History Skills

"This source is biased, so it's unreliable." If your students are still writing this, they're losing marks. Here are six common logical errors in source evaluation and how to fix each one. historyskills.com/2026/05/01/com…

Why do historical events happen? And what happens because of them? Understanding cause and consequence is essential for any history student. This guide explains short and long term causes, how to assess them, and why consequences often become causes themselves. historyskills.com/historical-kno…

Struggling with history essays? It all comes down to structure. Learn how to build a clear argument with proper evidence, paragraph by paragraph. Free guide with examples: historyskills.com/assessment/wri…

Lessons on topics from the American Revolution to the Cold War, all with downloadable worksheets and self-marking quizzes ready for your senior history classes. historyskills.com/classroom/mode…

Franco crushed the Asturian miners' strike in 1934 with colonial troops and artillery, killing over a thousand people. Five years later, he ruled all of Spain. This article covers the ruthless rise of a dictator who held power for thirty-six years. historyskills.com/classroom/year…

In the 6th century BCE, seven Greek leaders became famous for saying more with fewer words than most politicians manage today. Solon warned "Count no man happy until he is dead." Thales predicted a solar eclipse. Pittacus gave up absolute power voluntarily. Meet all seven and their famous sayings: historyskills.com/classroom/anci…

On 25 April 1915, over 8,000 Australians died in a failed campaign at Gallipoli. The defeat became a founding myth. This article traces how the Anzac Legend was built, how it spread through schools and film, and what historians say about what it leaves out. historyskills.com/classroom/year…

Why bother studying History? Because it sharpens your ability to spot fake news and helps you make sense of how the modern world actually works. Plus, you'll find out why Egyptian priests shaved their eyebrows. historyskills.com/2017/04/24/why…

On the first day of the Somme, the British suffered 57,000 casualties. Traditional tactics had failed. Over the next two years, military planners developed 'combined arms tactics,' coordinating multiple military branches into a single operation. It changed everything. historyskills.com/classroom/year…

How did the Vikings picture their world? I saw different versions of this map which aims to present their view of lands from Vinland in North America to Miklagard in the east. While the details are open to interpretation, many details seem to be drawn from the geography in the Norse sagas. Could be a great starting point for students to explore how knowledge moved across the medieval world and how another culture views things differently to our own.

In ancient Rome, politicians bleached their togas white to look morally pure. Senators wore dark wool to protest laws. Generals dressed in gold and purple for triumphs. The toga was never just clothing: it was a political weapon. historyskills.com/classroom/anci…

Thirteen fully resourced lesson plans for Year 9 Australian History, from Captain Cook to Federation. Downloadable worksheets and self-marking quizzes included. Start here: historyskills.com/classroom/year…

The Tokugawa shogunate ran Japan for over 250 years through a strict class system and a capital city of over a million people. Find out what daily life was really like in Edo Period Japan: historyskills.com/classroom/year…

In 1709, Abraham Darby smelted iron with coke at Coalbrookdale, and cheap iron transformed Britain's economy forever. But did coal actually cause the British Empire, or was it just a necessary ingredient? This article follows the evidence from furnace to fleet. historyskills.com/classroom/year…

18 ready-to-use Year 9 lessons on World War One, covering everything from the July Crisis and Gallipoli to the Russian Revolution and the 1918 armistice. Downloadable worksheets and self-marking quizzes included. historyskills.com/classroom/year…

The Gunditjmara people at Lake Condah built basalt-lined channels to trap and breed eels for at least 6,600 years. First Nations Australians developed food systems across the entire continent for over 60,000 years. Their methods tell us far more than most people realise. historyskills.com/classroom/year…

Struggling to find reliable ancient history sources online? This page pulls together the best free databases, archives, and academic search engines in one place, from Perseus Tufts and the British Museum to JSTOR and Google Scholar. Bookmark it. historyskills.com/finding-source…

In 1206, a man named Temüjin united the Mongol clans and built the largest land empire the world had ever seen. Under Mongol rule, trade boomed along the Silk Roads, religious tolerance was official policy, and paper money standardised commerce across East Asia. But order was kept through fear: Genghis Khan's legal code punished crimes with death, mutilation, or exile regardless of social rank. What was everyday life really like inside this empire? historyskills.com/classroom/year…

Looking for flexible PD as a history teacher? History Skills has compiled a collection of Coursera courses covering everything from Ancient Egypt to the Black Lives Matter movement. University-level content you can do on your own time: historyskills.com/favourites/onl…

Stalin sent 89 economic experts to Paris to assess Marshall Aid. Weeks later, the USSR walked out. The reason? American aid required economic transparency and cooperation, two things a Soviet command economy could never accept. Full breakdown here: historyskills.com/classroom/year…