Knowledge organiser covering the key content for unit 1 of Britain 2S. The key focus is on politics, economy, society and foreign policy.

A workbook that reviews the key content required for the 2025 Historic Environment study on Hardwick Hall. The booklet covers why manor houses were built, who Bess of Hardwick was, typical features of manor houses, how Hardwick Hall was and was not a typical manor house, changes reflected by Hardwick and essay planning.

A lesson revising the key economic policies and social impacts of Thatcher’s government. The lesson begins with a recap of Thatcherism and opinions on her, moving to an exploration of monetarism, privatisation and deregulation. Students then examine a source exploring the impacts of her policies, leading to categorising cards into successes/failures of her policies. Students then focus on the social impacts with a table anlaysing realignment, unemployment and inflation. Students then review key economic social policies (right to buy and poll tax) with reference to their successes and failures, leading to an essay plan on the handling of industrial disputes by Thatcher. Finally, the plenary focuses on the overall success of Thatcher’s economic policies in a judgement line task.

L1 in the 2024 Historic Environment series on The Americas and Drake’s circumnavigation, 1577-1580. This double lesson explores how the voyages of exploration benefited Elizabethan England. The lesson begins with an inference source starter, leading to a video clip demonstrating how exploration advanced in this period. Students then rank the main reasons for these voyages, justifying their top 3 choices. Students then explore 5 key Elizabethan explorers, outlining for each their successes and negatives from their voyages. The lesson then moves into a direct comparison between the contribution made by Drake and Raleigh to Elizabethan England, linking into an 8-mark ‘explain what was important’ response with mark scheme and assessment grid included. The lesson culminates in a review of the main motivations for voyages, explorers and benefits these voyages brought in the wider Elizabethan context.

Lesson exploring social and economic policies of Kennedy and Johnson. JFK picture starter, analysis of JFK quote, highlight successes and failures of 'new frontier', assessment of success of this, analysis of Johnson quote, card sort on Great Society Programme - used to create a positive/negative table, video interpretation of the Great Society (opportunity to analyse provenance), justification plenary on who made a larger impact to society in the 1960s - Kennedy or Johnson.

*Seventh lesson in the scheme - how the Normans changed England * Lesson exploring the life of a Medieval peasant. Source starter to introduce peasant life, video introducing peasant living, cartoon strip on the daily life/routine of a peasant (limited words for challenge), positive/negative table creation on the life of a peasant, GCSE style interpretation plenary.

Recap special relationship starter, video recap (hyperlinked in) - jot down successes/limitations of SR, video of Cold War relations (umbrella murder), explanation of détente and impact, table summary analysing foreign policy in the 1970s and link to essay question regarding the special relationship.

Punk starter - Sex Pistols and Clash videos, label a punk rocker, hyperlinked video on skinhead development and football hooliganism, linking to 25 mark essay question on transformation of society from 1964-79.

Introduction to Thatcher - images starter, two videos comparing interpretations (hyperlinked in), spider diagrams on key aspects of Thatcher's leadership, source analysis of Thatcherism (content, tone and provenance), impact of Thatcher judgement. Homework included to research one minister with view to present findings next lesson - summary sheet to give out also attached.

Whole lesson for new AQA 8145 History spec - opportunity to prioritise and gain a thematic overview of the problems Elizabeth faced including religion, Mary Queen of Scots, marriage etc.

AQA 8145 - Analysis of the different contributions caused by WW2 and categorisation into themes, comparison question on similarities of WW1 and WW2 and mark scheme for summary assessment

Eleventh lesson in the scheme - how was the power of the monarch challenged in medieval England? Lesson exploring the extent of change in the power of the King in medieval England. Starter recapping key powers a King has, information hunt with table completion on how the power of the King changed/remained the same in Medieval England (can be done as a categorisation card sort if desired), paired task reviewing how the different events studied in this unit impacted on different groups (e.g. barons, peasants), using all of this completion of living graph (attached at the end of the PPT) leading to a judgement summary answer. The post-it note plenary allows assessment of pupils understanding.

Knowledge organiser that reviews three key topics integral to assessing how the power of the King changed/was challenged in Medieval England. Summary points useful for revision.

Eight lesson in the scheme - how was the power of the monarch challenged in medieval England? Lesson exploring the causes of the Peasants’ Revolt. Speech bubble starter recaps how peasants felt by 1381, differing interpretations activity linked to AQA 8145 criteria, video introducing the revolt leading to a thematic categorisation activity of the reasons for the revolt, group task arguing ONE of the main causes of the revolt leading to presentation of their arguments and a summary answer on the most important cause of the revolt. Finally, a post-it plenary allows assessment of pupils judgements on the causes of the revolt

Lessons focused around the 2020 Historic Environment on the Spanish Armada. The fourth lesson focuses on the key reasons for the failure of the Armada. The lesson starts with pupils analysing Phillip II’s plan and assessing advantages and disadvantages for Spain. Pupils then categorise the cards into reasons for failure; focusing on weather, English tactics, leadership, luck, Spanish mistakes and English ship design/weapons. Using the cards and additional information (plus relevant textbooks if required), in small groups pupils create a mini poster explaining one of the above reasons for defeat - presenting back after 15 minutes whilst all students complete a table recording the key details, allowing students to assess which reason for defeat they feel is most significant. The plenary focuses on the ‘how convincing’ question, using the Armada portrait as the source material.

Lesson focusing on planning a 30 mark source question linked to the June 2017 exam paper. The question: With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying the reasons for the 1984/85 miners’ strike. (30 marks) Pupils use the level criteria to outline criteria for a level 4+ answer. In groups pupils analyse one source focusing on content, tone and provenance, feeding back to the whole group. A post-it plenary encourages students to reach a judgement on the ‘most valuable’ source. NB - the Arthur Scargill source is different due to copyright, however the June 2017 mark scheme would still be valid

Lesson analysing the successes and failures of Labour’s economic and domestic policies. The lesson starts with a headline from a newspaper in 2005 showing dissatisfaction with Labour. Students then highlight successes and failures of domestic policies and then link to the 5 key pledges made in 1997. Students than annotate a source from Gordon Brown and pick out the economic ideals of New Labour. Students then create a spider diagram picking out economic successes of New Labour leading to a judgement analysing the argument that the British economy was performing well 1997-2007. Students then practice the document question with a 10 mark source response for homework.

Lesson exploring the impact of New Labour on workers, women and the youth 1997-2007. The lesson starts with analysis of New Labour’s impact on society using a source focusing on value and limitations. Students then use a video and hand out to categorise successes and failures of Labour policies on workers, women and the youth. Using this information students create a mind map on progress in society for these three groups assessing which groups experienced the largest change and why. This leads to judgement activity assessing the extent of progress on the key social groups.

AQA 8145: L1 - how voyages benefitted England. Carousel activity of key explorers and table, with intoductory videos exploring the benefits. L2 - Comparison activity of Drake and Raleigh with judgement and information sheet. Videos included of circumnavigation and issues Raleigh/sailors faced. Summary explain what was important question included.

Knowledge organiser for Unit 3 of Britain 2S (Heath, Wilson and Callaghan). The documents cover the three leaders, economy, social change and foreign affairs (with key focus on the EEC)