Engaging and relevant. This is the essence of my teaching and learning resources. You'll find a wealth of History, Agricultural Technology, Retail Services, Aboriginal Studies and more.
Engaging and relevant. This is the essence of my teaching and learning resources. You'll find a wealth of History, Agricultural Technology, Retail Services, Aboriginal Studies and more.
The 3 primary sources analysed in this set of activities are:
1. The Argus newspaper reports on Australians reaction to Britain declaring war on Germany (1914)
2. Keith Murdoch writes to P.M. Fisher about the Dardanelles debacle (1915)
3. E. J. Dempsey writes an anti-conscription poem - first conscription plebiscite (1916)
This activity assists students to write an explanation on the topic:
Why did Australians enlist to fight in World War I? In your answer refer to:
• Patriotism – loyalty to Australia and the British Empire;
• Opportunity for adventure;
• Opportunity for employment and a higher wage;
• Social reasons – approval of peers and family;
• Political reasons – hatred of German aggression etc.
Students are provided with an overview of the explanation text type, language features of an historical explanation and teh marking guide for the task.
The Battle of Passchendaele is one of the episodes in the series Great Battles of the Great War. It is available on Youtube. This film focuses on the strategic importance of Passchendaele, Belgium for the Allied and German armies in 1917, the Allied efforts to take Passchendaele and the German efforts to defend it, the conditions in which soldiers fought and gives an overview of the First, Second and Third Battles of Passchendaele including the British-led Battle of Menin Road, Australian-led First Battle of Passchendaele and Battle of Polygon Wood and the Canadian-led Second Battle of Passchendaele.
The Last Charge was a special feature on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation programme, Landline, in October, 2017. It was made to commemorate 100 years since the Australian cavalry charge at Beersheba (Be'er Sheva) in Ottoman Palestine in 1917. Forget your dry documentaries about past events presented by even drier historians. This documentary takes an agricultural approach, looking at a Hunter Valley Waler-breeding enterprise whose owners enlisted in the Australian Cavalry in 1917, taking horses from their property to Egypt and Palestine during World War I. The men participated in the cavalry charge on Beersheba in October, 1917 and recorded their experiences in 800 photographs that had not been publicly shared until recently. A great short video! This resource is a set of questions based on the video and answers.
Worksheet and answers for the documentary Why the Industrial Revolution Happened Here, presented by Professor Jeremy Black. Covers Britain in the 1700s, the Age of Reason leading to scientific and technological developments, the first industrial factories in Birmingham, support for innovation and technological development by the British Government, international trade, development of the British navy as a means to protect this trade, development of banks and the stock exchange, improvements in transport. There is a great example of Josiah Wedgwood's ceramics industry.
This worksheet and answers accompanies the National Geographic documentary, Guns, Germs and Steel, presented by Jared Diamond. It covers the reasons why only 168 conquistadors were able to defeat an Incan army of 7000 and thereby gain control of the empire. His thesis is that cultures with productive farming and grazing practices have larger and more specialised populations. He compares the farming practices, learned knowledge and weaponry of the Spaniards and Incans. He then looks at why the Spaniards had a level of resistance to smallpox while 95% of the Incan population perished.
This assessment task on The Holocaust meets the requirements of the NSW History K-10 Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum and BOSTES requirements. It includes links to syllabus outcomes, marking guide and scaffolding for responses. A special thank-you to the HSIE Faculty staff of Gunnedah High School for the concept and marking guide. The task is designed to accompany the unit of work for Year 10 on the Holocaust.
This video covers the characteristics of nomadic peoples, Temujin's early life, the empires and khanates created by the Mongols, reasons for their military success, positives about the Mongol Empire and negatives about the Mongol Empire. This task is designed for students of the NSW History K-10 Syllabus.
Stage 4
Depth Study 6: The Mongol Expansion.
The Heuneburg hillfort is dated to the La Tene period of Celtic culture and is a treasure trove of archaeological remains: masonry and brickwork, evidence of trade with the Mediterranean world, jewellery-making, burial mounds, evidence of warfare, metalwork and various types of buildings. But recent finds also give evidence of disease and trade/travel to more distant parts of the world. this source-based task is designed for students of the NSW ancient History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum.
Stage 6
Preliminary course
Investigating Ancient History – Case Studies
List A: Case studies from Egypt, Greece, Rome, Celtic Europe
A8. The Celts
From brochs in the Pictish kingdoms of Scotland, roundhouses in Ireland and Britain and rectangular houses on the continent, Celtic housing came in many varieties. But there were also adaptions to mountainous areas, such as Switzerland, rocky plateaus, such as central Spain and the shores of lakes. There was also changes in building styles and construction techniques over time. This source-based activity is designed for students of the NSW Ancient History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum.
Preliminary course
Investigating Ancient History – Case Studies
List A: Case studies from Egypt, Greece, Rome, Celtic Europe
A8. The Celts
This resource includes 3 separate primary sources from eyewitnesses to events in the topic Persia - from Cyrus II to the death of Darius III and activities based on the source including who wrote the source, what we know about the writer, how their presence at the historical incidents impacts their writing, whether the information is reliable and the purpose of the writing. The 3 sources are:
+ Herodotus describes Persian religion, c.490-420 BCE
+ Diodorus Siculus reports that Artaxerxes II appoints a Greek(!) to command the Persian navy, 398-7 BCE
+ Artaxerxes I gives Nehemiah permission to rebuild the Jerusalem temple, 445-4 BCE
Each source and analysis questions are on a single page.
This task is designed for NSW students of the History K-10 Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum
Stage 6
Higher School Certificate course
Historical Periods
Option D: Persia – Cyrus II to the Death of Darius III
The outcome being developed is: AH12-6 analyses and interprets different types of sources for evidence to support an historical account or argument.
This is a set of activities using key words and concepts in the topic The Holocaust. It includes an activity where students cut out the key words and concepts and match them with the meanings, finding alternative words and terms for selected technical language and using key terms in their own sentence. The outcome being taught is: HT5-9 applies a range of relevant historical terms and concepts when communicating an understanding of the past. This task is designed for students of the NSW History K-10 Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum.
Stage 5
Depth Study 6: The Holocaust
This activity provides students with a primary visual image - a painting of a Mongol cavalryman, and deconstructs the components of the image in order to identify what it was about Mongol mounted warriors that made them particularly effective. Students then use the image and the background work they have completed in class to write a brief speech using the scaffolding provided. The outcome being taught is: HT4-10 selects and uses appropriate oral, written, visual and digital forms to communicate about the past. This activity is designed for students of the NSW History K-10 Syllabus.
Stage 4
Depth Study 6: The Mongol Expansion
This is a set of activities using key words and concepts in the topic Celtic Society. It includes an activity where students cut out the key words and concepts and match them with the meanings, finding alternative words and terms for selected technical language and using key terms in their own sentence. The outcome being taught is: AH11-9 communicates historical understanding, using historical knowledge, concepts and terms, in appropriate and well-structured forms. This task is designed for students of the NSW Ancient History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum.
Preliminary course
Investigating Ancient History – Case Studies
List A: Case studies from Egypt, Greece, Rome, Celtic Europe
A8. The Celts
Newspaper front page activity requiring students to report on the Mongol invasion of China including reasons for the invasion, the Battle of Wild Fox Ridge, the siege of Zhongdu (Beijing) and the leadership of Genghis Khan. It is designed for students of the NSW History K-10 Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum.
Stage 4
Depth Study 6: The Mongol Expansion
There are 3 parts to this task: 1. Create a model of a Mongol weapon or armour or piece of clothing, 2. Write a brief information report on the item that you have selected, 3. Include an annotated bibliography of at least 4 sources of information for your task. This has been a very popular task over many years and is guaranteed to maintain student engagement. I suggest that you advise school staff of the day that the task is due so that they are aware that models of knives, swords, shields etc. will be coming directly to you at the start of the day. This will avoid misunderstandings. Some of these models have been truly outstanding replicas!
This assessment task meets the requirements of the NSW History K-10 Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum and BOSTES assessment guidelines.
Stage 4
Depth Study 6: The Mongol Expansion
This is a great task to promote History!
Set of activities that include a passage to read to the class on Mongol tactics and strategies, matching the key word/concept with its definition, short answer questions on selected Mongol tactics and a long narrative response: Imagine you are an arlok (commander) in the Mongol army. You have laid siege to the great walled city of Beijing. Write a narrative of the day you succeed in gaining entry. Don’t forget to use all your senses (what you see, smell, taste, hear and touch) as well as your feelings and emotions. A summary of the features of a narrative text type are provided for students to be able to scaffold their response. The lesson is designed for Year 8 students of the NSW History K-10 Syllabus.
Stage 4
Depth Study 6: The Mongol Expansion.
The Colonel is a brief, non-fictional narrative of the experiences of a German retired colonel who found his world turned upside down when the Nazi anti-Semitism beliefs became policy. The activities attached to the passage are lower-order comprehension questions followed by an activity requiring students to ask 5 questions of either the Colonel or the write about the impact of Nazi anti-Semitism on individuals and their families. The outcome being taught is: HT5-8 selects and analyses a range of historical sources to locate information relevant to an historical inquiry. The activity is designed for students of the NSW History K-10 Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum.
Stage 5
Depth Study 6: The Holocaust
This resource includes 3 separate primary sources from eyewitnesses to events in the topic Celtic Society and activities based on the source including who wrote the source, what we know about the writer, how their presence at the historical incidents impacts their writing, whether the information is reliable and the purpose of the writing. The 3 sources are:
+ Julius Caesar explains the powers of the Druids, c.58-50 BCE
+ Strabo describes the Celts of Belgium and France, c.100 BCE
+ Polybius describes Celtic warriors at the Battle of Telamon, 225 BCE
Each source and analysis questions are on a single page.
This task is designed for NSW students of the Ancient History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum.
Preliminary course
Investigating Ancient History – Case Studies
List A: Case studies from Egypt, Greece, Rome, Celtic Europe
A8. The Celts
The outcome being developed is: NSW AH11-6 analyses and interprets different types of sources for evidence to support an historical account or argument.
This resource includes 3 separate primary sources from eyewitnesses to events in the topic The Mongol Expansion and activities based on the source including who wrote the source, what we know about the writer, how their presence at the historical incidents impacts their writing, whether the information is reliable and the purpose of the writing. The 3 sources are:
+ Nobleman Dmitri survives the Mongol attack on Kiev, 1240 CE
+ Prince Yuri describes the Mongol conquest of Vladimir, 1238 CE
+ Wassaf describes the Mongol capture of Baghdad, 1258 CE
Each source and analysis questions are on a single page.
This task is designed for NSW students of the History K-10 Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum
Stage 4
Depth Study 6a: The Mongol Expansion
The outcome being developed is: NSW HT5-5 identifies and evaluates the usefulness of sources in the historical inquiry process.
The sources are colourful and descriptive and I recommend reading it aloud to the class and creating a visual picture of what the eyewitnesses see, hear and sense.