AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to judge the threat Ireland posed to Henry VII and evaluate how much control he exerted over it in his reign. Students are reintroduced to Henry VII’s foreign policy aims and have to decide which one might be applied to Ireland. Anglo-Irish relations will be revisited at the end of the lesson. They are also given information on Henry’s policies towards Ireland and by using a colour coding activity, assess how much in control he actually was. Students are also introduced to Poyning’s Law and the views of two renowned historians to help them justify their conclusions. The plenary revisits Henry VII’s aims and students have to justify which aim is his main priority with Ireland and why. There is also some extract exam question practice, complete with scaffolding and a generic markscheme if required. There is an enquiry question posed and revisited 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 A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to decide Henry VII’s priorities on becoming King of England to restore royal authority. Students have to think which were Henry’s most pressing problems, before being given some help and guidance. They then have to prioritise which four things would be paramount to him for stability to his Tudor dynasty and explain why. Using the information acquired, they can then begin to piece together which problems he faced and why and plot this on a grid. The plenary requires them to write down the questions to the answers provided during the lesson. They are also introduced to a written answer to an exam question, which they analyse and evaluate before deciding which mark it could be awarded. There is some feedback from the exam board given here and a mark awarded. They can also plan an answer to this question themselves, before looking at the exam commentary, with a writing frame provided. 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.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is decide how much of a financial genius Henry VII really was. Students are given the information on how Henry collected his revenue and are introduced to key terms which they try to unpick on the royal finances. These include terms such as custom and feudal dues, pensions, Acts of Attainder and extraordinary revenue. They then complete a colour coding task to judge and ultimately decide which source of income and revenue he was the most successful at collecting and justify this with the evidence given. A recap on the Council Learned as well as challenging two opposing views of Henry, will allow students to plan and write a 25 mark exam practice question on the royal finances. There is a writing frame and a comprehensive markscheme given if required. 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.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the character and personal qualities of Henry VII and to question how legitimate his claim to the throne really was. The timeline of the houses and York and Lancaster are again analysed, as students are given more information of John of Gaunt’s line and the marriage to his third wife, Katherine Swynford. Using extracts from two renowned historians, students study Henry VII’s character and personality traits to build up more of a picture of what he was like as a person and his insecurities as a monarch. They are also introduced for the first time to some GCE exam question practice. This is their first attempt at a validity question. Some guidance is given on how to approach this and a generic markscheme is supplied to allow feedback once completed. The plenary uses picture prompts to recap on the learning from the lesson. 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 French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to analyse the events of the Storming of the Bastille and the subsequent significance of the Flight to Varennes Students learn through key questioning and some text analysis how and why the Bastille was attacked. There are some brilliant video links to accompany this. They will then be required, using a storyboard, to decipher what happened next and explain how these events led to a new France. They will also learn how Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to escape to the border and using a cauldron of significance, evaluate which key ingredients ultimately led to their recapture and eventual execution. The Octagon plenary allows the students to summarise what they have learnt in the lesson, from sights and sounds to numbers and actions for example. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies and is linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to question who supported the French Revolution both internally and externally The lesson begins with the students giving their own opinions as to whether they would support the Revolution. They are then given the context with a literacy challenge, as to how attitudes at the time began to change with the September Massacres of 1793. No lesson is complete without James Gillray’s ‘Un petit Souper a La Parisienne’, which is analysed. Some help with prompts and guidance is given if required. A study of the British reaction is also scrutinised as students learn how opinion became divided with the published works of Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine. The main task is to analyse how different groups within France reacted; these include the Church (with a model answer given on how to complete the task), the Sans-culottes, nobles, Jacobins and Girondins and finally Counter-Revolutionaries. Students can feedback and present their findings to the class. The plenary required a talking heads activities and to distinguish which group would be attributed to the various comments and opinions used. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies and is linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. It is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

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.

World War II The aim of the lesson is to question if it is right to help your enemy. Once the students decide what a collaborator is and the punishments involved, they have to make a judgement if they agree with collaborating in times of war or not. Their opinions are challenged throughout the lesson. They analyse the reasons for collaboration and complete a thinking quilt which challenges their literacy and evaluation skills. There are some brilliant sources to accompany the lesson, including visual images from the time as well as a case study of Chaim Rumkowski who helped the Nazis believing it was the key to Jewish survival in the ghettoes. The plenary is a retrieval practice activity deciding which is the odd one out. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning. The resource includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and 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 introduce the Fort Laramie Treaty and how the Government began to force the Plains Indians into fixed territories. Students have to decide and justify why conflict and tension grew between the Plain Indians and white settlers, with some red herrings thrown in for challenge. The terms of the Fort Laramie Treaty are given, which the students should learn and a printable worksheet is provided. They also have to rate the success of each term and/or facts about the Treaty by colour coding a battery and then deciding the problems each might cause. A quick fire quiz also will reinforce their learning. There is some GCSE question practice on the consequences question, with some help given if required. A play your cards right plenary (complete with music) will test chronology and understanding from this and previous lessons. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice is also included on the first slide on treaties. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to analyse some of the problems the early settlers faced moving west onto the Great Plains. Students have to work out the initial problems and challenges of settlement through various images and think through how they could solve these. They also have to decide how to deal with the swarms of locusts that descended on the Great Plain such as in 1874 when an estimated 120 billion grasshoppers devastated over 300,000 square kilometres of land. There is some GCSE exam question practice on the consequences question with some help given if required. The plenary requires students to use dice to pick and link key words together to create sentences. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice with talking heads is also included on the front slide. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to explore the problems of the rapid rising of mining towns and the lawlessness they created in the American West. Students complete a Head and Tails activity and a thinking quilt which challenges them to decide the greatest changes as well as the most important and biggest impact the early towns and settlements brought. There is some GCSE exam question practice on the ‘importance question’, with some help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice using an A-Z task is also included. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson examines the process and problems of migration using the Oregon Trail and the discovery of Gold in California in 1849. Students analyse the positive and negative effects of migrating to California as well as conflict over resources and are then challenged to link statistics to the various facts shown on the Gold Rush. There is some text analysis on the Donner Party and its consequences with key questions as well as video footage to reinforce the learning. Some GCSE question practice focuses of the narrative account question with key exam skills attached as well as some help if required. The plenary uses an interactive hangman game. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice using the odd one out is also included. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to assess the importance of Billy the Kid in the continued problems of law and order in the Wild West. Students learn about his story from a young age to him acquiring his notorious reputation as an outlaw and have to emoji rate each part of it to judge how bad he really was. They have to give reasons for each of their judgements before they give an overall assessment of his life. There is an excellent link to a documentary to reinforce the learning. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘importance’ question worth 8 marks, with help given if needed. The plenary uses key letters of the alphabet to link to the learning of the lesson. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included linking their prior knowledge of law and order in the towns It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to understand the reasons for the relative success of Red Cloud against the US Government as opposed to Little Crow and Black Kettle. Students have to piece together the causes behind Red Cloud’s decision for going to war despite his tribe being divided and the awareness of the previous consequences of fighting back. They learn about Fetterman’s Trap and the second Fort Laramie Treaty. They then have to decide the reasons or limits of Red Cloud’s success (such as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse refusing to sign the Treaty). I have also included an interactive click and drag exercise using activex textboxes which moves text to complete gap fills to reinforce the learning of the lesson. The plenary uses an interactive flashcard activity linking to Plains Indian Chiefs. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘write a narrative account’ worth 8 marks, with help given if needed. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included linking key words together. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to explore the consequences of the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876 as public perceptions of the Plains Indians changed from weak savages to a real threat. Students are introduced to General Custer before analysing some text on the causes of the Battle (Custer’s Last Stand) and his subsequent defeat. For further challenge, they are then given some fragments of sentences which they have to fill out and complete. They are also required use key words to evaluate the consequences of the battle and recognise a new direction of policy for the US Government when dealing with the Plains Indians. The plenary is to create a brewing pot of ingredients which led to Custer’s Last Stand and defeat. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice is also included to recall the significance of treaties. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 The aim of this lesson is to make sure students are able to remember the finer points of the Treaty of Versailles, 1919. By the end of the lesson they should be able to give an accurate, detailed knowledge and understanding of which parts of the Treaty of Versailles the Germans hated the most and why Using a podcast, video evidence and different revision techniques in the classroom such as using a chatterbox, students using this lesson will have the tools required to answer a GCSE practice question making substantiated judgements. Furthermore they are given a student friendly markscheme which they can use to peer assess their work. This lesson has a variety of learning strategies to enable a fun, engaging and challenging lesson. 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, some 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 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.