The aim of this lesson is to challenge and question the role of the Church in Medieval Society and after the Norman Conquest. On face value, the power it had over people was enormous and with power came great wealth, often at the expense and help of the population. But was it all corrupt and how much did people willingly give over their goods in return for salvation? These questions are explored through statistics, facts and video evidence. Students are ultimately required to justify if the Church was corrupt by colour coding and rating batteries (linked to a final post it note challenge) and evidencing their choices. There are also introduced to a number of key words which they are required to recall in the plenary. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end using a rate ‘o’ meter to show the progress of learning. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

This lesson explores the role of monks and nuns in Medieval society and Norman England and questions their importance. Students learn how people joined the monastic community and how they helped the local community. Students also analyse their dress code and the reasons behind it, before engaging in literacy tasks such as linking their daily life to particularly headings and writing a narrative account. There are accompanying worksheets and video links to reinforce the learning. The plenary of ‘find and fix’ challenges the students to rewrite and correct a number of statements made. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end using a rate ‘o’ meter to show the progress of learning. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

This key word literacy display has been designed to be used on classroom walls (or on display boards outside) when introducing Norman England to the students. It is an easy resource to print and will hopefully save an incredible amount of time and effort when incorporating literacy into a new or existing scheme of work. The slides can also be laminated and used as mobiles hanging from the ceiling or used as part of an informative display. The slides cover the following words and their definitions on the Norman Conquest: A Church, charter, commemorate, compare, crusade, Domesday Book, Doom painting, evidence, feudalism, function, government, Harrying of the North, historical source, infer, interpretation, laws, martyr, medieval, Motte and Bailey Castle, parish, parliament, penitence, pilgrimage, reign, siege, significant, sin, surrender, The Church, tithe. The slides come in PowerPoint format so they are easy to change and adapt.

The aim of this lesson is to understand the causes and consequences of Harold Hardrada’s invasion of the north of England. Students learn through narrative and video evidence of the forthcoming battle of Stamford Bridge and how Harold Godwinson was able to win, despite the hurdles Hardrada’s army put in front of him. Furthermore students have to analyse how much power Harold Godwinson’s army had and efficiency rate (as with a house) why Harald Hardrada eventually ran out of energy. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The aim of this lesson is to understand why Britain was such a good place to invade. Students are given a thinking quilt to link words and meanings together and challenge their reasoning skills. Further information will help them understand what Britain had to offer to invaders giving context to its cities, markets and population as well as natural resources and weather. Students are then required to justify why England was a good place to invade in 1066, with prompts and help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

Crime and Punishment The aim of this lesson is to analyse how and why attitudes towards punishment changed in the 18th and 19th Centuries with the development of ‘new’ crimes. Key questions are posed throughout the lesson. Why was there a shift from public to private punishments? Why was the prison system developed with a focus primarily on retribution and punishment? Why were there a change in attitude towards capital punishment and the desire to expand the police force? The first part of the lesson assesses the responses of governments to the crimes of highway robbery, poaching, smuggling, rioting, protesting and joining a Trade Union. Students plot the various crimes, giving explanations and reasons for the increase in crimes and how effective the government responses were to reduce it. There is a diamond nine activity and video link to help. The second part of the lesson plots the strengths and weaknesses of Government punishments such as transportation, the expansion of prisons and the police force. A thinking quilt at the end of this part of the lesson will check understanding and students can also complete some extended writing practice, with prompts and a markscheme provided. 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, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies.

Crime and Punishment The aim of this lesson is to ascertain how attitudes towards punishment have changed in the 21st Century. Students begin the lesson by deciding which punishments are new in the modern era (change) and which punishments have stayed the same (continuity). They then analyse how successful new preventative measures are being promoted through schemes such as neighbourhood watch and community policing. Students also investigate the different policing departments set up to tackle crime, such as Special Branch and the National Crime Agency. There is a chance to debate the morality of the death penalty and whether it should be brought back or not, with arguments given for both sides. The final focus is on the role of prisons in today’s society, never far away from the news headlines. A true or false quiz is also designed to challenge misconceptions and clarify current prison problems. Ultimately there is some recall practice on previous thinking about punishments through the ages, before students can tackle some key assessment question practice, with help and a markscheme provided 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, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies.

The Holocaust This lesson analyses the story of Anne Frank and celebrates her short life. It asks in a sequence of lessons I have produced, who is to blame for the holocaust? Was it the SS who rounded up the Frank family or was it friends or spies to blame for theirs and countless death during World War 2? The lesson tells her story and asks students to think of but, because and so. There are some great video links to accompany the lesson as well as some analysis on an extract from her diary and a virtual tour of the annex. A final true of false quiz checks recall and retrieval from the lesson. 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.

Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship This lesson is a study of the impact war had on peoples’ lives in Germany between 1914-1918. Students have to evaluate the main changes in Germany during the war and if they were positive or negative changes For example, the Kaiser being forced to share his power could be seen as a positive thing to many, but there was also a terrible shortage of food as the allied naval blockade really began to bite. Worksheets are supplied to use for evidence, as the students box up their findings ready to tackle a timed question for GCSE question practice. 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 suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCE A Level 1C, The Tudors: England, 1485–1603 I have produced this bundle of resources on The Tudors to help A level history students access the course and make the transition from GCSE to A Level smoothly. Henry VII: Students assess his character and aims and his continuing use of Government institutions, from councils, parliament and local lords to the changes he made in his collection of the royal finances. They will judge the significance of individuals, the economic development of trade and exploration, his limited aims in foreign policy, the consequences of his diplomacy, the role of religion and the development of the arts. Henry VIII: Students will assess his character and personality, the significance of individuals in his reign such as Cardinal Wolsey, Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell as well as economic development, his aims in foreign policy and the political, social, economic and religious upheaval caused by his divorce and the break with Rome. Edward VI: Students will learn how cold and callous Edward could be, the significance of the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland and how they tackled the problems of finance, the economy, law and order, religion and foreign policy. Finally they will about the key reformers and the new Evangelicals such as Archbishop Cranmer, Bishop John Fisher and John Hooper. Mary I: Students will evaluate the significance of her Government, the role of Parliament, her marriage to Philip II of Spain, the Counter Reformation, Marian martyrs and the economic situation she inherited. Elizabeth I: Students will learn about Religious Settlement of 1559, her character and aims and how Elizabeth’s Government worked on a local as well as national level. They will judge the significance of her foreign policy in relation to Catholic and Puritan threats at home and abroad as well as poverty with increasing inflation and poor harvests. Finally they will evaluate how much the arts, education, exploration and colonisation can be attributed to a Golden Age. All the 67 lessons include the two types of exam question used, with examples of how to tackle them, using model answers, helpful hints and tips, structuring and scaffolding as well as markschemes. However, please refer to the AQA website for further assessment materials as they are subject to copyright. The lessons are also differentiated and fully resourced and allow students to reach the very top marks. The individual lessons can be found starting here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12787897 If you purchase this bundle, then please email me for a copy of a free Revision Guide for this A Level course worth £10.99, which can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13150174

AQA GCE A Level 20 Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45 I have produced this complete bundle of resources on Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45 to help A Level students access the course and help them to gain a deeper understanding of Germany’s past through political, social, economic and cultural perspectives. There are 44 lessons which focus on the following content: Part 1, The Weimar Republic: Students will learn about the impact of war, political instability, the invasion of the Ruhr and hyperinflation. They will assess the issues facing Germany from 1924 and the role of individuals such as Stresemann and his impact on the Golden Age of Germany in his domestic and foreign policy. Part 2, Collapse of Democracy: Students will learn how the impact of the Wall Street Crash and the Depression, the appeal of Communism as well as Nazism, backstairs intrigue, Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor in 1933, his first Cabinet, the significance of the Reichstag Fire and how democracy ceased to exist as Nazis began to create a one party state. Part 3, Dictatorship: Students will learn about the impact of the Night of the Long Knives, the roles of the Gestapo and SS. the economic policies of the Four Year Plan, autarky and the impact upon workers of the DAF, Strength Through Joy and Beauty of Labour programmes. Finally students will study young people, women and the Churches. Part 4, Racial State and Impact of war: Students will learn about the development of anti-Semitic policies and the radicalisation of the state, the events of the Anschluss, Kristallnacht and the invasion of Poland. They will evaluate the effectiveness of propaganda, Albert Speer and the mobilisation of the German economy for armaments production. They will also assess the effectiveness of opposition and the policies of the ‘Final Solution’. The lessons are also differentiated and fully resourced and allow students to reach the very top marks. If you purchase this bundle, then please email me for a copy of a free Revision Guide for this A Level course worth £10.99, which can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13120888 If you have any questions about the lessons, please email me via my TES shop, or any other information about the course. I would also welcome any reviews, which would be gratefully appreciated.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to explore the problems of the rapid rising of mining towns and the lawlessness they created in the American West. Students complete a Head and Tails activity and a thinking quilt which challenges them to decide the greatest changes as well as the most important and biggest impact the early towns and settlements brought. There is some GCSE exam question practice on the ‘importance question’, with some help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice using an A-Z task is also included. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of the new inventions introduced in the 19th Century to the Great Plains to aid the Homesteaders and tackle the problems they faced. Students have to decide what a Homesteader would need with up to $1000 and use images to piece together how inventions would help them settle in the Plains. There is an effective rating activity using a battery in which they have to rate the most and least effective of all the inventions (or not if they take into account natural disasters). Some GCSE question practice focuses of the narrative account question with key exam skills attached as well as some help if required. The plenary involves students deciding on the answers to 12 answers. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice using the odd one out is also included. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of this lesson is to decide how much of an impact the Renaissance had on medicine with the new medical ideas and thinking. The first part of the lesson focuses on the King’s evil and how an average of 3000 people flocked to King Charles II hoping to be cured by his touch. The second part analyses the treatments the King’s doctors gave a dying King Charles II, sadly having a detrimental effect rather than a positive one on his health. Students complete this as a quiz as they decide which treatments he received, before checking their answers with a student friendly markscheme. As well as looking at a brief summary of Nicolas Culpeper’s ‘The Complete herbal’, students ultimately decide and evaluate from a continuum line if indeed the Renaissance had had a breakthrough on medical understanding and improved techniques to heal patients. 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 Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of this lesson is to assess how much and how far surgery improved in the 19th Century. The lesson is split into three parts; pain, infection and blood loss and will possibly take two to three lessons to deliver. Students learn about the problems of pain in surgery pre-anaesthetics and how surgery ‘advanced’ with the introduction of ether (William Morton) and chloroform (James Simpson) . A summarising pyramid challenges students thinking and gets them to understand why there was opposition to these new drugs. In the second part of the lesson, students analyse the new techniques used by Joseph Lister with his carbolic spray and evaluate his significance and impact overtime using sources. Finally in the third part of the lesson, students use a thinking quilt to question and comprehend the advances made in blood transfusions and the role the First World War played in developing surgery further. The lesson includes GCSE practice questions, fabulous video links to surgery both past and present and enables the pupils to challenge and question the ‘progress’ made by surgeons. Students can also summarise the topic by creating a road map using road signs to show the advances and pitfalls of surgery over time. 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.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to assess how positive the US Government’s early attempts were to ‘civilise’ the Plains Indians between c.1830-1851. By adopting a westward expansionist policy, students have to question how beneficial this was and for whom? Was America to benefit from improving the Plains, by ploughing it for farming, digging up its minerals for manufacturing or simply clearing its forests for timber? Students are given various scenarios and laws such as the Indian Removal Act and the Indian Appropriations Act and individually rate each scenario by colour coding a battery to signify positive or negative before coming to a conclusion as to who benefited from this conflict over land. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘write a narrative account’ worth 8 marks. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice is also included using causal equations. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The English Civil War The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the devastating consequences that alleged witchcraft had on communities in Stuart England. Students will be posed questions such as: Why were the Stuarts so obsessed with witches and witchcraft? How and why did the Pendle witch trials cause so much historical notoriety and infamy? and How could you even recognise a witch and why should they be feared in the local community? These questions will be answered and explained in this lesson, which ultimately focuses on the Pendle witch trials and its results for English society as a whole, who soon lived in fear and terror for their lives. Activities include evidence collection, a true or false quiz, a literacy challenge as well as video analysis. 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 suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

This guide is aimed at students to help them study, revise and be prepared for the AQA Elizabethan Historic Environment question for 2025. I have broken down the main details into manageable chunks using the 5 w’s of what, where, when, why and who , This guide has been revised from my 2018 version and focuses on the main concepts of location, function, structure, design, people connected to it, the culture, values and fashions of the time and how the site links to important events of the period. I have also included all the key information needed such as Bess’s background and status, the latest in fashions and the designing of Hardwick Hall as well as its furnishings and garden layout. Please note that many of the pictures from the AQA guidance on Hardwick Hall are not included due to copyright. Please feel free to therefore adapt the guide and include them. Any reviews on this resource would be greatly appreciated