TP-14.4

the early introduction of a document, image or artefact which is used as a stimulus for discussion, rather than being explained straight away. These range fromcoins and jewellery to written official documents, such as the prison record of a 13-year-old Victorian boy, and can be accessed directly from the Bloomsbury website. The authors even suggest probing questions to ask in case your mind has gone blank. For each lesson, there are a variety of fascinating sources. Fortunately, the authors also provide transcripts of documents where the lettering is hard to make out or needs to be translated. It is also rather moving to be able to stare into the eyes of real people in photographs from more recent periods. Some teachersmight lament that there is not room to cover every key character or moment fromhistory. We all have our particular favourites, don’t we? Nevertheless, there is an impressive range of subject matter covered here and there’s no reason why teachers can’t adapt the format for their own particular historical hobby-horses, if they so wish. Either way, this book should prove to be an invaluable asset to any primary teacher. And for history addicts likeme, it’s simply a fascinating resource to browse through. First, I feel that I must declare a conflict of interest: I absolutely love history. One of the great pleasures of teaching has been watching the joy and fascination of children as they connect with the past. Obviously, one of the best ways to spark pupils’ interest is to give themdirect access to original sources and significant artefacts. However, there are only somany trips tomuseums and historical sites you can organise. Anyway, some of themost interesting pieces are either kept locked away or are dispersed around different collections. Howmarvellous, then, to have themdelivered straight into your classroom in one neat package. The National Archives History Toolkit for Primary Schools (Bloomsbury, 2020) is a superbly conceived history resource for teachers. Written by Clare Horrie and Rachel Hillman – history education experts with strong links to The National Archives – it provides an extensive range of easy-to-follow plans for impactful lessons. It covers all the key areas of study laid out in the national curriculum. Best of all, it teaches through the use of original sourcematerial and quality images of unique artefacts. The questioning approach is particularly appealing. Lessons are often kickstarted by REV I EWS Downloadable historical sources and accompanying KS1/2 lesson plans, activities andworksheets AT A GLANCE HI STORY l Extensive resource to support the teaching of history at KS1 and KS2 l Detailed plans for high-impact lessons l Source material from The National Archives l Photocopiable worksheets and activities l Closely follows national curriculum guidelines RRP £39.99, bloomsbury.com The National Archives History Toolkit ✔ Easy to use ✔ Extensive coverage of the curriculum ✔ Excellent use of source materials from The National Archives ✔ Develops questioning approach to history ✔ Stimulates class discussion VERD I CT You want to spice up your history lessons with fascinating source materials from The National Archives. UPGRADE I F . . . REVIEWED BY: MIKE DAVIES 80 | www.teachwire.net