History and Social Studies Activities

These activities are sorted by chronology and theme rather than age range. Different national curriculums demonstrate a wide range of notions about when a particular topic should be studied. Most of our activities are adaptable to any age range. In most cases you will need to find pictures to add to the activities. If you can't find pictures in books, most museums are now putting more and more of their artefacts online for copying and these pictures are slowly improving. Would you like to help us revise the handwritten activities which have been used in hundreds of schools since the 1980s? Write or email us with the topic of your choice and we will send you a copy of everything we have that fits.

 

Black History:

A timeline activity where numeracy skills are employed to engage learners with history of slave resistance in the Caribbean. KS3/4.

An information gap activity on Edmond Albius who discovered how to fertilize the vanilla vine in 1841 and made a lot of grand blanc planters very rich. Suitable for KS2 and up.

A barrier activity for younger pupils (KS1) on looking at the differences between houses now and in the past.

An information gap activity on Indus Valley. Suitable for KS2/3

Egypt:

Everyone becomes an expert with our Egypt Quiz.

Greeks:

Here is a Farming Game based on Hesiod which helps numeracy and teaches about what Greeks ate, and the Greek Word Detective from the Leicester Collaborative Learning Network which now has its own site, click here to take a look. Here is an information gap activity on Perseus and the Gorgon. ,an activity on Arachne introducing the principles behind a Greek chorus http://www.collaborativelearning.org/arachne.pdf and a character quiz on Greek gods http://www.collaborativelearning.org/greekgods.pdf

Romans:

Try digging up Pompeii in Archaeologists Dig , daily life in ancient Rome in Bread and Circuses connect four We have an activity on the growth of the Roman Empire and another on its decline and downfall .You might also like to try our Searching Latin Roots. activity which is on our list of literacy activities.

Medieval Realms:

We have revised the well used People of the Manor and Medieval snakes and ladders game. We have a new activity that compares life for children now and in the medieval period with very detailed information like for instance what you wiped your bottom with http://www.collaborativelearning.org/thenandnow.pdf. We have two activities in development where we would appreciate your (you and your students of course) input: finding excuses not to have to be punished in the Manor Court and coming up with maths problems related to medieval times. We have added a mime activity on crafts http://www.collaborativelearning.org/craftymimes.pdf

Tudors:

Here is an activity on Tudor jobs and another on Tudor Poor which provides literacy in context and is a useful model for other topics. We also have an activity on Tudor crime. and something on Henry VIII's Six Wives.

Spanish Armada: Quicklook and Full activity

Work on Civil War recruitment posters: Quicklook and Full activity.

Industrial Revolution:

Role play activity on life in a Cotton Mill in 1830: Quicklook and Full activity

Changing populations, changing work in the Whitechapel Road from evidence in street directories; Quicklook and full activity

World War Two:

Everyday life for individuals during the second world war. and the life of Anne Frank and the history of Germany and Denmark.

 

A barrier activity for younger pupils (KS1) on looking at the differences between houses now and in the past.

 

 

A new online history workshop, inspired by work with our colleagues in Virginia and a visit to Monticello is an activity on Thomas Jefferson and his many interests.

This page was last updated on 12th June 2007.

For access to other online activities go the online activities menu .

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