Our History Journey

Overview

An engaging first meeting that introduces History as the study of evidence, people and change over time. Students get to know one another, help establish respectful classroom routines and investigate how ordinary objects can reveal the past.

Learning intentions

• Students will understand that History is an evidence-based study of the past.
• Students will identify questions historians ask about people, places and events.
• Students will practise making observations and reasonable inferences from evidence.
• Students will contribute to shared class routines for discussion and learning.

Success criteria

• I can explain what History is in my own words.
• I can ask a useful question about an object from the past.
• I can distinguish between what I observe and what I infer.
• I can describe one class routine that will help us learn History well.

Curriculum links

• Official IE Curriculum alignment could not be verified from the available curriculum evidence.
• Topic-level connection: understanding the nature and purpose of History.
• Topic-level connection: using evidence to ask questions and make supported interpretations.
• Topic-level connection: communicating ideas, listening to others and participating respectfully in classroom learning.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Welcome and visual hook Greet students at the door and arrange them in pairs. Open with the introduction slides and display a striking image of an old schoolbag, handwritten letter or everyday object. Ask: “What could this object tell us about the person who owned it?” Students give a quick first thought to a partner.

2. 5–10 minutes – Getting to know the class Invite students to share their name and one thing they are curious about, interested in or would like to learn about from the past. Model a brief response yourself. Record a few interests on the board, such as castles, ancient peoples, sport, inventions, local history or family stories, and explain that historians investigate many kinds of questions.

3. 10–16 minutes – What is History? Use the introduction slides to introduce the idea that History is an investigation of the past using evidence. Clarify the difference between:

• Observation: what we can directly see or read.
• Inference: what we think the evidence might suggest.

Model with the object image: “I observe that it is worn.” “I infer that it was used often.” Emphasise that a good historian explains how evidence supports an inference.

4. 16–27 minutes – Evidence detectives Distribute the History evidence detective worksheet. Students work in pairs to examine three age-appropriate source images, such as an old photograph, a household object and a written source. For each, they record one observation, one inference and one question. Circulate and prompt students with: “What exactly can you see?” and “What else might explain that?” Invite two or three pairs to share one response, reminding the class that different interpretations may be possible if they are supported by evidence.

5. 27–34 minutes – Agreeing our History classroom routines Display the introduction slides and ask groups to suggest behaviours that would make History lessons safe, interesting and productive. Guide the class towards four practical agreements: listen without interrupting, challenge ideas rather than people, refer to evidence, and care for materials and each other. Ask students to explain why each agreement matters. Record the final wording where it can be revisited in future lessons.

6. 34–40 minutes – Plenary and exit response Return to the opening object and ask students to improve their first answer using the words “observe”, “infer” and “question”. Students then complete the final three prompts on the History evidence detective worksheet: “History is…”, “One question I have about the past is…” and “One routine that will help me learn is…”. Collect worksheets as a baseline check and thank students for their contributions.

Resources

• the introduction slides covering the hook, definition of History, observation and inference, activity instructions, class routines and plenary.
• the History evidence detective worksheet with three source images and short response prompts.
• Projector or interactive whiteboard.
• Board and markers.
• Pens or pencils.
• Optional everyday historical object, such as an old key, postcard, tool or photograph.
• Seating arranged in pairs.

Assessment

• Listen to paired discussion and check whether students distinguish observations from inferences.
• Review worksheets for students’ ability to identify evidence, form a supported inference and ask a historical question.
• Use the final responses to identify interests, confidence levels and students needing support with vocabulary or written expression.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters: “I observe…”, “This might suggest…”, “I wonder…” and “My evidence is…”.
• Read worksheet instructions aloud, enlarge source images and allow students to respond through labelled notes, drawing or discussion before writing.
• Pair students thoughtfully and provide a word bank including evidence, source, past, present, observe, infer and question.
• Extend confident students by asking them to give two possible inferences from one source and explain which is better supported.