Continuity and Change Over Time Revolutionary War

Coherence in primary history: How can we get children to see that their history links up?

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No teacher ever wants to claim that their history curriculum is incoherent. All schools want to have a curriculum that is logically ordered and consistent, that has clarity and that holds together. It is easy to assume that how we see this coherence as adults must also translate to the...
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How did a volcano affect life in the Bronze Age?

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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...
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Film: What's the wisdom on... Change and continuity (Primary)

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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...
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Migration to Britain through time

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Migration is rarely absent from the news and arouses political, social cultural and emotional responses which range from compassion to hostility, racism and anti-racism. By exploring migration in the past, it is possible for children to go beyond current issues and appreciate that, rather than being a recent characteristic of...
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Making the most of a census

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This article looks at how children can utilise and manipulate mathematical data to make sense of a historic past. The focus is on helping children see the numbers as a resource for understanding the experiences of those that lived in this place. Aim: Understand historical concepts such as continuity and...
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The Elizabeth cake

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Hidden away on top of a dusty, battered cupboard in a local primary school were two equally dusty and battered log books. Each has seen better days and each could provide a range of links to local and national history. The log book was one of two found in one...
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Turning technology: making life better in Iron Age Britain

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See also: Stone Age to Iron Age - overview and depth Stone Age to Iron Age - scheme of work Our Iron Age challenge Iron Age Farm - film So who were the people living in Britain in the Iron Age? The Iron Age describes the period in Britain when...
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Teaching crime and punishment as a post-1066 theme

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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...
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Getting to grips with concepts in primary history

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Perhaps one of the most perplexing aspects of teaching history is the fostering of conceptual understanding. History subject leaders often find this a challenging issue. Even if they have a decent grasp themselves, it can be difficult for others in the school who have to teach the subject. Over recent...
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Overground, underground and across the sea

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Communication is at the heart of what it is to be human, and the British postal service has helped to shape the modern world as we know it today. From cryptic Victorian Valentine cards to a lion encountered on Salisbury Plain, there is nothing ordinary about the story of the post! The British postal service...
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Coherence in primary history

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This article looks at what coherence is, how it can be mapped and ways in which classroom activities can enhance pupils' awareness of the past in a more coherent way. What is it? The term 'coherence' has been around a fair time now. Most reincarnations of the National Curriculum have referred to the need for...
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Learning about the past through toys and games

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A learning theme centred on toys and games is perfect for younger children as the Early Years curriculum is, of course, all about learning through play. Planned carefully, it can also provide many opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the past. Adult-directed learning opportunities Provide the children with...
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Using shoes as an historical source

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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...
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Our Iron Age challenge

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The University of Chichester's three-year BA (Hons) Degree for Primary Education and Teaching involves learning how to provide rigorous and creative educational opportunities for children. The course involves one creativity module each year. The final one involves the development of skills and confidence in creating problem-solving. Four of us were...
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Teaching history and geography together in a meaningful way

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This article explores some of the ways history and geography can be taught side by side, so that the sum of the parts adds up to more than the original. How can we teach history with geography and vice versa, to the benefit of both, while fulfilling the aims of...
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Using original sources

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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...
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So was everyone an ancient Egyptian?

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I will be honest – no child has actually asked me if the world was ever full of Ancient Egyptians! Having said that, by focusing on one part of the world, children are left with either this impression or the idea that nothing was happening elsewhere in the world. Clearly,...
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Poverty in Britain: A development study for Key Stage 2

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One of the requirements for Key Stage 2 history is for some history that extends beyond 1066. Various suggestions have been made including an examination of change within a social theme. The example given is Crime and Punishment but the opportunities for something interesting are vast. This article focuses on...
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Ancient Sumer

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For many teachers and children alike, Ancient Sumer will be completely new. Although Sumer has always been an option for teaching about Early Civilisations, the fame of Ancient Egypt, as well as being a tried-and-tested topic, has meant that Sumer has perhaps been overlooked. There is little danger of failing...
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Early Islamic civilisation

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The Primary National Curriculum pinpoints Early Islamic Civilisation as Baghdad c. AD 900 - yet it was so much more. For approximately a thousand years after AD 700 there was an extraordinary amount of activity that radiated out from Baghdad and along a glittering crescent through North Africa and into...
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