Thematic

For those teachers used to teaching the Modern World course, the concept of a Thematic study is going to take some mental readjustment. It will not only involve teaching unfamiliar content, it will also require teaching second order concepts over arcs of time. There are three choices from the examining bodies for the thematic study. There are 5 different thematic studies on offer through the various awarding bodies. They vary slightly in their titles but can be summed up under the following broad headings: Read more

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  • Using individuals’ stories to help GCSE students to explain change and causation

    Article

    Should we, and how do we, develop in our students a sense of period – or a series of senses of period – in a thematic study spanning a thousand years? This was the problem faced by Matthew Fearns-Davies in preparing for the GCSE ‘Health and the People’ paper. He shows...

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  • Film: Choosing the migration unit for GCSE

    Article

    When the first revised GCSE specifications were launched in 2016, Sharon Aninakwa and her team at the Convent of Jesus and Mary Language College in North London made the decision to change their thematic unit to a study of migration. Some years later, they have a chance to reflect upon...

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  • Move Me On 173: teaching the GCSE thematic study

    Article

    This feature of Teaching History is designed to build critical, informed debate about the character of teacher training, teacher education and professional development. It is also designed to offer practical help to all involved in training new history teachers. Each issue presents a situation in initial teacher education/training with an...

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  • Dealing with the consequences

    Article

    Do GCSE and A-level questions that purport to be about consequences actually reward reasoning about historical consequences at all? Molly-Ann Navey concluded that they do not and that they fail to encourage the kind of argument that academic historians engage in when reaching judgements about consequences. Navey decided that it...

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  • Significance

    Article

    Please note: these links were compiled in 2009. For a more recent resource, please see: What's the Wisdom on: Historical significance.  This selection of Teaching History articles on 'Significance' are highly recommended reading to anyone who wants to get to grips with this key concept. All Teaching History articles are free to HA Secondary Members...

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  • Podcast Series: The Women's Movement

    Multipage Article

    In Part 2 of our series on Social and Political Change in the UK 1800-present we look at the Women's Movement in the UK from its early origins through to the end of the 20th century Part 2 features Dr Anne Logan, Professor June Hannam and Ms Jean Spence. Also...

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  • Podcast Series: Politics, Reform and War

    Multipage Article

    In the first part of this series we look at UK political history, political reform and the domestic impact of the World Wars. This series features Professor Eric Evans, Professor Stanley Henig, Professor Richard Grayson, Professor Keith Laybourn, Dr Daniel Todman and Dr Helen Parr. Also in the series: The Women's Movement, Religion in the...

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  • Podcast Series: Religion in the UK

    Multipage Article

    In Part 5 of our series on Social and Political Change in the UK 1800-present we look at religion in the U.K. This set of podcasts features Dr Janice Holmes of the Open University, Revd Dr Jeremy Morris, Dean, Fellow, and Director of Studies in Theology at King's College, Andrew Copson,...

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  • Cunning Plan 163.1: GCSE Thematic study

    Article

    I started teaching ‘crime and punishment through time’ thematically a few years ago. I was teaching it as a Schools History Project ‘study in development’. We had moved from ‘medicine through time’ in order to keep things fresh. After six times through the content, much as I loved it, crime,...

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  • Key Principles for teaching Thematic Studies at GCSE

    Article

    For many teachers the thematic study is the most new and most troubling unit of the new GCSE specifications. By following this link, you will be connected to an article that appears on www.thinkinghistory.co.uk.  This free website for teachers is maintained by Ian Dawson.  In this article Ian works with...

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  • Podcast Series: The Anglo-Saxons

    Multipage Article

    In this HA Podcast Series Professor Joanna Story of the University of Leicester looks at the history of the Anglo-Saxons.

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  • New, Novice or Nervous? 162: GCSE Thematic Study

    Article

    Thematic studies have been a long-standing feature of the Schools History Project (SHP) GCSE specifications in England and Wales; but for teachers of ‘Modern World’ GCSE specifications, the thematic study in the new GCSE specifications for teaching in England from September 2016 is unfamiliar territory. Perhaps you are entirely new...

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  • Podcast Series: Britain's Changing Population

    Multipage Article

    In Part 3 of our series on Social and Political Change in the UK we look at diversity in the UK and examine African and Caribbean UK History, South Asian UK History and British Chinese History.  The first set of podcasts feature Dr Hakim Adi, Marika Sherwood, Dr Sumita Mukherjee & Dr...

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  • Podcast Series: British LGBTQ+ History

    Multipage Article

    In Part 4 of our series on Social and Political Change in the UK since 1800 we focus on UK LGBTQ+ History. This series of podcasts features Dr Matt Cook and Dr Sean Brady of Birkbeck, University of London, Professor Sally R Munt of the University of Sussex and Dr Emma Vickers...

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  • HA Podcast Series: James VI & I to Anne

    Multipage Article

    In this series of podcasts we look at British and Irish History from the Union of the Crowns to Queen Anne. This series features: Mr Simon Healy, Dr Frank Tallett, Professor Jackie Eales, Dr Andrew Hopper, Professor Michael Braddick, Dr Jason Peacey, Professor Peter Gaunt, Professor Barry Coward, Professor John...

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  • New Treatments of Familiar Topics

    Article

    Comparision of new GCSE Specifications Treatment of Familiar Topics If you, like many other departments are beginning to ask the questions that will determine which of the new history GCSE specifications your department will choose, one consideration may well be looking at the retention of familiar topics that you already...

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  • Thematic GCSE Content

    Article

    The helpful guide below sets out links to a range of podcasts, articles and pamphlets that will provide subject knowledge guidance that you may find useful for all of the identified thematic topics of the  GCSE specifications. In addition there are also links to helpful articles dealing with bigger picture...

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  • Historical Perspective & 'Big History'

    Article

    Moving forward, looking back - historical perspective, ‘Big History' and the return of the longue durée: time to develop our scale hopping muscles ‘Big history' is a term receiving a great deal of attention at present, particularly in North America where considerable sums of money have been invested in designing curricula...

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  • Transforming Year 11's conceptual understanding of change

    Article

    For all that history teachers appreciate the need to build substantive knowledge and conceptual understanding systematically over time, they are also likely to have experienced that sickening moment when they realise that a Year 11 pupil has somehow missed something fundamental. In Anna Fielding's case, her pupil's misconception was related to...

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  • Ideas on the Shape, Size and Movements of the Earth - Pamphlet

    Article

    This classic pamphlet takes you through some of the key ideas on the shape, size and movements of the Earth as they changed over time from classical cosmology to the work of Galileo and Isaac Newton.

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