HISTORY MATTERS 365
  • Home
  • About
  • CHRONICLES TEXTBOOK
  • BLOG
  • Leaving Cert History
    • Research Study Report (RSR)
    • Ireland >
      • The Pursuit of Sovereignty and the Impact of Partition, 1912-49
      • Government, Economy and Society in the Rep. of Ireland, 1949-89
    • Europe and the Wider World >
      • Dictatorship and Democracy, 1920-45
      • The United States and the World, 1945-89
    • Leaving Cert History Exam Centre
    • Leaving Cert History Exam Papers and Marking Schemes
  • Junior Cycle History
  • Teacher Mailing List
  • Useful Links for History Teachers
  • Archived: Junior Cert History Exam Papers
  • Contact

Flippity Flashcards 1

29/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Revise JC topics using digital flashcards made by History Matters 365:
The job of the historian
The job of an archaeologist
Stone Age Ireland
The Iron Age and the Celts
Ancient Rome
The Renaissance
The Bronze Age
Early Christian Ireland
The Middle Ages
0 Comments

Why is Herodotus called 'The Father of History'?

28/12/2017

0 Comments

 
0 Comments

Quote for teachers

28/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

2018 State Examination Timetables

21/12/2017

0 Comments

 
The 2018 state exams for History are on Wednesday 13th June:

Leaving Certificate Timetable 2018

Junior Certificate Timetable 2018
0 Comments

Irish history teachers have their own hashtag on twitter

2/12/2017

0 Comments

 
#HISTEDCHATIE is a new twitter hashtag for history teachers, educators in Ireland. Purpose is to share ideas, resources, and promote a stronger sense of fellowship among Irish history teachers. Please use and share!
Picture
0 Comments

Why all kids should study history...

2/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

A student guide to using flashcards for learning

2/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Flashcards are a very effective tool for helping students retain knowledge. This is a particularly useful strategy for history. Below is a student guide to using flashcards. This can be downloaded and printed.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Download and print guide:
a_student_guide_to_using_flashcards_for_learning.pdf
File Size: 267 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

Exit slip: Facebook status update

13/11/2017

0 Comments

 
Exit slips help students reflect on what, and how they learn. A few minutes before the lesson concludes, the teacher gives the students a verbal prompt. Examples:
  • Explain a key concept 
  • What did you learn today?
  • What did you enjoy about today's lesson?
  • ​How could the lesson have been better?
  • What question(s) do you still have?
Picture
Below is a Facebook status exit slip. These are distributed. Students follow the prompt and compose their thoughts. The teacher collects the exit slips and uses them to help plan the next lesson.

They could be put on display and used as an aid to recap what was learned in the last lesson. 

Picture
facebook_exit_slip.pdf
File Size: 400 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

Plan a leaving cert history essay using topic sentence

7/11/2017

0 Comments

 
Below is a resource for planning a leaving cert history essay using topic sentence. 

A topic sentence indicates the theme of a main body paragraph. The main themes of the essay should be signposted in the introduction. Usually, it is the first sentence of a paragraph, but not always. For example, it could be the last sentence of the previous paragraph. One topic sentence can be used for 1 or 2 main body paragraphs. 

Having considered the question, draft a set of topic sentences. The essay should contain between 4 and 6 topic sentences. For each topic sentence, list approximately 4 key terms to be used in the development. 

The conclusion can briefly summarise the main points of the essay. However, in order to go beyond summary marks [4], you must do more. I advise asking a question that will illicit an independent thought drawn from the facts in the essay. 

Once the plan is complete, begin writing your essay using information from your textbook, notes and online resources. 

For more tips on leaving cert history essay writing, refer to this target sheet.
Picture
topic_sentence_essay_plan.pdf
File Size: 165 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

10 great teaching strategies for history

29/10/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture

Picture
Picture

Picture
Picture

Picture
Picture

Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Compose a Tweet

29/10/2017

0 Comments

 
Compose a Tweet is a plenary activity. Students tweet about the learning using 140 or 280 characters e.g. a new fact from today's class you found interesting. They add a suitable hashtag at the end which links to the learning. 

Two printable templates below. One for 140 characters, and a second for 280 characters.
Picture
140 characters
compose_new_tweet.pdf
File Size: 332 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

280 characters
compose_new_tweet_[280_characters].pdf
File Size: 334 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

Self-Created Match-Up

28/10/2017

0 Comments

 
Match-up exercises are a simple and effective way to check that students understand the meaning of key terms. They are especially useful for learning history. Teacher created match-ups are good, student created match-ups are better. 

Below is a blank template that can be printed, copied and given to students. Students work in pairs. The student selects 6-8 of the most important key terms from the learning. The student then constructs an explanation for each. Once the match-up is ready, it is given to his/her partner to complete. The student will assess the work and give feedback. 

The teacher should interact with the pairs as they work, giving advice, answering questions and noting how well the students are matching key terms with explanations. Are there key terms that are proving difficult?

Once the pairs are finished working, the teacher should take whole class feedback. Note chosen key terms on the board in the form of a word cloud. Students share any key terms they were/are unsure of. The teacher circles these for emphasis, and for further discussion. Use the word cloud to elicit verbal explanations from individual students. 

Once the students are happy that they can explain each of the key terms, the class moves on with the learning.
Picture
self-_created_match-up.pdf
File Size: 310 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

4-3-2-1 Key Reflection

22/10/2017

0 Comments

 

4 Key Facts
3 Key Terms
2 Key People
1 Key Date

Picture
4-3-2-1_key_reflection.pdf
File Size: 176 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

New junior cycle history specification [With less learning outcomes!]

20/10/2017

0 Comments

 

Click here to view the new specification for junior cycle history

Picture
0 Comments

Junior Cert History: Exam structure and past exam questions by topic [Higher Level] Updated for 2020!

30/9/2017

0 Comments

 
Below is a very useful Junior Cert History exam resource [Higher Level]. It should be used with past exam papers. It includes:
  •  Exam structure table showing:
    • Marks available for each section  
    • How much time a student should spend on each section
  • Past exam questions by topic [2009-19]​
Picture
jchist_exam_structure_and_past_exam_questions_by_topic.pdf
File Size: 141 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    History Matters 365 Blog

    Picture

    Author

    Christian O'Connor, history teacher, St. Mary's Secondary School, Mallow, Co. Cork.

    Categories

    All
    Chronicles
    Curriculum Reform
    Educational Technology
    General Interest
    History Teaching Strategies
    Junior Cert Resources [OLD]
    Junior Cycle Resources
    Leaving Cert Resources
    Promoting History

    Social Media

    Tweet #histedchatie
    Picture

    Mailing List

    Teacher Mailing List
    GDPR compliant.

      Contact Form

    Submit
  © 2025 History Matters 365
​     All rights reserved.
​
Site administered by Christian O'Connor, history teacher, St. Mary's Secondary School, Mallow, Co. Cork.