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 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 resource to support learning about BAME history and community throughout the year.
Every day has its own power point slide with an image and an event or person from the history of Britain who are of Asian heritage (or had a significant impact on British history) -one sentence summary of their achievement. Over the year most dates feature an individual whilst some feature a significant event such as the arrival of Asian refugees from Uganda. There is a wide range of people including the well-known such as Priti Patel and there are also less famous ones such as Tom Singh ; there is also a wide time range from Christopher and Cosmas (in Tudor times) to Rishi Sunak. The same people/events are listed in a word document.
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.
An introduction to one hundred notable women with a connection to the 20th century -such as Billie Jean King and the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in 1973.
The selection covers the well known (e.g. Mrs Thatcher) to the less well known (such as Rita Loza, first female No.1 chart artist)
For each one there is a brief overview of their life/ impact (250-300 words).
This is provided as a word document. There is also a powerpoint presentation which has a picture of each woman and a descriptive sentence.
The women featured are:
Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; Barbara Cartland;;Barbara McClintock; Marie Curie ;Jennie Lee;Gertrude Ederle ;Grace Hopper ;Frida Kahlo ;Simone de Beauvoir ;Raymond de Laroche ;Elizabeth Arden ;Mildred Didrikson ;Julliete Gordon Low ;Emily Davison ;Hedy Lamarr ;Edith Cavell ;Lois Weber ;Jessica Mitford ;Marie Stopes ;Rosa Luxemburg ;Edith Burton Hughes ;Betty Wilson ;Helena Normanton ;Maria Callas ;Sue Ryder ;Laura Ashley ;Elisabeth Beresford ;Constance Markievicz ;Maya Angelou ;Margaret Bondfield ;Ellen Church ;Lilian Baylis ;Dorothy Day ;Fay Wray ;Leni Reifenstahl ;Lucy Duff-Gordon ;Diana Mitford ;Edith Wharton ;Ellen Sirleaf ;Jane Bolin; Hattie McDaniel ;Amy Johnson ;Anita Roddick ;Sophie Scholl ;Alice Walker ;Violet Szabo ;Mamie Smith ;Anne Frank; Donna Summer ;Mo Mowlam ;Grace Kelly ;Ethel Rosenberg ;Maria Montessori ;Lita Roza ;Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence ;Rosa Parks; Irene Curie ;;Dorothy L Sayers ;First female Peers ;Barbie ;Sirimavo Bandaranaike ;Grandma’ Moses ;Valentina Tereshkova ;Edith Piaf; Nancy Astor ;Stephanie Kwolek ;Indira Gandhi ;Alice Toklas ;Barbara Harrison ;Shirley Temple ;Betty Friedan ;Dorothy Fields ;Mary Peters ;Billie Jean King ;Virginia Apgar ;Margaret Thatcher ;Agatha Christie ;Virginia Wade ;Hannah Dadds ; Mary Pickford ;Bette Nesmith Graham ;Dame Mary Donaldson;Rachel Heyhoe-Flint ;Corrie Ten Boom ;Mary Warnock ;Gale Sondergaard ;Neerja Bhanot ;Diane Abbot; Elizabeth Lane ;Lucille Ball ;Eve Balfour ;Helen Sharman ;Betty Boothroyd ;Audrey Hepburn ;First female Priests ;Alison Hargreaves; Ella FitzGerald ;Mother Teresa ;Barbara Mandell ;Iris Murdoch
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)
A selection of activities to help tutor groups or classes get to know each other.
There are a range of tasks and challenges which require students to talk to each other in order to complete.
Some challenges are especially useful as ‘ice-breakers’ such as ‘Sorting ‘ and ‘Find someone who’ (see below).
Others are more suitable when the students have begun to get to know each other such as ‘Discussion Points’ and ‘Dilemmas’ .
Sorting activities – getting children moving and engaging with each other such as by first name or date of birth.
‘Find someone who ‘ – they have to find someone who can do a particular task or who likes something particular or who has (done) something.
Discussion points - a set of questions to get small groups talking about issues (we have tried to avoid any controversial topics)
Dilemmas – a different type of question for groups to discuss their response to certain situation (again we have tried to avoid any controversial topics)
Ten miscellaneous challenges including ‘think outside the box, number association and ‘tell the time’ and an 'A-Z ’ of categories -which are suitable for use at either stage.
A set of visual challenges that provide a different opportunity for group working: ‘spot the differences’ and ‘what is it’ (digitally altered images).
The resources are provided on a power point presentation as well as in a word document contains the same activities- especially useful are the sheets to fill in for the ‘Find someone who…’ challenges.
A memory challenge using images- based on ‘Kim’s game’.
There is a set of slides each of which features 10 different pictures-that will disappear one by one so that after a minute all are gone. (there is a second slide with them all on to check after a chance to recall the images)
How many can your students remember (or you??) ; can be done as a solo challenge or in groups (useful for encouraging team work –what’s a winning strategy?) – could also be used as a staff challenge!
30 separate challenges -all on power point.
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
Information and activities on British PMs and General Elections since the first Labour MP.
Ideal for use in the period leading up to the General Election as well as for citizenship and British values.
There is a power point showing all the General elections with the resultant Prime Ministers since 1892 (and changes in PM post-election) -one slide per election (these also have a pie chart showing the number of seats won by the main parties)
A power point presentation of a range of activities – Listing recent PMs ; Sorting PMs into order; such as sorting into order, matching PMs with party/coalition, what’s the link?.
A word document with the activities from the power point plus 2 word searches and a crossword (and a copy with the answers)
*1892 was when Kier Hardie was the first ‘Labour’ MP elected
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!!
