Lesson 7 in the GCSE American West Unit of study. Students learn about the consequences of a key event in the settlement of the West, the setting up of the Oregon Trail. In this lesson students meet a range of people who travelled the Trail. They need to analyse the impacts each person suggests that the Trail had on the United States by completing a range of student-led activities that develops their knowledge and understanding of the significance of the Trail. A consequence exam style question concludes the lesson. There are plenty of opportunities to incorporate deeper level questioning and discussions throughout this lesson as well as developing examination technique.

Students learn about the conditions on the Great Plains and how these led to serious difficulties for white settlement farming. This lesson includes a range of student-led activities, such as developing exam skills by creating an advert for a sod house, spotting and explaining errors in a government advert and a range of tasks to develop knowledge of life on the Great Plains.

What does the case of the Tolpuddle Martyrs tell us about crime and punishment in the early 19th century? The Tolpuddle Martyrs lesson requires students to complete a worksheet based on a video clip about the event which forms the case study for the period. There is an information sheet which includes the necessary information for the spec. Students use and information sheet to add additional knowledge before analysing the event to determine its importance in the history of crime and punishment.

National Geographic want to write an article about key events that impacted the West in the period c1835-c1895. They need help in selecting the most significant event to focus their article on. Students work together to identify the consequences of three key events (The Gold Rush, Homestead Act and the Pacific Railroad Act) and produce a series of bar graphs to show the significance of each event before determining which event was most significant in developing settlement in the West. An exam question concludes the lesson (structure strips and tips included).

Students learn about four key Catholic plots that eventually led to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587. The students begin with a code cracking activity. The data collection task requires the students to research the key plots and attribute scores for various categories linked to each in order to complete a card trading activity to determine which plot was most dangerous. This is followed up by various decision-making activities that aim to develop exam skills. Clear step by step instructions included.

A lesson that examines the four major plots to get rid of Elizabeth. Students work through a range of activities, such as a fact file task on Sir Francis Walsingham and a card trading activity. Students are presented with a challenge whereby they need to decide which of the four plots was most threatening to Queen Elizabeth. Through research and discussions they attribute scores to various aspects of each plot before completing a follow up activity. The lesson concludes with a 16 mark exam style question.

Students develop the knowledge and the skills to tackle an importance style question. This lesson includes a range of student-led activities. Your class will need to determine which factor was key in establishing a successful Mormon settlement in the Great Salt Lake Valley. The lesson concludes with an exam style question (tips and structure strips included).

Students learn about the Berlin crisis through a range of activities, such as matching images to captions, categorising impacts, writing a diary account and creating a Berlin blockade fact file. AS always there are step by step instructions and differentiated activities and resources.

Students learn about the role of religion in the lives of the Plains Indians. This is an engaging / active learning lesson. The main activity requires students to meet various characters whose way of life has been influenced by religion. By meeting the people/ characters the students can begin to complete a range of tasks and activities which sets them up for an exam style question (structure strips/ hint and tips included). These lessons take many hours to plan and create, so please leave a review/ feedback.

Students learn about the processes and problems of migration by examining the examples of the Donner and Stephens Party. Students identify sensible and poor decisions made by the early migrants and create a guide with top tips for white settlers who are contemplating making the journey West. As always there are clear step by step instructions and a range of engaging student-led activities.

Students learn about the Homestead Act and it successes and failures. This lesson includes a range of student-led activities, such as a card sort, reinventing an accurate commemorative stamp and an exam style question (structure strips and tips included). As always there are cler=ar step by step instructions and activities accessible to all abilities.

GCSE Weimar and Nazi Germany Lesson 28. How did Hitler become a dictator? A lesson focused on the events of 1933-1934 which led to Hitler gaining control over Germany. Students analyse the key events (Reichstag Fire, Enabling Laws, Night of Long Knives, Hindenburg’s death, Oath of Loyalty) give examples and explanations of how each led to Hitler’s control and they must give each event various scores in order to create a card trading activity card game. As always there are clear step by step instructions and high-quality differentiated worksheets and a range of activities.

Students examine the key push and pull factors that encouraged migration to the West. A range of student-led tasks, such as categorising/ prioritising activities through a card sort and a range of follow up tasks that help students to understand the factors that encouraged migration to the West.

Students learn about the problems of lawlessness in early towns and settlements. A range of student-led tasks, such as a card sort with categorising and prioritising activites, follow-up questions, exam style question with tips and structure strips and a key term quiz.

Nazi Germany Lesson 11. How did Hitler become a dictator? A lesson focused on the events of 1933-1934 which led to Hitler gaining control over Germany. Students analyse the key events (Reichstag Fire, Enabling Laws, Night of Long Knives, Hindenburg’s death, Oath of Loyalty) give examples and explanations of how each led to Hitler’s control and they must give each event various scores in order to create Top Trmup cards. As always there are clear step by step instructions and high-quality differentiated resources.

A 12 page revision and quiz book for the GCSE The American West, c1835-c1895 course. This GCSE revison guide includes activities to develop the in depth knowledge needed to succeed at GCSE level, for instance there are quick fire quiz questions for each unit, key event anagrams, consequence activities etc. A teacher answer booklet is included. These can be used for homework activities, unit tests or taught along side lessons.

This lesson focuses on the US government’s policy towards the Plains Indians in the period 1830-51 and how/ why it changed during this period. Students analyse four key events/ policy changes through decision-making and discussion based tasks. Using their knowledge on each policy they complete a radar graph activity which leads into follow-up tasks such as a quick fire quiz and an annotated time line. These activities set the students up for an examination (narrative style) question. These are structure strips, tips and a mark scheme included. The PowerPoint includes a step by step guide with a examples and a range of differentiated and extension tasks. This lesson will ideally be taught across two one hour lessons. These resources and lessons take many hours to plan and create, so any feedback is greatly appreciated. I hope that you and your students find them helpful.

An active learning lesson which examines the Fort Laramie Treaty and its consequences. Students must complete tasks by meeting a range of people who were involved in the Treaty or who were directly impacted by the Treaty. Whist working their way through student-led activities they will begin to understand how significant the Fort Laramie Treaty was in influencing the lives of native Americans and opening up for west for white settlement. There is plenty of scope for discussion and a radar graph activity helps students analyse the consequences of the Treaty before attempting an exam style question (structure strips and tips included).

Which side was likely to win the English Civil War? This lesson examines the two sides advantages and disadvantages. Students work through a range of student-led activities such as a card sort with categorising and prioritizing tasks before completing a ranking card activity (Top Tr*mp style) style activity before completing an extended response question which develops GCSE skills.