Teaching about interpretations in history is one of the hardest challenges KS2 teachers will face. When pupils are searching for one memorable narrative, they are often confused by the idea of multiple versions. I’d go further. Many positively dislike the uncertainty and lack of ‘right answers’ which they find unsatisfying. All we can do is to open their eyes to the complexities of understanding the past and keep their minds open as they enter subsequent key stages. Involving them in the tricky process of arriving at interpretations certainly helps. But how do we know what they really think? Have they picked up the right messages about how a historian works?
Try this short diagnostic quiz and find out.
