-
Using Virtual Reality to promote historical contextualisation in classrooms
Teaching History article
In this article, Mannak, Huijgen and Tuithof share their experience of using Virtual Reality to promote historical contextualisation of the Berlin Blitz with their 13–15 year old students. They outline some strategies for using VR well in the classroom, and ways to avoid potential pitfalls. They then introduce a pedagogical...
Using Virtual Reality to promote historical contextualisation in classrooms
-
Recorded webinar: Embracing messiness: the case for returning to disciplinary thinking in history classrooms
Webinar series: Embracing messiness: teaching disciplinary thinking in history
Embracing messiness: teaching disciplinary thinking in history
Session 1: Embracing messiness: the case for returning to disciplinary thinking in history classrooms
In recent years, disciplinary thinking has been somewhat overlooked as the 'what' of curriculum has taken the front seat for many schools. This introductory session will explain the rationale for...
Recorded webinar: Embracing messiness: the case for returning to disciplinary thinking in history classrooms
-
Developing enjoyable historical investigations
Primary History article
About 2,000 years ago, a baby was born. No, not that baby. Not Jesus. This baby was a girl. Where she was born and what she was called we don't know but I'll call her Helena - it feels rude to go on just calling her ‘she'. When Helena grew up she became wealthy. Perhaps...
Developing enjoyable historical investigations
-
More than ever, history and historians need a collaborative and co-ordinated approach
27th February 2025
It’s been an especially grim start to 2025 for many in UK higher education. News in early January of cuts and job losses at the universities of Canterbury Christ Church, Northampton and Staffordshire has been followed by announcements from Cardiff, Durham, Newcastle, Reading and, once again, Kent. This, moreover, is...
More than ever, history and historians need a collaborative and co-ordinated approach
-
On-demand webinar: Supporting pupils in reaching independent conclusions in primary history
Avoiding confusion and challenging misconceptions in primary history
Avoiding confusion and challenging misconceptions in primary history
Session 5: Supporting pupils in reaching independent conclusions in primary history
This practical webinar will demonstrate how people can be supported in, reaching their own independent conclusions about the history, they are studying. It will suggest a number of careful ways of...
On-demand webinar: Supporting pupils in reaching independent conclusions in primary history
-
Exploring the challenges involved in reading and writing historical narrative
Teaching History article
‘English king Frederick I won at Arsuf, then took Acre, then they all went home': exploring the challenges involved in reading and writing historical narrative
Paula Worth draws on three professional traditions in history education in order to build a lesson sequence on the Crusades for her Year 7s. First,...
Exploring the challenges involved in reading and writing historical narrative
-
Throw away the worksheets!
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
Those teachers who can still manage a school trip to the British Museum are in for a treat. The new Michael Cohen Gallery (Room 61) is everything a museum exhibition room should be. Its focus is...
Throw away the worksheets!
-
History Abridged: Publishing
Historian feature
History Abridged: This feature seeks to take a person, event or period and abridge, or focus on, an important event or detail that can get lost in the big picture. See all History Abridged articles
For centuries the only way the written word could be communicated was by it being...
History Abridged: Publishing
-
New, Novice or Nervous? 168: Local history
Teaching History feature
This page is for those new to the published writings of history teachers. Each problem you wrestle with, other teachers have wrestled with too...
The opportunities afforded by local history are far from parochial. The study of a neighbouring town, a local battalion, a village street or even a...
New, Novice or Nervous? 168: Local history
-
Public History Courses
Continuing Professional Development
What is Public History?
Public History is about understanding how the past has affected, and is used by, the present. It brings history to life and helps us understand the relationship between the past and the public at present. Public History can involve history in the community, and a Public...
Public History Courses
-
Teaching black British history through local archives
Primary History article
The huge benefits that local archives can bring to primary history are explored by Steven Kenyon. He illustrates this with a case study of Lancashire Archives. The central focus is on ways in which local history can support diversity in the curriculum by providing three examples – one for Key Stage...
Teaching black British history through local archives
-
HA Secondary History Survey 2012
HA Survey
A little over a year ago Michael Gove announced the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). It would transform education and rid schools and young people of ‘soft subjects'. However the real impact so far has been less than impressive. Those schools that already taught history well to GCSE continued...
HA Secondary History Survey 2012
-
Into the unknown: changing technology and the history classroom
Teaching History article
John Simkin has an important tale to tell. He lived through the earliest forays of history teachers into computer technology in the classroom and he pioneered influential approaches through software publishing projects. His story of classroom teachers overcoming obstacles, battling scepticism and taking responsibility for forging the future is one...
Into the unknown: changing technology and the history classroom
-
Academic Critical Thinking, Research Literacy and Undergraduate History
Article
International Journal of Historical Learning, Teaching and Research [IJHLTR], Volume 15, Number 1 – Autumn/Winter 2017ISSN: 14472-9474
Abstract
The concept of critical thinking is pivotal in academia. Many see it as the very core of intellectual thought and the primary learning outcome of higher education. In addition to its universal merits,...
Academic Critical Thinking, Research Literacy and Undergraduate History
-
Virtual Branch: Birds and British History
Article
In his recent book The Cuckoo's Lea Michael J Warren provides a exploration of how birds are entwined with British history, particularly in our place names.
Join us for an exclusive Q&A with the author to weave together literature, history and ornithology and discover a fascinating heritage that matters deeply now when so...
Virtual Branch: Birds and British History
-
Reconciling historical accounts and archaeological remains
Historian article
Paul Wordsworth traces the route ways across the Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan, going in search of the wells and watering places essential to desert travel.
There are many risks when arriving at a well in the middle of the Karakum (black sand) desert in the modern Republic of Turkmenistan, not least...
Reconciling historical accounts and archaeological remains
-
Using Horrible History to develop primary literacy and history
Primary History article
When I started planning for my Key Stage 2 literacy lessons last year, I wanted to link them to my history topic, the Tudors, and I also needed them to cover a significant amount of non-fiction English objectives, having focused on fiction and poetry texts in the previous term. One...
Using Horrible History to develop primary literacy and history
-
Manchester Branch History
Branch History
Manchester Branch is proud of its role in the foundation of the Historical Association (HA) in 1906. Professor Thomas Frederick Tout and others at Manchester University had been discussing the idea of forming an Association to promote the teaching of a more relevant and vibrant form of history than was...
Manchester Branch History
-
The Sir Martin Gilbert History Prize 2022
16th March 2022
The Sir Martin Gilbert Learning Centre is delighted to announce the 2022 Sir Martin Gilbert History Prize. The essay question for this year is:
"Debates about war are important, but not more important than the human story of those who fought in them." – Sir Martin Gilbert
Discuss with reference to a...
The Sir Martin Gilbert History Prize 2022
-
Teaching History 165: Conceptualising breadth
The HA's journal for secondary history teachers
02 Editorial (Read article)
03 HA Secondary News
04 HA Update
08 ‘Victims of History’: challenging students’ perceptions of women in history - Bridget Lockyer and Abigail Tazzyman (Read article)
16 ‘It’s like Lord of the Rings, Sir. But real!’: Teaching, learning and sharing medieval history for all Chris Eldridge (Read article)...
Teaching History 165: Conceptualising breadth
-
Primary History topic grid
Article
See at a glance which recent issues of Primary History cover which topics (see key below).All editions of Primary History magazine can be accessed here (requires Primary Membership).
Topic
PH66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86...
Primary History topic grid
-
Primary History 71
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
04 Editorial
05 HA Primary News
06 Using role-play to develop young children's understanding of the past - Helen Crawford (Read article)
08 Whole-school planning for progression: How do we do the best for our children and for history? - Hilary Pegum and Nicola Davies (Read article)
14 Planning for...
Primary History 71
-
Resource sharing hub for home learning
2nd April 2020
We know how hard life has been for teachers and schools in recent weeks. Materials have had to be put online hastily to provide students with home learning activities in the light of a fast-moving situation. At present, there is little indication as to how long schools will remain closed...
Resource sharing hub for home learning
-
History Abridged: the Acropolis
Historian feature
History Abridged: This feature seeks to take a person, event or period and abridge, or focus on, an important event or detail that can get lost in the big picture. Think Horrible Histories for grownups (without the songs and music). See all History Abridged articles
The Acropolis of Athens is...
History Abridged: the Acropolis
-
A (non-Western) history of versatility
Historian article
Waqās Ahmed broadens our perspective on where in history we might find polymaths, those who embody versatility of thought and action. While Western scholars might identify the likes of Leonardo da Vinci or Benjamin Franklin as the archetype of the polymath, they have in reality existed throughout history and across...
A (non-Western) history of versatility
