ABSTRACT
The National History Curriculum (England and Wales) does not make it obligatory for teachers to follow detailed lesson plans produced by the state. The curriculum, though prescriptive in many ways, still offers teachers opportunities for choosing their own teaching materials. Some overworked teachers may choose to minimize the amount of their work and follow the National Curriculum (DES, 1991) and the Non-Statutory Guidance of the National Curriculum Council (NCC, 1991) without making major additions or changes. Other teachers may wish to take the opportunities that the National Curriculum offers for creative planning of history lessons and organize the teaching in such a way that they encourage students to develop a critical analysis of historical development.
