Teachers and learners studying Scottish History topics at Higher level are invited to hear exciting new research on their topics from leading academics at the University of Glasgow in a major one day conference on Saturday 1 December 2012.

The event, Aiming High in Higher Scottish History: A Conference for Teachers and Learners, will offer perspectives on many of the topics that teachers can now embrace under Curriculum for Excellence. It will also see the launch of a user-friendly online resource that will provide access to documents and resources for classroom use.

Dr Karin Bowie is a lecturer in Scottish History at the University of Glasgow and is one of the organisers of the conference: “Teachers are now being asked to offer courses in Scottish History at Higher level, and whilst this opens up a massive area of exciting possibilities for classroom learning, it is also important that tools and resources are provided to enable them to fully embrace these opportunities. The conference will hear about recent research findings on key periods in the nation’s past from some of the most senior historians at the University of Glasgow that will offer pointers for the profession.”

The conference, which is free to attend and open to secondary school teachers and their pupils, will see sessions and break-out groups on the five topics in Scottish history examined at Higher level: The Scottish Wars of Independence, the Age of Reformation, the Treaty of Union, Migration and Empire and The Impact of the Great War. There will also be a plenary session that will be addressed by Simon Wood, Principal Teacher of History at Glasgow Academy,: “The compulsory Scottish part of the Higher course is both exciting and valuable for both students and teachers alike.  The opportunity to listen to and speak to leading academics in these Scottish periods is a wonderful one.  It will undoubtedly enhance the knowledge that is needed, as well as enthusing the next generation of historians.”

Dauvit Broun, Professor of Scottish History at the University of Glasgow said: “One of the bedrocks of Curriculum for Excellence is the autonomy that teachers are given in their own subject area. This conference, and the website that will be formally unveiled on the day, will show just what amazing resources are available to them. The website is an especially exciting development that will shine a torch on the past for anyone with an interest in Scottish History, and will be especially vital to teachers and school students.”

The University of Glasgow website will allow teachers and learners to link to primary source documents, academic articles, videos and recordings and other materials relating to History topics taught in Scottish secondary schools. http://www.gla.ac.uk/historyinschools

Editorial Notes:

  • The conference, Aiming High in Higher Scottish History: A Conference for Teachers and Learners, is being held at the Boyd Orr Building, University Avenue, Glasgow.
  • For more information and to arrange interviews please contact Nick Wade in the University of Glasgow Media Relations Office: nick.wade@glasgow.ac.uk 0141 330 7126.

First published: 29 November 2012

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