American Civil RIghts This lesson analyses and evaluates the part Rosa Parks played in the Civil Rights Movement. Modest to the end, her one action inspired a generation and she is still talked about with reverence in American society today. (NB - Oprah Winfrey’s Golden Globe speech on 7th January, 2018.) Students learn about Rosa Park’s background and events leading up to her refusal to move seats on a bus, brilliantly shown through some video footage as well as documentary evidence. The learning tasks and the accompanying resources are differentiated to suit all abilities as students reflect and evaluate her most important significance to American society today. Students also have the opportunity to use a bus to show in the windows the problems she faced (at the front and in the doorway) and what she achieved (in the back windows). The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603 The overarching aim of this and the subsequent bundle of lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her reign. The lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this. The aim of this lesson is to determine why the Essex rebellion was different to the previous threats Elizabeth faced in her reign. Students learn about Essex’s life and the reasons for him turning on Elizabeth in his failed attempt to ‘protect’ her from Robert Cecil. Using differentiated materials and video evidence, they can either create a factfile on Essex or colour code information on his life focusing on different themes of importance. They then plan and write a significance GCSE question, using the suggested skills and tricks of answering a significance question as opposed to writing a narrative account of his life. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited 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.

World War I The aim of this lesson is to evaluate just how efficient and effective the new weapons of the Twentieth Century were. Students have two objectives; to rate the effectiveness and killing power of the weapons used during the war and to explain how well equipped the soldiers were in the trenches, particularly the British Tommy. The lesson begins with discussing the type of weapons used and for students to recognise the continuity and change of many of these pre, post and during World War 1. The historian Dan Snow is quoted as saying the British soldier went into World War I ‘as the best prepared soldier on the planet.’ The lesson subsequently unfolds to explain and evaluate the new weapons used and the advantages (or not) they gave each side. The plenary requires students to link the effectiveness of the weapons to images and to explain how and why this is the case. This lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout the lesson and this unit of study 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 GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603 The overarching aim of this and the subsequent bundle of lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her reign. The lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this. This fourth lesson looks at the significance of marriage for Elizabeth and the subsequent problems it caused her throughout her reign. There are retrieval practice activities to start the lesson including an odd one out task and ‘splatting’ the board to choose the correct answers. Students are introduced to the criteria for why Elizabeth should marry and then check the criteria against the possible suitors, thus coming to a conclusion about the best candidate. There is also a GCSE practice question to answer. There are sentence starters provided for differentiation and the lesson comes complete with fun activities and video footage. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited 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 GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603 The overarching aim of this and the subsequent bundle of lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her reign. The lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this. This lesson aims to evaluate the threats posed by the Northern rebellion and the Ridolfi plot to Elizabeth. Students analyse these threats and dangers to Elizabeth both through video footage and written text before coming to their own conclusions based on the criteria set out for them. They complete an essay question on what they have learnt, using the structure provided and key argument words. Ultimately they will recognise the seriousness and therefore significance of the threats to Elizabeth in her early years. The lesson includes learning activities such as structuring an answer, analysing and evaluating the plots, the use of video evidence and using tier 2 and 3 vocabulary and argument words in an answer. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited 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.

The aim of this lesson is to assess the validity of four claimants to the English throne in 1066. It also includes a script for those students who prefer a more kinaesthetic approach to this topic. Each contender is introduced and students have to assess who has the best claim to the English throne, which on the face of it is a difficult choice, which each having a strong argument and motive. This can also be completed by colour coding thermometers and rating them out of ten before making a substantiated conclusion. There are differentiated questions to ask the students once this task has been completed. The plenary asks them to think outside the box and link pictures to the issues and contentions raised. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

I have produced these Bitesize Cards to help my GCSE History groups revise. They summarise the content for the Germany 1890-1945, Democracy and Dictatorship course, which can be overwhelming for some students. They contain the main events, people and key words needed for the exam Students can use these 14 cards in lessons or for homelearning to help them with recall, retrieval and retention. I also use them as starters in the lessons or for interleaving to help with the course content. I have broken down the revision cards down into the following themes: Kaiser Wilhelm The Treaty of Versailles Problems in Germany Super Stresemann The Rise of Hitler Hitler’s consolidation of Power The Nazi Police State The Nazi economy Propaganda Youth groups and women Churches Opposition Persecution to Genocide The German Homefront They have proved a great success as a revision tool. I have also posted them on our google classroom (digital platform) so students can access them, when GCSE practise questions are set or they are required to revise for an assessment test. They simply need cutting, hole punching and tying with treasury tags, or simply stapling together. I have included both PDF and PowerPoint versions if you wish to amend or adapt. If you like this resource, please check out my full Revision Guide for Germany: Democracy and Dictatorship 1890-1945 which can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/germany-democracy-and-dictatorship-revision-guide-aqa-gcse-9-1-11764985

The Holocaust The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the reasons why Josef Mengele escaped justice. I have been inspired to write this lesson after reading an article by Gerald Posner who spent three decades trying to track him down. The story makes fascinating reading; but was Mengele a brilliant mastermind at escape and evasion tactics or was it pure incompetence on the part of the West German authorities and a lack of will from the Western governments to track and find him? Students are given the context to Josef Mengele, his background and a very brief description of the war crimes he committed at Auschwitz, without going into specific details. They complete a missing word activity, before analysing the fake passport he used to flee to South America. The main task is to judge how believable his escape story really is, with some red herrings thrown in for good measure to get the students really thinking. Some key differentiated questions, an extended writing piece, with some ‘believable’ words as well as a thinking quilt will give the students an accurate account of his double life. There is also an excellent link to video footage of a documentary by Gerald Posner himself. The resource comes in PDF and PowerPoint formats if there is a wish to adapt and change and is differentiated. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.

The Suffragettes The lesson focuses on the main differences between the Suffragists and Suffragettes, but also looks at their similarities. Students are asked as to why women wanted the vote and how they were going to achieve it? Further into the lesson, students have to analyse the various methods used by both groups and have to question, prioritise and justify their effectiveness. Included is a thinking quilt which tests pupils’ understanding and links the key ideas, dates, people and definitions together. A differentiated plenary questions and checks their understanding of the lesson. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited 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 A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is decide how much of a threat Lambert Simnel posed to Henry VII. Students are given the information about the role Simnel played and then have to categorise his rebellion into causes, consequences and events. They are also challenged to think and justify who would have likely joined the rebellion and why, using a number of given examples of disgruntled lords. Furthermore, they will be required to give a number of reasons for the lack of support for Simnel. There is some exam question practice, complete with scaffolding, key ideas and a generic markscheme supplied. There is an enquiry question posed and revisited 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.

The aim of the lesson is to analyse the power struggles between Edward II and his barons. Students begin by discovering the problems of Edward II, which they will rate in order of seriousness (and will find they were mostly brought on by himself!). They then complete an extended writing task with key literacy words given to help them. Students will learn about the central character of the story, a leading nobleman named Roger Mortimer and complete a missing word activity to find out why and how he escaped his imprisonment in the Tower of London. They then have to rate how much power the King had, in the struggles with this leading nobleman and his own wife, Isabella. Some hinge questions and a literacy task complete the lesson. They continue to plot the power struggle between the king, the church, the barons and the people on a graph. In a sequence of lessons they answer the question – who ruled in medieval England? This lesson includes: Fun, engaging and challenging tasks Printable worksheets Differentiated tasks Suggested teaching strategies PowerPoint format, which can be changed to suit

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is assess the threat Perkin Warbeck posed to Henry VII. Students are required to plot the causes, events and consequences of his rebellion(s) as well as discovering others such as those from De la pole, the Cornish and Yorkshire rebellions. They are also required to evaluate the biggest threat of all the rebellions to Henry, including Lamber Simnel, Lovell and Stafford rebellions studied previously. There is a key word literacy plenary to complete before students undertake some exam question extract practice, complete with scaffolding, planning ideas, the key information required as well as a generic markscheme. There is an enquiry question posed and revisited 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.

The aim of this lesson is for the students to assess how ‘great’ King Alfred was. Students are given the context to Alfred’s reign with his attempt to unite the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to fight back against the Vikings and their area known as Danelaw. There are quite a few key words used in this lesson, so students have to complete a heads and tails task. They are also required to complete a missing word activity as well as analysing his statue at Winchester. The main task will be judge and rate out of ten which of the sixteen statements make Alfred ‘great’ or not. An extended writing activity will allow them to make judgements and justify their decisions. There is also chance to complete a verbal boxing debate using some of the key ideas of his rule from the lesson. The plenary will check understanding with a truth or lie activity. This lesson is also excellent as an introduction to studying the Anglo-Saxons and Normans for GCSE. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to assess the situation in Europe on the accession of Elizabeth and decide how this will influence her foreign policy. Students recap on the foreign policy aims of previous Tudor monarchs and predict how Elizabeth will deal and react to some initial problems, such as the loss of Calais. Students will also be required to answer some key questions using the information sheets provided: Which country posed the biggest threat to Elizabeth and why? Was Elizabeth reactive or proactive? Did England follow a consistent foreign policy and who controlled it, Elizabeth or her advisers? Some exam question practice is included which will also the context of Mary, Queen of Scots. 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 threat posed by Mary, Queen of Scots throughout her life to Elizabeth. The lesson begins with some context of Mary’s life before students’ decide her threat to Elizabeth before she flees to England from Scotland. In the second part of the lesson, students learn about the different plots against Elizabeth involving Mary and how Elizabeth and her Privy Council dealt with each in turn. There is also a diamond nine prioritising exercise as to the main reasons why Elizabeth was so reluctant to execute Mary after the Babington plot. Some literacy and extract exam practice is also included with help given and a markscheme supplied 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.

The aim of this lesson is to assess the impact and legacy of the Roman Empire upon Britain. Students begin by deciphering some key words and then analyse a map of Roman Britain. They are given some context to the Roman in Britain as well as the reasons why they left. The main task is to research what the Romans left behind in Britain when they left, from bathhouses, to villas, language, roads and towns. There are some excellent video links as well as some extended writing to complete if required. The plenary will check understanding with a multiple choice quiz. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to analyse the problems Elizabeth faced in 1558 and evaluate if the decisions she took were right at the time. Students begin with some source analysis and decipher some contemporary opinions of Elizabeth. They also judge the biggest problems facing her reign at home and abroad, before linking the views people may have had at the time, from a prosperous farmer to a Marian exile or a town councillor. The final task is to predict which decisions Elizabeth made for finance, the succession, trade and the economy and choosing her Privy Councillors. 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.

The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to question what sort of a monarch Elizabeth promised to be. Students also have to decide the initial problems she needed to overcome and how she set about rectifying these to some degree. The obvious starting point with this lesson, is to compare Elizabeth to her sister Mary. Students then decide the people most influential in her early years and why. They have the chance to rate and debate each of them. A quiz will check their understanding of the aims of the lesson and a flahcard plenary requires them to categorise her early monarchy. 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 Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to give the context of the religious changes that have happened in England since the reign of Henry VIII. Students begin by focusing on the different religions present in England under Elizabeth, such as Lutheranism, Catholicism, Puritanism and Presbyterianism. They are given a religious road map to complete before analysing the political situation in Europe in 1558 and the threats posed by the Catholic states of France and Spain. Finally they assess Elizabeth’s personal beliefs and the state of the English Church at the beginning of hr reign, before predicting how Elizabeth will tackle religion upon her accession. 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.

The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the threat the Puritans posed to Elizabeth… The lesson begins with a definition and how the Puritans were becoming a problem for Elizabeth. Four areas of Puritanism are analysed (from Parliament, local reform movements, the Church from within and separatism) from which the students are able to tackle an exam question, with help and prompts given if required. The plenary requires the students to discuss and rate how much the threat of Puritanism declined under Elizabeth and the possible reasons for this. 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.