The Big Ideas
in History
Free worksheets for use with posters in the Big Ideas in History series
TIRINE
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History
Schools that have purchased the poster set, Big Ideas in History are given
permission to photocopy these pages for their own use.
The BIG IDEAS
in History
Significance
Significance guides historians in determining the
importance of events, ideas, movements, actions
and people in the past.
1. Read the explanation of Significance.
2. Study the image which appears on the World
War One war memorial.
3. Answer the questions. You might need to do
some research before answering them.
The image shown on the poster shows a bas relief of British soldiers during World
War One. It appears on the war memorial in Saint James Park, London.
1. Importance People in the early twentieth century called World War One The Great War. Why?
2. Profundity Provide statistical evidence to prove that World War One had a major effect on the lives of
people, e.g. military and civilian casualties.
3. Durability Write one factual example that proves the lives of people today are still influenced by
events in World War One. E.g. commemorations, international organisations, country boundaries.
4. Relevance World War One led to changes in the traditional roles of women in society. What were the
traditional roles of women in New Zealand and Australia before the outbreak of war?
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Schools that have purchased the poster set, Big Ideas in History are given
permission to photocopy these pages for their own use.
The BIG IDEAS
in History
Continuity and Change
Continuity refers to aspects of the past that remain
largely unchanged over long periods of time. Change
refers to those aspects that have changed.
1. Read the explanation of Continuity and Change.
2. Study the image which appears on the poster.
3. Answer the questions. You might need to do some
research before answering them.
The image shown on the poster shows British female ambulance drivers
in France during World War One. Library of Congress
1. Continuity The ambulances used in World War One carried the wounded from the battlefield to field
hospitals. How are ambulances today similar to those used in World War One?
2. Change Look at the dress of the ambulance drivers. How has acceptable dress for drivers changed
since World War One?
3. Progress How has the movement of injured soldiers from battle improved since World War One?
4. Decline British women were not allowed to fight In France. They instead could offer support services
as ambulance drivers, nurses and cooks. How have these limitations on women in warfare declined since
World War One?
5. Periodisation What can we learn about changes in the roles of women in modern society by studying
the period of 1914 to 1918? Give one example.
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Schools that have purchased the poster set, Big Ideas in History are given
permission to photocopy these pages for their own use.
The BIG IDEAS
in History
Cause and Effect
Identifying cause and effect helps historians to understand
the sequence in a chain of events.
1. Study the poster.
2. Gain what information you can from the image. You
should be able to read the first part of the article.
3. Answer the questions. You will probably need to do
some research on this event before answering them.
The image shown on the posters shows the front page of the
British newspaper, The Daily Express on the 31 May, 1940.
1. Cause What forced the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and other allied troops from the
beaches of Dunkirk?
2. Effect The British had to leave significant amounts of heavy artillery, tanks and other equipment at
Dunkirk. This loss affected their ability to fight the war. Identify one other effect of the evacuation.
3. Agency Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay played a critical role in the evacuation of Dunkirk. Why was he
so important?
4. Motivations Hitler ordered his infantry and armoured divisions to halt instead of advancing on the
trapped British and Allied soldiers at Dunkirk. This decision made the evacuation possible. Historians have
suggested reasons why Hitler took this action. Research and write two possible reasons.
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Schools that have purchased the poster set, Big Ideas in History are given
permission to photocopy these pages for their own use.
The BIG IDEAS
in History
Perspective
Historical perspective involves judging people and
events from the past on their own merits based on
the values and beliefs of the time.
1. Read the explanation of Perspective.
2. Study the cartoon and the supporting description
of the context and characters.
3. Answer the questions. You might need to research
the answers to some of them.
This cartoon was published in Puck magazine in 1903. It shows a classroom
scene with the rulers of several countries as the students.
Source: US Library of Congress
1. Context What is the context in which this cartoon is set? Remember that it is 1903.
2. Evidence The cartoon infers that each major power is puzzled by the question of how much a world
war would cost. They appear not to have considered it. Is this a fair observation for the time period? Why?
3. Presentism Turkey (Ottoman Empire) is shown wearing a dunce’s hat because of its military actions in
Macedonia in 1902. Other countries like Britain (Boer War) and the USA (Spanish War) are not. Why do
you think only Turkey has been shown with a dunce’s hat?
4. Perspectives Historians now lay most of the blame for the outbreak of World War One on Germany.
They also acknowledge that there was enthusiasm for war in other countries. What perspective is taken
by the cartoonist about the possibility of a world war?
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Schools that have purchased the poster set, Big Ideas in History are given
permission to photocopy these pages for their own use.
The BIG IDEAS
in History
Empathy
Empathy in history means understanding the point of
view of an individual or group from the past. It includes
an appreciation of the historical context in which they
made their decisions and recognition of their values,
motivations, and attitudes. Historians keep in mind that
the past is different from the present.
Read the points about empathy on the posters.
1. Answer the question. You might need to research the
answer.
Yalta Conference, 1945. Source: US Library of Congress
Circumstances
The Yalta Conference took place in February, 1945. It was the second meeting of the three chief allied
leaders, Churchill (Britain), Stalin (USSR) and Roosevelt (USA). They met at Yalta in Crimea to discuss the
final defeat of Germany and post-war Europe. At the time, Stalin’s army was close to Berlin and he was
able to bargain from a position of strength. The allies knew that the war in Europe was near an end but
believed that winning the war against Japan might take much longer. Churchill and Roosevelt were later
seen as being too weak at the Yalta Conference by allowing Stalin to take control of Eastern Europe.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (United States President)
Roosevelt was ill when he attended the Yalta conference. He died two months later in April, 1945. Here
are his two main goals for the Yalta Conference.
a. To gain Soviet military support for the war against Japan.
b. To gain Stalin’s support for an international organisation to maintain peace and security.
1. Why do you think he thought they were the two most important things to achieve at Yalta?
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Schools that have purchased the poster set, Big Ideas in History are given
permission to photocopy these pages for their own use.
The BIG IDEAS
in History
Contestability
Contestability refers to the debate that occurs when
historians interpret past events differently.
1. Read the explanation of Contestability.
2. Below are summaries of opinions put forward by
historians on who was responsible for World War
One. These are an example of contestability.
Which country was most responsible for the outbreak of WW1?
a) Germany was responsible for World War One because it offered a ‘blank cheque’ to Austria-Hungary giving it
the support to start a war against Serbia. (Sir Max Hastings, Military Historian)
b) Serbia bore the greatest responsibility for the war because of it nationalism, expansionism and support for the
Black Hand Movement. Austria-Hungary bore only slightly less responsibility because of its over reaction to the
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. (Sir Richard J. Evans, University of Cambridge)
c) Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia were responsible for the war. Assassinations of political figures were
relatively common before 1914 and did not usually lead to war. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand provided
Austria-Hungary with an opportunity to crush Serbia. Germany encouraged Austria-Hungary to attack Serbia. This
threat led to Russia, Serbia’s ally putting its armies on a war footing. Germany was frightened by Russia’s move
and declared war on Russia and France. (Dr Heather Jones, London School of Economics)
Source: World War One: 10 Interpretations of who started WWI. (2014) Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26048324
Why might historians disagree on which country was most responsible for the outbreak of WW1?
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Schools that have purchased the poster set, Big Ideas in History are given
permission to photocopy these pages for their own use.
These worksheets support the poster set, The Big Ideas in History.
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TIRINE
History
Schools that have purchased the poster set, Big Ideas in History are given
permission to photocopy these pages for their own use.