classroom activities

Brain food

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  This regularly updated section showcases current thinking on best practice, research and ideas useful for teachers planning and teaching history.

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• Page 2 – The role of school history

  Caught up with the day-to-day realities of teaching, carrying out assessments and attending endless meetings, teachers rarely get the opportunity to think about what it is

• Page 3 – Teaching and learning history

  'What are we trying to achieve as history teachers?

• Page 4 – Teaching emotive and controversial history

  Teaching Emotive and Controversial History Martyn Davison from Pakuranga College has prepared an edited version of a report from the Historical Association in the UK which

Resources

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• Page 2 – Paragraph writing

  Essays are an important part of external assessment in history. Good essays are based on joining sentences together as coherent paragraphs that tackle different components of

• Page 3 – Resource interpretation

  Liz Hay (Wellington East Girls College) sent this material. It can be used at levels other than Year 13. Do send on material you think may be helpful to other teachers.

• Page 4 – Māori language content

  There is now a good amount of high-quality written Māori available on the web.

• Page 6 – Using the events calendar

  This feature of The Classroom provides students and teachers with quick and daily access to stories relating to New Zealand history from the big themes to the quirky and

Treaty of Waitangi

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  Activities to determine what students already know about the Treaty of Waitangi

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• Page 2 – Thinking hats and exploring values - Treaty of Waitangi

  Thinking about all points of view, write an editorial on whether or not the Treaty of Waitangi has been a helpful part of the history of our nation and whether it is now time

• Page 3 – History road - Treaty of Waitangi

  Make a history road of the significant events leading to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

NZ in the 19th century

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  Broad survey of New Zealand's 19th-century history for students studying NCEA 3 History

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• Page 1 - NZ in the 19th century Broad survey of New Zealand's 19th-century history for students studying NCEA 3

War and remembrance

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  War has played a defining role in shaping our nation since we first sent troops overseas to South Africa in 1899. As the centenary of the the First World War (2014-18) approaches, many New Zealanders will reflect on our nation's experiences of war and the impact of conflict on our society.

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• Page 3 – War and remembrance in your community

  What examples can you find of how your community has memorialised those who served and died in overseas wars?While many communities have what we might describe as the more

• Page 5 – Who or what were we fighting for?

  Who or what are we fighting for?

• Page 6 – Symbols and ritual

  There are many symbols and rituals associated with how we commemorate war and the fallen. The red poppy is one very familiar symbol both here and in many other countries.

• Page 7 – Commemoration and protest

  In 1967 protestors laid a protest wreath in Christchurch on Anzac Day to highlight their opposition to the Vietnam War. They were subsequently convicted of disorderly behaviour

• Page 8 – Remembering the New Zealand Wars

  In memorialising our experiences of war, to what extent have we overlooked our own internal wars?

Anzac Day social studies activities

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  The Classroom supports teachers and students of various curriculum levels in their study of Anzac Day. These activities and teaching ideas can be used as they are or adapted to suit the particular needs of your classes.

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• Page 3 – Anzac Day quiz

  Do a quiz to find out what students know about Anzac Day

• Page 5 – Commemmorating Anzac Day

  Activities to explore the meaning of Anzac Day

• Page 6 – Anzac Day and war experience

  Activities that explore the war experiences of students' family members

• Page 7 – War Memorials

  Activities using information from war memorials and resources that provide information about war casualties and memorials

• Page 8 – Personal experiences

  Write the diary entry of an imaginary person at Gallipoli

• Page 9 – History road

  Make a history road of the six key events of the Gallipoli campaign.

• Page 10 – Homecoming from Gallipoli

  Activities that explore what it was like for Gallipoli survivors returning home

• Page 11 – War correspondent

  'Read all about it!' War correspondents in the First World War The New Zealand public was keen to keep abreast of events overseas and get some sense of what

Jockey underwear

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  Some people might say we are what we eat; others might prefer we are what we wear. Explore life in New Zealand and the power of advertising by a holding survey, a class debate, designing advertising material and promoting a campaign to buy products from New Zealand.
  

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• Page 1 - Jockey underwear goes on sale in New ZealandSome people might say we are what we eat; others might prefer we are what we wear. Explore life in New Zealand and the power of advertising by a holding survey, a class debate,

Race Relations Day

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  Race Relations Day, 21 March, gives New Zealand teachers and students an opportunity to discuss and celebrate New Zealand's ethnic diversity.

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• Page 2 – Race Relations Day activities

  Activities relating to Race Relations Day for Social Studies teachers

Matariki

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  In recent years Matariki, the Māori New Year, has been celebrated by many New Zealanders, Māori and non-Māori alike. It is becoming an increasingly important part of the New Zealand calendar. Matariki in 2015 began on 18 June.

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• Page 4 - Matariki teaching activitiesMeasuring time Why do we bother to measure time in days, months and years? Why are there so many ways of measuring time? In a paragraph, of between four and six lines,