Category: KS3

GCSE and A level, KS3, teaching and learning ideas

Closing the gap for disadvantaged students – can history lead the way?

How can History departments lead the way in closing the progress gap for disadvantaged students? The progress and attainment gaps for disadvantaged students are a source of much soul searching in our profession, and almost the only sure answer we have is that there is no easy solution. However, despite the stubborn and depressing national picture, I can testify from my own experience that there … Continue reading Closing the gap for disadvantaged students – can history lead the way?

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curriculum and planning, GCSE and A level, historical enquiry, KS3, subject leadership, teacher knowledge, teaching and learning ideas

A guide to historical enquiry questions in action

A few weeks ago Christine Counsell (@Counsell-C) gave the benefit of her wisdom and her encyclopedic knowledge of Teaching History articles to all of us seeking to understand the role of the historical enquiry question in great history teaching. In case you missed it on @twitter, here it is reproduced with links to the articles…  In @histassoc TH articles, I’m not sure you want articles … Continue reading A guide to historical enquiry questions in action

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beginning teacher, GCSE and A level, KS3, teaching and learning resources

FREE Religion in Elizabethan England macro inspired by a recent Teaching History article

Thanks to Vicky Bettney (@missvichistory) for sharing with us her macro on Religion in Elizabethan England. Vicky was inspired by reading an article by Hugh Richards (@MisterHistry) in the recent Teaching History 172. Hugh writes about his department’s thinking and work to develop their enquiries at Key Stage Three. They have found that using a ‘macro-micro’ approach has helped students to retain the bigger picture … Continue reading FREE Religion in Elizabethan England macro inspired by a recent Teaching History article

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CPD, curriculum and planning, diversity and inclusion, GCSE and A level, historical scholarship, KS3, subject leadership, substantive knowledge, teacher knowledge

Black Tudors – part 1

On the 29th September a group of us met to discuss ways in which we might develop Miranda Kaufmann’s book Black Tudors for classroom use. We are really keen to share this work with everyone to help provide useful resources. BLACK TUDORS tells the stories of ten Africans. The book traces their paths through the Tudor era revealing rich detail about their daily lives and showing … Continue reading Black Tudors – part 1

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beginning teacher, CPD, curriculum and planning, disciplinary knowledge, GCSE and A level, historical scholarship, KS3, subject leadership, substantive knowledge, teacher knowledge, teaching and learning ideas, teaching and learning resources, websites and publications

Teaching Medieval History? – websites!

There’s no substitute for reading Exploring and Teaching Medieval History – an introduction by Ian Dawson of course. However, knowing how we all need things easily to hand, Henry Walton (@HenryWalton5), Head of Humanities @manorceacademy, has extracted some of the websites and texts it mentions and added others into one handy list. He’s kindly shared it with us… Objects associated with the Conquest: http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/exhibit/iALiB6XML3gmJQ Archaeology: http://www.archaeology.co.uk/ – website with hundreds … Continue reading Teaching Medieval History? – websites!

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display materials, diversity and inclusion, GCSE and A level, historical scholarship, KS3, local networks, teaching and learning resources, websites and publications

Meanwhile, elsewhere – a great team effort!

Last summer my history team began the gargantuan task of revising our KS3 curriculum. When we had agreed bits I often shared our work on Twitter (I tweet under the stupid name @kenradical). I had posted our Year 7 overview one evening and Ben Walsh (@History_Ben) replied asking where the global history was. He was right, we had hardly any. The next day I went back … Continue reading Meanwhile, elsewhere – a great team effort!

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curriculum and planning, diversity and inclusion, KS3, subject leadership, teacher knowledge, teaching and learning ideas, teaching and learning resources

Rethinking how we teach about transatlantic slavery

As history teachers we put a great deal of time and effort into our work to make learning about the past enjoyable, meaningful and relevant. One our greatest challenges is in finding out what to do when we start teaching a topic that is without joy and indeed especially horrific. The Holocaust and transatlantic slavery are the two topics that best fit this description and … Continue reading Rethinking how we teach about transatlantic slavery

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CPD, curriculum and planning, disciplinary knowledge, GCSE and A level, historical scholarship, KS3, subject leadership, substantive knowledge, teacher knowledge, teaching and learning ideas, teaching and learning resources, websites and publications

Later Middle Ages: Teaching Fellowship Resources

Hopefully you have managed to find the free copy of Teaching Medieval History that has been sent to your school. The online expanded version is Here. This has been made available thanks to Agincourt600. In 2015, they also granted the HA funding to start the first of its Teaching Fellowship programmes. A group of teachers spent an intensive weekend updating their subject knowledge with academics. They then … Continue reading Later Middle Ages: Teaching Fellowship Resources

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beginning teacher, curriculum and planning, GCSE and A level, historical enquiry, KS3, subject leadership, teaching and learning ideas

Enquiry questions – the back story!

Over the weekend @LeeDonaghy asked history teachers on @Twitter if ‘an enquiry-focused history curriculum is a bit overrated for KS3’. It’s a good question. History-subject specialists learn from their subject-specialist ITT training that being able to construct an effective enquiry is a breakthrough moment in becoming a history teacher. But why? And how can we explain why? In response to @LeeDonaghy there followed a lengthy … Continue reading Enquiry questions – the back story!

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GCSE and A level, KS3, local networks, speaking and listening, substantive knowledge, teaching and learning ideas, teaching and learning resources, websites and publications

Roleplay and recreation: sharing great Normans resources

Happy New Year to all of you! History teachers are a wonderful tribe and OneBigHistoryDepartment exists to connect history teachers not only to each other, but to the many years of great history teaching that have gone before. We are all too busy to reinvent wheels. We are all too clever to be gulled into thinking that the issues we face in the classroom are … Continue reading Roleplay and recreation: sharing great Normans resources

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