What is history? – North East

Subjects covered in this workshop

Students will work with a range of documents including letters, posters, photos, plans, books, newspaper articles and government records and develop their skills of source analysis and their understanding of how historians study the past.

Along the way, they will learn about aspects of North East history they may not be familiar with including life in Newcastle Gaol, the Great Fire of Gateshead, the invention of the electric lightbulb, the activities of the Suffragettes in Newcastle and the impact of the First World War on life in the local area.

What to expect in an online session

Interacting live with experienced educators from The National Archives, students will explore history using both national and local archive collections and will engage in historical enquiry from their classroom.

You only need a microphone, large screen and webcam to take part. Interactive activities encourage students to discuss their ideas and work in groups using high-quality materials provided in advance by The National Archives Education team.

What to expect in a workshop at The Discovery Museum

Our on-site session takes place in inspiring learning spaces at The Discovery Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne. Students will get to see and handle a range of original documents, to investigate the past in an active way.

What to expect in an in-school session

Our in-school sessions take place in your classroom. Students will get to see and handle a range of archival documents, to investigate the past in an active way.

Sessions are typically an hour in duration, but can be tweaked to fit in with lesson times. Sessions can be delivered anytime between 9:00 and 15:30 and we can deliver the same session for multiple classes over the course of the day.

Connections to the curriculum

Key Stage 3

• Ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901
• Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day