The Tudors The aim of this lesson to find out about the hidden messages in Elizabeth I’s portrait paintings. Students learn about how Elizabeth manipulated her portraits and added symbols, each of which had a hidden meaning. The introduction to the lesson looks at anachronisms and modern day symbols put into portraits to get the students thinking how pictures should not always be seen and taken at face value. Thus inference skills are high on the agenda in this lesson. Students are then given information about each of her paintings and have to analyse and evaluate their meanings and various symbolic codes. 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 Tudors This is the first in a series of lessons I have created on the Tudors. This lesson is broken down into two parts. The first part describes and explains the events surrounding the Wars of the Roses. Students learn about the Kings involved and the battles fought through fun tasks, video evidence and role play of which they have to make choices on the victors. With this new found knowledge they have to explain what they have learnt through a ‘talk like an historian’ quiz. The second part of the lesson focuses on the previous Tudor perceptions of Richard III. Was he really a deceitful and cunning person, ‘a lump of foul deformity’ with a hunchback according to Shakespeare, More and Virgil? Archaeological evidence from King Richard’s remains is analysed by the students to prove or disprove some of these popular ‘misconceptions’ about his posture and character. Students are then challenged to write to the current Education Secretary to make sure correct history lessons are now taught about Richard III in secondary schools. 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. This lesson is fully resourced includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Norman Conquest The aim of this lesson is to understand how successful William was controlling England through his survey. Students will learn how he needed to find out as much as he could about the Anglo-Saxon population. They are encouraged at the start to answer a series of questions (a survey) of what they own; this is exactly what William did, but minus the enthusiasm shown in the class to list all their belongings! Through a study of horrible history video footage and source analysis, students realise just how intrusive this new book was and they have to justify, whether in written form or orally, why people in medieval society began to resent it. For homework they have a chance to find out about their own area and what it offered in 1086 with an exemplar given. This is a fun, interactive and challenging lesson in which all the students can take part and make their own conclusions. 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 comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

The Industrial Revolution The aim of this lesson is for students to analyse the changes that were happening in the Industrial Revolution and then to question if these changes made peoples’ lives better or worse. (Thus focusing on the historical skills of change and continuity and cause and consequence) The students are given a picture as they walk into the room which describes an invention that has been introduced during the Industrial Revolution. They then organise themselves into chronological order before discussing who it affected, why it would affect them and how it could transform the lives of people. They also have to decide in a Britain’s Got Talent Quiz which invention is the most important and would win the Golden Buzzer. Furthermore they analyse further changes which occurred, how they link together and for extra challenge decide how many of the changes refer to economic, social, demographic, political or technological changes. 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 comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

The British Empire This lesson has been designed to look at specific countries which were part of the British Empire. Claimed by Captain James Cook in 1768, students study how and why the British used Australia as a penal colony. Using a real life example of a young boy sent there for petty crimes, students analyse his and others stories from the start of the voyage through to life in the colony. They track and ultimately decide the worst aspects for the convicts. There is lots of video footage to consolidate understanding and the plenary evaluates the conditions and lives led by the convicts The lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies and are linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

**AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603 ** The overarching aim of this and the subsequent lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her reign. The lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this. This first lesson is an introduction to the reign of Queen Elizabeth and starts by finding out what the students know already using a true or false quiz, source material, video evidence and portraits of Elizabeth. The emphasis is also on the precarious nature of her early life which has a major impact on how she rules when she becomes Queen. The second part of the lesson uses differentiated resources and requires the students to plot, explain and prioritise her early problems on a tree (using the trunk, branches and leaves). The third part focuses on a typical GCSE question on the usefulness of a source giving tips and notes on how to answer this question. The lesson also gives a brief introduction to the course and includes a tracking sheet which the students stick in their books detailing the assessment objectives of the course and the four main question types. 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 Tudors The aim of this lesson is to decide whether Mary deserved her nickname ‘Bloody Mary’. Students analyse the nursery rhyme and have to work out the hidden meanings, with two possible versions given to them. Using video evidence, students build up a picture of Mary before they have to then make their judgements, using differentiated sources of information as to whether she was bloody or not. For further challenge, they also have to debate and decide if it is weak or strong evidence. 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.

Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship This lesson focuses on the change in policy towards the treatment of the Jews by the Nazis. Students have to put events into chronological order and understand why the beginning of World War II changed everything. Students also learn about the Wannsee Conference and the experimental attempts by the Nazis to murder the Jews in Europe from shooting to mobile gas vans before deciding upon the use of Zyklon B crystals. Using numbers and figures they also discover the sheer scale of the atrocities involved in this genocide and what happened in the concentration camps. There are some excellent links to video evidence to accompany the lesson, which are suitable to show. 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.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of this lesson is to assess the significance of John Hunter in his lifetime and beyond and decide if and why he deserves a place in a Medical Hall of Fame. An analysis of his life, his surgical brilliance and his specimen collection (complete with a brilliant video link to Professor Robert Winston’s short documentary on his life) gives the students the tools necessary to be able to tackle and write a longer analytical essay question with substantiated judgements. Students ultimately have to judge how far he deserves a place in the Medical Hall of Fame, with help and sentence starters given if required. The plenary is in the form of a literacy challenge, using key words from the lesson. 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 comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

Norman Conquest This lesson further explores the theme of William’s control and tightening grip on England as rebellion and opposition dominate his early years. Students will study his castle building program, from the Motte and Bailey through to stone keep castles and analyse their strengths and weaknesses. They will question why the Normans placed their reliance on these eye sores and how their features gave them control and defence against a hostile population. Furthermore they will evaluate how much control he was able to exert over the population using a control ‘o’ meter. Finally there is an interactive question and answer session with an Anglo-Saxon castle builder at the time who has some interesting things to say about his compliance in all of it. This lesson is therefore designed to be fun, challenging and engaging. 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.

The English Civil War The aim of this lesson is for the students to decide whether Charles I was guilty or not guilty at his own trial of ‘subverting the fundamental laws and liberties of the nation and with maliciously making war on the parliament and people of England.’ The lesson starts by questioning the types of hat the judge should wear followed by a series of biased images depicting Charles at his trial, of which students have to analyse and explain why. Students then examine and evaluate information about Charles’s actions to come up with a guilty or not guilty verdict. If found guilty then they will have to sign his death warrant! There is some sentence scaffolding and argument words provided if help is required. 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, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

American Civil RIghts This lesson aims to question the impact the KKK had on America in the 1900’s. It starts by looking at some of the actions of the KKK and the fear and intimidation black Americans felt at the time. Students have to analyse a variety of evidence about the group before having to answer some differentiated questions, including voicing their judgements on its impact over time in the Twentieth Century There is also a link to the KKK today and what they are still trying to represent and promote. Students can also refer to this to build upon their conclusions as to the impact they had on American society. The plenary requires students to fix and fix statements using their knowledge gained in 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 resource includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The Middle Passage and its horrendous journey for the slaves is shown in this lesson through video, audio and source based evidence. Students analyse how the slaves were treated and the conditions they endured. They then have to catalogue these conditions in a grid before trying to persuade a film director, who is making a film on slavery, that he is being misled about the journey. The advise the director is being given is from a slave ship owner, Captain Thomas Tobin. Some differentiated key questions check their understanding through the lesson. Students finally have to prioritise the worst conditions the slaves faced and justify their choices in an extension activity. 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 Industrial Revolution This lesson aims to examine and assess factory conditions during the Industrial Revolution. The poor conditions and punishments are explored through the eyes of a pauper apprentice, whose story tells us the harsh discipline, rules and punishments for factory workers. Students have a chance to complete a diary entry and evaluate if life was bad for everyone including using causation equations in the plenary. The lesson alludes to factory owners like Robert Owen who built quality houses, schools, shops with cheap goods and parks for his workers (although factory reform and reformers is dealt with in another lesson). 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 comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

World War II The aim of this lesson is to understand why children were evacuated to the countryside. However, it also questions the success of evacuation through government propaganda, audio records of evacuees and from written sources of evidence. Students are led through the evacuation process, which on the surface looks amazingly planned and executed by the British Government. But, using primary evidence of the time, they realise how the Government failed to prioritise the needs of the children over the need to evacuate large numbers. Students will also learn how other vulnerable groups in society were also evacuated without due consideration of their needs. By the end of the lesson the students will evaluate the biggest problems faced by the children and learn some sad facts about the reality of war on the Home Front. 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 retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship The aim of this lesson is to evaluate how effectively the Nazis controlled its Youth. The lesson is split into two parts and can be delivered over two lessons. The first part looks at the Hitler Youth, the activities organised for boys and girls and the purpose behind them. Students then have to analyse four pieces of evidence and evaluate how much they are being controlled. Some differentiated questioning and higher order thinking allows you to see how much they are making progress in the lesson. The second part focuses on education and what the young people are taught at school. Again the students are challenged and questioned on how effective this diet of propaganda was, with an emphasis that not all lessons were anti-Semitic. Various and excellent video footage is used to consolidate understanding. 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 Industrial Revolution This lesson aims to evaluate the problems within Industrial towns and the impact they had on the growing population during the Industrial Revolution. The lesson starts by analysing the source from Punch in 1852, 'A Court For King Cholera’, which is later annotated to help aid discussion. Various images, video evidence and headlines allow students to build up a picture, which they then have to explain to a friend in a letter - using scaffolding and a writing frame if required. Students also evaluate how and why the living conditions became like this and question if this was the case across the country as they are given further evidence from the wealthy in Victorian England, comparing the dwellings of the rich and poor. Students will therefore be able by the end of the lesson be able to give an effective and balanced answer to this lesson. 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 comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The lesson aims to distinguish between inoculation and vaccination, before analysing Jenner’s discovery of the vaccination for smallpox using documentary and video evidence. Students then have to answer questions, explain the significance of his discovery over time and link factors to his story. They also have to analyse source information, complete an 8 mark GCSE practice question and understand why, despite his brilliance he received criticism and opposition to his discovery. The lesson finishes with a true or false quiz and a ‘Have I got news for you?’ 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 to show the progress of learning. 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 and there are differentiated materials included.

American Civil RIghts This lesson aims to explain how black people in America voiced their protests against their lack of Civil Rights in the 1950s and early 1960’s. Students are introduced to the various forms of protest they used which they have to research and ultimately decide how effective each form of protest was, from music to sits ins, to marches and changing the law for example. There are quite a few links to video footage at the time to reinforce the learning. Students use the key words at the end of the lesson to summarise their new found knowledge. 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, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603 The overarching aim of this and the subsequent bundle of lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her reign. The lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this. The decision to be a Protestant country not surprisingly caused Elizabeth many problems from Catholics at home and abroad. The lesson therefore is in two parts. The first section deals with the Catholic threats at home, mostly from rebellions surrounding Mary Queen of Scots. Students plot the rebellions on a graph deciding how significant they were before being posed some challenging questions. The second part of the lesson focuses on the threats posed by Allen and Campion and the Jesuits. After analysing the evidence they decide on the most important ingredients for their threat to Elizabeth (also focusing on short and long term problems) and place them on shelves (prioritising the most important) ready to go into a cauldron. The final part of the lesson involves deciding how Elizabeth reacted to these threats and planning and completing a GCSE ‘write an account’ question. 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.