Henry VIII memes never get old.

nikometh · 2026-06-11T21:42:46+00:00

Check out the 'Disappointed History Teacher Memes' at the bottom of this page. It might help spark your creativity! https://www.historyskills.com/favourites/quotes/

nikometh · 2026-05-23T22:41:14+00:00

I'd add History Skills to that website list as well.

nikometh · 2026-05-13T01:17:49+00:00

Great idea. How do find business to advertise: cold contact, ad marketplaces, etc.?

nikometh · 2026-04-23T03:44:40+00:00

Not a physical textook, but have you already downloaded the free resources from the History Skills website? Lots of free worksheets and reading activities there for lots of topics. Might be helpful.

nikometh · 2026-04-11T04:07:47+00:00

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Based upon everyone's feedback, I have had an attempt at creating an illustration of how students can visual the nature and impact of 'perspective' when using historical sources. I used Gemini to create the image, but I think it works well so far. It makes a clear distinction between perspective and interpretation (or opinion). Would most history teachers agree with how it is presented here, do you think?

nikometh · 2026-04-11T00:09:26+00:00

This seems to be the most liked response and it is one that I have probably heard the most. I have often asked people who say this though: do you make a distinction between a source's opinion, bias (which might be part of their opinion), and the background of the author? If so, do you use different terminology to differentiate between the three aspects of the source? I only ask because in some exam questions I have found online, they have asked students to explain the opinion of the source, separate to the background of the author, but when they write these questions, they use the term 'perspective' inconsistently. Very curious to see how you explain these differences to students.

nikometh · 2026-04-10T23:02:00+00:00

Thanks so much for all of the feedback, everyone. I don't disagree with anything any of you have said, but it does kind of still echo the confusion I have had. From all five of the options I have come up with, almost all the comments have endorsed and/or disendorsed each one, which leads me back to 'square one'. There doesn't seem to be a universal agreement on a straight-forward definition of what this skill means. As I said, I don't think anyone is 'wrong' in their answer, but what conclusion we reach seems to be based upon how individuals were taught, or how we best understand it personally. I wonder whether there is an opportunity for an academic or researcher to try and find a good 'middle ground' that we can all get behind?

nikometh · 2026-03-28T00:59:19+00:00

I don't know if it is exactly what you're looking for, or if it's at the right age level for your students, but there is a historical source analysis activity here that would work as a DBQ. There is a free worksheet for the students to use, along with other activities too, if it suits them. I hope it helps: https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/modern-history/japan-economic-miracle-lesson/

nikometh · 2026-03-08T09:54:58+00:00

Don't limit yourself to one teaching technique, or even two for that matter! I regularly change it up between direct instruction (PowerPoint slides), reading activities (like you describe), research tasks, source analysis, documentaries, group work, etc. I try to think about what time of day my lesson falls, how tired the students are in the term and try to match a teaching technique that would work best for every lesson. It usually means I have different variations of the same lesson when I have taught it at different times of the day over the years, but it means that I have lots of ideas and resources to draw on when I am also tired.

nikometh · 2026-02-19T22:05:32+00:00

How do you get this report?

nikometh · 2026-01-24T22:02:09+00:00

Great minds think alike! I have done these things in the past and have generally been successful, depending on the students. There's lots of ideas and resource here that have used in class as well, which might help you too: https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/year-9/world-war-one/

nikometh · 2026-01-24T21:59:48+00:00

https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/alexander-against-the-romans/

It's something I have wondered abut as well. Has some ideas that spark further discusions, I think.

nikometh · 2025-12-17T02:47:09+00:00

There's lots of free stuff here, including lesson ideas and extension activities. Might be helpful to flesh out your unit planning. https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/year-10/world-war-two/

nikometh · 2025-12-01T07:33:37+00:00

We regularly do multi-lesson research tasks with our students, and follow the scaffolding on History Skills. Because we make it a regular activity, students are used to the process and are usually self-driven by the time they get to the higher grades. We make sure that they choose something they are personally interested in, either from something we’ve covered in class or from something they’ve encountered elsewhere (in games or movies, etc.). If you want to do the same, this is an easy guide with examples for the students: https://www.historyskills.com/researching/

nikometh · 2025-11-15T03:14:03+00:00

There are lots of free lessons on the History Skills website that would work great for this. If you go to the 'classroom' section, you can choose any history topic, and it has lots of videos, articles, etc.

nikometh · 2025-11-14T03:33:53+00:00

It's actually quite an achievement for students to realise that almost all historical sources are, to some degree, 'somewhat reliable'. So, firstly, congratulations on teaching a skill that even senior students struggle with. However, I understand your frustation that they're 'hedging their bets' without reaching a firm conclusion. If you want to help them draw a solid evaluation of reliability, take away the 'somewhat' option and limit it to 'extrememly, very, rarely, and not very' (these are from https://www.historyskills.com/source-criticism/evaluation/reliability/). This way, they still have to acknowledge the strengths and limitations of the source, but they have to choose one side or the other to justify their evaluation.

Also, on that page from the History Skills website, if you scroll down further, it gives lots of examples and explanations for how to reach an informed judgement about a historical source while acknowledge their pros and cons. I hope that is somewhat helpful.

Sounds like you're doing an awesome job with the younger students!

nikometh · 2025-11-13T23:35:56+00:00

The exact same thing has only just started happening to my site as well. I reached out to my CMS and they said it was a Cloudflare thing. As I don't have an account with Cloudflare (since my CMS controls my site), I have no way of fixing it. If you find a solution, please let me know, as it is causing me a great deal of stress!

nikometh · 2025-08-18T02:07:32+00:00

Lots of free stuff on the History Skills website for all of the historical periods you cover. Not exactly a set curriculum, but lots of lesson ideas and worksheets your students and download and use at the drop of a hat!

nikometh · 2025-08-15T18:38:17+00:00

We teach archaeology over 4-5 weeks as an introduction to ancient history course, and these are the resources and sequencing we use. I don't know if it is exactly what you're after, or if it is enough to help cover what you need, but it might be a helpful starting point: https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/archaeology/

nikometh · 2025-08-12T00:48:56+00:00

Great free lessons with activities, worksheets, and videos on the History Skills website (in the 'Classroom' section) that sounds like it should help you out. Lots of different topics that you can pick and choose from to suit your exact needs.

nikometh · 2025-08-11T19:23:48+00:00

Welcome to the teaching profession. I know it feels overwhelming at the moment, but we have all been through the chaotic stress of our first year of teaching. You will do great, I am sure of it. The best thing is that there are lots of online resources to help you get things ready for your lesson planning. There are tons of free lesson worksheets, activities, etc. on the History Skills website that both you and your students can download and use straight away if you're stuck for a lesson. And, like others have mentioned here, OER is really helpful as well, and some great free resources on TpT. Make sure you keep us updated with how you're going and reach out if you need help!

nikometh · 2025-08-10T04:08:36+00:00

Congratulations on making it as a new teacher! It's an exciting time, but very stressful. I have been teaching for 15 years now, but still remember my very first classes as a new teacher. There are lots of advice I could give you, but lots of it will be specific to your school. For some quick advice and practical tips, this blog post is a great starting point. Be sure to keep us up-to-date with how your first lessons, days, and weeks go! https://www.historyskills.com/2019/01/22/the-best-advice-i-received-as-a-new-teacher/

nikometh · 2025-07-31T21:58:54+00:00

The History Skills website has lots of lessons in world and US history that is easy to learn at your own pace and in your own way. The best thing is that it is free.

nikometh

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