I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess the growing discrimination and persecution of Jewish people in Nazi Germany between 1933-7.
Students begin by evaluating some Nazi propaganda posters and a source from an eye witness account to gain an understanding of the changing Nazi policy towards Jewish people.
They will also learn about the different laws and measures introduced and how these impacted upon the Jewish community living in Germany. There is also a focus on the Nuremberg Laws and their impending impact.
I have also included who was classed as a Jewish person in Germany and how this applied through their ancestry, rather than heritage.
There is some exam practice to be completed at the end, with a focused markscheme provided if required.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
The Industrial Revolution
This lesson aims to evaluate the problems within Industrial towns and the impact they had on the growing population during the Industrial Revolution.
The lesson starts by analysing the source from Punch in 1852, 'A Court For King Cholera’, which is later annotated to help aid discussion.
Various images, video evidence and headlines allow students to build up a picture, which they then have to explain to a friend in a letter - using scaffolding and a writing frame if required.
Students also evaluate how and why the living conditions became like this and question if this was the case across the country as they are given further evidence from the wealthy in Victorian England, comparing the dwellings of the rich and poor.
Students will therefore be able by the end of the lesson be able to give an effective and balanced answer to this 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 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603
This lesson looks at the significance of marriage for Elizabeth I and the subsequent problems it caused her throughout her reign.
There are retrieval practice activities to start the lesson including an odd one out task and ‘splatting’ the board to choose the correct answers.
Students are introduced to the criteria for why Elizabeth should marry and then check the criteria against the possible suitors, thus coming to a conclusion about the best candidate.
There is also a GCSE practice question to answer. There are sentence starters provided for differentiation and the lesson comes complete with fun activities and video footage.
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 aim of this lesson is to assess the validity of four claimants to the English throne in 1066 before the Battles of Hastings.
It also includes a script for those students who prefer a more kinaesthetic approach to this topic.
Each contender is introduced and students have to assess who has the best claim to the English throne, which on the face of it is a difficult choice, which each having a strong argument and motive.
This can also be completed by colour coding thermometers and rating them out of ten before making a substantiated conclusion.
There are differentiated questions to ask the students once this task has been completed.
The plenary asks them to think outside the box and link pictures to the issues and contentions raised.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603
This lesson aims to evaluate the threats posed by the Northern rebellion and the Ridolfi plot to Elizabeth.
Students analyse these threats and dangers to Elizabeth both through video footage and written text before coming to their own conclusions based on the criteria set out for them.
They complete an essay question on what they have learnt, using the structure provided and key argument words.
Ultimately they will recognise the seriousness and therefore significance of the threats to Elizabeth in her early years.
The lesson includes learning activities such as structuring an answer, analysing and evaluating the plots, the use of video evidence and using tier 2 and 3 vocabulary and argument words in an answer.
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 A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is decide how much of a threat Lambert Simnel posed to Henry VII.
Students are given the information about the role the pretender Lambert Simnel played and then categorise his Tudor rebellion into causes, consequences and events.
They are also challenged to think and justify who would have likely joined the rebellion and why, using a number of given examples of disgruntled lords.
Furthermore, they will be required to give a number of reasons for the lack of support for Lambert Simnel, culminating in the Battle of Stoke Field.
There is some exam question practice, complete with scaffolding, key ideas and a generic markscheme supplied.
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 GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the extent to which the Nazis created a totalitarian state through terror, fear and repression.
Students learn how the Nazis ‘reformed’ the police system, increased the activities of the SS, SD and Gestapo and controlled the courts and judicial system.
They will complete group work, with detailed information provided, ready to present their findings to the class and justify the extent of terror and repression in Nazi Germany.
The plenary will require the students to make newspaper headlines from their learning.
The lesson is quite literacy heavy and may have to be delivered over two lessons. There is some exam practice to be completed at the end, with a focused markscheme provided if required.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be adapted and changed to suit.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to question whether the Nazi economic miracle between 1933-9 was merely a propaganda myth.
The exam practice question is introduced from the start and revisited throughout to check judgement and understanding.
Students are introduced to the economic policies of Hjalmar Schacht and how he managed to stimulate the economy through building homes and autobahns, mefo bills and tax concessions.
Students soon discover how Hitler’s meddling and appointment of Hermann Goering to the Four Year Plan, spelt disaster for the economy. Through a variety of tasks including a true or false quiz, a positive or negative challenge and plotting on a graph, they soon build up a picture of what the reality was for the economy and the policy of autarky, despite the conflicting messages from Nazi propaganda.
The plenary requires them to describe, explain, list,correct or erase the learning from the lesson.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is assess the threat the pretender Perkin Warbeck posed to Henry VII.
Students are required to plot the causes, events and consequences of his rebellion(s) as well as discovering others such as those from De la pole, the Cornish and Yorkshire rebellions.
They are also required to evaluate the biggest threat of all the rebellions to Henry VII, including Lamber Simnel, Lovell and Stafford Tudor rebellions studied previously.
There is a key word literacy plenary to complete before students undertake some exam question extract practice, complete with scaffolding, planning ideas, the key information required as well as a generic markscheme.
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 GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess the effectiveness of Nazi propaganda and censorship on the German population.
The lesson begins by questioning what the students know about Joseph Goebbels and propaganda and how it could be used by the Nazis.
They are introduced to the different methods of propaganda used by Hitler and decide which forms would be the most effective at indoctrination. This is of course subjective, as it is hard to measure in reality.
I have also included a case study of the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936 and how the Nazis were praised internationally for their organisation and running of the event.
Finally the students will focus on the Nazi promotion of the Hitler myth before this is put into context with the reality of what Hitler was really like.
The plenary questions the students as to the extent to which the Nazis had achieved a totalitarian state with prompts to discuss and evaluate.
There is some exam practice to complete at the end of the lesson, with help given if required.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson to evaluate the success of Nazi policies towards its workers in creating a Volksgemeinschaft.
Students are introduced to the German Labour Front (DAF) and its leader Robert Ley. They examine its aims and policies in encouraging workers to increase production.
They are then given a number of statements which they will RAG rate (Red, Amber, Green) which will enable them to evaluate the successes or failings of the organisation.
They also learn about the Strength Through Joy (KdF) and Reich Labour Service (RAD) programmes and again have to analyse their strengths and weaknesses.
Some source analysis and skills at the end of the lesson will prepare the students for some source exam practice on Nazi policies towards workers, with help and guidance given if required.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess the short and long term impact of the Night of the Long Knives for Hitler and the Nazis
Students begin by analysing a speech by Hitler and his thoughts on a ‘Second Revolution’
They learn about the rise of the SA and are given the profile of Ernst Rohm and his increasing power.
Students have to decide through a number of choices as to why the SA were a growing threat to Hitler, the SS and the army.
There is a colour coding task to complete on the events of the 30th June together with the aftermath of Hitler’s purge.
Finally students have to justify the most important reasons and significance of the events before tackling a source based practice question on the elimination of opposition, with help given if required.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess how much of a threat early opposition to the Nazis posed.
From the off, students have to decide and give reasons why there would be political, worker, Church and youth opposition to the Nazis.
They then have to complete some source scholarship from an SS article, promoting total allegiance and devotion to the state.
The main task is to analyse the different forms of early opposition, such as SPD, KPD and Trade Union opposition as well as youth and Church opposition, giving reasons for why and how resistance was shown, as well as the Nazis reaction to it
A headline plenary will aid the consolidation of learning from the lesson.
There is some source exam practice to complete if required, with help given together with a generic markscheme.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to decide to what extent the Nazis achieved their aims towards women in Nazi Germany and the Third Reich.
Students are forewarned about how views today cannot be applied back then and therefore Nazi gender policies towards women, as misogynistic as they were, would not necessarily have been rejected but welcomed by women.
Some source analysis using images and text begin the lesson, as students gauge what Nazi policies and ideologies were towards women in 1930’s Germany.
They are questioned on motherhood in Nazi Germany and policies to raise the birth rate as well as the organisational apparatus established to do this.
There is a case study of Gertrude Sholtz-Klink before students evaluate the successes or failing of these Nazi policies and women’s role in the Volksgemeinschaft.
The plenary uses talking heads to decide who would have said what and why at the time.
There is some exam practice to finish focusing on the aims of the lesson, complete with a markscheme and help if needed.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to understand how and why Cardinal Wolsey rose to become Henry VIII’s chief minister from such humble origins.
Students are at first given a quick summary of Wolsey’s rise and subsequent fall from power with some differentiated questions to answer.
A more detailed and in depth study with some focused reading will require them to assess Wolsey’s character and strengths on his rise to prominence and royal favour.
Further Information is given on Wolsey’s role in Government and administrative skills before they give an analytical written account using key evidence.
The plenary focuses on some key spellings, knowledge and statistics learned in the lesson on Cardinal Wolsey.
There is some question practice to complete if required, together with a writing frame focusing on the factors helping Wolsey in cementing his position as Henry’s right hand man.
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 GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the impact the Great Depression had upon Weimar Germany.
Students are given the context to the Wall Street Crash and then have to decide if Germany’s problems throughout were the sole consequence of the Wall Street Crash.
They are given further details of the effects of the Great Depression and slump in Weimar Germany, from which they answer some differentiated questions.
Various scenarios are also put forward, from the social, political and economic effects, to who suffered more - the young, the old or unemployed as well as the rise of extremism. These can be debated and discussed in groups or individually.
The plenary further challenges which particular groups suffered in the Great Depression and why.
Some source exam practice can be completed, with help and structure given to answer the question if needed.
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 GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the consequences of Schleicher and Hitler’s scheming.
Students begin the lesson with a chronological quiz, recapping the events of the unit of work so far.
They are then introduced to Hindenburg inner circle and how he was influenced by them in his decision making. Students also learn aboutKurt von Schleicher’s tactics to bring the Nazis under his control. They subsequently have to put themselves in Schleicher’s shoes and unpick his decision making.
With Schleicher’s ultimate failure to govern effectively, students conclude by finalising the reasons why Hitler became Chancellor in 1933.
Students can complete some exam question practice at the end of the lesson, with structured support provided to help them effectively answer the question of Hitler’s Chancellorship in 1933.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is evaluate the consequences of the collapse of the Grand Coalition for the Weimar Republic.
Students begin the lesson with some differentiated questioning on the reasons for the collapse of the Grand Coalition and its immediate impact on Government, as well as analysing the opposition to the Young Plan and the effects on law and order.
They are also required to evaluate the impact of the decrees passed and the result of Bruning’s disastrous economic policies.
The plenary Is an odd one out activity to consolidate the learning from the lesson.
Some exam practice can be completed at the end, with help and structure given to answer the question if needed.
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 GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to analyse the appeal of Communism to German voters in the Weimar Republic.
The lesson begins with students evaluating the significance and inferences of a 1919 communist propaganda poster.
Students will engage in differentiated questioning linked to statements about the tactics of the Communist KPD Party. The lesson will compare the support for Communism with the rapid rise of the Nazi Party, examining the reasons behind the disparity in their electoral success.
Students will also assess and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Communism, providing reasons for their evaluations.
The plenary activity will be a hangman game using key terms from the lesson to reinforce learning.
To conclude, students can complete some exam question practice, with structured support provided to help them effectively answer the question.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
The aim of this lesson is to challenge the Government’s claim that during World War II, a Blitz spirit of togetherness emerged across the country in defiance of the bombing of Britain’s cities.
This lesson takes students on a journey through archive video footage, government announcements and source information to determine if there was indeed a Blitz Spirit during the Second World War.
Students are given details of what the Blitz entailed using some contextual evidence and a thinking quilt.
They then have to analyse and evaluate a variety of sources and statistics before they conclude and justify which sources best suit the driving question of the lesson.
The plenary is a take on the television programme, ‘Would I lie to you?’ and the idea is to again challenge assumptions.
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 activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials.
It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.