http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/ en tutor2u.net Copyright 2009 2009-11-07T09:49:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/its-more-than-a-modern-world-history-gcse-revision-site/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/its-more-than-a-modern-world-history-gcse-revision-site/#When:09:49:00Z http://www.johndclare.net/ John D Clare is a prolific textbook writer, his latest textbook is for the AQA Modern World, this Heinemann published book is part of the new generation of textbooks, but this is not all, the website, which is also well established provides a much needed extra dimension for GCSE. John will admit to teaching for a number of years, this site provides support and practical advice for students and teachers, John shares his experience. The huge advantage of this site is that one does not need to be taking the AQA course to take advantage of this experience, the advice to teachers is used by experienced teachers as well as newbies, the advice to pupils is clear and concise. I have used some of the activities and quizzes on the site,despite not taking AQA or Modern World, the self-test activities can be used with KS3 & A Level Students, as they are can be used as they are or as foundations for later activities, I have certainly steered my GCSE & A Level students towads this site, to use it as a tool for good revision. I will also continue to use the site to stucture my courses and revsion activities for my students. 2009-11-07T09:49:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/the-fall-of-communism-key-events-on-video/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/the-fall-of-communism-key-events-on-video/#When:16:21:00Z The 20th anniversary of the fall of Communism is well covered in these interactive BBC resources, including video clips from the news archives: Mapping the fall of Communism Key events of 1989 GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Failure of Détente & Collapse of Communism 2009-11-05T16:21:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/scotlands-history-curriculum-for-excellence-launched/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/scotlands-history-curriculum-for-excellence-launched/#When:12:33:00Z A major new teaching resource to support learners covering Scotland’s history has just been launched.  As part of Curriculum for Excellence, Scotland’s History covers a broad range of curriculum topics, from Scotland’s early history right up to the 21st Century. Well worth a look TEACHING HISTORY 2009-11-05T12:33:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/remembrance-day-and-beyond1/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/remembrance-day-and-beyond1/#When:10:56:00Z http://www.passingofthegeneration.org.uk/index.html As the last three Great War veterans died this year, to mark the passing of this ‘World War One generation’, a national event will take place at Westminster Abbey on Remembrance Day, Wednesday 11th November 2009. To encourage schools to support this significant milestone and to engage young people in the history of the WW1 generation and experiences of the passing generation, the Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with key organisations such as the IWM, are providing a range of engaging primary and secondary education resources on this site. The resources are very detailed and will provide the basis for projects and research into this aspect of the Great War. I have used some defence dynamics www.defencedynamics.mod.uk resources in the past, and found them useful for G&T students, when I have wished to set an individual research project. With the Imperial War Museum and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission involved in this venture, the resources and Links will be invaluable. This site is well worth noting for the the links to other sites related to this issue alone. 2009-11-04T10:56:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/using-buildings-and-places/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/using-buildings-and-places/#When:13:38:00Z http://www.engagingplaces.org.uk/home Engaging Places is brought to us by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) in partnership with English Heritage. This site provides ideas and resources for extending teaching beyond the classroom, both physically and metaphorically. As someone who has worked with English Heritage and the National Trust, I am aware of the work these organisations are making to engage in a dialogue with schools and educational institutions. This site showcases some examples of this dialogue, as well as providing practical examples of how to use buildings and places to enhance learning. As this site grows I feel the resources will become even richer, certainly a site worth keeping ones eyes on. 2009-11-03T13:38:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/into-the-storm-churchill-and-the-war-years/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/into-the-storm-churchill-and-the-war-years/#When:10:46:00Z If you missed the superb Into the Storm last night, then it is well worth catching on BBC iPlayer. Loads of reenactments of key WW2 events in there for students, including Dunkirk, the War Cabinet, Yalta and the bombing of Dresden. The 1945 General Election is also featured prominently. Watch Into the Storm GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Second World War, A LEVEL HISTORY, Britain 1945-2007, GCSE - SHP, Britain 1815-51 2009-11-03T10:46:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/the-day-the-wall-fell-bbc-radio-2-tuesday-3-nov/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/the-day-the-wall-fell-bbc-radio-2-tuesday-3-nov/#When:12:16:00Z A quick heads up about a programme on Radio 2 next week. According to the programme guide: Jeremy Vine marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall by looking at its history, from construction in 1961, to the day it was finally breached on 9 November 1989. Jeremy visits the city to examine what remains of the Wall and speaks to those who lived on both sides - East and West. He visits some of the key locations in the Wall’s history including Checkpoint Charlie; the Brandenburg Gate; Bernauer Strasse, which was cut in two in 1961; and Mauerstrasse, where the largest remaining section of the Wall exists today. Jeremy explores why the Wall went up in the first place, why it came down and asks whether the psychological scars of a divided Germany still remain. The programme contains firsthand testimony from Germans who escaped from the East and those who helped them. It also considers what it was like to live in a state controlled by the secret police or Stasi and hears from a political reformer who was held in the notorious Hohenschönhausen prison. He considers to what extent the phenomenon of “ostalgie” or nostalgia for life in the former East Germany still exists, particularly as some former Stasi and government officials have prospered since the Wall came down 20 years ago. There are interviews with escapee Joachim Neuman, who spent two years working on tunnels under the Wall to bring his girlfriend to the West; and escapee Irmgard Muller, who escaped from East Berlin under a false passport to be with her husband. We also hear from West Berliner Horst Seeliger, who was in East Berlin on November 9 1989, and one of the first people to cross back through the border into the West; and Vera Lengsfeld, an East German reformist politician who was imprisoned by the Stasi. Additional contributors include historian Frederick Taylor; Sunday Times journalist Peter Millar and veteran BBC reporter Brian Hanrahan, who both covered the fall of the wall; and Ben Bradshaw, Secretary Of State for Culture, Media & Sport, who was a young BBC reporter in Berlin in 1989. GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Failure of Détente & Collapse of Communism, A LEVEL HISTORY, Unification of Germany, TEACHING HISTORY, This day in History 2009-11-01T12:16:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/great-war-battlefields-trips-recommendation-the-road-to-passchendaele/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/great-war-battlefields-trips-recommendation-the-road-to-passchendaele/#When:13:06:00Z Like many colleagues we’ve been taking large groups of Year 9 pupils to the First World War battlefields for many years. Only this year did we discover the fantastic ‘Road To Passchendaele’ experience. This allows groups to dress up as Great War soldiers, eat what they ate and be guided along the route taken by Australians on October 4th 1917 as they attacked German positions. Because we had a large group we couldn’t don the uniforms but the tour was magnificent and worked its way from Zonnebeke to Tyne Cot. I’d recommend it to any colleagues planning a trip. Further details here TEACHING HISTORY 2009-10-31T13:06:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/an-exiting-video-overview-timeline-resource/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/an-exiting-video-overview-timeline-resource/#When:13:23:00Z http://www.timelines.tv/ Andrew Chater is one of those skilled artisans who’s work is more famous than him. I feel sure most History educators are familar with the Historyfile series, which have become the standard documentary in History Classrooms, especially the five Nazi Germany documentaries of which the ‘Geordie Nazi’ is the most famous, these are the work of Andrew Chater. Less well know are the Timelines series: Ruler and Ruled 1066-1660, Power to the People 1688-1928, Empire 1290-1948 and Changing Lives 1066-1984, they provide a thematic approach to British History, fitting into the new approach to History teaching very well. they are of a very high standard, (Andrew received a BAFTA in 2006 for the third in this series). The website here adds to these programmes, providing additional information and materials, billed as an online-resource it can be given to students for research, or used as a classroom resources, as the transcripts from the programmes can be downloaded. With pressure on teaching time growing, this resource can provided the overview which is becoming squeezed or sometimes overlooked, and with such a range, most aspects of British History is covered. 2009-10-29T13:23:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/putting-the-thinking-into-history/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/putting-the-thinking-into-history/#When:19:18:00Z http://www.thinkinghistory.co.uk/ Anyone lucky enough to see Ian Dawson at History CPD conferences, and especially the Saturday evening session at the SHP conference, will be familiar with his active learning techniques. This site began as a place to highlight this work, but it has grown into much more than this now, providing teaching resources of all types and styles. I have used a number of the resources myself for GCSE and A Level, and have a couple of my activities on the site. One aspect of A Level especially, and GCSE to some extent, is the pressure to concentrate on ‘chalk & talk’, these active learning activities can be taken straight off the site and used, or one can use the ideas and adapt them to one’s own circumstances. I would reccommend this site highly, I generally dip into it every month or two, and usually find something to inspire me towards a lesson activity. 2009-10-24T19:18:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/the-wall-street-crash-interactive-guide/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/the-wall-street-crash-interactive-guide/#When:15:44:00Z On the 80th anniversary of the Wall Street Crash, the Guardian has produced this excellent interactive guide to the events in 1929. GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Depression / New Deal, TEACHING HISTORY, This day in History 2009-10-23T15:44:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/revision-video-czechoslovakia-and-the-prague-spring-1968/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/revision-video-czechoslovakia-and-the-prague-spring-1968/#When:19:54:00Z This ten-minute You Tube video gudies students through the events immediately following the appointment of Alexander Dubcek as leader of the Czech Communist Party. GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Crises of the Cold War 2009-10-22T19:54:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/berlin-wall-bbc-archive-now-available-online/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/berlin-wall-bbc-archive-now-available-online/#When:13:30:00Z A terrific resource from the BBC archive has recently been updated and upgraded.  The Berlin Wall archive contains a rich collections of video and audio clips explaining the entire history of the Berlin Wall.  An essential AV resource. Visit the BBC Archive on the Berlin Wall GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Crises of the Cold War, A LEVEL HISTORY, Europe and the Cold War, TEACHING HISTORY, History in the news 2009-10-21T13:30:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/revision-video-solidarity-in-poland/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/revision-video-solidarity-in-poland/#When:22:33:00Z The Polish challenge to the Soviets from Lech Walesa’s Solidarity trade union is described in this 10 minute You Tube video. GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Crises of the Cold War, A LEVEL HISTORY, Europe and the Cold War 2009-10-20T22:33:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/apartheid-resources/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/apartheid-resources/#When:10:09:00Z If you need resources for the study of Apartheid in South Africa I recommend taking a look at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. Having visited it recently, I can say it really is fantastic. You can access educational resources from their site at apartheidmuseum.org A LEVEL HISTORY, Race Relations 2009-10-19T10:09:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/interactive-quizzes-on-the-arab-israeli-conflict/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/interactive-quizzes-on-the-arab-israeli-conflict/#When:08:51:00Z Here are links to a series of new interactive quizzes for GCSE History courses that cover the Arab-Israeli conflict. GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Arab-Israeli Conflict 2009-10-19T08:51:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/gcse-superpower-relations-quizzes/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/gcse-superpower-relations-quizzes/#When:08:50:00Z Here is a collection of interactive multiple choice quizzes which help students test their knowledge of the Superpower conflicts: GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Superpower Relations, TEACHING HISTORY 2009-10-19T08:50:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/cold-war-wildcard-quizzes/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/cold-war-wildcard-quizzes/#When:08:50:00Z Test your knowledge of key names, events and concepts in the history of the Cold War with these four “wildcard"-style quizzes.  We give you a partially completed term.  Your task is to complete it. GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Superpower Relations, TEACHING HISTORY 2009-10-19T08:50:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/hungarian-uprising-1956-ten-minute-video/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/hungarian-uprising-1956-ten-minute-video/#When:20:39:00Z This You Tube video explains the events of the 1856 Hungarian uprising… GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Crises of the Cold War 2009-10-18T20:39:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/east-german-jokes/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/east-german-jokes/#When:12:26:00Z West Germany’s intelligence service has released a collection of jokes made in East Germany during the Cold War. You can read some of the here, such as, “If Christmas had happened in East Germany, it would have been cancelled. Mary would’t find any napppies for the baby Jesus, Joseph would be called up to the army and the three kings wouldn’t get a travel permit.” Or, “What would happen if the desert became communist? Nothing for a while, and then there would be a sand shortage.” The humour is pretty dry, but it reveals the way many East Germans coped with the repressive regime and their dreary surroundings - through cynicism and sarcasm. Of course, the penalty for being caught telling such jokes could be very high. The Stasi had 189,000 informants who reported any criticsm of mockery of the government, and many people were arrested and sent to labour camps. The report is published by Der Spiegel, a German news magazine, and you can find further coverage (in English) of the events marking the anniversary of 1989 here. 2009-10-16T12:26:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/history-videos-cold-war-checkpoint-charlie/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/history-videos-cold-war-checkpoint-charlie/#When:07:57:00Z This excellent short CNN video tells the story of Checkpoint Charlie… GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Crises of the Cold War, A LEVEL HISTORY, Europe and the Cold War, Germany 1919-63 2009-10-16T07:57:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/history-videos-the-berlin-airlift/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/history-videos-the-berlin-airlift/#When:06:22:00Z This ten-minute newsreel video tells the “official” story of the Allied Berlin Airlift… GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Crises of the Cold War, A LEVEL HISTORY, Europe and the Cold War 2009-10-16T06:22:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/battle-of-hastings-anniversary/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/battle-of-hastings-anniversary/#When:07:53:00Z Today is the 943rd anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. Here is a very detailed site on the causes, events and consequences of the battle. There are plenty of videos available on the subject, including this cheerful description of Harold Godwinson’s death from Terry Deary. The BBC have also provided a game, and lots of other useful information. 2009-10-14T07:53:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/a-level-resources-from-the-cabinet-papers/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/a-level-resources-from-the-cabinet-papers/#When:08:33:00Z If you need some A level resources for units on British History between 1915 and 1978, take a look at The Cabinet Papers area of the National Archives site. There are some dedicated A level materials. The site has particularly useful sections on the origins of the NHS and the Welfare State. A LEVEL HISTORY, Britain 1945-2007 2009-10-13T08:33:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/what-if-arthur-tudor-became-king/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/what-if-arthur-tudor-became-king/#When:12:12:00Z Arthur Tudor has had a book written about him, which isn’t a bad achievement considering he was dead by the age of 15. It is discussed in an article on the History Today website which considers why Arthur’s memory was so deliberately forgotten during the latter Tudors’ reigns, perhaps to avoid difficult suggestions about their own mortality and the precarious positions of their heirs. The article also indulges in a bit of virtual history - if Arthur had become King and remained happily married to Catherine of Aragon, would the English Reformation have taken place? Would Arthur have been able to give the Tudors the same strong identity as his brother? We will of course never know, but this exercise in counterfactual history is helpful in identifying which factors were crucial in shaping this period. PS: Here is some more information about counterfactual history, including some academic links. 2009-10-09T12:12:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/should-truman-have-dropped-the-atomic-bomb/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/should-truman-have-dropped-the-atomic-bomb/#When:18:47:00Z Help your students decide whether Truman should have dropped the bomb with this source-based activity from the Learning Curve GCSE - MWH, GCSE - Second World War 2009-10-08T18:47:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/black/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/black/#When:10:14:00Z As you know, October is Black History Month. This national celebration aims to promote and celebrate Black contributions to British society, and to foster an understanding of Black history in general. Throughout the month National Museums Liverpool holds a series of events including performances, talks, music, dance, craft activities and more, across several venues. Full details are available from the Liverpool Museums website 2009-10-06T10:14:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/2000-cpd-opportunities-for-teachers-from-mla/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/2000-cpd-opportunities-for-teachers-from-mla/#When:09:57:00Z Over 2000 opportunities for Continuing Professional Development are being offered to those working with children and young people across England as well as people working in museums, galleries and archives by the MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives Council). The range of CPD activities, taking place between September 2009 and March 2010, will include seminars, workshops and mentoring/exchange activities. These aim to provide skills, knowledge and experience to enable the cultural sector to deliver quality learning programmes for children and young people. As part of MLA’s Strategic Commissioning Workforce Skills, the CPD national programme underlines the role of the cultural sector as valued partners in the delivery the Children’s Agenda. For further information about the CPD programme, please visit the MLA website and scroll down the page to check out opportunities within your region. 2009-10-06T09:57:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/writing-the-history-of-the-english-civil-war/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/writing-the-history-of-the-english-civil-war/#When:09:47:00Z Paul Seward, Director of the History of Parliament, formerly a Clerk in the House of Commons will speak on Politics into History: Hobbes and Clarendon consider the English Civil War at Richmond & Twickenham branch meeting in the Vestry Hall, 21, Paradise Road, Richmond 8pm Thursday 15 October 2009. The massive History of the Rebellion by Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon (1609-74) is the most famous contemporary history of the English Civil War; the philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), best known for his towering work of political thought, Leviathan, also wrote on the Civil War in a book he called Behemoth. Both men were working on their accounts at the same time; both were intimately connected with the politics of their time; and they knew each other very well. What can their work tell us about how the Civil War was explained by contemporaries? More broadly, how politics is transmuted into history - and history into politics? 6th Formers especially welcome! Admission free to HA members: guests £2; A LEVEL HISTORY 2009-10-06T09:47:00-06:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/a-level-study-days/ http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/history/comments/a-level-study-days/#When:09:41:00Z A-level history study days In association with the National Portrait Gallery and London Metropolitan Archives Sessions are based closely on AS and A2 level units and take advantage of the combined resources of the Tower of London and our partner organisations. About the study days -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ■In association with the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) ■In association with the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In association with the NPG Students will take part in seminars at both the Tower and the NPG, with time out for lunch and travel. 10.30–15.00 £10 per student Available dates: ■20 and 27 November 2009 ■4 and 11 December 2009 ■15 and 29 January 2010 ■12 and 26 February 2010 ■5 and 19 March 2010 Curriculum links: AQA Unit 1 – ‘Britain, 1483–1529’ Unit 2 – ‘The Church in England: the Struggle for Supremacy, 1529– 1547’ Unit 3 – ‘The Triumph of Elizabeth: Britain 1547-1603’ Edexcel Unit 1 – A7 – ‘The reign of Henry VII, 1485-1509’ Unit 2 – A1 – ‘Henry VIII: Authority, Nation & Religion, 1509-1540’ Unit 3 – A1 – ‘Protest, Crisis and Rebellion in England, 1536-1588’ OCR Unit F961: Option A, Study topic 2: ‘Lancastrians, Yorkists and Tudors, 1450-1509’ Unit F961: Option A, Study topic 3: ‘Henry VIII to Mary I, 1509-1558’ Unit F961: Option A, Study topic 4: ‘Church and State, 1529-1589’ Unit F961: Option A, Study topic 5: ‘England under Elizabeth I, 1558-1603’ Unit F963: Option A, Study topic 2: ‘Mid-Tudor crises, 1536-1569’ Unit F965: Study topic g: ‘Elizabeth I, 1558-1603’ Unit F966: Option A, Theme 2: ‘Rebellion and Disorder under the Tudors, 1485-1603’ Click here to book A LEVEL HISTORY 2009-10-06T09:41:00-06:00