This is a card sorting activity to help students revise the American West for the GCSE. They are to arrange the 12 dates in chronological order, and then match the events to the dates. I have found that giving them a highlighter for drawing out the key information can be helpful. There is a differentiated version, for lower ability students, with 6 key dates. The information is less detailed on these as well. Powerpoint can be used to support learning, as it allows students to reflect on the reasons that the dates are significant for the Indians and the settlers. There are key concepts to jog students’ memory on the powerpoint. More able students can reflect on these questions as an extension. Which are the 2 most significant events in: The settling of the Plains The destruction of Indian culture?

This is a role play and chronology lesson for KS3, possibly KS4. Students are assigned a country to play the part of. These are differentiated as resources, but also within each resource: weaker students read about Austria and Serbia, middling students can have Germany and Russia and more able students can have France and Britain. Students are shown the July Crisis unfolding on the powerpoint. They must decide what they would feel, advise or actually do on each of the 6 dates / events shown. There are many opportunities for class discussion through the exercise, as students can be asked what they feel so far, whether they have taken any actions or merely advised one action or other to their allies. There is a seperate worksheet for students who would not react well to the role play aspect. As an extension, (more able?) students can explain whether their country triggered war, willingly went to war or were dragged unwillingly to war. The second activity is a chronology activity to decide what order events happened in as countries slid to war. Students look at 12 events and decide the order in which they happened. This can be done as a card sort or numbering activity. Answers can be shown later on the powerpoint. Students can also be asked whether Franz Ferdinand’s murder simply brought forward a war than was inevitable at some point.

This is for GCSE Medicine. Students look through the pieces of evidence. They decide which of these suggest that Islam helped medicine, and which suggest that Islam hindered it. It can be done as a card sort, cut and stick or highlighting activity. Higher ability students can be challenged, particularly in a card sort, to prioritise the pieces of evidence on either side of the argument. There are extension questions provided at the end of the task. There are resources for higher and lower ability students included This can lead to a class debate or a piece of extended writing.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that Islamic medicine was different to Europe’s. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons. This can lead to a class discussion. Categories could include, but not be limited to, knowledge, doctors/surgeons, religion, care for the sick and others.

This is a sample paragraph to supply students doing the SHP controlled assessment question on Quarry Bank Mill. Students are invited to read through the answers, and highlight what is done well in each They will find that the second question is far more thorough than the first, as it compares the importance of factors to the site / context and then to other factors. They can label on the second page where this happens.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that countries wanted colonies in C19th. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons. There is also further pair of differentiated extensions to suit different abilities. This can lead to a class discussion. Categories could include, but not be limited to, economic military, political and other factors.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that the US economy boomed in the 1920s. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons. There is also an exam question, suitable for the new GCSE. This can lead to a class discussion. Categories could include, but not be limited to, new products/services, new techniques/technologies, confidence in banks/economy and others.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that the US economy had weaknesses in the 1920s. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons, and who was most affected by different problems – this is scaffolded for weaker students. This can lead to a class discussion. Categories could include, but not be limited to, farmers unemployed, black Americans and others.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that FDR was elected in 1932. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons. There are further extension questions, differentiated for more / less able students. This can lead to a class discussion. Categories could include, but not be limited to, FDR’s personality, failings of Republicans, FDR’s policies, FDR’s methods and others.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that the American West was lawless. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons, and there is a further extension question for more able students. This can lead to a class discussion. Categories could include, but not be limited to, social, economic, cultural political and other factors.

This is a resource for KS3 History students. Students look through the pieces of evidence. They decide which of these suggest a real plot, and which suggest that there was a government cover-up. It can be done as a card sort, cut and stick or highlighting activity. Higher ability students can be challenged, particularly in a card sort, to prioritise the pieces of evidence on either side of the argument. There are resources for higher and lower ability students included This can lead to a class debate or a piece of extended writing.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that life in trenches was difficult. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons, and there is a further extension question for more able students. This can lead to a class discussion. Categories could include, but not be limited to, health//hygiene, time, mental health and others.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that D Day was successful. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons, and there is a further extension question for more ale students. This can lead to a class discussion. Categories could include, but not be limited to, the actions of the Allies, Germany’s weaknesses, planning, leadership and others.

This is a resource for GCSE students. I have used it with the new GCSE spec for US History. Students highlight the positives and negatives of the New Deal. This can lead to judgment and priority activities, which are structured at the bottom of the lower ability sheet. I have also used it to lead to an overall debate on how successful the New Deal was. There is a higher ability sheet without the judgement sentences too, so that they must do their own wrting.

This is a resource for GCSE students. I have used it with the new GCSE spec for US History. Students are encouraged to look at Hoover’s and FDR’s beliefs on the causes, course and remedies to the Depression. They use the quotes and info on the powerpoint to help them decide which were Hoover’s / FDR’s ideas. This can lead to a discussion on who would be the better presidential candidate and why. On p2 of the worksheet, students choose up to 3 reasons why FDR won, based on their respective campaigns. This can be done individually, or a paired thinking skill. With the Hoover’s solutions worksheet, students match up the problems that Hoover faced to the solution that he came up with. Answers are on the Hoover’s solutions ppt. As an extension students can decide why Hoover’s solutions were too little, too late. This can lead to class discussion. It can be used as a reference point when you start the New Deal, as many of Hoover’s policies served as inspirations for FDR’s solutions. Students can watch the YouTube link on the Bonus marchers and explain how big an impact it had on the election outcome. Without it, would FDR still have won? Why / not?

This is a card sorting resource for KS4 students. I have used it with the new GCSE spec for US History. Students read examples of reasons why the Depression happened. They arrange them into the longer term causes and the stock market’s problems (make clear – or allow the more able to work out – that it was these mainly that led to Wall St crashing, and the longer term ones that made the crash turn to depression). They are then invited to prioritise the reasons in each of the two categories, and explain a judgement of the most important to do with longer term causes and the stock market’s problems.There is an exam-style question for the GCSE spec for US History at the bottom of the sheet. This can lead to a debate or piece of extended writing.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that the League failed in the 1930s. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons, which were short and long term factors and some examples of each factor. This can lead to a class discussion, or an exam question on why the League failed. Categories could incllude, but not be limited to, Hitler, the League’s members, the actions of powerful countries, the actions of Britain and France, the League’s weaknesses, and others.

This is an activity for GCSE students. They should arrange the events into chronological order - it can be done as a card sort, cut and stick or a numbering exercise. AS an extension they then have a series of questions to answer to explain and justify their thoughts on the Japanese invasion and the lack of adequate response of the League. This is an excellent resource to stimulate debate of the Japanese and the League.

This is a card sort or diamond 9 activity designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise the reasons that Japan invaded Manchuria. Students are then challenged to justify their decision on the most important of the reasons, and give their own reactions to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, evaluating the key reason and thoughts on the League’s role. Categories could include, but not be limited to: Manchuria (unique location / problems) Japan’s strength League members’ weakness Others It can be done as a Venn diagram using the second sheet.