Year 3 History Resources and Lesson Plans
Explore ready-to-teach Year 3 History resources, lesson plans and schemes of work covering engaging Year 3 History topics. Designed to support the Year 3 History curriculum, our resources help children explore British and world history while developing chronological understanding, historical knowledge and increasingly confident enquiry skills.
Popular Year 3 History Schemes of Work:
What should children learn in Year 3 History?
In Year 3, children begin to explore history across much longer periods of time. They develop a stronger sense of chronology, investigate why events happened and use historical evidence to build and support their ideas about the past.
Develop stronger chronology
Use timelines to place periods and events in context, explore how different periods relate to one another and develop a clearer understanding of dates, centuries and duration.
Explore cause and consequence
Encourage children to investigate why events and changes happened, what their consequences were and how different factors can contribute to historical change.
Investigate historical evidence
Examine artefacts, written accounts, images, maps and archaeological evidence, considering what different sources can tell us and what they might leave unanswered.
Make connections across history
Help children identify similarities, differences and patterns across periods, making connections between aspects of life such as settlement, beliefs, technology and society.
Explore our Year 3 History Resources
Browse our complete collection of Year 3 History resources, lesson plans and schemes of work. Discover engaging Year 3 History topics covering British and world history, with ready-to-teach lessons designed to support the Year 3 History curriculum and help children develop historical knowledge, chronological understanding and enquiry skills.
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Planning Year 3 History
When planning History in Year 3, choose topics that help children develop a broader understanding of chronology and begin to make connections across longer periods of history. Exploring periods such as the Stone Age, Iron Age, Ancient Egypt or Roman Britain can help children understand how societies developed and changed, while introducing increasingly complex ideas about settlement, beliefs, technology and everyday life.
Give children regular opportunities to investigate artefacts, archaeological evidence, maps, images and written sources, asking what each source can tell us and what its limitations might be. Revisit concepts such as chronology, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, change and historical significance so that children gradually develop the skills to form and support their own ideas about the past.
Planning History for your whole school? Explore our History Curriculum Packs →Frequently Asked Questions about Year 3 History
What do children learn in Year 3 History?
Year 3 History introduces children to a wider range of periods and societies as they move into KS2. Alongside developing their historical knowledge, children should become more confident using timelines, investigating historical sources, identifying causes and consequences, comparing periods and explaining how and why things changed.
What are good Year 3 History topics?
Popular Year 3 History topics include the Stone Age to the Iron Age, Ancient Egypt, Roman Britain and other ancient civilisations. Schools have flexibility over when many KS2 History topics are taught, so the best choices will depend on your wider curriculum and the knowledge you want children to build across Key Stage 2.
What is included in the Year 3 History curriculum?
The National Curriculum for KS2 History includes British history from the Stone Age through to 1066, a local history study, Ancient Greece, an early civilisation, a non-European society and a study of an aspect or theme in British history beyond 1066. Schools can organise these areas across Years 3 to 6 in a way that works for their curriculum.
What should I look for in Year 3 History lesson plans?
Effective Year 3 History lesson plans should combine historical knowledge with opportunities for children to think and work as historians. Look for lessons that use historical sources, enquiry questions, timelines and purposeful activities to develop concepts such as chronology, cause and consequence, change, similarity and difference, and historical significance.
What kinds of Year 3 History activities can I use?
Useful Year 3 History activities include constructing timelines, examining artefacts and sources, comparing historical periods, investigating maps, sorting and classifying evidence, debating historical questions and explaining causes or consequences. Activities should help children use what they have learnt rather than simply recall isolated facts.
Do PlanBee Year 3 History resources include worksheets and activities?
Yes. PlanBee Year 3 History resources include ready-to-teach schemes of work and lesson packs with lesson plans, teaching slides and a range of differentiated printable activities and Year 3 History worksheets. They are designed to reduce planning time while helping children develop both historical knowledge and enquiry skills.
