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!
Resources for history lessons that reflect diversity … and the HA conference
‘How far does the past talked about in your history classroom reflect the diversity of modern Britain?’ This was the question posed recently to PGCE History students at the University of York. Following the posing of this question, the students rolled up their sleeves and put together a short ‘Guide for busy teachers’ that you can find here: Whose histories? – diversity ideas and resources The … Continue reading Resources for history lessons that reflect diversity … and the HA conference
Making it stick is hard – try ‘Starter for ten’!
With the return to two year linear exams at GCSE and A Level, history teachers face even more of a challenge to help students to learn and retain knowledge and understanding so that they can perform well in the exam hall. This requires us to keep on finding engaging and memorable ways to teach content. Here is an idea developed for A Level, that could … Continue reading Making it stick is hard – try ‘Starter for ten’!
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
Getting the kids to make their own revision guide!
My Problem: My A-Level class are about to begin revising for the brand new A-Level. They need a decent set of revision notes but I do not have time to make fancy pants knowledge organisers. My Solution: Get the students to make a fully stocked revision website. Here’s how I did it at no cost (well except a bit of my time). Step 1: Create … Continue reading Getting the kids to make their own revision guide!
Substantive concepts: ‘Left-wing? Right-wing? Do you mean like in hockey, miss?’
This week a post to help teach tricky concepts at GCSE… Left-wing and right-wing are not easy concepts for GCSE students. Every year I make my students laugh by pacing from side-to-side of my classroom being the political positions on an imaginary political line from left to right. I am not good at impersonations, but I try to put politicians on the line in a … Continue reading Substantive concepts: ‘Left-wing? Right-wing? Do you mean like in hockey, miss?’
Building schema: Maps and Mnemonics
Practical advice from a colleague wrestling with how to ensure students learn and retain sense of place… I’ve been working hard with my Year 11s to make their knowledge secure. This is so that they can feel confident forming their arguments, both in discussion in class and ultimately for their written answers in the exam. The new Making of America unit on the OCR SHP … Continue reading Building schema: Maps and Mnemonics
The Process of History display
The Historical Association has regional twilight meetings for teachers. Inspired by hearing Ian Dawson at the Northern History Forum, Huntington History Department has created this beautiful display and is happy to share it with everyone: Process of History Display Why not go to one of the up and coming HA events? Click here to find out more about CPD that is low cost and high impact. As well … Continue reading The Process of History display
Getting them in and getting them started
I am currently mentoring two Troops to Teachers – one for History, the other for RE. I think these subjects have a lot in common. One thing I know is that both trainees need to be on top of behaviour from the beginning of every lesson. That is helped enormously if they get the pupils into the class room in an orderly fashion and get … Continue reading Getting them in and getting them started
Misconception, misconception, misconception!
It was my TA that did it. Whilst working on a series of revision sessions for a small intervention group that I did not personally teach, and juggling a number of absences, I got into the habit of sending her what I had planned a day in advance. She would look things over and generally agree that what I had planned would be suitable, and … Continue reading Misconception, misconception, misconception!
OBHD 