AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to judge the success of Elizabethan exploration and colonisation. Students are first introduced to the most influential seafarers of the age; Drake, Hawkins and Raleigh Students are required to evaluate the significance of their activities, such as slave trading, the colonisation of Virginia and attacks on Spanish shipping as a result of the attack on San Juan de Ulua. They also analyse the reasons why exploration increased with new ship design and navigational techniques. As well as focusing on Drake’s epic circumnavigation of the globe and the enormous revenue he generated for the crown, some misconceptions are also clarified such as what colonisation meant to the Elizabethans and how much overseas trade expanded as a result of voyages to the New World. There is some exam practice to complete if required, which questions if Drake’s exploits were the main cause of hostilities with Spain. 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.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson explores the role of the Chief in Plains Indian society, with his different qualities and duties to perform. Students learn as each tribe could have many chiefs, this led to confusion and distrust amongst the US Government Officials who struggled to come to terms with their customs and traditions. Famous Chiefs such as Sitting Bull are analysed as well as the role of a council. Students will also evaluate the role of warrior brotherhoods and women in Plains Indian society. Students are also questioned on how the Plains Indians way of life might change if the US Government struggled to develop relationship with them due to the tribes having many Chiefs. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some key word retrieval practice is also included. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 The aim of this lesson is to understand how the Soviet Union reacted to any deviation from Soviet policy and control in 1968-9. Students will learn how and why Dubcek introduced a series of reforms to give his people greater freedoms. Having analysed the reforms, students have to decide if they were social, political or economic and which problems were the greatest threat to the stability of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Students will also study Dubcek’s road map to peace and are asked some challenging questions using the information provided. The Soviet reaction is evaluated in a series of options for the students to choose and some differentiated source analysis. Finally, the impact of the Brezhnev doctrine is assessed for Czechoslovakia, relations between the satellite states, relations between the USA and the Soviet Union as well as the reputation of the USA internationally with their response to the crisis. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated material and GCSE question practice. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Edexcel Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 The lesson aims to explore the significance of the formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact Students are given the context of why each organisation was formed and then have to analyse each flag and explain the important of each symbol using prompts to guide them. Furthermore students will need to discover how far Stalin is telling the truth about the Warsaw Pact in a true or false quiz. There is a GCSE practice question on importance to complete with help if required and a model answer given. Finally, students complete a checkpoint retrieval activity and challenge tasks to finish and reinforce 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 throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated material and GCSE question practice. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 This lesson aims to explore the reasons why the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and the effect it had on Détente and international relations. Students are given a quick Geography lesson before deciphering some text mapping to work out the events leading up to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. They are also required to complete some questions relating to the Carter Doctrine as a consequence of the invasion. There is a colour coding activity to complete on the impact of the invasion as well as a true or false quiz on the deterioration of international relations. The plenary uses statistics to get the students thinking about the human as well as the financial cost of the war. There is some GCSE question practice to complete, with help given and a student friendly markscheme if required. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated material and GCSE question practice. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

This lesson poses the question ‘How much of a threat did Mary, Queen of Scots pose to Elizabeth I?’ Students are taken through Mary’s life from becoming Queen of Scotland to the controversy of her husbands and her eventual house arrest in England. Through sources, visual and video evidence, students have conclude how much of a threat Mary posed to Elizabeth, after pleading their case through the eyes of Mary herself. There is some help to write an extended answer using key words which help mention cause and effect, to sequence events and to emphasise judgements. There is also analysis of the Babington Plot and a deciphering exercise to work out on how Mary was implicated. 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 American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to assess the roles of the two leaders of the Mormons; Joseph Smith and Brigham Young and examine the story of the Mormon migration West to Salt Lake City. Students learn the teachings of the Mormons and how isolationist the movement became in the face of so much hostility and persecution, which led to the westward expansion of the Mormons… Students have a choice of tasks using key questions or a story board to plot the life of Young and then annotate some text to analyse the leadership qualities of Brigham Young. They also complete a prioritisation activity as well as a planning thinking quilt of Brigham Young to ascertain his successful migration west. There is some GCSE exam question practice on the ‘importance’ question, with help if required and a noughts and crosses quiz at the end to reinforce the learning of the lesson. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice is also included. The resource comes in PowerPoint format is there is a wish to adapt or change.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603 What was it like to be poor in Elizabethan England and how did the Elizabethans deal with poverty? Moreover how did attitudes change and why was there a rise in the building of Almshouses by the end of the Sixteenth Century? These are the key questions focused upon in this lesson as students learn about the causes and consequences of being poor. Two GCSE practice questions are undertaken by students as they acquire skills in answering an interpretation and write an account question using the information in the lesson. Furthermore they can peer assess their work and note where and how they can improve. They will also by the end of the lesson recognise the significance of the new Elizabethan Poor Law and how the impact of poverty varied across the country which is needed to be able to obtain the more complex reasoning answers demanded in the AQA GCSE markschemes. 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 Dictators The aim of this lesson is to assess whether Mussolini’s legacy can be compared to Julius Caesar. Did he match up to his accomplishments such as the Julian calendar, being a successful military leader, a consul of Rome as well as an Imperator. Students begin by explaining what they already know about Italy and its historical past. They also analyse the rule of Julius Caesar and what he achieved in his lifetime. They will then be given facts about Mussolini’s early life and use the information to make a judgement about him as a person, using key words and a writing framework if required. The main task will then involve them plotting Mussolini’s life on a graph taking into account his successes and failures. From this, they will then be able to evaluate if he indeed deserves to have a similar reputation and legacy to Caesar, whom he admired and attempted to emulate in his Fascist Dictatorship from 1922-43. There is some excellent video footage to accompany the lesson, together with challenging tasks culminating in a ‘what is the question task’ and an ‘odd one out’ activity. 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 some retrieval practice on Dictators, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Rise of Dictators The aim of this lesson is for students to judge how much love there was for Mao Zedong in China and his Chinese Revolution. . There is also some retrieval practice which can also be used to tie with the other Dictatorships of Hitler and Stalin. This lesson can be delivered over two as there is quite a lot of information given so that students will be able to make their own assumptions and judgements. The lesson begins with questioning what the students already or might know about China throughout its history. Students will learn about the background of communism in China and Mao’s rise to power as well as his Great Leap Forward, which they will answer key questions on. They will ultimately be required to evaluate Mao’s term in office and decide how much love there was for him amongst the Chinese population with his policies on industry, land reform, women, education and youth for example. There is also an extended writing task to complete for students to show off their new found knowledge. They are some key words and phrases to analyse such as the Long March, collectives, purge, anarchy, the ‘New Leap Forward’ as well as the ‘Cultural Revolution’. 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 includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Rise of Dictators The aim of this lesson is for students to assess and judge the character and legacy of Stalin. The lesson begins by discovering what the students already know about Russia today or about Stalin. They will also analyse some video footage, complete a true or false quiz and then use this information to prioritise some significant facts about his early life. The main task will involve students evaluating how evil Stalin was, by giving him a rating out of 10 for a number of his policies during his rule of the Soviet Union, such as his Purges and the Five-Year Plans. This can be followed up by an extended writing exercise, using prompts and key literacy words to help. A Connect 4 interactive plenary activity will consolidate the learning of the lesson of Stalin’s life and his dictatorship of the Soviet Union. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and lessons 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.

Edexcel Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 This lesson focuses on the Conferences at Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam and aims to evaluate their impact on East-West relations. Students are required to decide who said what in a retrieval practice activity at first, before analysing the Conferences and evaluating what was agreed, bearing in mind a change of leadership in Britain and America between Tehran and Potsdam had a considerable influence on the outcomes for each. The plenary sums up their knowledge through numbers. Finally some GCSE question practice gives the students some strong and average model answers which they have to distinguish between and be able to explain why referring to the exam board markscheme. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and GCSE question practice. It also comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 This lesson aims to assess Reagan’s new approach to the Soviet Union and the reasons for a Second Cold War. Students learn about the precarious nature of the life span of some of the Soviet leaders as well Reagan’s background before he became President. They then have to emoji rate and judge his Presidency as to how tough a stance he takes using a number of statements. There are also some statement options to judge correctly as well as a differentiated questioning task. Some GCSE question practice on the importance of Reagan’s Presidency can be completed at the end of the lesson, with help given using a scaffold and a student friendly markscheme if required. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated material and GCSE question practice. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Edexcel 9-1 Medicine in Britain, Thematic study and historic environment This lesson aims to set the scene for the beginning of trench warfare and the problems for medical treatment on the battlefields of World War 1. Students will analyse the setting up of the trenches, how and why they were dug, which equipment they needed and how they used the trenches to defend and attack the enemy. They also assess the lie of the land and how this impacted on medicine and the wounded and the problems created. Activities include retrieval practice, evaluation of the terrain, use of video evidence as well as GCSE question practice, with help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

Edexcel 9-1 Medicine in Britain, Thematic study and historic environment This lesson aims to show the devastating effect upon the soldiers, both physically and mentally from the new technological advances in warfare used at the beginning of the twentieth century. The weapons analysed, for example, include the use of the Lee Enfield Rifle, the machine gun, grenades, artillery shells as well as the use of gas. Activities include retrieval practice, the evaluation of the weapons used and their effect on the soldiers, the use of video evidence, a true or false and noughts and crosses quiz as well as GCSE question practice, with help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

Edexcel 9-1 Medicine in Britain, Thematic study and historic environment This lesson aims to show how fighting in the trenches led to terrible injuries, infection and problems in treated the wounded. Students judge which medical conditions were the worst and rate them according to their severity. Case studies include trench foot and shellshock with an excellent BBC link to treating infection on the battlefield. They also learn the difficulties of transporting the wounded and which facilities were available for this at the beginning of 1914 and how this changed over time. Activities include recall and retrieval, evaluation and judgement, discussion and debate, a thinking quilt linking ideas together, as well as GCSE question practice, with help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson explores the significance of the Buffalo to the Plains Indians way of life. Students learn about how survival depended on the Buffalo for everything as they analyse which parts of the Buffalo are used for what and how each part had a significance. They can map this out on a printable worksheet. There is an excellent video link to Ray Mears and his brilliant American West series. The final part of the lesson introduces the students to the ‘importance’ question and some tips on how to tackle it for GCSE exam question practice. Some answers for peer assessment are given if required. The plenary requires students to answer questions to reveal a catchphrase from the lesson. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some sentence starters for retrieval practice are also included. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

Edexcel Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 This lesson focuses on the financial aid given to Western Europe as part of the Marshall Plan. Students have to evaluate how significant it was in relation to the Truman Doctrine and how Stalin reacted this ‘dollar imperialism’. There are differentiated questions which explore why this aid was also offered to Eastern bloc countries, how America was able to offer such huge sums and who received a majority of the aid. There is some text to therefore analyse and use to make inferences. The plenary asks students a series of questions which recap the lesson and consolidate their learning from previous ones. There is some GCSE exam question practice to complete, with tips on how to answer the consequences question, with a model answer given if required. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and GCSE exam practice. It also comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 The lesson aims to explore the cause and effect of the building of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. Students will first learn about why people such as Conrad Schuman were desperate to go to the West and how the Wall was built to prevent him and others crossing to the West of Berlin. There is some source analysis and a thinking quilt designed to challenge students on the social, political and economic impact of the Wall. A narrative abacus using images will set up the students to tackle a GCSE practice question on a narrative account, with prompts and help given if required. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated material and GCSE question practice. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The Holocaust The aims of this lesson are to explain who was put on trial at Nuremberg, the crimes they were charged with and their category of criminality ranging from major offenders to followers. Students begin by learning about Denazification and how this was implemented immediately after the war, before Cold War tensions took over. They also learn why Nuremberg was chosen as the place for the trials. The main task requires them to analyse up to 8 individuals and how they ‘conducted’ themselves during World War II. Students then have to decide which of the four war crimes they committed and which category of prisoner they would come under. They also have to judge whether their sentences would be death by shooting, hanging or a prison sentence. The verdicts are given later in the Powerpoint so students can check and compare their answers. There is an accompanying video task which looks at Nuremberg 75 years on, with some brilliant footage of holocaust survivors and the son of Hans Frank, the Butcher of Poland. The central enquiry of this and the other lessons in the bundle is to ask who was to blame for the holocaust? Students map out their ideas each lesson (which can be plotted in different colours or dates to show the progress of their learning and centred around a lightbulb) and build up a picture of how difficult it is to blame a single individual or event for this catastrophe. The resource comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change and is differentiated. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.