Constructivist approaches to chronology using the Horrible Histories series of Terry Deary

Cooper, Hilary ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7468-9910 (2019) Constructivist approaches to chronology using the Horrible Histories series of Terry Deary. In: History Educators International Research Network Conference (HEIRNET 2019): Public History, Historical Culture, Identity and Pedagogy, 2-4 September 2019, University of Vienna, Austria. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This small case study explores to what extent, and how a group of ten year-old children could sequentially order selected pages from The Horrible Histories Series: The Cut-Throat Celts, The Stormin’ Normans, The Gorgeous Georgians and the Vile Victorians. (Terry Deary). (Children had not been taught about these periods.) There were two themes, ‘Children’ and ‘Law and Order’. For each theme a page of text and pictures from each period was selected. For each theme in turn, the children were asked to place each page on a time line, estimate the length of time between each excerpt and explain their reasons, drawing on what they knew, and what they could deduce or infer. The aim was to explore the kinds of thinking the children applied to these popular but seemingly frivolous books, the reasoning they brought to bear on the task, the discussion which arose, the accuracy of their temporal thinking and whether they could understand behaviour and values very different to their own. The findings reflected the advantages of a constructivist approach in learning history.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Departments:	Academic Departments > Institute of Education (IOE) > Initial Teacher Education (ITE) > Early Years and Primary Undergraduate Partnership QG
Additional Information:	Hilary Cooper is an acknowledged international authority on history education for the early years and primary phases, 3-11. She has published widely in several languages.
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	20 Sep 2019 10:46
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2024 09:50
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/5094

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