Textbook now available

Every Story Matters – Transition Year History Textbook

A complete textbook for 8 Transition Year History units of learning

Like my other textbooks, this is built from my experience as a History teacher and examiner and is designed to make TY History engaging and structured

From this textbook I have created extra resources for Monthly or Yearly subscribers: Mind Maps, Knowledge Organisers, NotebookLM Videos and Podcasts, and PowerPoints

These resources are intended to support both students and teachers with the Transition Year History course

Content is going live: check back for new content as it becomes available

What Every Story Matters Covers

Unit 1 – My Place in the Past
Unit 2 – The GAA: Sport, Culture, and Identity
Unit 3 – Understanding Genocide: The Holocaust and Beyond
Unit 4 – The Troubles: The Legacy of Sectarianism and Conflict in Ireland
Unit 5 – Children and War: Experience, Survival, and Responsibility
Unit 6 – Women, Power, and Institutional Ireland, 1900–2000
Unit 7 – Power, Land, and Loyalty: Feudal Japan c. 1400–1600
Unit 8 – Individual Research Project
Teacher Resources

Unit 1 – My Place in the Past

Explore how your own life connects to the past. In this unit, students use personal objects, family stories, and local places to investigate change over time and see themselves as part of history. Teachers get flexible tasks that encourage reflection, discussion, and creative projects suited to Transition Year.

Unit 2 – The GAA: Sport, Culture, and Identity

Trace how the GAA has shaped identity, community, and culture in Ireland. In this unit, students use matches, memories, and local clubs to explore how sport reflects wider social and political change. Teachers get adaptable lessons that mix source work, discussion, and creative responses suited to Transition Year.

Unit 3 – Understanding Genocide: The Holocaust and Beyond

Examine the Holocaust as a case study of genocide, prejudice, and the abuse of power. In this unit, students work with survivor testimony, visual sources, and key events to build a careful, respectful understanding of this history. Teachers get structured pathways that support sensitive discussion, reflection, and age-appropriate critical thinking.

Unit 4 – The Troubles: Legacy of Sectarianism and Conflict

Explore the Troubles as a complex and contested past that still shapes life on the island of Ireland. In this unit, students use stories, images, and key moments to examine identity, conflict, and efforts towards peace. Teachers get flexible routes through the material, with clear supports for balanced discussion and reflection.

Unit 5 – Children and War: Experience, Survival, and Responsibility

Investigate how war has affected children’s lives in different times and places. In this unit, students use letters, photographs, and personal stories to explore themes of loss, resilience, and rights. Teachers get adaptable activities that encourage empathy, careful source work, and thoughtful classroom dialogue.

Unit 6 – Women, Power, and Institutional Ireland, 1900–2000

Study women’s experiences in 20th‑century Ireland, focusing on power, institutions, and everyday life. In this unit, students work with testimonies, documents, and visual sources to question whose stories are told and why. Teachers get clear lesson pathways that support critical thinking, debate, and reflective project work.

Unit 7 – Power, Land, and Loyalty: Feudal Japan c. 1400–1600

Travel to feudal Japan to explore power, land, and loyalty in a very different society. In this unit, students use stories, images, and role‑play to understand samurai culture, social order, and change over time. Teachers get flexible tasks that invite comparison, creativity, and cross‑curricular links with other TY subjects.

Unit 8 – Individual Research Project

Guide students through designing and completing their own historical research project. In this unit, students choose a question, gather and evaluate sources, and present their findings in a format that suits them. Teachers get step‑by‑step supports, checkpoints, and templates to keep projects manageable, meaningful, and suited to Transition Year.

Teacher Resources

Access a full suite of teaching supports to help you make the most of Every Story Matters. This section includes ready‑to‑use lesson ideas, slides, worksheets, and assessment suggestions for each unit. Resources are designed to be flexible, time‑saving, and easy to adapt to your own TY class and school context.