An easy cover lesson to set having studied the medieval realms. It uses the Horrible Histories compilation and there are a number of questions to answer. There is then a blank word search so that students can create their own with written clues.

Attached is two lessons work for KS3 yr 7 or 8 on migration. There are cross curricular links with Geography and Citizenship. The lessons explore the history of migration from the Romans to present day. There are three pages of worksheets / activities and a timeline for support Lesson 1 Who are the British? PPT 1 = 12 sides Lesson 2 Who has moved to Britain and why? PPt 2 22 slides plus reading resource with an SEND highlighted version.

A basic timeline showing some examples of migration. Can be printed out and used as display, Or used as a printable for students booklets.

A lesson that explores parliamentary democracy in the UK and brief comparisons to other nations and its importance when examining human rights. The lesson contains some questions to accompanying clips, gap fill activities as well as plenty of discussion opportunities. There is also a quiz to be used at the end of the session The ppt is 64 slides in length including worksheets for students and various quizzes.

This is just one lesson exploring the role and responsibilities of British people in the slave trade. It introduces the idea that whilst some were heavily involved in the slave trade there were many ordinary British people invested in the slave trade. This is great for discussions on diversity, acceptance, societal ‘norms’ and a great introduction into abolition. The lesson involves 2 clips from BBC teach. There is a work sheet to go with the two clips. The first part of the worksheet has a space to make notes under Britain’s forgotten slave owners and the second clip which covers abolition and why it was opposed has a number of questions. The PPt is only six slides in length but has a hinge question to check knowledge and understanding.

A KS3 lesson to introduce the Early Modern Period and some of the key changes across the period. There is a a timeline included which encourages students to examine chronology and look at big periods of time identifying changes that occurred. Students should then select 2 examples and write them up and draw a picture to go with it. The final takes encourages students to identify which change they considered to be the most important and why.

This is a game of strategy and planning designed specifically to help understand the difference and importance of feudal knights and vassels etc and how conflicts required vast amount of resources. This links to the OCR explaining the modern world Paper 2 war and society unit and deals with Edward I’s wars with Wales and Scotland. Students would ideally need to have completed their lessons on these conflicts first. Students have to strategise what they would take for each of the campaigns. The game is then a sequence of historical scenarios which sees them lose or gain points depending upon their earlier decisions. This has worked really well with our GCSE classes but is also something that could be done as a drop down day needed skills of collaboration, maths, strategy, planning and organisation. This is a 38 slide ppt which includes printable resources for students to make notes plus a sheet which explains the various roles of each of the soldiers.

This is just an early timeline showing the key events from 871 - 1610. Makes for a great display piece of history or politics.

This is part of a lesson examining the beginning process of how a historian work. It doesn’t deal with second order concepts - it is just an introduction for Yr 7 students. There is ppt with a printable worksheet that explains the basics of how a historian works. There are video links examining primary and secondary sources which students can make notes on and is a hinge question at the end.

An attractive timeline covering some of the key events from the Early Modern Period such as the Reformation in Europe, the dissolution of the monasteries, the English Civil War and the Jacobite rebellions. This is to support student’s chronological understanding and so that they can begin to see how the events link rather than just view them in isolation. Each student has a copy of this in their books and it forms part of their knowledge organiser.

Approx 2 lessons exploring the Early Modern World. This explores the beginnings of the Reformation in Europe and sets the scene for the aftermath. Includes 2 work sheets with activities and a supporting ppt (adaptable) plus a timeline of the Early Modern world. There is also a link to clip about Martin Luther which is supported by an activity.

Approx two lessons. After the teaching of the Spanish Armada. First lesson deals with the historical skill of how historians work and the concept of historical significance using the 5 Rs of significance. Examples to encourage discussion and thought involve Covid and the invasion of Ukraine. Students can then make notes around what each of the 5Rs are and how they can be used to judge historical significance. There is then a short documentary by Dan Snow that explains some great examples of how the victory was historically significant. It is advisable that the video is stopped regularly and the concepts of the 5Rs discussed to allow students greater opportunities to share their knowledge and views and so that they can then record their knowledge in the appropriate spaces in the worksheet. I have then used this to formulate a long answer question on their end of unit assessment.

A mini topic on the gun powder plot - I link it to our overall enquiry which examines the impact of the European reformation and changes to British society. It is primarily aimed at KS3 yr 8 - but may be useful for teaching skills of collaboration, instructions or drop down days for KS4. There are questions supporting a documentary - which can take approx 2/3 lessons with supporting activities. The Escape Room (style) activity lesson. You will need a coded padlock and a lockable tin! I have shared my codes etc - but you are obviously welcome to change any of this. All of this is explained on the PPT Students work in small groups and compete to get the codes (to escape) first. To truly win they will need to use all the evidence they have acquired along the way. There are 4 PPT 3 with resources and one which has all the lessons: Worksheet / mini booklet for all the lessons - includes cover sheet, Questions for documentary / mini source analysis / excape room charts and tables / cross word quiz (6 slides plus cover 7) Answer sheets for staff - for all elements of the escape room (4 slides) The evidence cards. (19 slides) PPt for the lessons (28 slides) The documentary takes about 2hours with all the other activities. The Escape room is approx 1 hour. Students work through breaking the various codes until they are able to crack the numerical code! I use a keysafe box (you could use something with a padlock) students then gain access to the key and then to the safe. I do then keep the last activity (cross word) locked in the safe - this is where they have to have read the evidence carefully to truly win! I have found doing this maintains enthusiasm for all the other groups who are a bit slower as they all stand a chance of winning! Enjoy :)

Kenilworth project (Non Visit Covid 19 friendly) As we were unable to take our GCSE students to Kenilworth this year, I designed a tour of the history of Kenilworth castle with its key owners and their various changes identified. This unit of work includes specialist youtube clips that talks through the history along side the ppts plus a written overview to support students to work independently. The youtube video links are at the start of the each of the overview ppts for each period they correspond with. There is also project booklet - done as a ppt, which has 5 tasks connected to it that help guide students through the history of the castle whilst encouraging them to eventually apply their knowledge to sources. The tasks range from creating a timeline - with various owners and changes, a commentary on the seige of 1266, plus a detailed overview where students are identifying key changes and are encouraged to make decisions about the function of the castle throughout key 4 times. There is a check list at the end to encourage students to plan their time effectively. This unit is primarily focused on the requirements for OCR explaining the modern world - study of a historic environment (paper 3) - but will be more than suitable for other exam boards/ courses studying Kenilworth.

Attached is a knowledge organiser that covers briefly the reasons for USA’s involvement in Vietnam. The tactics of both the VC and the USA, a timeline, reasons for loss of support for the war in the USA and the impacts of the war on the USA. The second page gives some suggested ideas on how to use the knowledge organiser within starters, plenaries or as homeworks.

This is a Knowledge organiser for the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis. It has been designed with the OCR Modern World A syllabus in mind, but the knowledge would be useful for all modern world GCSE / or other style of exam classes and would even serve as a good overall basic knowledge for A level. The second sheet, gives some suggestions on homework, starters or even basic lesson ideas using the knowledge organiser. As this is a knowledge organiser it only contains the absolute basics! We stress to students (especially those wanting top grades) the need to know more than just this information.

This is a sequence of 4 knowledge organisers (KOs) that cover the period of Personal Rule to Restoration. It also has a one Paper 3 skills specific sheet- (GCSE OCR Modern World A) I usually have this printed on the reverse of each KO to assess students on their understanding of the skills required for the GCSE OCR exam, for each section. Each of the KOs deals with one of the key issues for this unit or work. The short and Long Term causes of the English Civil War Settlement failures, division within Parliament and execution Britain without a king Restoration After each skills sheet there is a sheet giving some homework / starter / revision suggestions on how to incorporate the use of these specific KOs. The intention is to help students retain and retrieve the basic knowledge for this course. As these are KOs only, they only contain the absolute basics! We stress to students (especially those wanting top grades) the need to know more than just this information.

This is a Knowledge Organiser (KOs) which covers the reasons for the restoration in 1660. As KOs, this only cover the absolute basics, however in conjunction with lessons and learning homework, the idea is that students gain valuable specific knowledge that they can then incorporate into their written answers. This KO could be used as a starter, recap, or as a learning homework that is then assessed in subsequent lessons. Some homework ideas that could be used along side this KO could be… 1)Create 2 PEEL Paragraphs – 1 to show the restoration occurred because of the popularity of the monarchy and the 2nd to explain why the republic was weak. 2) Look, cover, write – The 5 reasons why the monarchy was restored. 3) Create a mnemonic to explain the Declaration of Breda 4) Create cue cards to show how the restoration settlement differed from the Grand Remonstrance. 5) Quiz on Socrative. The second sheet is exam specific criteria to help students identify the key skills for the GCSE Modern World A - Personal Rule to Restoration depth study.

This is a Knowledge Organiser (KOs) which covers the interregnum. As KOs, this only cover the absolute basics, however in conjunction with lessons and learning homework, the idea is that students gain valuable specific knowledge that they can then incorporate into their written answers. This KO could be used as a starter, recap, or as a learning homework that is then assessed in subsequent lessons. Some homework ideas that could be used along side this KO could be… Create cue cards to show the challenges facing the Rump Parliament and Oliver Cromwell. Create a mind map to show how Cromwell dealt with all of the challenges (timeline) 3)Create a mnemonic to explain why the rule of the Major Generals was unpopular. Create your own quiz on this page to test someone else. Quizzes on Socrative. The second sheet is exam specific criteria to help students identify the key skills for the GCSE Modern World A - Personal Rule to Restoration depth study.

This is a Knowledge Organiser (KOs) which covers the settlement problems after the English Civil War, through to the execution of the king. Obviously as KOs, this only covers the absolute basics, however in conjunction with lessons and learning homework, the idea is that students gain valuable specific knowledge that they can then incorporate into their written answers. This KO could be used as a starter, recap, or as a learning homework that is then assessed in subsequent lessons. Some homework ideas that could be used along side this KO could be… Create 2 different revision pieces showing Parliament’s division. (Revision cards/ mindmap/ Mnemonic, Look, copy cover etc) Create a flow chart of escape, 2nd Civil War and execution. Create a revision piece showing how the social and religious order had changed (The world turned upside down). Create a piece of revision showing all the divisions with trying to create a settlement (use the divide symbol to help you locate all the divisions) Create your own quiz on this page, to test someone else! Quizzes on Socrative. The second sheet is exam specific criteria to help students identify the key skills for the GCSE Modern World A - Personal Rule to Restoration depth study.