I love using maps in the history classroom. I often joke about geography being all about colouring in maps, but in reality, I’m jealous. It might just be me, but I need to locate myself in time. The chronology of most things is an obsession. It might be the date[…]
engagement
Ten Top Tips for History Exam Revision
With exams looming, these activities and techniques can help history teachers ensure their students are geared up and ready to perform under pressure.
How does the history teacher help increase the progress of pupil premium students?
The progress of pupil premium students has been a hot topic over the last few years, even for the humble history teacher. Arms length control The government have spent millions on this vulnerable group of students and want to see bang for their buck. This pressure has been passed down[…]
Please don’t ask year 7 to answer GCSE exam questions
Recently I arranged for Michael Riley to come and work with my initial teacher trainees and their mentors at Sussex University. What a privilege. After all, it was Michael alongside Jamie Byrom who inspired me to teach history the way that I have been for the last 18 years. A[…]
The Giddy Guide to Oral History
A guide to conducting and oral history project from Giddy – a brilliant new resource which, explores teenage memories from the post-war era
Weimar Germany Revision Jenga with Resources
Revision / re-visiting information to make it stick is hugely important. Revising knowledge regularly will help your students remember better. Fact. To help with this process why not play Weimar Germany revision Jenga in your classroom? The resources are available here for you to download. If you want to find out how[…]
Going outdoors: A six-step guide to planning history field trips
Six steps for teachers to plan, organise and make the most of history field trips and visits to historic sites.
Creating curiosity: Ten stimulating starts to enquiries
If we are to create outstanding learning and learners, we need to engage our pupils to become curious in the classroom. One way to help engage learners and create curiosity is ensure that all enquiries that start in an intriguing and stimulating way. This isn’t a new and revelationary idea. Good teachers[…]
Five top activities with pictures in the history classroom
We love to use images in our lessons – always have done. Ever since we could photocopy them from books, print them onto sheets of paper and put them in front of kids we have used them. There are hundreds of possibilities for using pictures. Here are our five top picture activities[…]
The peasant farming game
It is probably out of fashion at the moment to suggest such crazy ideas as kids having fun in your lessons. Playing the peasant farming game? Don’t be so ridiculous – where is the evidence of exceptional progress by all in the first 10 minutes your SLT may well cry![…]
Using Tea to teach History
Nearly every history teacher that I have worked with has said that they find teaching about the period 1750 -1900 really quite difficult. In fact when planning a Hampshire network session a few years ago one very successful head of department (now Deputy Head in Dorset) boldly said that we[…]