WiseArk Ltd which is a ‘micro-company specialising in supplying educational resources.
We specialise in resources for use in tutor time -many of which are also suitable for use in citizenship/PSHE.
We also have a range of resources to support learning in history.
I was a teacher for over 20 years so know from first-hand experience how engaged students can be when given challenges and puzzles.
WiseArk Ltd which is a ‘micro-company specialising in supplying educational resources.
We specialise in resources for use in tutor time -many of which are also suitable for use in citizenship/PSHE.
We also have a range of resources to support learning in history.
I was a teacher for over 20 years so know from first-hand experience how engaged students can be when given challenges and puzzles.
A set of linked resources and activities to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of a range of Black British Firsts.
These resources are designed specifically to help with developing an awareness of the contribution of Black Britons -from the 16th century to the modern day.
There are two activities which involve matching people to their achievement -ideal for use as a challenge that covers knowledge in a different way to a conventional worksheet.
The first is a set of printable ‘cards’ which can be used for sorting or matching tasks (such as the matching pairs game) – each event is on a separate ‘card’ from its date, organised in sets of 10 -there are two sets, but each can be used separately or the two combined to increase the difficulty level.
The second is a set of ‘domino cards’ to provide a more supported matching challenge; these feature the same events and each ‘card’ links to another forming a ‘domino’ like chain (which again can be used as a set of 10 or both combined for greater challenge).
This features some of the range of 50 Black British firsts in our power point resource, from the first Black MPs to the first British Ladies footballer via No1. Pop artist and police officers.
An ideal resource to support Black History Month but also useful at any time-especially as a resource for tutor or assembly time.
A power point presentation featuring a range Ancient Greek gods/goddesses For each one there is a slide with a picture and their main ‘responsibility’ as well as a recognised emblem. This is a ‘click through’ presentation with a contents slide in the form of a family tree so that if preferred the teacher can select a specific deity.
The 14 deities covered are: Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Cronus
Demeter, Hades, Hephaestus, Hera, Leto, Persephone, Poseidon, Zeus -the same as those featured on our other resources designed to support learning about Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses.
A more challenging version of the always popular activity (even for adults!)
There are 3 different word searches on a selection of the fifty Black British Firsts featured on our power point resource. They range from the first Black MPs to the first British Ladies footballer via No1. Pop artist and police officers.
Each comes in a range of versions to provide differing degrees of challenge: each wordsearch has a grid and 10 names to find – the same names so that all students are covering the same people whatever the level of support/challenge.
In each set the first version is a ‘traditional’ one with the words provided.
Then there are four versions with a quiz: this has the same words to find but they aren’t provided -first you need to use the clues (questions) to work out what word you are searching for.
One just has the clues then there are three supported versions (each of the four has the same clues): the first has the first letter of the answer; the second has the number of numbers in the answer and the third has both the first letter and number of letters.
Ideal for use in a wide range of settings such as a last-minute cover resource or homework task or providing resources for ‘school at home’ (maybe even for a staff challenge!)
A more challenging version of the always popular activity.
There are 3 different word searches on Britain in the 20th century.
Each comes in a range of versions to provide differing degrees of challenge: each wordsearch has a grid and 10 terms or places to find – the same answers so that all students are covering the same places and terms whatever the level of support/challenge.
In each set the first version is a ‘traditional’ one with the words provided.
Then there are four versions with a quiz: this has the same words to find but they aren’t provided -first you need to use the clues (questions) to work out what word you are searching for.
One just has the clues then there are three supported versions (each of the four has the same clues): the first has the first letter of the answer; the second has the number of numbers in the answer and the third has both the first letter and number of letters.
This provides students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of a range of places/peoples/terms etc relating to 20th century Britain whilst providing varying degrees of challenge/support. They are suitable for use in class -both as a main activity and as an extension task- as well as for homework / independent study or a cover lesson activity or as a resource for ‘school at home (maybe even as staff challenge!)
The places/terms covered are:
Abdication abolition Assemblies Beveridge Channel decimal education Elizabeth Ireland Jarrow
motorway insurance Lottery Parliament pensions Rationing television Titanic vote welfare state
Churchill Conservative Democratic Diana Edward fourteen Labour Liberal Scotland Thatcher
366 events/people from the history of the continent-from the first Chinese Emperor to ISIS.
This is a resource to support learning about Asian history throughout the year.
There is a power point presentation on which every day has its own slide with the featured event or person from the history of Asia (including the Middle East).
There is also a word document with the same information on.
There is a wide range of events/people including the well-known such as Gandhi and Malala Yousafzai; there are also less famous ones such as Kenjiro Takayanagi and the Battle of San Juan del Monte. Similarly we have tried to include every nation on the continent so it literally covers Afghanistan to Vietnam. (This is a companion resource to our other ‘Years of’ so we have tried to avoid duplicates but this has not always been possible)
A collection of resources that help illustrate the significant role that Imperial forces played in WW2 -did you know that over 2m Indian troops served?
There is a word document with some basic information about the main contributors to the Imperial forces -used as the basis for the worksheet. There is a power point with the same information , including a map slide linked to a set of brief information slides -one about each major participant.
A worksheet looks at where Imperial soldiers fought and the casualties they suffered.
There is also a wordsearch featuring some of the nations that supplied troops to the Allied war effort, as well as some major campaigns.
Gives a brief indication of the role of forces from: Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa, East Africa, West Africa, West Indies.
Ideal for study of the British Empire as well as ‘Black History’ -this is a companion to our resource on Imperial soldiers in WW1
A selection of 50 people who were the first in an occupation or to achieve a specific goal, ranging from the first Black MPs to the first British Ladies footballer via No1. Pop artist and police officers.
An ideal resource to support Black History Month but also useful at any time-especially as a resource for tutor or assembly time.
A power point presentation with one slide per person and their achievement (also in a ‘run through’ version that plays automatically);
One of a set of linked resources featuring the same people.
A set of linked resources and activities to help develop knowledge of the Romanisation of Britain. In part this takes a cross-curricular approach through geographical place locations.
There is an information power point with a map showing a number of Roman settlements in England and Wales as well as Hadrian’s and the Antonine Walls. The settlements are: Aquae Sulis, Arbeia, Camulodunum, Deva, Dubris, Eboracum, Isca, Isca Dumnoniorum, Londinium, Lindun, Luguvalium, Noviomagus Regnensium, Verulamium.
It also shows the ‘modern’ names of each settlement.
The main activity is to complete an outline version of the information map. This comes in different versions:
One has the locations of the settlements but is otherwise blank for the students to write in the names.
The second has the first letter of the settlement.
The third has the first letter and the ‘modern’ name.
The fourth has the name of the Roman settlement for them to add the ‘modern’ names.
The word document lists the settlements and has three separate activities.
The first is a set of printable ‘cards’ with the Roman and modern names of the settlements from the map – they can be used for matching pairs etc.
Second is similar but set out as a set of dominoes to allow for greater variety.
Thirdly is a set of two word searches covering most of the names of the featured settlements. (not Chichester as Noviomagus Regnensium is too long to fit!!)
Together the set provides a range of ways of developing knowledge of Roman Britain and are all well suited for homework or adapted for ‘school at home’.
A more challenging version of the always popular activity.
There are 3 different word searches on Britain’s international relations in the 20th century.
Each comes in a range of versions to provide differing degrees of challenge: each wordsearch has a grid and 10 terms or places to find – the same answers so that all students are covering the same places and terms whatever the level of support/challenge.
In each set the first version is a ‘traditional’ one with the words provided.
Then there are four versions with a quiz: this has the same words to find but they aren’t provided -first you need to use the clues (questions) to work out what word you are searching for.
One just has the clues then there are three supported versions (each of the four has the same clues): the first has the first letter of the answer; the second has the number of numbers in the answer and the third has both the first letter and number of letters.
Ideal for use in a wide range of settings such as a last-minute cover resource or homework task or providing resources for ‘school at home’ (maybe even for a staff challenge!)
The places/terms covered are:
Abyssinia Appeasement Blitz Boer War Cold War Conscription Depression deterrent Dominions Dreadnought
Dunkirk Empire Entente Europe Falklands Gallipoli
Gulf War Hong Kong Independence India
Israel Jamaica Jutland Kenya Marne NATO
Pakistan Security Somme Suez crisis
Updated for Charles III
This resource is a power point with a difference to support knowledge and understanding of chronology.
Each slide features a picture of the monarchs of England/Britain from Alfred the Great to Charles III. Each slide appears for a varied amount of time. This helps show how much real time they reigned for – in this presentation 1 second equals 4 years (so the presentation lasts for around 5 minutes)
Since the end of WW1 the world has never been fully at peace.
This resource is ideal for use at this time of remembrance (whilst also extending horizons to look at the wider world)
This resource shows in visual form how the past 100+ years have still been a period of ongoing conflict (despite hopes that WW1 would be the ‘war to end all wars’).
There is a selection of 50 different conflicts; a range covering civil wars, invasions and multi-national wars. The emphasis is on the post WW2 period to help support citizenship learning-in particular through helping show why there are so many refugees given the recent and on-going conflicts. (The emphasis is on the global community so wars such as the Falklands which was ‘just’ UK v an opponent are not included in this resource).
In the main presentation each slide represents one year (running through takes just over 5 minutes) with each year showing the selected conflicts taking place in that year (so some slides are rather crowded!). For each conflict the dates are given as well as one sentence about it (this only appears when the conflict begins).
There is also a power point presentation of 50 slides -one per conflict- as well as a word document with the same information.
Finally there is a set of three word searches featuring most of the nations involved in the featured conflicts.
Word search and combined word search & quiz
A set of five of the more challenging version of the always popular activity - it comes in a range of versions to provide differing degrees of challenge: each wordsearch has a grid and to find the same answers so that all students are covering the same range of people, places and terms whatever the level of support/challenge.
The first version is a ‘traditional’ one with the words provided.
Then there are four versions with a quiz: this has the same words to find but they aren’t provided -first you need to use the clues (questions) to work out what word you are searching for.
One just has the clues then there are three supported versions (each of the four has the same clues): the first has the first letter of the answer; the second has the number of numbers in the answer and the third has both the first letter and number of letters.
This provides students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of a range of people, places, terms etc relating to WW2 whilst providing varying degrees of challenge/support. They are suitable for use in class -both as a main activity and as an extension task- as well as for homework / independent study or a cover lesson activity or as a resource for ‘school at home (maybe even as staff challenge!)
This wordsearch (& quizzes) features a range of people, places and terms:
WW2: A: Battle Blitz Blitzkrieg bombing collapse conquest
Dunkirk evacuation Invasion Panzer
WW2: B: Air Raid desert Home Front Home Guard Libya
Munitions navy Pearl Harbor Singapore Total War
WW2: C: Anderson atomic Collaborator Doodlebug Hiroshima
Landing refugee shelter warning women
WW2: Names: Alexander Beaverbrook Eichmann Goebbels Goering
Himmler Hitler kamikaze Speer Tojo
Holocaust: Aryan Auschwitz Belsen exterminate Genocide
Ghetto Holocaust Judaism Nuremberg Racism
Word search and combined word search & quiz: Between the wars and road to WW2
A set of five of more challenging version of the always popular activity - it comes in a range of versions to provide differing degrees of challenge: each wordsearch has a grid and to find – the same answers so that all students are covering the same range of people, places and terms whatever the level of support/challenge.
The first version is a ‘traditional’ one with the words provided.
Then there are four versions with a quiz: this has the same words to find but they aren’t provided -first you need to use the clues (questions) to work out what word you are searching for.
One just has the clues then there are three supported versions (each of the four has the same clues): the first has the first letter of the answer; the second has the number of numbers in the answer and the third has both the first letter and number of letters.
This provides students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of a range of people, places and terms from the interwar period whilst providing varying degrees of challenge/support. They are suitable for use in class -both as a main activity and as an extension task- as well as for homework / independent study or a cover lesson activity or as a resource for ‘school at home (maybe even as staff challenge!)
This wordsearch (& quizzes) features a range of people, places and terms:
Between the wars 1: Civil War Communism dictator Fascism Germany
Italy Nazism Portugal revolution Spain
Between the wars 2: Depression Hitler inflation Lenin Mussolini
Russia Soviet Union Stalin Trotsky Weimar
Between the wars 3: Al Capone boom electricity Jarrow March
Movies motorcar Prohibition protest Unemployment
Road to WW2: A: Abyssinia Anschluss Austria China Hirohito
Hitler Manchuria re-arm Rhineland Sudetenland
Road to WW2: B: Appeasement ballot Chamberlain Churchill concession Czech guarantee Hoare Laval Poland
A resource which uses graphs, data and ‘shopping’ activities to help develop both historical and mathematical knowledge and understanding.
There is a range of 20 topics including the transatlantic slave trade, Britain in 1851, The Great Powers before WW1. (See below for full list of contents.)
Helps students develop their historical understanding and use of relevant skills, especially gathering information from sources that are not just written. Activities include: Using information to complete charts; Extracting information from tables; basic accounts and shopping activities; completing data tables by using calculations.
Requires students to use basic numeracy skills such as interpreting data from graphs or pie charts (and presenting data in graph form); solving problems using multiplication, division etc as well as fractions/ratios.
These are used to help develop historical understanding such as relative casualty rates in WW1, cost of living in the 19th century, composition of 17th century society.
Ideal for use as a cover lesson or a stand-alone homework (or for resources for ‘school at home’)
Topics covered: Roman Numerals; England in the Middle Ages; Martyrs in the English Reformation; James I & VI- problems with money; Emigrating to the American Colonies -getting supplies; England in c1688; Making money from the slave trade; The French Revolution: The Terror; Britain from c1750 to c1900; The growth of Middlesbrough in the 19th century; Food, diet and prices in the 1840s; Britain in 1851; Empires; Britain in the 20th century; How well off were people in the 20th century?; The Great Powers before WW1; Casualties in WW1; Food prices in WW2; Population, life expectancy and infant mortality; Battles and casualties.
A set of resources to support teaching and learning about this topic- all focussed on a set of selected well known Olympian Gods. (Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Cronus, Demeter, Hades, Hephaestus, Hera, Leto, Persephone, Poseidon, Zeus)
There is a power point with a clickable ‘family tree’ that has slides with a picture and sentence about the linked deity.
The word document on the same deities has a range of challenges. These include comprehension tasks such as identifying a god’s area of influence and outline family tree to complete (different versions to provide varying levels of difficulty).
There is also a set of word searches with a twist. As well as 2 traditional ones there are versions that have questions to answer before finding the word in the grid – so reinforcing knowledge of events. (There are versions with the first letter of the answer or number of letters in the answer as well as one with no clues so that they cover a wide range of challenge.)
Finally there is a set of five colouring pages featuring some of the same deities.
A set of linked resources and activities to help students improve their knowledge and understanding of a range of Black British Firsts. This features a range of 50 Black British firsts- from the 16th century to the modern day.
There are three linked resources (all based on the same set of
A power point presentation with one slide per person and their achievement (also in a ‘run through’ version that plays automatically);
Two related activities develop this study of people with tasks using a selection of the same people/achievements - The first is a set of printable ‘cards’ which can be used for sorting or matching tasks (such as the matching pairs game) – each event is on a separate ‘card’ from its date, organised in sets of 10 -there are two sets, but each can be used separately or the two combined to increase the difficulty level.
The second is a set of ‘domino cards’ to provide a more supported matching challenge; these feature the same events and each ‘card’ links to another forming a ‘domino’ like chain (which again can be used as a set of 10 or both combined for greater challenge).
There are three of the word search and a combined word search & quiz challenge.
Each comes in a range of versions to provide differing degrees of challenge: each wordsearch has a grid and 10 names to find – the same names so that all students are covering the same answers whatever the level of support/challenge.
In each set the first version is a ‘traditional’ one with the words provided.
Then there are four versions with a quiz: this has the same words to find but they aren’t provided -first you need to use the clues (questions) to work out what word you are searching for.
One just has the clues then there are three supported versions (each of the four has the same clues): the first has the first letter of the answer; the second has the number of numbers in the answer and the third has both the first letter and number of letters.
An ideal resource to support Black History Month but also useful at any time-especially as a resource for tutor or assembly time.
A set of five collections of word searches and quizzes combined:
Britain in the 20th century (3);
Britain and the world in the 20th century (3);
WW1 (9);
Between the world wars (5);
WW2 (6)
A more challenging version of the always popular activity (even for adults!). In all 26 different wordsearches.
Each wordsearch has a grid and 10 words to find.
However first you need to use the clues (questions) to work out what word you are searching for.
Each word search & quiz comes in five different versions (the answers are the same each time); Each has the same clues but one also has the first letter of the answer; one has the number of numbers in the answer and one has both the first letter and number of letters; one has ‘just’ the questions whilst there is also a ‘traditional’ version with no questions and a list of words provided.
Ideal for use in a wide range of settings such as a last-minute cover resource or homework task (good for getting students to organise their own time)
Maybe even to help staff relax at lunchtime!!
Word search and mini quiz combined
A set of word searches to help develop knowledge of migration to the British Isles –both individuals born abroad and nationalities that have provided many migrants to Britain over the centuries. Has twenty of each of a range of individuals and nationalities.
There is a set of four different word searches – two on individuals, two on nationalities.
In each set the first version is a ‘traditional’ one with the words provided.
Then there are four versions with a quiz: this has the same words to find but they aren’t provided -first you need to use the clues (questions) to work out what word you are searching for.
One just has the clues then there are three supported versions (each of the four has the same clues): the first has the first letter of the answer; the second has the number of numbers in the answer and the third has both the first letter and number of letters.
This provides students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of a range of individuals or groups who were born abroad / moved to Britain whilst providing varying degrees of challenge/support. They are suitable for use in class -both as a main activity and as an extension task- as well as for homework / independent study or a cover lesson activity or as a resource for ‘school at home (maybe even as staff challenge!)
The four word-searches cover the following groups/individuals:
Africans, Angles, Asians, Belgians, Chinese, Danes, Flemings, Germans, Huguenots, Indians
Irish, Normans, Norwegians, Polish, Romans, Russians, Saxons, Somalians, Syrians, West Indians
Prince Albert, Montague Burton, Joseph Conrad, Mo Farah, Lucian Freud, Alec Issigonis, Boris Johnson, Judith Kerr, Doreen Lawrence, Michael Marks
Karl Marx, Freddie Mercury, Rupert Murdoch, Rita Ora, Shantra Patak, Prince Phillip, Cliff Richard, Salman Rushdie, Charles Saatchi, JRR Tolkien
A set of linked resources and activities to help develop knowledge of Britain before the Roman conquest.
There is a power point with a map showing a number of Celtic/Iron Age tribes in England, Wales and Southern Scotland: Atrebates, Brigantes, Corieltauvi, Cornovii, Dumnonii, Durotriges, Iceni, Novantae, Ordovices, Regnenses, Silures, Votadini (selected in part to give a wide geographical on the map). As this is just a selection of the multitude of tribes it allows for an extra activity/challenge of students deciding who else should be included/who could be left out?
There are also slides to print out with the names missing (or just the first letter provided) for students to complete (the list is contained in the word document).
The word document lists the tribes with their approximate modern day areas and has three separate activities.
The first is a set of printable ‘cards’ with the name of the tribe and its approximate modern day area for the tribes on the map – they can be used for matching pairs etc.
Second is similar but set out as a set of dominoes to allow for greater variety.
Thirdly is a set of two word searches covering most of the names of the featured tribes and the main modern day areas.
Together the set provides a range of ways of developing knowledge of Pre-Roman Britain and most activities are suitable for homework or adapted for ‘school at home’.
There 20 crosswords on a range of topics (see below)
Each crossword has 20 questions which when answered will complete the grid. There is also a version that has the first letter of each answer as support. The answers are in a separate document so that the student’s version can be installed on a shared area.
An ideal resource for a cover lesson or a homework task (or as resources for ‘school at home’).
The topics covered are: History and evidence, Women, Leaders, Inventors and scientists, Battles, The Romans, Invasions: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, 1066, Medieval, Sixteenth century, Seventeenth century, Empire and Slavery, Industrial Revolution, The Great War, WW2, Cold War, The USA, Native American Indians, Russia/USSR, France, Germany
