WiseArk Ltd which is a ‘micro-company specialising in supplying educational resources.
We specialise in resources for use in tutor time -many of which are also suitable for use in citizenship/PSHE.
We also have a range of resources to support learning in history.
I was a teacher for over 20 years so know from first-hand experience how engaged students can be when given challenges and puzzles.
WiseArk Ltd which is a ‘micro-company specialising in supplying educational resources.
We specialise in resources for use in tutor time -many of which are also suitable for use in citizenship/PSHE.
We also have a range of resources to support learning in history.
I was a teacher for over 20 years so know from first-hand experience how engaged students can be when given challenges and puzzles.
A resource which uses graphs, data and ‘shopping’ activities to help develop both historical and mathematical knowledge and understanding.
There is a range of 20 topics including the transatlantic slave trade, Britain in 1851, The Great Powers before WW1. (See below for full list of contents.)
Helps students develop their historical understanding and use of relevant skills, especially gathering information from sources that are not just written. Activities include: Using information to complete charts; Extracting information from tables; basic accounts and shopping activities; completing data tables by using calculations.
Requires students to use basic numeracy skills such as interpreting data from graphs or pie charts (and presenting data in graph form); solving problems using multiplication, division etc as well as fractions/ratios.
These are used to help develop historical understanding such as relative casualty rates in WW1, cost of living in the 19th century, composition of 17th century society.
Ideal for use as a cover lesson or a stand-alone homework (or for resources for ‘school at home’)
Topics covered: Roman Numerals; England in the Middle Ages; Martyrs in the English Reformation; James I & VI- problems with money; Emigrating to the American Colonies -getting supplies; England in c1688; Making money from the slave trade; The French Revolution: The Terror; Britain from c1750 to c1900; The growth of Middlesbrough in the 19th century; Food, diet and prices in the 1840s; Britain in 1851; Empires; Britain in the 20th century; How well off were people in the 20th century?; The Great Powers before WW1; Casualties in WW1; Food prices in WW2; Population, life expectancy and infant mortality; Battles and casualties.
Since the end of WW1 the world has never been fully at peace.
This resource is ideal for use at this time of remembrance (whilst also extending horizons to look at the wider world)
This resource shows in visual form how the past 100+ years have still been a period of ongoing conflict (despite hopes that WW1 would be the ‘war to end all wars’).
There is a selection of 50 different conflicts; a range covering civil wars, invasions and multi-national wars. The emphasis is on the post WW2 period to help support citizenship learning-in particular through helping show why there are so many refugees given the recent and on-going conflicts. (The emphasis is on the global community so wars such as the Falklands which was ‘just’ UK v an opponent are not included in this resource).
In the main presentation each slide represents one year (running through takes just over 5 minutes) with each year showing the selected conflicts taking place in that year (so some slides are rather crowded!). For each conflict the dates are given as well as one sentence about it (this only appears when the conflict begins).
There is also a power point presentation of 50 slides -one per conflict- as well as a word document with the same information.
Finally there is a set of three word searches featuring most of the nations involved in the featured conflicts.
A set of linked resources and activities to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of the chronology of British history.
This is an important part of the History National Curriculum but one which often causes students difficulty.
This is a sample of a selection from a range of these resources.
These are taken from the resources focussed on KS3.
These resources are designed specifically to help students in particular with the ordering of events. To help with understanding the passage of time there is a power point presentation that shows the intervals between events.
This has a range of selected events and is designed to convey a sense of the passage of time by having the transition between slides vary in length depending on how many years actually passed between events.
Each slide has a date, event and appropriate illustration. (Each event slide is on show for five seconds and the whole presentation lasts for approximately five minutes).
As a bonus there is also a ‘click through’ version of the slide show to enable the teacher to give additional information or discuss the event with students.
The selection of events is not meant to be definitive for the study of that period (it’s a selection not a comprehensive timeline!) – this allows for an extra activity/challenge of students deciding what is missing/what could be left out.
The same events are on a word document and to help with improving knowledge there are activities which involve matching events to dates etc.
The first involves sorting set of five different events into the correct order – available on power point and word document.
The second is a set of printable ‘cards’ which can be used for sorting or matching tasks (such as the matching pairs game) – each event is on a separate ‘card’ from its date (organised in sets of 10).
The third is a set of ‘domino cards’ to provide a more supported matching challenge; each card has an event and a date that links to another event -so making a sequence of events.
There are available the following sets of resources: (KS3)
Periods in British History
Medieval Times (2 sub sets – England ; Britain and other nations)
Tudors and Stuarts (2 sub sets – Tudors ; Stuarts)
Industrial Revolution (and farming etc – 3 sub sets: 1694 to 1803; 1803 to 1846; 1851 to 1901
Britain (and the world) c1714 to c1900 (3 sub sets: Britain and the World; Politics and Reform ; Society and Culture
Britain in the 20th century (2 sub sets – Britain in the 20th century; Britain and the world)
There are also resources on KS2 topics
A set of linked resources and activities to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of the chronology of British history.
This is an important part of the History National Curriculum but one which often causes students difficulty.
This is a sample of a selection from a range of these resources.
These are taken from the resources focussed on KS2.
These resources are designed specifically to help students in particular with the ordering of events. To help with understanding the passage of time there is a power point presentation that shows the intervals between events.
This has a range of selected events and is designed to convey a sense of the passage of time by having the transition between slides vary in length depending on how many years actually passed between events.
Each slide has a date, event and appropriate illustration. (Each event slide is on show for five seconds and the whole presentation lasts for approximately five minutes).
As a bonus there is also a ‘click through’ version of the slide show to enable the teacher to give additional information or discuss the event with students.
The selection of events is not meant to be definitive for the study of that period (it’s a selection not a comprehensive timeline!) – this allows for an extra activity/challenge of students deciding what is missing/what could be left out.
The same events are on a word document and to help with improving knowledge there are activities which involve matching events to dates etc.
The first involves sorting set of five different events into the correct order – available on power point and word document.
The second is a set of printable ‘cards’ which can be used for sorting or matching tasks (such as the matching pairs game) – each event is on a separate ‘card’ from its date (organised in sets of 10).
The third is a set of ‘domino cards’ to provide a more supported matching challenge; each card has an event and a date that links to another event -so making a sequence of events.
Topics available : Ancient Greece; Britain before the Romans; Roman Britain; Anglo-Saxon and Viking Britain; Periods in British history
An example of an ideal resource for a cover lesson or a homework task; each crossword has 20 clues which will complete the grid.
The full resource has 21 crosswords on a range of topics including: Battles, women and Germany. It comes with a free version that has the first letter of each answer as support.
The always popular activity (even for adults!)
This example document has three separate word searches each with answers provided. Each has a grid and 10 words to find.
The full resource has over 110 different word searches on wide range of topics including: Medieval life, slavery and WW2.
Ideal for use in a wide range of settings such as a last minute cover resource or basic homework task (good for getting students to organise their own time)
Maybe even to help staff relax at lunchtime!!
An example of the full resource which uses graphs, data and ‘shopping’ activities to help develop both historical and mathematical knowledge and understanding.
The full resource has a range of 20 topics including the transatlantic slave trade, Britain in 1851, The Great Powers before WW1. (Full list included in free sample)
Ideal for use as a cover lesson or a stand-alone homework. (Answers provided)
Helps students develop their historical understanding and use of relevant skills.
Activities include: Using information to complete charts; Extracting information from tables; basic accounts and shopping activities; completing data tables by using calculations.
Activities to help students develop their historical understanding and improve their ability to comprehend sources.
An example from the set of 20 source based activities – topics include castles, slavery & factory reform. (See below for full list of contents.)
There is a range of different approaches including ‘4,3,2,1’; ‘Who/What/Where etc’; extracting key points; combining information from a range of sources and comparing different sources…
Ideal for use as a cover lesson or a stand-alone homework.
Why the Romans wanted an Empire; Viking attack; Domesday book; Castles; The killing of Wat Tyler; The murder of Thomas Becket; King John: A good or bad king?; The defeat of the Spanish Armada; The Divine Right of Kings; Why did the New Model Army win?; The trial of Charles I; Was Oliver Cromwell a good leader?; Child workers in cotton mills; Living in an industrial city; Capturing slaves; Changes in Britain c1750-c1900; Factory Reform; Why did some people emigrate from Britain?; Why did people support Hitler?; Who was to blame for WW2?
An example of the full resource which has a range of timeline based tasks on a variety of 20 topics (e.g. Ancient Civilisations, British Empire & WW2) -Full list included in free sample.
Ideal for use as a cover lesson or a stand-alone homework.
Helps students develop their historical understanding and use of relevant skills
Activities include: Sorting information into order to enter into a time chart; Using comprehension skills to complete a time chart timeline; categorising information in a completed time chart.
This free resource is taken from a collection of resources that illustrate the role that Imperial forces played in WW1 -did you know that over 1m Indian troops served?
The wordsearch features fifteen of the nations that supplied troops and labourers to the Allied war effort.
In the full collection there is also a power point with a map slide showing the main contributors to the Imperial forces with each linked to a brief information slide; this information is also provided in a word document.
A worksheet looks at where Imperial soldiers fought and how many there were from around the globe.
Ideal for study of the British Empire as well as ‘Black History’
A simple sequencing activity to help develop chronological knowledge.
There is a list of events with dates -but events are listed alphabetically- and a blank table to enter the information into (so students need to sequence the dates first). There is also a support version which has the dates in order so students need to find the corresponding event.
The events are mostly those which feature in the linked resources on developing chronological understanding including the power point.
A set of four crosswords to help reinforce knowledge of Ancient Egyptian Gods, people(s) and places.
One on Gods, one on people(s), one on people(s) and places, one of places.
To provide a differing level of challenge each crossword comes with a support version with the first letter of each answer.
This resource features most of the same Gods, people(s) and places as covered in our other resources on Ancient Egypt.
The Gods covered are: Amun, Anubis, Bastet, Bes, Geb, Hathor, Horus, Isis, Khnum, Khonsu, Montu, Nut, Osiris, Ptah, Ra, Sekhmet, Seth, Tefnut, Thoth
The people(s) covered are: Alexander, Amenemhet, Amenhotep, Cleopatra, Djoser, Hyksos, Khufu, Narmer, Persians, Ptolemy, Rameses, Sheshonq, Sobekneferu
The people(s) and places covered are: Ahmose, Assyrians, Egypt, Hittites, Libyans, Lower, Mentuhotep, Nubians, Octavian, Romans, Tutankhmaun, Upper, Xerxes
The places covered are: Africa, Alexandria, Euphrates, Giza, Karnak, Libya, Lower, Mediterranean, Nile, Nubia, Pelusium, Saqqara, Thebes, Upper, Valley
They are suitable for use in class -both as a main activity and as an extension task- as well as for homework / independent study
Two activities to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of the chronology of Ancient Egyptian history -in a different, more ‘game’ approach than a traditional worksheet.
Both of which involve matching events to dates: (the same as on the power point resource on Egyptian history from 3100 BCE-start of the First Dynasty- to 30 BCE when the Romans annexed Egypt.).
The first is a set of printable ‘cards’ which can be used for sorting or matching tasks (such as the matching pairs game) – each event is on a separate ‘card’ from its date, organised in sets of 10 -there are two sets, but each can be used separately or the two combined to increase the difficulty level.
The second is a set of ‘domino cards’ to provide a more supported matching challenge; these feature the same events and each ‘card’ links to another forming a ‘domino’ like chain (which again can be used as a set of 10 or both combined for greater challenge).
A simple sequencing activity to help develop chronological knowledge.
There is a list of events with dates -but events are listed alphabetically- and a blank table to enter the information into . So students need to sequence the dates first (there is a sheet/table to help them with doing this).
There is also a support version in which the table to complete has the dates in order so students just need to find the corresponding event.
The events are mostly those which feature in the linked resources on developing chronological understanding including the power point-from King Narmer unifying Egypt in c3,100 BCE to the Roman annexation (30 BCE)
This resource is suitable for use in class as well as ideal for homework / independent study.
AAnother resource to support knowledge and understanding of Ancient Egypt.
This approaches the task of developing/assessing knowledge and understanding from a more ‘fun’ based angle. It features the range of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses featured in our other resources on this topic.
There is a set of 12 ‘bingo’ cards each with nine names from the 20 names (19 deities + Karnak) -each one is slightly different so there is also an element of chance.
There are two sets of ‘cards’ to use for ‘calling’ -one with a sentence description and one with just the name.
The deities covered are: Amun, Anubis, Bastet, Bes, Geb, Hathor, Horus, Isis, Khnum, Khonsu, Montu, Nut, Osiris, Ptah, Ra, Sekhmet, Seth, Tefnut, Thoth (+ Karnak)
Two activities to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of the chronology of Ancient Sumerian history -in a different, more ‘game’ based approach than a traditional worksheet.
Both of which involve matching events to dates: (20 taken from the power point resource on Sumerian history) from c5000 BCE -start of the Uruk period and increasing urbanisation to c1760 BCE when the Babylonians conquered Mesopotamia.
The first is a set of printable ‘cards’ which can be used for sorting or matching tasks (such as the matching pairs game) – each event is on a separate ‘card’ from its date, organised in sets of 10 -there are two sets, but each can be used separately or the two combined to increase the difficulty level.
The second is a set of ‘domino cards’ to provide a more supported matching challenge; these feature the same events and each ‘card’ links to another forming a ‘domino’ like chain (which again can be used as a set of 10 or both combined for greater challenge).
A resource to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of the chronology of Ancient Sumerian history.
This resource is designed specifically to help students in particular with the concept of chronology.
To help with understanding the passage of time there is a power point presentation that shows the intervals between events, from c5000 BCE -start of the Uruk period and increasing urbanisation to c1760 BCE when the Babylonians conquered Mesopotamia.
This has a range of 25 selected events and is designed to convey a sense of the passage of time by having the transition between slides vary in length depending on how many years actually passed between events.
Each slide has a date, event and appropriate illustration. (Each event slide is on show for five seconds and the whole presentation lasts for approximately five minutes).
There is also a ‘click through’ version of the slide show (same events) to enable the teacher to pause to give additional information or discuss the event with students.
The selection of events is not meant to be definitive for the study of that period (it’s a selection not a comprehensive timeline). It is also a compilation from a range of different sources this allows for an extra activity/challenge of students deciding what is missing/what could be left out?
A simple sequencing activity to help develop chronological knowledge of the Anglo-Saxon/Viking period in English history.
There is a list of 24 events with dates -but events are listed alphabetically- and a blank table to enter the information into. So students need to sequence the dates first (there is a sheet/table to help them with doing this).
There is also a support version in which the table to complete has the dates in order so students just need to find the corresponding event.
The events are mostly those which feature in the linked resources on developing chronological understanding including the power point-from 449 CE -the traditional date for the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in England-to 1066 CE and the end of Anglo-Saxon England following the Norman invasion and victory at Hastings.
This resource is suitable for use in class as well as ideal for homework / independent study.
A set of two linked resources to support knowledge and understanding of Ancient Egypt.
This resource features the 20 deities (+Karnak) that are covered in our other resources on Egyptian Gods and Goddesses.
The first resource is a set of printable ‘cards’ with one half having the name of either a God/Goddess associated with Ancient Egypt and the other half a sentence on their role etc. These can be used for matching pairs activities (Answers provided!)
The second resource is similar but set out as a set of dominoes to allow for greater variety and a degree of support.
Ideal for use as a challenge that covers knowledge in a different way to a conventional worksheet.
The deities covered are: Amun, Anubis, Bastet, Bes, Geb, Hathor, Horus, Isis, Khnum, Khonsu, Montu, Nut, Osiris, Ptah, Ra, Sekhmet, Seth, Tefnut, Thoth (+ Karnak)