teaching history

Dude, here’s how to get fizzle in your conclusion?

For students in ancient history, generic writing advice is insufficient. Advice about structure, such as, say what you are going to say, say it, then say what you have said, or acronyms, such as PEEL (Point Example Elaboration Link) emphasize repetition and connecting ideas. They aren’t much help to students needing to evaluate historical figures

Honest history: we need both the lions and the hunters

By Yaw Ofosu-Asare

Yaw Ofosu-Asare won the 2023 AARE Conference People’s Choice Award for his poster: Redefining design education boundaries in Africa. In the lingering afterglow of the AARE 2023 Conference, I find myself adrift in a sea of half-remembered conversations, keynote speeches that echo faintly in my mind, and ideas that seemed so clear just days ago.

Why spectacular slogans and perfect pop ditties will never work

By Naomi Barnes

The phenomenon of moral politicking around an issue rather than a political party has been a key part of my research over the last five years. That’s been the case in many things to do with education – and education policy. Our social relationships now have a strong influence on our reality. Politics no longer

Think about the awesome Roman Empire every day? Excellent. Here’s what else to do

By Lucy Macnaught and Erika Matruglio

It’s not (ancient) history. A viral post on TikTok revealed we think about ancient history all the time, even now. But it’s how we think about it that matters. That’s why what students do when they bring Ötzi, The Iceman, out of the ice, that really matters. Our aim is to develop historical thinking with

The chance to tell the truth about heroes

By Naomi Barnes

The study of history in schools has, Despite efforts by historians and history teachers to shift the methodology to include the stories of people long marginalised, it has always been broadly accepted by policymakers and politicians that the study of history is about ‘great people’ for young children to learn about to aspire to be great adults.

The truth: what our students really learn about Anzac Day

By Alison Bedford and Naomi Barnes

Students taught “hatred” of the nation (even the PM thinks so). Teachers are duds. That’s the backdrop for

Will the curriculum really embrace the true spirit of Anzac?

By Naomi Barnes

Q and A with Anna Clark, author of Making Australian History The “wokeness” of Australia’s National Curriculum has again made headlines and again it is more electioneering. On Friday a Nine newspapers headline claimed the revised version of National Curriculum will elevate Western and Christian heritage. Crikey picked up on the Sydney Morning Herald headline

The truth about Terra Nullius and why First Nations people say Tudge is wrong to say we need optimism

By Olivia Johnston, Libby Jackson-Barrett and Christine Cunningham

Australia’s federal Minister for Education, Alan Tudge, will not endorse the  draft national curriculum for secondary teachers of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) because  the changes are “overly negative”and could teach kids a hatred of their Country” (ABC 2021).   But from a First Nations perspective, the time has come to speak the truth about what

Why Alan Tudge is now on the history warpath

By Naomi Barnes

Australian children will never defend the country if the draft history curriculum is adopted. That’s the takeaway from the Federal Education Minister Allan Tudge’s speech to the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) on Friday.  The minister called for yet another curriculum reform to ensure “a positive, optimistic view of Australian history”.  His reasoning? “Individual students

Alan Tudge’s understanding of our history deserves a fail

By Keith Heggart, Peter Brett and Sophie Fenton

The Federal Minister for Education Alan Tudge says the draft History and Civics and Citizenship curriculum is not