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 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 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.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess the short and long term impacts of key events upon the Jewish community between 1938-40 such as the Anschluss, Kristallnacht, emigration and the invasion and Poland.
Students begin the lesson by analysing the events of the Anschluss and the impact upon the Jewish community living in Austria.
They are also required to match up a number of statements on the significance of decrees passed in Germany leading up to Kristallnacht and discuss why this event was pivotal for the Jewish people in Germany and Europe.
Further analysis of voluntary and forced emigration within Germany and the key figures of Heydrich and Eichmann will give the students an in-depth and rounded study of the period, together with details of the flawed Madagascar plan.
The lesson will culminate with a final assessment of the invasion of Poland will require them to prioritise the most important reasons for a change in policy towards the Jewish question in Europe.
There is a thinking hats plenary to finish with some exam question practice, complete with markscheme finishes 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 changed and adapted 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 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 First World War **
The aim of this lesson is to question whether the Government was right to punish conscientious objectors during World War I and how frightening it was for individuals to refuse.
This is a controversial subject and was extremely difficult to understand and address at the time of the First World War.
Therefore the lesson explains why many people in World I refused to fight, despite government propaganda and pressure from society for them to do so as they became targets of abuse.
Luckily now there is a wealth of video and audio evidence in this lesson (linked to the BBC in particular) which deconstructs and challenges the old arguments of cowardice and shame as well as understanding individuals’ rights to uphold their beliefs and consciences.
Students are given two case studies to analyse before engaging in a mini debate on the right or wrongs to be a pacifist and conscientiously object to war.
The plenary challenges them to decide if the given statements from the lesson are true or false.
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.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to question if Mary I was fit to rule as a queen and as a woman in a man’s world…
Students are given the context to Mary’s succession as Queen Regnant and are challenged in some differentiated questions to predict what will happen in her short reign.
Using evidence from her background and early life, some guided reading and source extracts, students have to evaluate how and why the historiography of Mary has changed over time.
They are also introduced to key people and her advisors and decide who would have said what in talking heads plenary, such as Cardinal Pole or Philip II of Spain.
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 decide what Mary’s main priorities and goals were on becoming Queen.
Students learn the problems Mary I faced on her accession and why her and Edward’s reigns have been labelled a mid-tudor crisis by historians.
They are given a timeline of Mary’s rule to analyse and complete a diamond nine prioritising activity on her key agenda.
They will then be able to make a judgement so far on how fit they think she is to rule and why the historiography of Mary has changed over the years.
There is a key word bingo activity to finish the lesson as well as some exam extract analysis practice, with a writing frame and markscheme to help 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 assess the impact of humanism and the arts on Tudor England under Henry VIII.
At first glance and with a title in some literature of Henry as ‘the Renaissance Prince’, it would be easy to assume he fully embraced humanism and all the new Renaissance ideas from Italy. However, an in depth analysis from this lesson will bring this view into question.
Students begin with a reminder and recap of the Renaissance and the humanist influencers of Erasmus, Colet and More. There are some excellent podcast and video links to further enhance student understanding of their ideas and beliefs of humanism.
Students are then required to justify the view that Henry fully embraced humanist ideas with a focus on education, paintings, tapestries and music. This can be then tackled in some exam question practice, with help given and a markscheme supplied.
The plenary requires the completion of some multiple choice questions to check 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.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the success of Henry’s foreign policy after Wolsey from 1529-1547.
Students recap events leading up to the Battle of Pavia and Charles V’s dominance in Europe.
They are introduced to Henry’s policy of defence during the divorce and his quest for further military glory afterwards in his Tudor foreign policy.
They then analyse his policies towards France, Spain, Ireland, Scotland (the rough wooing) and the Holy Roman Empire and evaluate how successful Henry was in his pursuit of glory. They must be able to justify this with examples and details.
There is some exam practice to complete together with a writing frame, prompts and a markscheme to use if required.
There is an enquiry question during 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 GCSE Germany: 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship
The aim of this Revision Guide is to prepare and help students revise for their GCSE History exam.
This resource in booklet form sets the AQA GCSE Germany: Democracy and Dictatorship course out in two sides of A4.
This is ideal for the student who wants a quick recap of the course as it sets out all the main details, people and events in bullet form.
It is also great for quickly printing and giving out for revision lessons, interleaving or for homework, especially when the course content has now doubled for the GCSE exam.
I have included PDF and Word formats if there is a need to change or adapt.
This is easy to photocopy and includes a summary of the exam questions from the start.
Historic Environment Question for 2024
This nine page Revision Guide is aimed at students to help study, organise, revise and be prepared for the AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England 1568-1603 Historic Environment question for 2024.
I have included 6 possible questions for GCSE exam practice on the themes I believe stand out in the literature provided. Within the guide itself, I have broken down the main details of the Americas and Drake’s circumnavigation into manageable chunks.
This guide focuses on the main concepts prescribed by AQA. For example it examines the location of the New World and its growing importance for Drake and his fellow navigators, the function and structure of seafaring as new navigational techniques and ship design allowed more exploration.
It will also analyse the people connected to Drake’s circumnavigation including Sir John Hawkins and Diego as well as giving information on Drake and the different interpretations of him at the time.
Furthermore the culture, values and fashions connected with Drake’s circumnavigation are examined as untold riches such as feathers, pearls, jewels and gold became essential accessories for the fashionistas of Elizabethan England.
Finally important events are linked to Drake’s voyages from his initial slave excursions to his revenge attacks on Spanish shipping and his circumnavigation, as well focusing on the detailed maps and illustrations in his diaries and journals of new lands he discovered.
All the information and more included is advised by AQA through their Paper 2: Shaping the nation resource pack guidance.
I have also gained a brilliant insight into the Americas and Drake’s circumnavigation from renowned historians such as Ben Johnson, Miranda Kaufman and the superb Professor Jowett, as well as numerous other sources, including the fabulous BBC History Today magazine and podcasts.
The resource comes in PDF and Word formats if you wish to adapt and change.
Any reviews on this resource which would be much appreciated.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to ascertain how smoothly Elizabeth consolidated her power on her succession to the throne.
Students use source and documentary evidence to argue how Elizabeth used her coronation effectively and they and required to think how Cecil might advise the Queen from the outset to secure the throne and prove her legitimacy and authority.
There is a true and false activity as well as some source scholarship to consolidate the learning in the lesson.
Students also have to think why a proposed marriage of Elizabeth I to Philip II of Spain might have its merits.
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 judge the success of Elizabethan exploration and colonisation.
Students are first introduced to the most influential seafarers and martime explorers of the age: Drake, Hawkins and Raleigh.
Students are required to evaluate the significance of their activities, such as slave trading, the colonisation of Virginia and overseas expansion and attacks on Spanish shipping as a result of the attack on Sir Francis Drake at San Juan de Ulua.
They also analyse the reasons why exploration increased with new ship design and navigational techniques.
As well as focusing on Drake’s epic circumnavigation of the globe and the enormous revenue he generated for the crown, some misconceptions are also clarified such as what colonisation meant to the Elizabethans and how much overseas trade expanded as a result of voyages to the New World.
There is some exam practice to complete if required, which questions if Drake’s exploits were the main cause of hostilities with Spain. There is an accompanying markscheme to help.
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 GCSE Conflict and Tension 1918-1939
This series of eight lessons introduce the third part of the AQA Conflict and Tension course 1918-39 and focus on the origins and outbreak of World War II. Lessons come complete with suggested teaching strategies and differentiated learning tasks.
I have included many of the typical GCSE questions AQA have so far supplied, from source analysis, write an account to the longer 16+4 mark questions. The last lesson also gives some GCSE practice questions and examples of how to answer them.
The lessons are broken down into the following:
L1: Hitler’s Aims & Foreign Policy
L2: Reactions to Hitler’s Foreign Policy
L3: The road to war and German rearmament
L4: Reoccupation of the Rhineland (free resource)
L5: The Anschluss
L6: The Sudeten Crisis
L7: The Nazi-Soviet Pact
L8: Why did World War II break out?
Lessons also include some retrieval practice activities and come in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Any reviews would be gratefully received.
This bundle is the second part in a series of lessons I have created for Edexcel GCSE 9-1: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-1991.
The lessons are all differentiated, fully resourced, amendable on Powerpoint and are tailored to enable the students to achieve the highest grades.
The lessons will allow students to demonstrate (AO1) knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the period studied from the building of the Berlin Wall and its eventual collapse to the end of the Cold War.
They will also explain and analyse (AO2) second-order concepts such as change and continuity in tensions between East and West such as détente and Reagan’s Second Cold War and the causes and consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Prague Spring, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and Gorbachev’s new ideas.
The lessons are as follows:
L12 Berlin Ultimatum
L13 Building the Berlin Wall
L14 Cuba and the Bay of Pigs
L15 Cuban Missile Crisis
L16 Prague Spring
L17 Détente and SALT 1
L18 Helsinki Accords and SALT 2 (Free Resource)
L19 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
L20 Reagan and the Second Cold War
L21 Gorbachev’s new ideas
L22 Fall of the Berlin Wall
The lessons are enquiry based with a key question of how close was the world to a nuclear war using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lessons and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning.
The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as form mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question.
The resources include retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and GCSE exam practice questions.
They all come in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
**The development of the Plains, American West c.1862-c1876. **
This bundle is the second part in a series of lessons I have created for Edexcel GCSE 9-1 The American West, c.1835-c1895
Students will be assessed on their knowledge and understanding of the early development on the Plains with the passing of the Homestead Act of 1862 through to the second Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.
They will focus on the advantages with the coming of the Pacific Railroad but how this accentuated the problems of settlement and the growth of the towns.
Students will learn about the life of cowboys and what was involved on the long drive and life on the ranch. They will recognise the significance of key people such as Joseph McCoy, Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving and John Iliff and how they changed the cattle industry.
They will study the conflicts which arose between ranchers and homesteaders as well as between the US Government and the Plains Indians such as Little Crow’s War and Red Cloud’s War.
Lessons will target consequence such as the US government policy of moving the Plains Indians to reservations where they could be ‘protected’ and the changes to their way of life.
Furthermore I have dispensed with individual learning objectives for each lesson to focus throughout on a specific enquiry based question which addresses the knowledge and skills required for the GCSE questions and shows progression in learning required during this course.
Moreover it allows the students to critically think for themselves to decide who was benefitting from this rapid change to America as well as how and why.
For assessment purposes each lesson is accompanied by one of the three key exam questions with help and exam tips if needed. These can be completed in the lesson or for homework or used for interleaving.
The lessons are as follows:
L12 The Homestead Act
L13 The Pacific Railroad Act
L14 Problems of Homesteading (free resource)
L15 Growth of the Cattle Industry
L16 Life of Cowboys
L17 Rivalry between Ranchers and Homesteaders
L18 Impact of Settlement o n the Plains Indians(free resource)
L19 Little Crow’s War and the Sand Creek Massacre
L20 Red Cloud’s War
The lessons are all differentiated and are tailored to enable the students to achieve the highest grades. Each lesson also contains some retrieval practice.
The lessons come in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
This bundle is the first part in a series of lessons I have created for AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship.
As well as focusing on GCSE exam practice questions, the lessons apply the skills necessary to enable the students to achieve the highest grades.
The lessons will allow students to demonstrate (AO1) knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the period studied from the Kaiser and the problems he faced as well as the implementation of the Treaty of Versailles and the challenges faced by the Weimar Government.
They will study (AO2) second-order concepts such as change and continuity in the new Weimar Constitution and the causes and consequences of Stresemann’s policies.
The analysis and evaluation of sources (AO3) are used in for example the Treaty of Versailles and the Munich Beer Hall Putsch lessons whilst substantiated judgements are made (AO4) on political and economic problems of the Weimar Republic as well as questioning whether the later 1920’s really were a Golden Age.
The lessons are as follows:
L1 Kaiser Wilhelm II (free resource)
L2 The Kaiser’s Government and Weltpolitik
L3 The impact of World War 1 on Germany (free resource)
L4 The Weimar Constitution and Political Parties
L5 The Treaty of Versailles
L6 Political Uprisings – the Spartacists and the Kapp Putsch (free resource)
L7 The Ruhr Crisis and Hyperinflation
L8 The Munich Beer Hall Putsch
L9 Gustav Stresemann
L10 The Golden Age of Stresemann
Please note that setting a full mock examination in class after completing this unit is strongly recommended.
All the examination resources and markschemes are subject to copyright but can easily be found on the AQA website.
The resources all include suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and come in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Any reviews would be gratefully received.
This bundle follows the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum - challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day with a focus on the Second World War and the wartime leadership of Winston Churchill.
The aims of this bundle are to know and understand how people’s lives in Britain were affected by World War II under the guidance of Winston Churchill.
I have created, readapted and used these lessons to challenge and engage students, but also to show how much fun learning about this part of history really is.
Students will learn and understand key historical skills throughout such as continuity and change in the role and use of propaganda in World War II, the causes and consequences of the policy of appeasement, breaking the Enigma Code or the evacuation of children, the similarities and differences of life on the Home Front, the significance of Winston Churchill and interpretations about whether there really was a Blitz spirit.
The lessons are as follows:
L1 Adolf Hitler
L2 Causes of World War II
L3 Appeasement
L4 Winston Churchill
L5 The Home Front - preparations
L6 The Home Front - propaganda
L7 The Home Front - rationing
L8 The Home Front - women (free lesson)
L9 Evacuation of children
L10 The Blitz
L11 The Enigma Code
L12 Prisoners of war (free lesson)
L13 Occupation of the Channel Islands
This bundle on the Second World War includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials.
All lessons come in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
I have also included two free lessons in the bundle to give an idea of what is being offered.
I would also strongly recommend you assess students on this unit of study based on GCSE style questions from your chosen exam board.
This bundle is the second part in a series of lessons I have created for AQA GCSE 9-1 Britain: Health and the People, c.1000-present.
I have taught this course for more than 20 years now and have again decided to completely overhaul my lessons to bring them up to date with the latest teaching and learning ideas I have picked up and with a focus on the new 9-1 GCSE.
Furthermore I have dispensed with learning objectives to focus on specific enquiry based questions which address the knowledge and skills required for the GCSE questions.
As well as focusing on GCSE exam practice questions, the lessons are all differentiated and are tailored to enable the students to achieve the highest grades.
The lessons will allow students to demonstrate (AO1) knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the period studied from the brilliance of the surgical skills of John Hunter to the discovery of the vaccination for smallpox by Edward Jenner.
They will study (AO2) second-order concepts such as change and continuity in the development of ideas about disease and the causes and consequences for surgery with the discovery and anaesthetics and antiseptics.
The analysis and evaluation of sources (AO3) are used in for example Public Health in the 19th Century whilst substantiated judgements are made (AO4) on the progression or regression of medicine from the Renaissance pioneers such as Vesalius, Pare and Harvey to the discovery and isolation of germs by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch.
The lessons are as follows:
L8 Renaissance Medicine
L9 Medicine in the 17th and 18th Century (free resource)
L10 John Hunter
L11 Edward Jenner and smallpox
L12 Surgery in the 19th Century
L13 Florence Nightingale and hospitals
L14 Pasteur, Koch and Tyndall
L15 Public Health in the 19th Century
The lessons are fully adaptable in PowerPoint and can be changed to suit.
Please note that setting a full mock examination in class after completing this unit is strongly recommended.
All the examination resources and markschemes are subject to copyright but can easily be found on the AQA website.
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I have created these set of resources for the History GCSE Edexcel Historic Environment for the British sector of the Western Front, 1914-1918.
The central question throughout these seven lessons is to find out how medicine developed throughout the conflict of World War 1. They are closely linked together and address all the content required for this unit.
Pupils will learn about the injuries, treatment and life in the trenches for the soldiers. Key ideas include:
The historical context of medicine in the early Twentieth Century and the move to aseptic surgery
The trench system and its construction and organisation
The context of the British sector including Northern France and Flanders
The problems with communications and infrastructure due to the nature of the terrain
The nature of wounds received and the conditions requiring medical treatment
The work of organisations such as the RAMC and FANY
The significance of the Western Front for experiments in surgery and new techniques used.
The lessons are broken down into the following:
L1: Introduction and the trench system
L2: Flanders and Northern France
L3: Move to aseptic surgery (free lesson)
L4: Deadly weapons and injuries
L5: Trench warfare and the problems of transport
L6: Helping and treating the wounded
L7: GCSE exam question practice
Each lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies and are linked to the latest historical interpretations and ideas used by current history teachers.
The lessons are fully adaptable in PowerPoint and can be changed to suit. I have included a free lesson to give an idea of what is being offered.