I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
World War II
The aim of the lesson is to question if it is right to help your enemy.
Once the students decide what a collaborator is and the punishments involved, they have to make a judgement if they agree with collaborating in times of war or not. Their opinions are challenged throughout the lesson.
They analyse the reasons for collaboration and complete a thinking quilt which challenges their literacy and evaluation skills.
There are some brilliant sources to accompany the lesson, including visual images from the time as well as a case study of Chaim Rumkowski who helped the Nazis believing it was the key to Jewish survival in the ghettoes.
The plenary is a retrieval practice activity deciding which is the odd one out.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate why the Superpowers attempted to improve relations in the 1970s and reduce their stockpiles of nuclear.
Students will learn why the opportunity for détente presented itself, through source analysis and a challenge task.
This will enable them to decide if the agreements made at the SALT 1 talks were either a positive move to world peace or had very little impact on it.
They also have the opportunity to write an extended answer on the significance of these negotiations as well as practising a GCSE question. There are hints and prompts to help if required.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning.
The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question.
The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated material and GCSE question practice.
It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
This key word literacy display has been designed to be used on classroom walls (or on display boards outside) when introducing a new History topic to the students.
It is an easy resource to print and will hopefully save an incredible amount of time and effort when incorporating literacy into a new or existing scheme of work.
The slides can also be laminated and used as mobiles hanging from the ceiling or used as part of an informative display.
The slides cover the following words and their definitions:
The slides cover the following words and their definitions: Anglo-Saxons, allegiance, authority, cause, chainmail, change, Christianity, conqueror, consequence, continuity, defence, economic, features, feigned retreat, Fyrd, hierarchy, Housecarl, invasion, knights, landscape, medieval, Normans, oath, pagan, political, rebellion, religion, siege, society, victorious.
The slides come in PowerPoint format so they are easy to change and adapt.
Middle Ages
The aim of the lesson is to analyse the power struggles between Edward II and his barons.
Students begin by discovering the problems of Edward II, which they will rate in order of seriousness (and will find they were mostly brought on by himself!).
They then complete an extended writing task with key literacy words given to help them.
Students will learn about the central character of the story, a leading nobleman named Roger Mortimer and complete a missing word activity to find out why and how he escaped his imprisonment in the Tower of London.
They then have to rate how much power the King had, in the struggles with this leading nobleman and his own wife, Isabella.
Some hinge questions and a literacy task complete the lesson.
They continue to plot the power struggle between the king, the church, the barons and the people on a graph. In a sequence of lessons they answer the question – who ruled in medieval England?
This lesson includes:
Fun, engaging and challenging tasks
Printable worksheets
Differentiated tasks
Suggested teaching strategies
PowerPoint format, which can be changed to suit
AQA GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess the short and long term impacts of key events upon the Jewish community between 1938-40 such as the Anschluss, Kristallnacht, emigration and the invasion and Poland.
Students begin the lesson by analysing the events of the Anschluss and the impact upon the Jewish community living in Austria.
They are also required to match up a number of statements on the significance of decrees passed in Germany leading up to Kristallnacht and discuss why this event was pivotal for the Jewish people in Germany and Europe.
Further analysis of voluntary and forced emigration within Germany and the key figures of Heydrich and Eichmann will give the students an in-depth and rounded study of the period, together with details of the flawed Madagascar plan.
The lesson will culminate with a final assessment of the invasion of Poland will require them to prioritise the most important reasons for a change in policy towards the Jewish question in Europe.
There is a thinking hats plenary to finish with some exam question practice, complete with markscheme finishes the lesson.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate why opposition to the Nazis was limited and sporadic.
Students begin the lesson by giving reasons for opposition and how it might vary across different sections of German society.
A number of tasks are completed on different types of opposition to the Nazis, from youth groups, Churches, elites and the army.
For each opposition group there are key questions, source analysis, links to video footage and a requirement to discuss and debate.
The plenary exemplifies this discussion and debate with a talk like an expert task.
The lesson may be delivered over two lessons. There is some exam practice to be completed at the end with the challenge that opposition methods were too varied and fragmented to be effective against the Nazis. There is a markscheme provided if required.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
This lesson aims to explore how Elizabeth approached the difficult subject of religion in Tudor England.
Students are given the context of the religious situation left to Elizabeth by her predecessors, which will then give them answers as to why she took a calm and pragmatic approach to it.
Furthermore they have to decide through a colour coding exercise which were the smallest and major problems she faced with religion before deciphering her religious settlement using a text mapping activity.
Key questions can be used to understand the decisions she took.
A sequencing activity reinforces the learning of the lesson and its significance.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel
This lesson aims to examine push and pull factors which contributed to the American migration west.
Students are introduced to the Oregon Trail and learn how the Government promoted its use by providing $30,000 for an expedition led by John Fremont to map it out and report how exciting and achievable it was to travel along it.
An excellent accompanying video in contrast shows the realities however of travelling to the American west.
Students are given various scenarios which they have to decide are push and pull factors and for extra challenge decide if they are social, political or economic factors.
There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘consequences’ question worth 8 marks.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice is also included on spelling key words.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the importance of the Tudors and assess how much the students know about them.
The key skill of chronology is introduced from the start as students decide which Tudor came first to which came last.
Key questions floating past the screen as well as the wall of mystery give clues and answers to some interesting and gruesome facts on the Tudor family.
Students have the chance to create their own timelines, factual displays, key question and answer quizzes or an A-Z of Tudor facts.
The lesson finishes which two plenaries to choose from which both test their new found knowledge.
The resource comes in PowerPoint formats if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies and differentiated resources to deliver the lesson.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The aim of this lesson is to challenge and question the role of the Church in Medieval Society and after the Norman Conquest.
On face value, the power it had over people was enormous and with power came great wealth, often at the expense and help of the population.
But was it all corrupt and how much did people willingly give over their goods in return for salvation? These questions are explored through statistics, facts and video evidence.
Students are ultimately required to justify if the Church was corrupt by colour coding and rating batteries (linked to a final post it note challenge) and evidencing their choices.
There are also introduced to a number of key words which they are required to recall in the plenary.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end using a rate ‘o’ meter to show the progress of learning.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
This lesson explores the role of monks and nuns in Medieval society and Norman England and questions their importance.
Students learn how people joined the monastic community and how they helped the local community.
Students also analyse their dress code and the reasons behind it, before engaging in literacy tasks such as linking their daily life to particularly headings and writing a narrative account.
There are accompanying worksheets and video links to reinforce the learning.
The plenary of ‘find and fix’ challenges the students to rewrite and correct a number of statements made.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end using a rate ‘o’ meter to show the progress of learning.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
This key word literacy display has been designed to be used on classroom walls (or on display boards outside) when introducing Norman England to the students.
It is an easy resource to print and will hopefully save an incredible amount of time and effort when incorporating literacy into a new or existing scheme of work.
The slides can also be laminated and used as mobiles hanging from the ceiling or used as part of an informative display.
The slides cover the following words and their definitions on the Norman Conquest:
A Church, charter, commemorate, compare, crusade, Domesday Book, Doom painting, evidence, feudalism, function, government, Harrying of the North, historical source, infer, interpretation, laws, martyr, medieval, Motte and Bailey Castle, parish, parliament, penitence, pilgrimage, reign, siege, significant, sin, surrender, The Church, tithe.
The slides come in PowerPoint format so they are easy to change and adapt.
The aim of this lesson is to understand the causes and consequences of Harold Hardrada’s invasion of the north of England.
Students learn through narrative and video evidence of the forthcoming battle of Stamford Bridge and how Harold Godwinson was able to win, despite the hurdles Hardrada’s army put in front of him.
Furthermore students have to analyse how much power Harold Godwinson’s army had and efficiency rate (as with a house) why Harald Hardrada eventually ran out of energy.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
The aim of this lesson is to understand why Britain was such a good place to invade.
Students are given a thinking quilt to link words and meanings together and challenge their reasoning skills.
Further information will help them understand what Britain had to offer to invaders giving context to its cities, markets and population as well as natural resources and weather.
Students are then required to justify why England was a good place to invade in 1066, with prompts and help given if required.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
Crime and Punishment
The aim of this lesson is to analyse how and why attitudes towards punishment changed in the 18th and 19th Centuries with the development of ‘new’ crimes.
Key questions are posed throughout the lesson. Why was there a shift from public to private punishments? Why was the prison system developed with a focus primarily on retribution and punishment? Why were there a change in attitude towards capital punishment and the desire to expand the police force?
The first part of the lesson assesses the responses of governments to the crimes of highway robbery, poaching, smuggling, rioting, protesting and joining a Trade Union. Students plot the various crimes, giving explanations and reasons for the increase in crimes and how effective the government responses were to reduce it. There is a diamond nine activity and video link to help.
The second part of the lesson plots the strengths and weaknesses of Government punishments such as transportation, the expansion of prisons and the police force.
A thinking quilt at the end of this part of the lesson will check understanding and students can also complete some extended writing practice, with prompts and a markscheme provided.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies.
Crime and Punishment
The aim of this lesson is to ascertain how attitudes towards punishment have changed in the 21st Century.
Students begin the lesson by deciding which punishments are new in the modern era (change) and which punishments have stayed the same (continuity).
They then analyse how successful new preventative measures are being promoted through schemes such as neighbourhood watch and community policing.
Students also investigate the different policing departments set up to tackle crime, such as Special Branch and the National Crime Agency.
There is a chance to debate the morality of the death penalty and whether it should be brought back or not, with arguments given for both sides.
The final focus is on the role of prisons in today’s society, never far away from the news headlines. A true or false quiz is also designed to challenge misconceptions and clarify current prison problems.
Ultimately there is some recall practice on previous thinking about punishments through the ages, before students can tackle some key assessment question practice, with help and a markscheme provided if required.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies.
The Holocaust
This lesson analyses the story of Anne Frank and celebrates her short life. It asks in a sequence of lessons I have produced, who is to blame for the holocaust?
Was it the SS who rounded up the Frank family or was it friends or spies to blame for theirs and countless death during World War 2?
The lesson tells her story and asks students to think of but, because and so.
There are some great video links to accompany the lesson as well as some analysis on an extract from her diary and a virtual tour of the annex.
A final true of false quiz checks recall and retrieval from the lesson.
The resource comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.
Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship
This lesson is a study of the impact war had on peoples’ lives in Germany between 1914-1918.
Students have to evaluate the main changes in Germany during the war and if they were positive or negative changes
For example, the Kaiser being forced to share his power could be seen as a positive thing to many, but there was also a terrible shortage of food as the allied naval blockade really began to bite.
Worksheets are supplied to use for evidence, as the students box up their findings ready to tackle a timed question for GCSE question practice.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel
This lesson aims to assess how positive the US Government’s early attempts were to ‘civilise’ the Plains Indians between c.1830-1851.
By adopting a westward expansionist policy, students have to question how beneficial this was and for whom?
Was America to benefit from improving the Plains, by ploughing it for farming, digging up its minerals for manufacturing or simply clearing its forests for timber?
Students are given various scenarios and laws such as the Indian Removal Act and the Indian Appropriations Act and individually rate each scenario by colour coding a battery to signify positive or negative before coming to a conclusion as to who benefited from this conflict over land.
There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘write a narrative account’ worth 8 marks.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice is also included using causal equations.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
The English Civil War
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the devastating consequences that alleged witchcraft had on communities in Stuart England.
Students will be posed questions such as: Why were the Stuarts so obsessed with witches and witchcraft? How and why did the Pendle witch trials cause so much historical notoriety and infamy? and How could you even recognise a witch and why should they be feared in the local community?
These questions will be answered and explained in this lesson, which ultimately focuses on the Pendle witch trials and its results for English society as a whole, who soon lived in fear and terror for their lives.
Activities include evidence collection, a true or false quiz, a literacy challenge as well as video analysis.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.