How do historians know what to believe? This exciting session gives pupils the opportunity to work with a range of primary documents selected around a specific theme. Pupils will gain an understanding of how different types of sources can be used to find out about the past, and how historians can use these sources as evidence. This session supports schools focusing on a thematic study in British history (beyond 1066). Book What is History now

Victorians for Sale! Has advertising changed from Victorian times? This collection of Victorian advertisements is aimed at any teacher or student engaged in a local study of the Victorian period. The sources could be used to help provide a sense of period and show pupils the type of source material they might find in their local archive, museum or record office. The collection could be used alongside the Victorian lives collection on this website to give further insight into the Victorian home life.

Was appearance everything for a ruler in the 16th century? Henry VIII used symbols and images to display royal power. In this exciting session, pupils work with original documents from Henry’s reign to investigate how he was portrayed as a great monarch. This workshop supports schools focusing on a thematic study in British history (beyond 1066). Book Image of a King now

Did people take Magna Carta seriously? In 1225, Henry II proclaimed that the legal rights granted in his latest version of Magna Carta would be ‘held in our kingdom of England forever.’ Students work with a range of documents to consider the lasting impact of the Charter in medieval England. This workshop supports schools studying the development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509. Book Magna Carta now

How did the British government encourage people to support the war? Pupils explore original propaganda posters, photographs and film to compare their effectiveness in conveying powerful messages to a mass audience. This session supports schools focusing on a thematic study in British history (beyond 1066). Connections to the curriculum: History, English. Book Propaganda now

Free printable teaching resource pack including four case studies on Whitechapel in 1880 using original historical documents for a document led enquiry/investigation. Whitechapel in the late 1800s was an area of overpopulation, industry and crime. With such wide systemic issues it can be easy to lose sight of the experiences of the individuals who lived in the area. This lesson explores the historic environment through the interconnected lives of four individuals who lived in the area during the 1880s. What can the stories of two West Indian boxers, the daughter of an Irish carpet maker and a child born in Whitechapel itself reveal about the challenges and benefits of living around Commercial Street in the Victorian era? https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/the-boxers-of-whitechapel/ Suitable for Edexcel GCSE History: Whitechapel, c1870-c1900: crime, policing and the inner city Migrants in Britain, c800–present Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000–present AQA GCSE History: AC Britain: Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present day

This resource contains a hyperlinked list of National Archives current resources for Women’s histories on The National Archives website. It includes education resources, online exhibitions, research guides, blog posts and podcasts by staff and external writers and links to external websites. The intention for this resource is to make it easier for teachers to find resources for teaching a diverse curriculum. We are committed to further improving our resources and continuing to increase the women’s histories told through our education resources and collections. Women can be found throughout our collections, but their narratives are often harder to find. As this resource shows we are working to reclaim the voices of women and address these historical imbalances, to represent an inclusive history of everyone in the resources we now develop.

The National Archives has created some resources for you to use in your classroom with our video to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. The film tells the story of Elizabeth II’s 70 years as Queen using genuine historical sources from The National Archives and The Royal Collections. It includes music and some original footage from the period. Pupils take a historical journey through the decades, from the 1950s to 2020s. We hope that the commentary and documents will encourage your pupils to explore the past and ask questions about how the Queen’s role has changed and life in Britain altered over time.

Writing War, Writing Peace is a creative writing anthology written by students who spent a week at The National Archives, learning from our records about the experiences of Nurses in the First World War. Mentored by Melvin Burgess and Sara Robinson, the students were encouraged to explore service records, diaries and photographs to put together their own creative pieces inspired by real events. These stories and poems are the result.

How typical was Albert Edwin Rippington’s experience of war? ‘…if you ever meet a chap that says he wants to go back call him a liar’. These are words penned by Albert Edwin Rippington, an employee of the Audit Office for the Great Western Railway. Albert, along with many of his colleagues, had enlisted to fight in the First World War. He was wounded in action and wrote about his experiences from his hospital bed back in England. Albert was clearly deeply affected by his time in the trenches, but how typical was his experience? Exploring a range of letters written by soldiers who enlisted from the Great Western Railway to fight, students will investigate these men’s experiences of war; the conditions in the trenches and in reserve, and the impact that these experiences had on their morale and health of these men. Book From the Front now

Why did men appeal against conscription? In January 1916 the British Government introduced compulsory military service for all single men of military age. Why did some men decide to apply for exemption from conscription? Students answer this question by critically examining the case papers of the Middlesex Appeals Tribunal, which, between 1916 and 1918, heard the appeals of men who previously applied to a local tribunal for exemption from military service. Through the individual stories held in these records students explore the impact of conscription on British society. This is a free 1 hour workshop with The National Archives Education Service which can be run via Virtual Classroom in your school or on site at the National Archives in Kew. Please use the link below to book this session. Connections to the curriculum: Edexcel Thematic Study Option 12: Warfare and British society, c.1250–present. Book Fighting Conscription now

Holding History is a stop motion animated film created by students during a week-long workshop at The National Archives. The film was designed to highlight key historical stories from within our collection and covers a variety of time periods and themes. Many thanks to the Friends of The National Archives for their support on this project. When making the film, students were asked to consider: What is The National Archives? How has it changed and developed over the centuries? And what are the challenges, threats and importance of an archive in today’s world? Each student was then given a specific story to research within our records before they could storyboard, design, create and capture their stop motion sets. These finished film clips can now be used by teachers and students as brief overviews, introductions or interest points for the various topics explored within the film. These accompanying questions are designed to work alongside the film clip, to guide students in thinking about what they have learned from the clip or from their lessons and previous knowledge. Some questions can be answered from the film itself, others are intended to be answered after class discussion or independent thought. The clips can also work as a model for student’s creative exploration of history, allowing students to see what can be done to tell stories from history and inspire their own creative work – either through animation, drawing, storytelling or other creative exploits.

‘Armistice and Legacy’ is a graphic arts project illustrated by nine students who spent a week at The National Archives, illustrating their interpretations of First World War records and the research undertaken by The National Archives staff during the centenary of the war. The tales are told through the eyes of those who served in the war, showing the diverse experiences at the front and at home. The eBook can be used as a resource to learn about the experiences of war, or as an example of work your students could create inspired by historical documents.

‘Why are historians still arguing about the First World War?’ Using original letters, reports, photographs and maps, students follow an enquiry led approach via six modules of 1-3 lessons each. Working with these sources your students will be able to put the evidence to the test and bust a series of common myths about this conflict, including were the soldiers ‘lions led by donkeys’ or did ’women spent the war nursing and knitting’. This scheme of work is designed as an an ‘off the peg’ resource for students learning about the First World War at Key Stage 3-4.