91¶¶Òõ

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91¶¶Òõ

Last updated

29 June 2026

pptx, 2.07 MB
pptx, 2.07 MB
PNG, 134.98 KB
PNG, 134.98 KB
PNG, 224.54 KB
PNG, 224.54 KB

How do historians know about the past, and how can we decide whether historical sources are useful and reliable?

This lesson introduces students to one of the fundamental skills of History: using historical sources to investigate the past. It provides an excellent introduction to historical enquiry and encourages students to think critically about the evidence historians use to construct interpretations of history.

The lesson begins with a thought-provoking discussion centred on the question, How do we know about castles or Roman artefacts? This engaging starter stimulates curiosity and encourages students to consider where historical knowledge comes from before introducing the concepts of evidence and enquiry.

Students then explore the difference between primary and secondary sources, examining how original evidence and later interpretations both contribute to our understanding of the past. Through guided discussion and carefully structured activities, they begin to appreciate the strengths and limitations of different types of historical evidence.

The lesson includes an investigation of four historical sources: the Crown Jewels, the Rosetta Stone, the Turin Shroud and the Diary of Anne Frank. Students analyse each source using differentiated questions that help them evaluate provenance, reliability and usefulness while developing essential source analysis skills.

An extended writing task allows students to apply their understanding and justify their conclusions using historical evidence. Scaffolding, prompts and differentiated support are provided to ensure all learners can access the task with confidence.

The lesson concludes with a true or false quiz to consolidate learning and reinforce key concepts introduced throughout the lesson.

Included in this lesson:
Fully editable PowerPoint
Introduction to historical enquiry and source analysis
Investigation of primary and secondary sources
Case studies including the Crown Jewels, Rosetta Stone, Turin Shroud and Anne Frank’s diary
Extended writing task with scaffolding and differentiated support
True or false plenary quiz with suggested teaching strategies

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KS3 History Skills Complete Bundle

These lessons are designed to enable students to think like real historians and prepare for assessment and exam techniques! They build up mastery in the essential historical skills of inference, the use of sources, chronology, analysis, cause and consequence, enquiry, interpretation and significance. Baseline Assessment 91¶¶Òõt: This can be used to assess what students know and which historical skills have they acquired from primary school. What is History: This is an ideal lesson to introduce the subject by focusing on the skills required by historians to investigate the past, including chronology and time. Inference: Students will learn how to ‘read between the lines’ of evidence and developing the critical skills of drawing conclusions from clues in both written and visual sources. This lesson will also build their analytical thinking, essential for understanding past perspectives and motivations. Cause and Consequence: Students examine how and why events occurred and the impact they had. This will encourage deeper thinking about the causes and effects of decisions and actions throughout history. Interpretation: Through guided tasks, learners examine different views about the past and develop their own, supporting them with evidence. This will help them build evaluative skills and support extended argument writing. Significance: Students are challenged to assess what makes an event, individual or development important, helping them in their future studies to make value judgments supported by historical criteria. Change and continuity: This lesson will help students understand the significance of change and continuity in history by exploring the evolution of medical treatment over time. Beginning with key definitions and historical context, it encourages critical thinking about why and how methods of treatment have developed from medieval practices to modern healthcare. The lesson supports AO1 and AO2 skills and supports thematic understanding. Historical investigations: The Princes in the Tower lesson will encourage students to evaluate conflicting sources, question reliability and come up with their own evidence-based conclusions about this unsolved historical mystery. These skills are not only vital for exam success, but are also transferable across subjects and essential for developing critical and reflective thinkers. These lessons are perfect for KS3 and can be used as standalone skills lessons, revision tools or embedded into wider schemes of work. The lessons are broken down into the following: L1 Baseline Assessment 91¶¶Òõt L2 What is History? L3 Historical Sources L4 Cause and consequence L5 Historical significance (X Factor) L6 Historical Inferences L7 Historical interpretations L8 Change & Continuity (Free resource) L9 Historical investigation – Princes in the Tower The resources all come in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to edit and change. Any reviews would be gratefully received.

£19.50

Review

4

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woodgreenhistory

6 years ago
4

Useful starter for introducing source analysis

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