Society is changing at an increasingly rapid pace. With increased knowledge production, information dissemination and specialization, the teaching of history in schools faces major challenges. Students are not only expected to learn historical facts, they are also expected to be able to apply and evaluate facts, for example by explaining and assessing different interpretations of past events. My dissertation project studies students' learning of history in the classroom. The aim of the project is to gain new knowledge and increased understanding of the relationship between teaching and learning history in schools. I have been particularly interested in the learning of historical explanations and students' understanding of historical motivations. My research is based on extensive field studies and analysis of student data. For an entire semester, I have followed and documented the history teaching in a middle school class as they studied the Iron Age and the Viking Age. By documenting and following the students' learning over a longer continuous period, it is possible to analyze and describe the concrete opportunities and difficulties that students and their teachers encounter in the classroom. Research on history teaching and learning in schools, especially in the lower grades, is neglected. My results are directly applicable to strengthen and further develop history teaching in schools. This gives my project academic relevance and concrete importance for schools.