (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... Evidence and sources (Primary)
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Children writing accounts: the Battle of Trafalgar
Exemplar
Paul Newton's Year 6 class was investigating the Battle of Trafalgar as the introduction to a Victorian study. The sources Paul had chosen were an extract from the diary of Lieutenant Paul Harris Nicholas, of HMS Belleisle, and the famous painting showing the death of Admiral Nelson on the quarterdeck...
Children writing accounts: the Battle of Trafalgar
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Scheme of work: George Stephenson and the development of railways
Primary scheme of work, Key Stage 1 (resourced)
This unit of work is intended to teach children about George Stephenson as a significant individual in history, his achievements and the impact that he had locally, nationally and internationally. It also includes some introductory lessons based around vocabulary for consolidation of terms relating to the passing of time, which...
Scheme of work: George Stephenson and the development of railways
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A cultural legacy: the theatre of ancient Greece
Primary History article
Sometimes it is not easy to understand how the different units of the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum were selected, but this is not true for the Ancient Greek unit. Since the renaissance period, knowledge of ‘the classics’ has been a central element for an educated man or woman. Ancient...
A cultural legacy: the theatre of ancient Greece
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Children in the Second World War
Lesson Plan
This resource is free to everyone. For access to hundreds of other high-quality resources by primary history experts along with free or discounted CPD and membership of a thriving community of teachers and subject leaders, join the Historical Association today
These lessons with Year 6 children at a voluntary-aided primary...
Children in the Second World War
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How the Tudors came to power
Lesson Plan
Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum.
The lessons described introduced a unit on the Tudors through the Battle of Bosworth.
In literacy, we had been learning how to identify key words and use these when writing notes. We had focused on information books, in particular a book...
How the Tudors came to power
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Raising the profile of history in your school
HA Primary Subject Leader Area
All too often, primary schools allow English and mathematics to steal the limelight, unwittingly pushing other subjects to one side. Now is the time to steal some of the limelight back. Whether you are a new subject leader or you have been leading the subject for years, you have a...
Raising the profile of history in your school
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Children in Victorian Britain: Down the Mine
Lesson Plan
This resource is free to everyone. For access to hundreds of other high-quality resources by primary history experts along with free or discounted CPD and membership of a thriving community of teachers and subject leaders, join the Historical Association today
Please note: this free resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum....
Children in Victorian Britain: Down the Mine
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Using stories to support history in the EYFS
Primary History article
Stories can be used as starting points for planning topics. Activities suggested below relate to ‘Understanding the world’ including Early Learning Goal 13 – People and communities:
Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members.
They know about similarities and...
Using stories to support history in the EYFS
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Extending the curriculum: why should we consider ‘value added’?
Primary History article
While the focus provided by the new Ofsted framework has allowed schools to begin to, perhaps, rebalance the curriculum, the time allocated to the foundation subjects is still fairly marginal in many schools. This means that hard decisions have to be taken about what to include and what to leave...
Extending the curriculum: why should we consider ‘value added’?
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The Great Plague of London (KS1)
Article
This resource is free to everyone. For access to hundreds of other high-quality resources by primary history experts along with free or discounted CPD and membership of a thriving community of teachers and subject leaders, join the Historical Association today
This was originally part of a 7-week unit looking at...
The Great Plague of London (KS1)
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The Historical Association's response to Curriculum Review 2024
20th November 2024
New government, new curriculum review. It always happens when there is a big change in who is in charge. But just because it always happens doesn’t mean we can ignore it. Ten years ago, substantial changes were made to education, and they have affected a whole generation of children and teachers....
The Historical Association's response to Curriculum Review 2024
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Reading the Past: Written and printed sources
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
Introduction
Be positive, ambitious and bold
Many teachers, when they realise how deep the literary requirements are which history makes on the young learner, will hastily declare that their own class is either too young or...
Reading the Past: Written and printed sources
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Celtic Britain: the land the Romans conquered
Lesson Plan
Please note: this lesson was produced as part of the Nuffield Primary History project (1991-2009) and pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum. It is part of a full sequence of lessons available here.
Literacy was addressed throughout these lessons: introducing the text and the materials about the island, then working on the production...
Celtic Britain: the land the Romans conquered
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Scheme of Work: Chronological Unit - Numbers Through Time
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 2 History (unresourced)
The chronological unit is new and challenging for primary schools and it is important to tackle it correctly. Whether you decide to take the option of a broad sweep of time as this unit does, or whether you decide to home in on a specific turning point (examples of these...
Scheme of Work: Chronological Unit - Numbers Through Time
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Dissolution of the Monasteries: Haughmond Abbey
Lesson Plan
Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum.
The objectives of this lesson were for the children to:
Understand that spoken language and word usage may change over a period of time;
Understand that to be able to use an historical document as a source of evidence it is...
Dissolution of the Monasteries: Haughmond Abbey
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Houses: Artefacts from the past (KS1)
Lesson Plans
Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum.
In these lessons we investigated real objects from late Victorian times. The aim was to enable the children to become more independent in their learning and to extend their literacy.
The two lessons described formed part of a Year 1 topic...
Houses: Artefacts from the past (KS1)
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Developing early history skills and understanding through the EYFS
Primary History article
Read more like this:
EYFS scheme of work
EYFS Medium term plan: Toys and Games
Early Years Foundation Stage (article)
Early Years: learning about the past (article)
Using 'Development Matters' in the Foundation Stage (article)
For many children, going to nursery school is a key part of their day. It...
Developing early history skills and understanding through the EYFS
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Teaching sensitive subjects: slavery and Britain’s role in the trade
Primary History article
See also:
Teaching Slavery - HA guide
Slavery in Britain
Sarah Forbes Bonetta - scheme of work
Teaching Emotive and Controversial History
Diversity guidance for primary teachers and subject leaders
Slavery is a part of our history, and its impact can be seen in the statues of influential men, the...
Teaching sensitive subjects: slavery and Britain’s role in the trade
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Teaching crime and punishment as a post-1066 theme
Primary History article
The most recent HA survey suggests that crime and punishment is a popular theme as a Key Stage 2 development study covering the period after 1066.
It is easy to see why. Crime, criminals and punishment have a fascination for many and herein lies its appeal as well as a...
Teaching crime and punishment as a post-1066 theme
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Primary History Articles for the School History Subject Leader
Multipage Article
The Historical Association has been producing its specialist primary journal Primary History since 1992. In that time there have been three editions per year and since 2017 an additional annual digital summer resource.
In 1992 a National Curriculum for history had recently emerged as had the Ofsted inspection process. Since...
Primary History Articles for the School History Subject Leader
