Secondary History

Secondary History – It’s Complicated…

To help our students make sense of history quite often we generalise, so Hitler’s war becomes Germany’s war, where all Germans are involved in fighting against the Allies.  During the Industrial Revolution all factory owners were oppressive, making their workers work very long hours for very low pay and beating… Read More

Secondary History – Hyperinflation

‘In August 1923, the dollar reached a million Mark.’ -Hyperinflation through Defying Hitler ‘That extraordinary year is probably what has marked today’s Germans with those characteristics that are so strange and incomprehensible in the eyes of the world…’  So wrote… Read More

Secondary History – Taking a Second Look

Sometimes you know a topic really well, you’ve taught it many times, you are familiar with the key ideas and subject knowledge. You know which text book has the best images, the best activities, or which clip of film to show to engage your students. But sometimes, going back to… Read More

Secondary History – From Cause to Consequence

Cause and consequence appears as the fourth key concept on the QCDA KS3 National Curriculum, and underpins much of our study of history as a discipline. Come GCSE and A Level it’s still key as students begin to make a distinction between conditional and contingent causes, immediate and delayed consequences. Read More

Secondary History – Remembrance

Who do we remember? We are all familiar with the two minutes silence on Remembrance Day, at 11.00 am on the 11th November, to commemorate the end of World War One. It was introduced in 1919 to commemorate all those who lost their lives during World War One. The main… Read More

Secondary History – The reality of teaching in Mauritius

“I feel sorry for you.” I remember that sentence all too well! Indeed, two and a half years later, these words still ring around in my head! What had I done? I’d left a good school in the UK where I’d felt quite at home and enjoyed six years of… Read More

Secondary History – Interpreting Sources

Who am I? Students always have problems getting their head around the idea of Interpretations. They look for certainty, and find it hard to grasp that most history is a construct, it is someone’s opinion, put together by carefully selecting the evidence used to support a [usually preconceived] argument. Even… Read More

Secondary History – How to argue at A Level

Can you negotiate your hostage’s path to freedom? ‘But it’s really hard, it’s a big step up Miss’. This was the slightly hysterical cry of one of my not-quite-so-new Year 12 students last week. Indeed when they come back after the enviably long post-GCSE summer break, students… Read More

Secondary History – Industrial Revolution starter activity

What can you do with an advert from a Trade Directory? You know the feeling – you are looking for a good starter activity that will promote discussion and debate, then lead to more detailed thinking about the topic under consideration – in this case the [to many people] dreadfully… Read More

KS3 History – measuring significance of historical events

Why do we remember some events in history and not others? Why are some events regarded as important at the time but not now? This is what the 2010 Secondary Curriculum has to say about Significance: Key concept 1.5 Significance: Considering the significance of events, people and developments in their… Read More