AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the significance of Nazi persecution in the 1930’s - the Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 and Kristallnacht in 1938 are two significant events which can sometimes be overlooked when students write about Nazi policies towards Jewish people in Germany, as they tend focus on the events after 1939 only. What were the Nuremberg Laws, why were they introduced and in which order did policies towards the Jews change after these laws were introduced? Moreover, was Kristallnacht a spontaneous or well planned atrocity led by the Nazis? Students are given evidence from which to make an informed decision which they must justify. A car number plate activity further assesses their understanding before the students plan an examination question for some GCSE exam practice. There are some great video links to help the learning as well. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GSCE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship The aim of this lesson is to judge whether the Munich Beer Hall Putsch was a success or a disaster for the Nazis The start of the lesson focuses on what Hitler wanted and students have to decide why he instigated a Putsch in the first place in Munich, Bavaria. With reference to text, source analysis and video clips, students then have to prioritise the short term consequences for Hitler and his followers and the main reasons why Hitler’s planned coup failed. The final part of the lesson focuses on what we now see as his success. Students again have to give reasons why he came out of this episode unscathed and to some extent even bolstered his reputation in the long term. In the plenary, students have to relay what they have learnt in a summarising pyramid. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship The aim of this lesson is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Nazi economy and Hitler’s economic policies. Students are taken on a journey of success, from video footage of the time to Goebbels propaganda, a fall in unemployment as well as the ‘Strength Through Joy’ scheme. However further analysis, especially with aims of the Four Year Plan under Hermann Goering and autarky, shows the enormous cracks appearing in Nazi economic policy. A further look at the Home Front also proves how desperate Germans had become. Students will complete their own chart and scrutinise the evidence to come up with their own conclusions before deciding if the Nazis truly brought economic success. The GCSE question at the end focuses on which groups were more affected with Nazi economic policies and a self and peer assessment task is included to help the students mark their answers. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

**AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship ** The aim of this lesson is to examine the role of the Churches in Nazi Germany and to decide how much control Hitler exerted over them. The lesson starts by studying Christianity in Germany and explains why there was a conflict of interest with the State. Nazi policies to both the Catholic and Protestant Churches are analysed as students have to interpret the threats they both posed to Hitler who wanted to control them. Furthermore students have to distinguish the differences between the Christian Churches and the new Nazi Reich Church. There are some excellent links to video footage which explain why there was such a lack of opposition and a united front from the Churches, despite such fortitude and resolve from Cardinal Galen and Martin Niemoller. A thinking quilt poses some enquiry and GCSE questions, which students have to answer by linking specific key words to them. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45 The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the problems for Ebert in the very early stages if the Weimar Republic. Students begin at first by assessing the value of a speech given by Philip Scheidemann. This is an introduction to the source based question and using a COP technique, with help given if required. They are then introduced to Friedrich Ebert and have to prioritise the biggest problems he faced as leader. Students are also introduced to the Ebert-Groener Pact. They are then given numerous scenarios of which they have to decide why he needed the help of the army and justify their choices. Finally students have to decide which events posed a threat from the left or right wing. This culminates in the Spartacist rising from which they answer questions and predict the consequences for the Republic. The plenary is a true or false task on the elections to the constituent Assembly. There is a enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

AQA GCSE Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of this lesson is to judge the contribution and impact Florence Nightingale made to medicine. Did Florence Nightingale singly handedly improve hospitals and nursing or were improvements afoot before she went to help in the Crimean War? This is the driving question students will have in mind as they evaluate the reputation of women, nurses and hospitals before the Crimean War. Students will also analyse the story of Florence Nightingale and decide which factors helped each part of her story – thus recognising and understanding how to link different factors to one individual. The lesson thus includes a GCSE practice question, a fabulous video link and literacy challenges throughout. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The resource comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

AQA GCSE Britain: Health and the People, c.1000 to present This lesson aims to assess how much the medical knowledge doctors and surgeons had. Surgery was limited without effective painkillers and relied on bloodletting and the works of Galen and Hippocrates. Students learn the various treatments on offer from wise women, quacks and barber surgeons and in turn rate each treatment and its effectiveness, justifying and concluding why this is. The lesson also includes a thinking quilt and a GCSE practice question where students critique an answer and suggest ways to improve it, using specific skills when answering a ‘usefulness’ 8 mark question. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The resource comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

Britain: Health and the People c1000 to present The aims of this lesson are threefold; for students to recognise the introduction of sulphonamides and how the first magic bullets were discovered, analyse the growth of the pharmaceutical industry and evaluate the difficulties of eradicating the new superbugs which are resistant to antibiotics and alternative medicines. The first task for students is to analyse the work of Paul Ehrlich and Gerhard Domagk in their quest to cure diseases such as syphilis, malaria and blood poisoning. Students then have to judge how significant their work was and justify this in a grid (from not a all, partially, moderately, substantially and significantly) The second task evaluates the work of the Pharmaceuticals such as Wellcome, KlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer, the positive work they do into researching new medicines but also looking at the negatives as well, such as the drug Thalidomide. The final part of the lesson requires students to analyse how and why there are diseases resistant to antibiotics using current research available from the NHS as well as reasons why people are turning in increasing numbers to alternative treatments and medicines such as acupuncture and homeopathy. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The resource comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

AQA GCSE Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of the lesson is for students to understand how attitudes towards Public Health finally changed in the Twentieth Century thanks to the work of Booth and Rowntree. A ‘new liberalism’ approach will be analysed, which recognised that being poor was not always the fault of the poor and that the government had to do something. Students begin by analysing the source, 'unqualified assistance’, evaluating its significance and then prioritising the main reasons for this new approach, as the Government reforms aimed to create a fitter and healthier Britain. Students have to fill in a grid which link the main reforms of Old Age Pensions, National Insurance, the Labour exchanges and school meals to the different groups in society and also evaluate the limitations of the reforms. The plenary focuses on a scrabble game and literacy skills to recap the learning of the lesson The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The resource comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship The aim of this lesson is to assess how effective the different types of opposition and resistance were towards the Nazis in Germany. This lesson is split into three main areas of opposition to the Nazi regime: resistance, non-conformism and open criticism. The lesson also looks in depth at Church opposition, youth opposition, passive resistance, Jewish resistance and the Stauffenberg Bomb Plot. Students are given a list of ways of opposing the Nazis which they have to categorise and through some independent research decide the best and most effective forms of opposition. Moreover by the end of the lesson students will be able to assess and judge why opposition was ineffective against the Nazi state. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship This lesson looks at how Hitler transformed himself and the Nazi Party to be able to secure enough votes to become Chancellor by 1933. Many GCSE questions centre around why people voted for the Nazis before 1933. This lesson shows how he was able to do this focusing on four main areas: Hitler’s beliefs, organisation, leadership skills and voter support. How Hitler dressed, spoke, acted and performed in public were crucial in his propaganda assault on the German people. Students write this up and evaluate the success of this transformation using worksheets, video footage and visual aids. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship This lesson focuses on the difficult topics of proportional representation, Article 48 and the new Weimar constitution. The lesson centres around how the Weimar Government was formed out of the chaos of the end of World War 1 and how the politicians decided to meet in the quieter town of Weimar. Setting up a new constitution was the first step toward democracy but as the students find out through second order concept skills there were many similarities as well as differences to that of the Kaiser’s government. Included in the lesson are a number of diagrams and information sheets for group work, an AFL sheet and links to the main GCSE question asked on the first slide. The students are introduced to the GCSE question on political and economic problems that the Weimar Government faced but this question spans a number of lessons before they can attempt it. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship This lesson focuses on Weltpolitik (German foreign policy) and the dangers for the Kaiser faced with increasing industrialisation in the country and his pursuit of creating an Empire abroad so that ‘Germany could have its place in the sun’. Included in the lesson are a number of sources and charts, links to videos and information on increasing militarism for the students to analyse and evaluate to decide the strength of Germany under the Kaiser and its weakenesses. Some GCSE exam question practice is included with help given to answer them if required. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The Holocaust The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the reasons why Josef Mengele escaped justice for the part he played in the Holocaust. I have been inspired to write this lesson after reading an article by Gerald Posner who spent three decades trying to track him down. The story makes fascinating reading; but was Mengele a brilliant mastermind at escape and evasion tactics or was it pure incompetence on the part of the West German authorities and a lack of will from the Western governments to track and find him? Students are given the context to Josef Mengele, his background and a very brief description of the war crimes he committed at Auschwitz, without going into specific details. They complete a missing word activity, before analysing the fake passport he used to flee to South America. The main task is to judge how believable his escape story really is, with some red herrings thrown in for good measure to get the students really thinking. Some key differentiated questions, an extended writing piece, with some ‘believable’ words as well as a thinking quilt will give the students an accurate account of his double life. There is also an excellent link to video footage of a documentary by Gerald Posner himself. The resource comes in PowerPoint formats if there is a wish to adapt and change and is differentiated. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.

AQA GCSE Britain: Health and the People, c.1000 to present This lesson focuses on the power of the Christian Church over medieval society and medicine and why Christian beliefs focused on helping the sick. Students explore the different types of healthcare on offer from the Christian Church in the Middle Ages including hospitals and learn why care not cure was the priority. They are required to analyse sources, reconstruct sentences and complete a key word summary question sheet to challenge their understanding. They are finally asked to fill in an efficiency rating of the Christian Church and then predict its potential (as with a house energy efficiency rating). The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship This lesson aims to evaluate how successful Hitler was in consolidating his power after becoming Chancellor. As Hitler contrived to win more votes, a succession of events throughout 1933 and 1934 helped him achieve dictatorial powers. Students therefore have to rate how much power in their opinion he gained from each event (such as the use of Article 48 and the Enabling Act), colour coding the power indicators after each. Then they plot these events on a living graph, thus mapping out this process, also having to decide the legality or illegality of these events of intimidation and communist scapegoating. Alternatively they are given a timeline in which they analyse each event and decide the positives and negatives of each of them and whether these contributed to an increase or decrease in his power. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship This lesson aims to evaluate the effects the Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression had on Germany. The focus from the start is to make sure students understand and recognise the differences between this event and hyperinflation, which they too often mistake as the same. Students learn how the events unfolded in America and the impact these events (such as unemployment and poverty) had on peoples’ lives in Germany using video, visuals and a written account of someone who experienced the full effects in Germany. There is a GCSE exam practice question to complete with students boxing up their answers using the sources provided. A find and fix plenary will assess student understanding and test whether they have a grasp of the effects upon Germany. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Rise of the Dictators This lesson aims to challenge preconceptions and assumptions that Hitler was a monster from birth, determined to commit mass murder and genocide. Growing up with his parents, his schooling, his move to Vienna and his life as a soldier are scrutinised as students have many opportunities to make judgements which are ultimately challenged at the end. The lesson starts with finding out what the students know about Germany after the First World War and which statements Hitler could have said or supported during his life. The lesson includes a lot of visual evidence (such as Hitler’s propaganda posters) and well as video evidence of his life as a young boy. There is a differentiated research activity in which there is a chance for students to conduct their own independent investigations before reporting their final conclusions to the class. This lesson would also be ideal for a non specialist or as preparation for GCSE if you are embedding source skills, teaching the interwar years or World War 2 at Key Stage 4. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to assess the situation in Europe on the accession of Elizabeth and decide how this will influence her foreign policy. Students recap on the foreign policy aims of previous Tudor monarchs and predict how Elizabeth will deal and react to some initial problems, such as the loss of Calais. Students will also be required to answer some key questions using the information sheets provided: Which country posed the biggest threat to Elizabeth and why? Was Elizabeth reactive or proactive? Did England follow a consistent foreign policy and who controlled it, Elizabeth or her advisers? Some exam question practice is included which will also the context of Mary, Queen of Scots. There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

I have produced these Bitesize Cards to help my GCSE History students revise. They summarise the content for the Germany 1890-1945, Democracy and Dictatorship course, which can be overwhelming for some students. They contain the main events, people and key words needed for the exam. Students can use these 14 cards in lessons or for homelearning to help them with recall, retrieval and retention. I also use them as starters in the lessons or for interleaving to help with the course content. I have broken down the revision cards down into the following themes: Kaiser Wilhelm The Treaty of Versailles Problems in Germany Super Stresemann The Rise of Hitler Hitler’s consolidation of Power The Nazi Police State The Nazi economy Propaganda Youth groups and women Churches Opposition Persecution to Genocide The German Homefront They have proved a great success as a revision tool. I have also posted them on our google classroom (digital platform) so students can access them, when GCSE practice questions are set or they are required to revise for an assessment test. They simply need cutting, hole punching and tying with treasury tags, or simply stapling together. I have included both PDF and PowerPoint versions if you wish to amend or adapt.