Hey History!

What is great history teaching?

What does great history teaching look like? Is it passion for the past? Creativity in the classroom? The courage to follow students’ questions - even when it means throwing out the lesson plan?Historian Anna Clark speaks with experienced teachers and university educators from across Australia about what great history teaching really looks like in the primary and secondary school classroom.From building strong relationships with students, to self-regulation, and being able to say, "I need more information and I'll get back to you."And, the key skills history teachers pass on to students - like asking and answering good questions, researching ethically, thinking routines for source analysis, and communicating historical arguments.Resources and tipsheetProject Zero by Harvard Graduate School of EducationSee, Think, Wonder thinking routineTipsheet for this episodeResearch mentioned in this episodeZuleica Ruiz-Alfonso, Jaime León, The role of passion in education: A systematic review, Educational Research Review, Volume 19, 2016, Pages 173-188, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2016.09.001. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1747938X16300343VoicesEducators: Claire Colledge, Sarah Coleman, Ben Lawless, Chad Cary, Natalie Fong, David Boon and Catherine Baron.Host: Professor Anna ClarkAbout Hey History Teacher!Hear practical ideas, fresh inspiration and thoughtful conversation about how history is taught in primary and secondary school classrooms in Australia.Hey History Teacher! is for teachers, teacher-educators and pre-service teachers.You’ll hear conversations and advice about over 8 episodes, including:teaching difficult historiescreative history teachingapproaching First Nations histories with care and confidencecomplexity in history teachinghow early-career teachers can find their their feet in the history classroomgreat history teaching, andteaching the Australian Wars.It's grounded in current research and features fifteen classroom educators and academics from around Australia.Each episode comes with a free downloadable Tip Sheet to support your teaching practice.CreditsHey History Teacher! is supported by the History Teachers Association of NSW.Executive Producer is Professor Anna Clark.Producer is Jane Curtis at UTS Impact Studios.Sound engineering by John Jacobs.Made on Gadigal Country in Sydney Australia.

Introducing... Hey History Teacher!

What does great history teaching look like in practice?How do teachers handle the challenges with teaching history today?Hear practical ideas, fresh inspiration and thoughtful conversation about how history is taught in primary and secondary school classrooms in Australia.Hey History Teacher! is for teachers, teacher-educators and pre-service teachers.You’ll hear conversations and advice about over 8 episodes, including:teaching difficult historiescreative history teachingapproaching First Nations histories with care and confidencecomplexity in history teachinghow early-career teachers can find their their feet in the history classroomgreat history teaching, andteaching the Australian Wars.It's grounded in current research and features fifteen classroom educators and academics from around Australia.Each episode comes with a free downloadable Tip Sheet to support your teaching practice.CreditsHey History Teacher! is supported by the History Teachers Association of NSW.Executive Producer is Professor Anna Clark.Producer is Jane Curtis at UTS Impact Studios.Sound engineering by John Jacobs.Made on Gadigal Country in Sydney Australia.

7. Walk for truth-telling

Have you ever told the truth but it felt like no one listened? This episode is all about truth-telling.Hey History! follows Travis Lovett, a proud Gunditjmara/Kerrupmara man and Commissioner at the Yoorrook Justice Commission, on a 400km 'Walk for Truth' across Victoria.Who is Travis Lovett, and why is he going on a really, really long walk?What is the Yoorrook Justice Commission?What is 'truth-telling', and how can it happen with history?Host Axel Clark and students from St Patrick’s Primary School join Travis on his Walk for Truth through Port Fairy.Hear:Why telling the truth is important—at school, at home, and in Australian history.That 'history' isn’t fixed — it changes when new voices and stories are heard.What is a 'commission'?What difference does it make when we tell the truth about history?How the Yoorrook Justice Commission has gathered stories and evidence over 4 years.VoicesTravis Lovett, Yoorrook Justice Commissioner 2021-2025Olga Lyons, Principal, St Patrick's Primary School, Port Fairy VictoriaDr Matthew Keynes, Research Fellow, Faculty of Education, University of MelbourneAunty Nellie Flagg's testimony to the Yoorrook Justice Commission (excerpt)Uncle Henry Atkinson's story shared with the Yoorrook Justice CommissionYear Three and Four students of St Patrick's Primary School, Port Fairy VictoriaRosa Ellen (voice actor for news report)CreditsHosted by Axel Clark. Made on Gadigal and Gunditjmara Country by Jane Curtis.Executive producers are Clare Wright and Anna Clark. Production assistance from Alexandra Morris.Thanks to all the students whose voices you hear in this episode and their schools and teachers: St Patrick's Primary School, Princes Street Primary school, Marrickville West Primary School, La Perouse Primary School, and Yirrkala Bilingual School. Hey History! is produced by the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS and UTS Impact Studios.Impact Studios' executive producer is Sarah Gilbert. Thank youThis episode was made possible by Dusseldorp Forum, a family foundation committed to a just and equitable Australia, one that is caring, ethical and honours our First Peoples.Special thanks to Principal Olga Lyons and St Patrick's Primary School Port Fairy, Rosa Ellen, Rachel Fyfe and the Yoorrook team.

6. What can objects tell us about the past? Live at Adelaide Writers Festival

In this special live recording of Hey History! host Axel Clark asks historians Clare Wright, Anna Clark and Kiera Lindsey what historical objects can tell us about the past?What can a piece of ochre tell us about Australia’s Deep Time History?And what about a pair of South Australian pink shorts?We ask kids what objects are special to them, and play guessing games with objects - including one that's in the Guinness Book of World Records!This episode of Hey History! was recorded on Kaurna Country for the 2025 Schools Day of Adelaide Writers Week. Many thanks toAdelaide Festival, especially Suzanne Critchley, and Tahlia GrecoThe History Trust of South Australia for the use of an image of Don Dunstan's shortsNational Museum of Australia for kindly granting permission and usage of images from their collection including: The water bottle of Robert O'Hara Bourke, a gold panning dish, and Chris the sheepVoices Anna Clark is a Professor of History at the University of Technology, Sydney.Clare Wright is a Professor of History and Public Engagement at La Trobe University. Kiera Lindsey is South Australia's History Advocate and an award-winning historian. Episode image Photo of Hey History on stage live in front of primary school students in the Women's Pioneer Memorial Garden in Adelaide, South Australia.CreditsHosted by Axel Clark. Produced on Gadigal Country by Anna Clark, Clare Wright and Jane Curtis.Executive producers are Clare Wright and Anna Clark.Podcast concept, design and development by Anna Clark. Sound engineering by John Jacobs.Thanks to all the students whose voices you hear in this episode and their schools and teachers.Hey History! is produced by the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS and UTS Impact Studios.Impact Studios' executive producer is Sarah Gilbert.

5. How to talk with kids about Australian history

How do you teach and talk about Australian history with kids?This is a bonus episode for teachers, carers and parents featuring Professor Anna Clark and Professor Clare Wright.Teaching and talking about history with kids can be rewarding and challenging.From their experience studying and teaching history, Clare and Anna tackle questions like:How can kids in primary school work with history’s complexity?How can primary students consider the moral lessons of what they're learning?How do you encourage kids when they're interested in history but get some facts wrong?What’s one crucial thing to get across to kids about history?Anna and Clare look at a concern about saying the wrong thing when talking about Australian history, and look at how to do Reconciliation while teaching or talking about history with kids?And you'll hear why asking questions is an important part of how you talk about history, and how to use primary sources and historical objects to connect kids with the history of our country.VoicesAnna Clark is a Professor of History at the University of Technology, Sydney.Clare Wright is a Professor of History and Public Engagement at La Trobe University.Episode image Photo of Clare Wright (left) and Anna Clark (right) in the recording studio at University of Technology Sydney.MusicThannoid by Blue Dot Sessions.TranscriptDownload How to talk with kids about Australian history transcript in WordDownload How to talk with kids about Australian history transcript as PDFCreditsMade on Gadigal Country by Anna Clark, Clare Wright, Jane Curtis and Britta Jorgensen.Executive producers are Clare Wright and Anna Clark.Podcast concept, design and development by Anna Clark.Indigenous Cultural Consultant is Katrina Thorpe.Story editor is Kyla Slaven.Learning material by Nick Adeney, Victorian primary educatorCurriculum advisors are Nicole Laauw, Department of Education NSW, and Rose Reid, Association of Independent Schools of NSWThanks to all the students whose voices you hear in this episode and their schools and teachers: Princes Street Primary school, Marrickville West Primary School, Westbourne Grammar School, Preshil Primary School, La Perouse Primary School, and Yirrkala Bilingual School.Hey History! is produced by the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS and UTS Impact Studios.Impact Studios' executive producer is Sarah Gilbert.