Observing a History lesson KS1/2
Observing a History lesson KS1/2
Planning:
 identifies clear learning objectives linked to NC PoS for
History
 identifies a clear knowledge focus e.g. features of the
period, events in a famous person’s life etc
 identifies a clear conceptual focus e.g. chronology,
continuity and change, similarity & difference, cause and
consequence, historical interpretation
 identifies a clear skills focus e.g. using artefacts, pictures,
asking questions, making a timeline
 lesson shows clear progression from previous lessons e.g.
in terms of historical knowledge, skills and understanding
 lesson is enquiry based and is led by an overarching key
historical question e.g. Why did the Great Fire of London
spread so quickly?
 key activities planned enable pupils to answer the key
questions posed
 planned opportunities for children to use historical source
materials e.g. artefacts, pictures, documents, oral sources,
buildings, stories, other resources
 states key historical vocabulary / sentence structures to
support learning e.g. I think... because
 identifies a range of questions that promote historical
thinking e.g. What does this artefact tell you about…?
How do you know this is old? Why did ….happen?
Further information
Glossary
Historical sources
Artefacts, pictures, documents, written sources, oral sources,
buildings, landscapes.
Teaching and learning:
 shares learning objectives and overarching key question
with pupils
 makes reference to historical learning in previous lessons,
so that planning for progression is explicit
 during direct teaching the teacher demonstrates, models
and explains historical concepts and skills e.g. how to
annotate a source, how to pose historical questions, how
to use evidence to support a judgement
 is proactive in developing pupils’ historical knowledge e.g.
by using teacher exposition, by telling a story, by using
historical sources
 sets people and events studied within a chronological
framework, established clear narratives within and across
the periods they study, where appropriate
 promotes historical thinking, particularly the use of sources
to develop inferential thinking e.g. using a photograph to
make inferences about the past
 supports pupils in accessing information from a range of
sources e.g. using historical documents, using non fiction
texts and the internet
 historical vocabulary is emphasised, explained correctly,
and used throughout the lesson
 interactive use of ICT is used where appropriate e.g. to
annotate pictorial sources, to watch a film extract
(historical interpretation) set in the past
 clear explanations & expectations of work are given to
children for independent/group activities
 there is a manageable degree of differentiation in the tasks
e.g. different historical questions, historical sources,
method of communication
Review:
 has direct reference to the learning objectives and the
overarching key question and a clear teaching focus
 poses new historical questions to promote learning
 historical knowledge, skills & understanding are extended
General:
 secure level of historical subject knowledge
 high expectations of pupils with sufficient challenge
 enthusiastic and able to motivate and engage children
 clear evidence all children have made progress in their
historical learning in relation to learning objectives (see
overleaf for guidance)
Inferential thinking
Using a variety of evidence to make an interpretation of the past i.e.
using historical sources to work something out about the past.
Historical interpretation
The way in which events in the past can be retold in a variety of
ways e.g. historical fiction, illustrations, film, a museum display.
Pupils should be taught to make their own interpretations of the
past, compare the interpretations that others have made, explain
similarities between one interpretation and another and understand
how the past is constructed from a range of sources
Organisation and communication
Knowledge and understanding of the past can be communicated in
different ways. By the end of the course students will have been
taught how to use timelines, Venn diagrams, concept maps, matrix
diagrams, ripple diagrams, causation diagrams, annotated sources,
speech bubbles and role play as ways of organising and
communicating historical knowledge and understanding
Reflecting upon pupils’ learning in history
Examples of key questions that might guide judgements about
pupils’ learning in a particular lesson:
Historical Knowledge:
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Can the child explain where the aspect they are studying
fits within a chronological framework?
Does the child know what it was like in the past?
Is the child able to describe characteristic features of a
particular period?
Does the child know what happen during a particular
historical event?
Does the child know what made a particular person
famous?
Historical understanding:
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Is the child able to sequence events in the past?
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Can the child identify differences between the past and
the present?
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Can the child identify if an object is old or new and explain
why?
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Is the child able to explain what has changed over time?
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Can the child explain why these changes took place?
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Can the child explain why a particular person acted in the
way they did or why an event happened?
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Can the children identify the differences between different
interpretations of the past?
Historical skills:
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Is the child able to pose their own historical questions?
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Is the child able to describe an artefact, photograph, or
building?
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Is the child able to use a source to make inferences about
the past?
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Is the child able to support their inferences with reference
to evidence?
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Is the child able to organise a collection of objects into old
and new sets?
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Is the child able to recount events in the past?
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Is the child able to demonstrate chronological
understanding by recording events on a timeline?
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Is the child able to demonstrate their understanding of
causation by writing an explanation?
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Is the child able to select and organise historical
information and demonstrate what they know by talking,
drawing pictures, annotating sources etc?
Updated July 2014