Agora

Agora is professional reading journal for History teachers. Each issue provides perspectives on a particular theme, from curriculum-focused content to pedagogical practice, along with teaching strategies, classroom activities and educational resources addressing the broader History curriculum.

Reflection

Editorial

Creating a Knowledge-Rich Curriculum at Primary Level • A knowledge-rich approach to the primary curriculum maps out the specific knowledge to be taught in a structured, cumulative way that allows students to make connections and develop an understanding of historical concepts.

What Primary School Teachers Want Secondary School Teachers to Know about Teaching Humanities • As the primary school curriculum varies not only across the states but within schools, children are entering the high school education system with varying depths of knowledge.

Visible Thinking in Primary History Education • Visible thinking routines help students actively process information and documents that thinking across a range of learning areas.

Historical Concepts and Skills in the Primary Curriculum • While Integrated units of work in the primary school connect disciplines, the Victorian Curriculum’s Historical Concepts and Skills can be weakened or neglected.

Cultivating Historical Understanding Through Place • The local community offers places that help students make meaningful connections to curriculum content.

Graduate Teacher Perspectives on Authentically Implementing History within the Primary Classroom • Two graduate teachers describe the challenges and successes of their first three years teaching primary History, and identify areas for further professional development.

Teaching the Stolen Generations in the Primary Classroom • Concerns about tokenism, cultural appropriation and trauma associated with teaching the Stolen Generations can be minimised by paying attention to consistency and authenticity.

The Power of Inquiry to Teach History in Primary Schools • Educational consultant Kath Murdoch discusses inquiry-based approaches to teaching History in primary school with HTAV’s Executive Officer Deb Hull.

Primary Teaching Strategies from Pre-service Practice • Pre-service teachers provide twelve strategies that provide engaging and authentic learning experiences, and encourage primary students to think like historians.

A Relatable History: Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Education Act 1872 in Victoria • The history of your primary school is a topic enabling students to interrogate their local history while addressing the requirements of the Victorian Curriculum for History in levels F–6.

High Engagement History in the Upper Primary Classroom • Strategies to teach an engaging History curriculum in the upper primary years include role-playing activities and thinking beyond the model of ‘one topic per term’.

Teaching Primary Students about Ancient Australia and the Dreaming • Primary students can have a deeper understanding of Australia’s ancient history by making connections between Dreamtime stories and archaeological evidence.

Ladies in the House: Exploring Historic Trailblazing Women • A podcast aligned to Victoria’s primary curriculum prompts students to explore the impacts of some extraordinary women throughout Australia’s political history.

Minecraft Brings History to Life in the Primary Curriculum • A ‘Mini Melbourne’ module and an archaeological exploration of the Melbourne Metro rail tunnel are just two ways students can use the Minecraft: Education Edition to explore Melbourne’s history.

Archaeological Thinking in Victorian Primary History Programs • A recent study has examined how Victorian primary teachers can be better supported to access archaeological content as a...