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Hollywood vs. Homer
Primary History article
You don't need a degree in film studies or Classics to enjoy the Hollywood blockbuster: Troy. Or to enjoy Brad Pitt, for that matter! But the question my teacher friend asked me, after two hours and forty minutes of being with Brad in a warm, dark place, was a great...
Hollywood vs. Homer
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Effective Primary History Teaching, Challenges and Opportunities
Primary History article
“It’s like they’ve gone up a year!” This was the unprompted observation of a teaching assistant at Buckden Primary School last summer, supporting Giles Fullard, a secondary history teacher from Hinchingbrooke School, near Huntingdon leading a lesson with a year 6 class on “Was Boudicca Britain’s first hero?” The scheme...
Effective Primary History Teaching, Challenges and Opportunities
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Curriculum Planning: World Study
Curriculum Planning
‘A non-European society that provides contrasts with British history - one study chosen from:
early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900;
Mayan civilization c. AD 900;
Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.'
That's quite clear then - there's a choice between early Islam, Central America or...
Curriculum Planning: World Study
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Drama: Ancient Egypt - Akhenaten
Exemplar
This exemplar outlines a lesson John Fines taught to a class of Year 3 children. He was visiting them for the first time to do some drama work. The children already knew a great deal about the Ancient Egyptians and were also used to learning through drama. John writes:After a...
Drama: Ancient Egypt - Akhenaten
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Young Quills 2025
16th April 2025
Each year, the Historical Association runs Young Quills, a competition for published historical fiction for children and young adults (14+). The Young Quills books for each year must be published for the first time in English in the year preceding the competition – so 2024 for this year’s selection.
Our...
Young Quills 2025
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Reading documents and simulation exemplar: Victorian trade directories
Exemplar
The Year 5 class was soon to visit a local museum where a Victorian parade of shops is recreated. We decided to use the 1857 trade directory for our town, Crediton in Devon, to bring its main shopping street to life before the visit. Trade directories, together with census returns...
Reading documents and simulation exemplar: Victorian trade directories
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Teaching Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings in Britain
Reference guide for primary
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
Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
‘Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings' is the...
Teaching Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings in Britain
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Living Museums and Victorian Britain
Year 6 Scheme of Work
Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum.
This unit centres on ways of portraying life in Victorian Britain.
While factual knowledge of aspects of Victorian life in Britain are a vital component of the unit, the main focus is on exploring the way living museums present the period,...
Living Museums and Victorian Britain
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Planning a Victorian School Day
Primary History article
Learning is more engaging and better retained when it is contextualised and when it appeals to a variety of learning styles. How better to bring history alive, than by having it invade children's school environment and transform their everyday experience? Getting away from predominantly auditory learning, the printed word and...
Planning a Victorian School Day
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Teaching Slavery
HA Guide
Please note: this guide was written in 2010 and some links may no longer work. For more recent guidance, see:
Teaching sensitive subjects: slavery and Britain’s role in the trade (2019)
Slavery in Britain (2013)
Sarah Forbes Bonetta - scheme of work (2015)
Diversity guidance for primary teachers and subject leaders (2019)
Teaching Slavery...
Teaching Slavery
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Using sites and the environment exemplar: a visit to Petworth House, Sussex
Exemplar
A Year 5 class of 27 children were to visit the North Gallery at Petworth House in Sussex, where the 3rd Earl of Egremont kept his collection of sculptures and pictures. If the children were to learn I needed to give them a focus and a purpose.PreparationBeforehand, in the classroom,...
Using sites and the environment exemplar: a visit to Petworth House, Sussex
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Communicating about the past: Resource H
Article
Key stage 2-3 History Transition Project: sample scheme of work on Alexander the Great
This resource was created as part of the above project whose activities are described in the introduction to Resource D. Three teachers, Geraint Brown (an AST) and Matt Stanford, both of Cottenham Village College, and Dave...
Communicating about the past: Resource H
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Remembering Agincourt: Bilingual Enquiry
Multipage Article
Do they learn about Agincourt in France?
2015 was a year of anniversaries. As part of our funded commemoration projects surrounding the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, we have commissioned an enquiry looking at the battle and how it has been remembered, particularly aimed at pupils in years...
Remembering Agincourt: Bilingual Enquiry
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Reading documents exemplar: Victorian school advertisement
Exemplar
Reading documents exemplar: Victorian school advertisement
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Visual image exemplar: Using pictures of Sutton Hoo objects
Exemplar
Please note: this lesson was produced as part of the Nuffield Primary History project (1991-2009) and pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum.
The Sutton Hoo ship burial contained a king's ransom in gold and jewellery. Indeed, it contained the worldly and spiritual goods needed for the king's voyage into the next world.
But...
Visual image exemplar: Using pictures of Sutton Hoo objects
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Mystery Suitcase
Lesson Plan exemplar
Please note: this lesson was produced as part of the Nuffield Primary History project (1991-2009) and pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum.
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...
Mystery Suitcase
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The Plague in Cumberland 1597-1598. Some documents used in the Cumbria Record Office (Carlisle) by Key Stage 2 pupils studying the Tudors
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum.
Outbreaks of the plague were common in the 16th century and the north of England was badly affected in the 1590s. It is believed that the plague arrived in Cumberland from Newcastle about Michaelmas 1597 and continued for over a year. The...
The Plague in Cumberland 1597-1598. Some documents used in the Cumbria Record Office (Carlisle) by Key Stage 2 pupils studying the Tudors
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Children writing history: The writing spectrum
Primary History article
"Henry the 4th ascended the throne of England much to his own satisfaction in the year 1399, after having prevailed on his cousin & predecessor Richard the 2nd to resign it to him, & to retire for the rest of his Life to Pomfret Castle, where he happened to be...
Children writing history: The writing spectrum
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Visual image and discussion exemplar: questioning a photograph
Exemplar
Almost more than any other source a photograph provides an incentive to dig, to burrow, to stretch, to tease out, to investigate and follow up leads.
A good starter activity. We used a photo in this way to begin our Britain since 1930 unit with a mixed Year 5/6 class....
Visual image and discussion exemplar: questioning a photograph
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Your Primary CPD calendar Autumn 2025
News Item
We know that it's not easy for teachers to get out of school or have budgets to afford a plentiful supply of CPD. We know how essential your CPD is to you and that is why we have worked to provide a wide range of face to face, online learning...
Your Primary CPD calendar Autumn 2025
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Young Quills 2011
Young Quills 2011
The Young Quills is a major award for children's historical fiction started by the Historical Association in 2009. The award aims to promote an enjoyment and awareness of history. We are convinced that reading historical fiction is one of the best ways to do this.
To be eligible for the...
Young Quills 2011
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Grace O' Malley, alias Granuaile, pirate & politician, c. 1530-1603
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the current National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
The Northamptonshire Inspection & Advisory Service (NIAS) can confirm Paul Bracey’s view of the way Ireland’s rich stories help to provide a ‘sounder map of the past’ and increase ‘choice, range and fun in our...
Grace O' Malley, alias Granuaile, pirate & politician, c. 1530-1603
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Victorian child labour in textile factories
Lesson Plan
Please note: this free resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum. For more recent resources see:
Victorians (Primary History article, 2014)
Scheme of work: Sarah Forbes Bonetta
Scheme of work: Brunel
What was life like for workhouse children in the early nineteenth century?
The aims of the lesson were for children...
Victorian child labour in textile factories
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Teaching the Assyrians for KS2
Pamphlet
Assyria was one of the Great Powers of the Ancient World. (They have been called the 'Romans of the East'.) From the early ninth to the lat seventh century BC they played an important part in history. At the heigh of their power the Assyrians controlled a vast area from...
Teaching the Assyrians for KS2
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Creating a school museum
Primary History case study
Using an artefacts loans service Within the UK there is a wealth of museums and heritage sites across the country, offering children, young people and teachers the chance to experience a hands on approach to history and telling the story of our past. However if you are unable to visit...
Creating a school museum
