“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan My students love using these as a revision tool and also as an in class activity. Each of the eight hand-shaped cards has a key topic about the Collapse of Peace on it and each finger has a name/date/quote/statistic/fact on. Students learn precise supporting material which really boosts examination success. These aides can be reversed so students can test each other by reading the answers first and guessing the topic also. Once cut out and laminated they make a very handy and mobile revision aide and knowledge on them is extremely precise and exact.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This is a great lesson which encourages students to hone their historical skill of interpretation. Students begin by suggesting which of the historical characters are the ‘odd one out’ and this leads to a discussion about why so many of them were assassinated. From here we explore a detailed set of notes about those who opposed the New Deal and students complete the structured journalist activity to consolidate their learning. Students complete the lesson by reviewing some historiography and placing their argument within this. My students always make excellent progress in this lesson and I hope your students enjoy it just as much.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan My students always find Dingbats a really engaging starter and one which sets a nice tone for the lesson. The class then work through a set of detailed notes which are high on precision before consolidating their learning by selecting two reasons for and two reasons against the policy and using this information to complete the newspaper template. I hope your students enjoy this lesson as much as mine do.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This activity works really well as a starter to introduce the topic or indeed as a plenary to test student knowledge and understanding. Its very simple. Just print out and laminate the cards and place them upside down. Students have to choose any two and read them aloud. Once they spot a colour-coordinated pair (a question and an answer) they score one point. My students really love the simple activity and it really boosts their precision in historical subject knowledge. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson begins with a starter activity in which five factors are laid out on a pentagon for students to consider. These include the Wall Street Crash, Hitler’s personal appeal, propaganda, opponent’s mistakes, and fear of Communism. The class are then told they will revisit this in the plenary. The 19-slide PPT then talks through teacher expo on each of the factors. The class then attempt a 30-piece hexagonal card sort activity. This is colour-co-ordinated for purposes of differentiation. More able students will draw links between factors. The lesson concludes with a plenary in which they are invited to vote on the most significant factor. I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as I know mine do.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are invited to match up celebrity Hollywood actors with Shakespeare roles they have appeared in. The lesson title and aims as well as graduated criteria (all will/most will/some will) are introduced and there are some teacher expo slides which explain the concept of significance. This invites students to explain their perspective on what makes someone or something important. The acronym GREAT is introduced (ground-breaking, remembered, importance at the time, affected the future, and turning point) and examples are given to aid discussion and understanding of these as they relate specifically to Shakespeare. This information is then used as the class begin their main activity (to make a digital, written, or visual model celebrating his importance.) The lesson concludes with a Design Your Own Question retrieval knowledge activity. A consolidation homework task is included where students write an answer to the Key Question. I created this as a series of 2-3 lessons and its pitched at high achieving Key Stage 3 students for Shakespeare Day. If you have any questions do let me know and I wish you a wonderful day.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson begins with a starter activity in which students are asked to sequence four key events of American history in the correct order, the last of which is Ruby Bridges’ first day at an all-white school in Louisiana. The class are then introduced to the lesson title with graduated criteria (all will/most will/some will) and the PPT has some background information for teacher exposition. The class then begin their main activity in which they cut out 24 cards. The start and end cards are labelled but all the others need to be placed in the correct order using the heads and tails sentences. This then tells the story of Ruby Parks. The class then use this information to create a rollercoaster map. Examples are given and this enables students to consider which aspects would have been most distressing or dangerous. The lesson then concludes with a plenary in which the class are asked some comprehension questions on a famous Norman Rockwell painting about the incident to consolidate their knowledge and understanding. Lesson aims are revisited and a two-paragraph homework task is set. This lesson on Ruby is one that students always connect with and I hope your students appreciate her as much as I do. I don’t normally include URLs in my lessons because they expire but I’ve put in a link to a great segment from a chat show in which Ruby explains her role in history.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson begins with an Odd One Out starter activity designed to get students thinking about those who have given their lives for the Civil Rights movement. This activity then connects to the lesson title, and students are invited to read the graduated learning outcomes (all will/most will/some will). Following this, there is some background information provided for teacher exposition on Emmett. The main activity is then introduced: students work in small groups to sift through 12 pieces of evidence about his murder. As they do so, they write down their thoughts or inferences on the History mystery grid. There are 12 slides in which the teacher can run through each piece of evidence. By this point, students will have formulated a narrative of what happened and are invited to vote in the plenary. A written homework task is also included at the end of the PowerPoint. I hope your students get as much from this crucial history lesson as mine always do.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson focuses on the historical skill of interpretation, and students are invited to consider two different opinions on Malcolm X: those of conservative analyst William F. Buckley (who calls him a “public menace”) and movie director Spike Lee (who calls him a “freedom fighter”). The lesson has graduated aims (all will/most will/some will), and students are quickly introduced to the Starter Activity. This activity involves two sources showing different opinions on Malcolm X: one is a mural in New York which shows him as a martyr, and the other is a letter written to the FBI complaining about him. They complete a Venn diagram on these two sources to begin conversations about why there should be such duality of opinions on this Civil Rights leader. Then, there is some background information on his early life to enable teacher exposition. The main task is then introduced, and the class divides 18 cards into positives and negatives to help them form an opinion. This then leads to written and verbal explanations before the class concludes with a voting plenary to answer the main question. All topics on Civil Rights must be taught sensitively and head-on, and I hope this resource helps you bring this important leader and his legacy to life in your classroom.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This 47-slide PowerPoint begins with a Starter Activity in which the class is invited to guess the top 6 things a museum exhibition requires to be successful (this is done in the form of a Family Feud-style game). This leads to a discussion of the purposes of a good exhibition with a clear theme/concept and quality content displayed in an accessible manner. This introduces the lesson title and graduated aims (all will/most will/some will). The class is then invited to consider some key areas of the period, and an example of each is given (e.g., for example a signed Ruth Babe baseball is used to represent sports, a soup meal ticket to represent the Depression etc). The class then create their own exhibitions, ensuring they only select a maximum of 8 items and explain and analyse them as they relate to the period. When they present, the class peer-assesses using the criteria on the sheet (which link back to the Starter Activity). The lesson aims are revisited before the lesson concludes with a plenary in which the class is invited to take on the role of “Voices of USA 1919-41” or “Voices of the Future” and discuss their thoughts on a range of artifacts (these are provided in one slide, but it works best if you use those that students came up with themselves in their own exhibitions). I designed this lesson for high-achieving students, and it works well to introduce a topic on the USA in the 1920s and 1930s or to conclude it. This lesson is written in UK English.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This 46-slide PowerPoint begins with a Starter Activity, inviting students to choose what young people in the Medieval era would drink, with beer as the answer due to its safety over water. The lesson title and aims are then introduced, graduated into ‘all will/most will/some will’. Following this, students translate a source from an early Medieval cookbook, with background information provided for teacher exposition on food for nobles, peasants, and religious groups. The main activity involves students being assigned into groups with specific roles and completing sheets on 9 gallery points, followed by creating a role play of a modern student transported back in time to the Medieval period to investigate dining and food. An example play is provided for guidance. The lesson objectives are revisited, and the session concludes with a plenary activity where students add post-it notes to baskets to answer the Key Question and demonstrate similarities and differences. Tailored for Key Stage 3 high school students, it’s adaptable for slightly younger learners and presented in UK English.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This 51-slide PowerPoint lesson begins with a Starter Activity, during which students are invited to see how many world leaders’ monikers they know (Napoleon is The Little General, Churchill the British Bulldog, Mandela Madiba etc). Subsequently, there is an explanation of what Mary is best known for and how she acquired her nickname. The lesson title and progressive objectives (all will/most will/some will) are then introduced, followed by contextual information about the period for teacher exposition. The primary activity involves students walking around the classroom in groups to peruse information displayed in a Gallery Walk (consisting of 17 picture frames, which need to be printed and affixed around the room). Groups are tasked with assigning roles within their team (coordinator, recorder, timekeeper, researcher, presenter, and proofreader — these can be doubled up if smaller groups are preferred). Some of the information presented during the Gallery Walk suggests Mary does deserve the title Bloody, while other aspects remind us of the more positive aspects of her reign. It’s an engaging lesson that allows students to explore beyond the classroom confines, potentially showcasing their activities to a wider audience within the school. The students collectively complete their information grids and share their findings from the Gallery Walk, leading to an extended writing task centred around the Key Question. The lesson objectives are revisited, and the session concludes with a plenary activity where students indicate their stance on whether they believe Mary is deserving of her nickname by physically positioning themselves to the left or right of the room. It is tailored for Key Stage 3 high school students but could be adapted for slightly younger learners as well. The content is presented in UK English. Wishing you a terrific day, Dan

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson is titled “Is the founding of Rome myth or reality?” This lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are invited to match up some celebrities with their twins, before being introduced to Romulus and Remus. The lesson title is then introduced along with aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. This is then followed by an 18 piece card sort in which the group divide evidence into those that suggest the founding story was a myth and those that suggest there was some truth in it. A colour-coded version is provided for those who need a little more help. From here they then use the evidence to create a TV chat show segment to answer the Key Question. An example if provided. Students present their role plays and revisit the lesson objectives before the plenary in which they vote on the Key Question by standing up and walking to the side of the voting spectrum they agree with mostly. I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as mine always do. This lesson was written for high achieving high school students and is written in UK English. And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers! Wishing you a terrific day.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson is titled ‘What can we learn about Queen Elizabeth I from her portraits?” This lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which the class are introduced to a bust of the soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo that was unveiled at a Portuguese airport in 2017. It is a rather unkind likeness! Students are invited to offer their response to what they would do if someone created such a horrible picture of them and they then consider how an all-powerful Monarch like Elizabeth I might respond. The lesson title and aims and graduated objectives are then introduced (all will/most will/some will) and there are slides of background information about Elizabeth I’s reign to allow for teacher exposition. After this five major Royal Portraits are shown and there is emphasis on the inferences that can be drawn (rainbows for divine power, globes to represent world trade and dominions etc). After this the class have a summary of devices used and are asked to create their own portraits in the main activity. This works much better if you can book a session in your school’s Art Department and use real paint! The lesson objectives are revisited and the lesson concludes with a peer assessment plenary activity. This lesson has been created for high school students and I hope yours enjoy it as much as mine do. And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers! Wishing you a terrific day.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson is titled “What was Feudalism?” The lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are asked to draw a triangle and to plot down important people in their own school or education, with the most senior at the top. Examples are given and this leads to an introduction of the Key Question along with lesson aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). After this there are slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. The PPT then ask students to suggest Mr. Men and Little Miss characters which symbolize each aspect of the Feudal system (they make choices such as Mr. Brave or Mr. Greedy for example) and examples are given although they are encouraged to find their own too. They then use this information to write a four page childrens’ book to explain Feudalism using the list of key words provided. The lesson concludes with a fill in the blanks Have I Got News For You style plenary to test knowledge acquired in the lesson. I hope your students enjoy this lesson as much as mine always do. It has been created for high school students but could be adapted to work with slightly younger students too. And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers! Wishing you a terrific day.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are invited to comment on an easy, medium or difficult question on a cartoon which sheds light on the position of Black Americans from slavery to the modern day. The lesson title and aims as well as graduated criteria (all will/most will/some will) are introduced and there are some teacher expo slides which explain the concept of significance. This invites students to explain their perspective on what makes someone or something important. The acronym GREAT is introduced (ground-breaking, remembered, importance at the time, affected the future, and turning point) and after a few intro slides on MLK himself, examples are given to aid discussion and understanding of these GREAT significance criteria as they relate specifically to Dr. King and his significance. This information is then used as the class begin their main activity (to make a digital, written, or visual model celebrating his importance.) The lesson concludes with a Design Your Own Question retrieval knowledge activity to check understanding. A consolidation homework task is included where students write an answer to the Key Question. I created this as a series of 3 lessons and its pitched at high achieving Key Stage 3 students for Martin Luther King Day. Because I am British the words are in UK-English. If you have any questions do let me know and I wish you a wonderful day. Dr. King is one of my heroes and I am proud that this lesson will impact on your students as well as mine.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This resource is titled “CIE IGCSE History coursework (Component 3) Masterclass.” This 49-slide PowerPoint is a guide to Component 3 of CIE IGCSE History. It features all the key information students need to know to choose a topic, formulate a good question, research and cite effectively, as well as advice on how to write analytically and how to produce a satisfactory bibliography. Amidst the instructional slides are seven (yellow) tasks to help scaffold students throughout the 10-12 week process. This resource was created for students in high school settings and is written in UK English. I’d be so grateful if you can find time to add a positive review for this free resource. And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers! Wishing you a terrific day.

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan This lesson is titled “How have attitudes to people with disabilities changed over time?” This 73-slide PowerPoint begins with four starter activities. Students are invited to identify the famous people as well as their disability. They then come to the front and write down any other disabilities they can think of before taking part in three true or false questions. Lesson aims and objectives are then introduced before a series of slides of background information to enable teacher exposition (about Ancient Times, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Enlightenment, the Nineteenth Century, and the Twentieth Century). Students then test their knowledge in a Whose Line is it Anyway activity. They are then introduced to the main activity, which is to create a timeline using the information they have learned. They then show off their work in a Gallery Walk and there is a slide in which the teacher cold calls students to explain the major pivots in the history of people with a disability. In the first plenary students then come to the board to write down one way the treatment of individuals with a disability has changed in a positive way and one way in which it did not progress. In the second plenary they vote with Thinking Thumbs on the lesson’s Key Question. Aims and objectives are revisited. There is a homework task also. This lesson was created with a desirable difficulty level for students in high school settings and is written in UK English. I made it to use in Disability History Month (October in the US, November to December in the UK) but it can of course be used all year round. The hope is that by the end of the lesson students want to be part of the constructive side of the history of disability whilst developing an awareness of the many dreadful aspects of their timelines. I’d be so grateful if you can find time to add a positive review if you enjoyed this free lesson. And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers! Wishing you a terrific day.

This product is titled “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne – 25 lessons covering the whole book.” This is a 126-page PowerPoint which includes 25 lessons on the excellent novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne. Based in Auschwitz, an unlikely friendship develops between Bruno, the son of the Commandant, and a Jewish prisoner, Shmuel. It is a journey of friendship and adversity which introduces students to the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. It is beautifully written and perfect reading material for high school English students. Each lesson I have put together includes a starter activity, comprehension questions, extension thinking activities, a main activity, and a lesson plenary. Everything is in one PowerPoint so its easy for you to follow and reading homework is set at the end of each lesson. Every lesson comes with clear aims and objectives too. Please note you do need to purchase a class set of the books (or a digital copy of the book) to accompany this set of English lessons. Before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers! Wishing you a terrific day.