Decolonising the curriculum one step at a time: lessons on race in the early British Empire

In this blogpost, Jen Thornton (@jen_a_thornton), Head of History at Loreto Grammar School, shares her recent work to improve the history curriculum. Jen started by listening to students, she has gone back to the scholarship to gain the knowledge she needs, she has consulted and worked with colleagues, and she is clear that this is work in progress. Her description of this work and her … Continue reading Decolonising the curriculum one step at a time: lessons on race in the early British Empire

Amazing archives: working with local history at GCSE and beyond

Heather Sherman (@HeatherLaws88) teaches history at York College. In this blogpost, Heather persuades us to use local archives to improve our teaching of GCSE topics and to prepare students for further study. Heather argues that local archives challenge, diversify and humanise broader narratives, she explains how to go about contacting your local archives, she generously gives a link to a workbook you can take and … Continue reading Amazing archives: working with local history at GCSE and beyond

Using popular music for learning and teaching LGBT+ history

Thanks to David Ingledew (@Ingledew_j), Principal Lecturer in Education (History), University of Hertfordshire for putting together this music collection to help teachers teach LGBT+ history in LGBT+ history month or anytime. David gives us a short back story to 15 key tracks, provides a 40-track playlist and points us to the key Teaching History articles to read for ideas about how to use music in … Continue reading Using popular music for learning and teaching LGBT+ history

Empowering ourselves to create an anti-racist curriculum: picking off the obstacles one book and one conversation at a time

Thank you to Kate Smee, Head of Humanities at Fairfield School in Bristol for this blogpost. Kate encourages us to keep on thinking and planning and doing what we need to do to teach better history, despite Covid-19. Her twitter handle is on the end of her blogpost.  I am going to start by saying this is not a blog with a definitive road map, … Continue reading Empowering ourselves to create an anti-racist curriculum: picking off the obstacles one book and one conversation at a time

Teaching history well – a reflection

As we come to the end of a very long term and the end of a very long year, Anne Hudson and Gabrielle Reddington share an important conversation. It will hopefully summarise messages received in 2020 and provide food for more thought as we unwind in the break and start to look ahead to 2021. Anne and Gabrielle have taught pupils and trained teachers through … Continue reading Teaching history well – a reflection

Reflections on the HA Conference 2020

Thanks to Gemma Hargraves (@History_Girls) for writing here about here takeaways from the HA Conference. The conference sessions will be online until 4th January 2021, so there is still time to catch-up on other sessions once the rush of term is ended. Now is actually a great time to learn We’re all tired, busy adapting to blended learning, and facing various COVID related challenges… but … Continue reading Reflections on the HA Conference 2020

Why 2020 is the perfect year for the ‘Unknown Warrior’

Almost as soon as we get back after half term it will be Remembrance-tide. Secondary Committee member Gemma Hargraves suggests that a focus on the ‘Unknown Warrior’ would be perfect for 2020. This year I will focus my remembrance assembly on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Not only because he was carried through the doors of Westminster Abbey 100 years ago this year. But … Continue reading Why 2020 is the perfect year for the ‘Unknown Warrior’

Teaching diversity through footballing history

Thanks to Jonathan Evan-Zoher, who is leading the Football Makes History project for the EuroClio led team, for sharing details about a project that will surely appeal to many!   What is Football Makes History? Football Makes History is a project that will see a unique European team, including a Football Federation, a professional Football Club’s museum, the renowned Anne Frank House, Fare Network, Evenzo Consultancy. … Continue reading Teaching diversity through footballing history

Pearls of Wisdom from Teaching History 120

Continuing our series of looking back to a past edition of Teaching History, Secondary Committee member Emma Bevan has returned to edition 120 from September 2005. Here she gives some thoughts about what she has found there that resonates today.  A rallying cry to be braver in the history classroom When asked “why teach history?”, one of the most recurrent responses is that it allows … Continue reading Pearls of Wisdom from Teaching History 120