History
Resources to support and enhance TV programmes for the classroom

1798 and After

KS3. Scottish levels E / F

The social and political history of nineteenth-century Ireland from union to partition: 1798 Rebellion; United Irishmen; The Liberator; The Great Famine; Linen Mills and Shipyards; The Ulster Crisis.

Castle

11-14 years (KS3)

In this six-part series, historian Marc Morris travels the length of Britain to chart the evolution of the medieval castle over a period of 600 years.

Examining the historical significance and impact of the Normans on the medieval world, the origins and spread of Norman power, life in pre-Norman Ireland, the life of the castle, feudalism, the Black Death and the Norman legacy.

Empire: How Britain made the modern world

14-19 year olds

In this six-part series, historian and presenter Niall Ferguson takes us on a fascinating journey to explore the impact of the British empire on the modern world.

Eureka! Flying Through History

KS2 / 3. Scottish levels C–F

Based on unique aerial footage, the history of Britain is captured in the evolving landscapes and architectures of the last 2000 years, providing a platform for the study of local history and of six key historical periods.

History in Action: Film Century

KS3 / GCSE+. Scottish levels E / SG / HS

How documentary film-makers, news reel and feature films have shaped the interpretation of key twentieth-century events, including revolution in Russia, conflict in the Middle East and the troubles in Northern Ireland.

History in Action: Heroes or Villains

KS3 / GCSE+. Scottish levels E / SG / HS

Based on ITN's unrivalled news-film archive, 'Heroes or Villains' profiles eight of the most influential political figures of the twentieth century, including Mao Tse Tung, Martin Luther King, Fidel Castro, Yasser Arafat, and Mikhail Gorbachev.

History in Action: The Home Front Through Home Movies

KS3 / 4. Scottish levels E / SG / HS

Previously unseen amateur film footage together with eyewitness accounts reveal a variety of different perspectives on everyday life in Britain and Germany 1939-45.

History in Action: Letters From the Trenches

KS3 / GCSE+. Scottish levels SG / HS

Private letters and diaries of First World War troops and nurses reveal in their own words the reality of life on the Western Front.

History in Action: Medieval Realms: Stories in Stone

KS3. Scottish level E

The remarkable roof carvings of Norwich Cathedral, a high-point of Medieval art, comprise thousands of brightly painted keystones, portraying stories from the Old and New Testaments and the beliefs and narratives of the Middle Ages.

History in Action: Medieval Realms: The Luttrell Psalter

KS3. Scottish level E

One the British Library's most prized objects, the Luttrell Psalter is a fourteenth century illuminated manuscript portraying scenes from the Bible, everyday medieval life, but also visions of Heaven and Hell together with fantastic creatures.

History in Action: Race in the Twentieth Century

KS3. Scottish levels E / F / SG / NQs

Historical film is viewed in a critical context, exploring the representations of Empire and immigration in Britain and civil rights in the United States.

History in Action: Weapons of War

KS3 / GCSE. Scottish level E / F / SG / NQs

The history and evolution of the weapons and machines which shaped the twentieth century, from the invention of the machine gun and the first fighter aircraft to Cold War strategies and the new 'smart' weaponry.

History in Action: What the Papers Said

KS3. Scottish level E

How were historical events understood at the time? Newspaper editorials, press reports and readers' letters give a contemporary slant to historical events, including the Great Exhibition, the Suffragette movement, and the General Strike.

History in Action: Women in the Twentieth Century

GCSE. Scottish levels SG / NQs

War, family and work are the focus of this critical survey of film history which combines documentary and fiction and asks: who produces film, when, why and for whom?

Howard Goodall's Big Bangs

GCSE / A level. Scottish levels SG / NQs

Howard Goodall examines five momentous turning points in European musical history and asks what they mean for us today as the thousand-year reign of European music appears to be coming to a close.

Howard Goodall's Great Dates

A level / GNVQ. Scottish levels NQs

Composer Howard Goodall argues that great pieces of music are not inexplicable creations of genius but are the products of their time, place, culture and politics.

Rewriting History

14–19 years

In an amusing ten-part series, Rewriting History takes a refreshing look at major moments in history, exploring how life would be today if they had taken a very different turn.

King Jamie and the Angel

KS 3. Scottish levels C – F

Each programme deals with a particular point in James' life, covering a vital period in Scottish history in terms of political, religious, social and economic change.

The Scots Detective

KS4. Scottish levels NQs

Demythologizing Scottish history. Investigative activities encourage students to challenge historical accounts of the Scottish wars of independence, the Reformation, the Act of Union, Scottish exile and the Irish in Scotland.

The Time of My Life

KS2 / 3. Scottish levels C–F

Young children interview older people about the most significant experiences and events in their lives, including East London in the early 1900s, 1930s Ireland and Liverpool in the 1960s.

Ulster Unearthed

KS3. Scottish levels E / F

The major socio-political, economic and religious events that have shaped the complex and often bloody history of Ireland, c1600-c1700.

War Game

KS 2 / 3 / 4 / GCSE+. Scottish levels D / E / F / SQ / NQs

Materials to support the animated version of 'War Game', Michael Foreman's account of the 'Christmas Truce' when a group of World War One soldiers lay aside their animosities to play a game of football in No Man's Land.

War of the World

14-16 years (KS4)

From the Russian Revolution in 1905 to the massacres in Bosnia in the 1990s, we see that the world was at war almost continuously throughout the last century. In fact, in this six-part series, historian and presenter Niall Ferguson argues that there weren't two world wars and a Cold War, but rather a single Hundred Years' War.

Weapons That Made Britain

11-14 years (KS3)

In this five-part series, Mike Loades takes us on a fascinating tour of medieval arms and armour, and demonstrates their central role in key events in British history.