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The History Box
Bring history to life in the classroom with The History Box
Covers all strands of the history curriculum from 3rd to 6th Class.
Each box contains:
- A4 Topic Focus Cards (4 copies of each card)
- A5 Work as a Historian Cards (2 cards for each unit, front and back activities). These cards engage pupils in the topic and develop the skills of a historian.
- Teacher Guide which includes notes on teaching history in the primary school, an explanation of The History Box, teacher’s notes for delivering each unit of The History Box and scope and sequence charts;
- Activity Resource Book which contains all the photocopiable material that can be used to support the activity cards in The History Box.
Each unit includes two activity pages based on the Topic Focus Card and an activity page for each side of the Working as a Historian Cards. At the end of each section, there is a two-page assessment containing a mixture of multiple-choice and written questions based on the strand studied. There are also additional resources suitable for any unit, along with a selection of graphic organisers to help pupils structure their own historical research.
Click the links below to see the full list of topics covered in each box:
The history curriculum focuses on two main features:
- the knowledge and interpretation of the lives of people in the past; and
- the pupils’ experiences of the skills and processes by which historians approach their work.
Both features are comprehensively addressed in The History Box. Through a combination of text and pictorial materials, along with research- and enquiry-based learning activities, the teaching of history will complement learning occurring in other subject areas.
Cross-curricular Learning
- Used consistently, pupils will read broadly across all aspects of history: local, national and international. This will help pupils extend their vocabulary by developing the meaning of words in context, develop their reading stamina and enable them to learn about the rich tapestry of history using a variety of skills and strategies.
- The author was keen to ensure that the range and variety of activities would help teachers address other areas of the curriculum in an integrated way. Comprehension strategies, such as summarising, inferring, determining importance, making connections, questioning and synthesising, are embedded in the activities. The genres of writing are addressed, with pupils having to write reports, narratives and persuasive pieces in many of the activities. Drama, visual arts and SPHE are also integrated in a seamless way.
Assessment
- Each section contains a two-page assessment containing a mixture of multiple-choice and written questions based on the strand studied.
- These photocopiable assessments can be found in the Activity Resource Book and help teachers monitor progress through the strands.
Meet the Author
Colm Wallace is a primary school teacher from Renvyle, Co. Galway. He attended Mary Immaculate College in Limerick from 2005 to 2008 where he obtained his Bachelor of Education degree. He also studied history as part of his degree which helped foster an enduring love for the subject. Colm has previously researched and written two academic books on the history of Ireland in the 20th century. His first book, Sentenced to Death, recounts the true stories of thirty Irish men and women who had the death penalty imposed on them by the Irish State. His second book, The Fallen, explores the origins of An Garda Síochána and documents the stories of the many Gardaí killed in the line of duty in the early years of the Irish State.
The History Box is Colm’s first educational resource for primary schools. It has been written for the teaching of local, national and international history to Irish pupils of all abilities. It adheres to the principles and content of the history curriculum. Colm has placed considerable emphasis on the skills of a historian to devise a user-friendly and engaging resource for both teachers and pupils.
Colm is currently Deputy Principal of Aillebrack National School in Ballyconneely, Co. Galway where he teaches the senior classes. He is passionate about the teaching of history and has given summer courses to teachers on various aspects of Irish history. He is married to Rebecca and they have one son, Ciarán.
