What is history?

What is history? is a set of eight lessons for year 7 students, designed to introduce them to the concepts underpinning history and to its importance.
Each lesson addresses a different concept – chronology, enquiry, evidence, causation, change, diversity, significance and interpretation – and comprises a starter, several development activities and a plenary. Suggestions for differentiation, extension tasks and homework tasks are also included.
Tasks include role-play, source analysis, debate tasks, group discussion and living graphs.
What's included?
- eight lessons, each with an accompanying PowerPoint
- 14 printable resources
- suggestions for differentiation, extension and homework.
What's inside?
Introduction (page 3)
Lesson 1: What is chronology? (pages 5-11)
- Chronology (PowerPoint)
- Shoes through time
Lesson 2: What is a historical enquiry? (pages 12-16)
- Enquiry (PowerPoint)
- Question words in history
Lesson 3: What is evidence in history? (pages 17-22)
- Using evidence (PowerPoint)
- Using evidence in history
Lesson 4: What are causes and consequences in history? (pages 23-29)
- Causation (PowerPoint)
- Causes of Murray’s win
- Types of causes
- Causes of the failure Spanish Armada
Lesson 5: What can change mean in history (pages 30-36)
- Change (PowerPoint)
- Change word bank
- Describing examples of change in history
Lesson 6: What is diversity in history? (pages 37-48)
- Diversity (PowerPoint)
- When did Britain become diverse?
- Migrant cards
- Migrant living graph
Lesson 7: What is historical significance? (pages 49-53)
- Significance (PowerPoint)
- Historically significant people and events
Lesson 8: What is a historical interpretation? (pages 54-59)
- Interpretations (PowerPoint)
- Source sheet: What have people thought about the gladiators?
- Interpretations of gladiators
This sample shows a student activity from the What is history? teaching pack.
Ideas for historically significant people |
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Ideas for historically significant events |
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William Shakespeare |
Florence Nightingale |
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Battle of Hastings |
The English Civil War |
Nelson Mandela |
Jesus |
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Invention of the printing press |
World War 1 |
Elizabeth I |
Winston Churchill |
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Fall of the Roman Empire |
Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki |
Martin Luther King |
Marie Curie |
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The Black Death |
Invention of the internet |
The Queen |
Hitler |
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Discovery of penicillin |
Invention of television |
Who or what else would you add?