This lesson examines the Battle of the Somme, one of World War I’s most significant and controversial battles. Students will explore the battle’s events, strategies, and leadership through historical perspectives. Activities include video analysis, mind mapping, source-based research, and debating the effectiveness of British generals. The lesson concludes with a writing task on whether the British generals were “lions led by donkeys” and a peer assessment of the arguments. Lesson Content and Activities: Introduction: Discuss what students already know about the Battle of the Somme. Create a mind map with initial knowledge. Video Analysis: Watch a video on the Battle of the Somme. Add new information to the mind map in a different colour. Battle Overview: Provide an overview of the battle, its objectives, duration, and outcomes. Discuss the high casualty rates and limited territorial gains. Historical Perspectives: Compare traditional and revisionist views on the battle using quotes from historians John Keegan and Gary Sheffield. Task: Identify agreements and disagreements between the historians. Factors Analysis: Examine various factors (A-G) related to the battle, such as high casualty rates, complexity of war, strategies, German defenses, improvements over time, logistical successes, and contextual successes. Complete a table assessing whether each factor suggests that British generals were “donkeys.” Debate Preparation: Prepare arguments for and against the idea that British generals were “lions led by donkeys.” Use provided factors and historian quotes to support arguments. Writing Task: Write an essay answering the question: “Were the British generals really donkeys at the Battle of the Somme?” Structure: Introduction, arguments for, arguments against, conclusion. Peer Assessment: Peer assess a partner’s essay based on structure, use of evidence, quoting historians, and clarity of conclusion. Provide feedback and a score out of 5 for each criterion. Resources: Video link on the Battle of the Somme Mind map template Historian quotes and factors table Writing task guidelines and structure Peer assessment checklist Taken from a series of over 30 First World War lessons made by Wolsey Academy. They provide a thorough foundation of knowledge in this vital period of 20th Century History and each lesson looks to focus on a range of historical skills and exam techniques to equip students with knowledge and transferable research, analysis and study skills. To find the complete bundle, search on the Wolsey Academy website. Wolsey Academy operates as a non-profit, with every penny we make going to one of our charity partners or into the Ipswich Initiative, funding good works across the town and county. Search for Wolsey Academy to see our website for more details and to purchase resources at a discount. Use code ‘WOLSEY’ for 10% off at the Wolsey Academy Web Store. Please help us, help you, help them. Thank you. Hope it helps.

This lesson explores the Invasion of Norway in 1940, focusing on the strategic reasons behind the invasion, the key events, and the outcome. Students will learn about Operation Weserübung, the role of Vidkun Quisling, and the impact on World War II. Activities include video analysis, timeline sorting, and group discussions. The lesson concludes with a writing task analysing the factors that led to the success of the German invasion. Lesson Content and Activities: Introduction: Discuss the strategic importance of Norway for Germany, including access to iron ore and naval routes. Watch a video overview of the invasion and its context. The Story of HMS Glowworm: Tell the story of HMS Glowworm’s heroic encounter with the German cruiser Admiral Hipper. Discuss the bravery of the crew and the recommendation for a medal. Timeline Sorting: Sort the timeline cards into the correct chronological order, from the beginning of Operation Wilfred to the surrender of Norway. Churchill’s Role: Discuss Churchill’s involvement and the irony of the situation leading to his rise as Prime Minister. Vidkun Quisling: Explain who Vidkun Quisling was and his role as a traitor and collaborator with the Nazis. Discuss the impact of his actions on Norway. Group Activity: Outside the classroom, read a fact sheet about the invasion. Return and discuss the facts within the group, categorising them into German Strategy, German Tactics, and Allied Weakness. Writing Task: Write an essay explaining two reasons why the Nazis were successful in their invasion of Norway. Use the PEEKA paragraph structure to organise the arguments. Class Discussion: Share and discuss the essays. Reflect on the strategic and tactical reasons behind the invasion’s success. Resources: Video link on the invasion of Norway Printable timeline cards Fact sheet for group activity PEEKA paragraph guidelines From a series of over 30 Second World War lessons made by Wolsey Academy. They provide a thorough foundation of knowledge in this vital period of 20th Century History and each lesson looks to focus on a range of historical skills and exam techniques to equip students with knowledge and transferable research, analysis and study skills. To find the complete bundle search on the Wolsey Academy website. Wolsey Academy operates as a non-profit, with every penny we make going to one of our charity partners or into the Ipswich Initiative, funding good works across the town and county. Search for Wolsey Academy to see our website for more details and to purchase resources at a discount. Use code ‘WOLSEY’ for 10% off at the Wolsey Academy Web Store. Please help us, help you, help them. Thank you. Hope it helps.

A lesson looking at the tensions between the USSR and the West before the beginning of the Grand Alliance during the Second World War. Part of our 40 strong scheme of work on superpower relations.

Fully resourced and ready to teach. One lesson of about 20 in the Wolsey Academy First World War series, tried and tested over several years - recently given face lift to make it that much more engaging and relevant to today’s students. Features a team summary task, mini-plenary, video links, evidence analysis task, Max Hastings scholarship task, research task of other unofficial truces in conflict, creative task with instructions. Hope it helps, And Merry Christmas :) W. Wolsey Academy, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

1066 and the aftermath of conquest - featuring a unique immersive interactive Learning World (free to play!). The Learning World feeds directly into the in class lesson activities and can be used as an ongoing homework project – students can complete the free codex booklet as they go to consolidate learning. It is a very comprehensive SOW that covers the Norman conquest and its impact on English society. Each and every lesson has been made with enough differentiation, activity variety, cross-curricular support and progress checks that they could be used comfortably ‘out of the box’ in an observation lesson. Care has also been taken to make sure the skills complement each other across the SOW and build up to progress in exam writing ability, source analysis and soft skill development. I’m quite proud of it – if I may say so! The first two lessons and the Learning World Codex are free to download (some of the slides are not editable in these free versions) but the remaining lessons are for sale and are fully editable. From my experience it created a huge ‘buzz’ about learning in the classroom and I even had kids in other classes asking to use it. So soon the whole department were using it and at KS3 parent’s evening it was all the parents talked about – many of them had also played through the Learning World. Note: The Learning World is a ‘beta’ version – I am currently looking for someone to upgrade the artwork to make a few things look more ‘Normany’. But I guarantee the pupils will love it. WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

1066 and the aftermath of conquest - featuring a unique immersive interactive Learning World (free to play!). The Learning World feeds directly into the in class lesson activities and can be used as an ongoing homework project – students can complete the free codex booklet as they go to consolidate learning. It is a very comprehensive SOW that covers the Norman conquest and its impact on English society. Each and every lesson has been made with enough differentiation, activity variety, cross-curricular support and progress checks that they could be used comfortably ‘out of the box’ in an observation lesson. Care has also been taken to make sure the skills complement each other across the SOW and build up to progress in exam writing ability, source analysis and soft skill development. I’m quite proud of it – if I may say so! The first two lessons and the Learning World Codex are free to download (some of the slides are not editable in these free versions) but the remaining lessons are for sale and are fully editable. From my experience it created a huge ‘buzz’ about learning in the classroom and I even had kids in other classes asking to use it. So soon the whole department were using it and at KS3 parent’s evening it was all the parents talked about – many of them had also played through the Learning World. Note: The Learning World is a ‘beta’ version – I am currently looking for someone to upgrade the artwork to make a few things look more ‘Normany’. But I guarantee the pupils will love it. WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

1066 and the aftermath of conquest - featuring a unique immersive interactive Learning World (free to play!). The Learning World feeds directly into the in class lesson activities and can be used as an ongoing homework project – students can complete the free codex booklet as they go to consolidate learning. It is a very comprehensive SOW that covers the Norman conquest and its impact on English society. Each and every lesson has been made with enough differentiation, activity variety, cross-curricular support and progress checks that they could be used comfortably ‘out of the box’ in an observation lesson. Care has also been taken to make sure the skills complement each other across the SOW and build up to progress in exam writing ability, source analysis and soft skill development. I’m quite proud of it – if I may say so! The first two lessons and the Learning World Codex are free to download (some of the slides are not editable in these free versions) but the remaining lessons are for sale and are fully editable. From my experience it created a huge ‘buzz’ about learning in the classroom and I even had kids in other classes asking to use it. So soon the whole department were using it and at KS3 parent’s evening it was all the parents talked about – many of them had also played through the Learning World. Note: The Learning World is a ‘beta’ version – I am currently looking for someone to upgrade the artwork to make a few things look more ‘Normany’. But I guarantee the pupils will love it. WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

King John – from his troublesome fighting with his brother (Lionheart) to his troublesome time as King ending in Magna Carta and the Baron’s War. This SOW focusses on John’s policies both foreign and domestic and the consequences they had for his people. Works well as a stand alone SOW but is also integrated into the free to play History game world at WA (check it out if you haven’t already!) Each lesson contains a quick start guide, literacy & numeracy starter, teacher narrative context pages (chance for you to do some storytelling !) plenaries, a range of active learning episodes and a focus on writing skills. Homework, EAL and stretch activity sheets. The 7 lessons, along with the main lesson activities, are as follows: Richard I, Crusades & John (Plantagenet map relay, round robin Crusader battle reports, reading comprehension tasks, consult the codex activity). John’s Early Life (John v Longchamp card sort/PEEKA paragraph practice and assessment/consult the codex activity) John & Taxes (‘Be the teacher’ activity/essay construction practice/consult the codex activity) John & War (Army recruiter role play presentations & Bouvines video) Magna Carta (Baron grievances card sort/prioritisation tasks/PEEKA writing development) The Baron’s War (Round the Room battle reporting/descriptive writing task/videos) End of Unit Assessment (Planning and prep for a Narrative Analysis, Edexcel style Q on John’s legacy). Hope it helps. Remember – works best when the students are playing the (free!) King John game and completing the codex at the same time (perfect ongoing homework task or ict room lesson). WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

King John – from his troublesome fighting with his brother (Lionheart) to his troublesome time as King ending in Magna Carta and the Baron’s War. This SOW focusses on John’s policies both foreign and domestic and the consequences they had for his people. Works well as a stand alone SOW but is also integrated into the free to play History game world at WA (check it out if you haven’t already!) Each lesson contains a quick start guide, literacy & numeracy starter, teacher narrative context pages (chance for you to do some storytelling !) plenaries, a range of active learning episodes and a focus on writing skills. Homework, EAL and stretch activity sheets. The 7 lessons, along with the main lesson activities, are as follows: Richard I, Crusades & John (Plantagenet map relay, round robin Crusader battle reports, reading comprehension tasks, consult the codex activity). John’s Early Life (John v Longchamp card sort/PEEKA paragraph practice and assessment/consult the codex activity) John & Taxes (‘Be the teacher’ activity/essay construction practice/consult the codex activity) John & War (Army recruiter role play presentations & Bouvines video) Magna Carta (Baron grievances card sort/prioritisation tasks/PEEKA writing development) The Baron’s War (Round the Room battle reporting/descriptive writing task/videos) End of Unit Assessment (Planning and prep for a Narrative Analysis, Edexcel style Q on John’s legacy). Hope it helps. Remember – works best when the students are playing the (free!) King John game and completing the codex at the same time (perfect ongoing homework task or ict room lesson). WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

Henry II & Becket. A mini 3 lesson SOW looking at the church, Henry II and Becket’s murder. The module excellently introduces the idea of church v crown and provides the contextual knowledge needed for later study of the English reformation and other ‘power’ issues the English monarchy faces. Works well as a stand alone SOW but is also integrated into the free to play History game world at Wolsey Academy (check it out if you haven’t already!) Each lesson contains a literacy & numeracy starter, teacher narrative context pages (chance for you to do some storytelling !) plenaries and a range of active learning episodes. EAL and literacy support mats included with each lesson. The 3 lessons, along with the main lesson activities, are as follows: Church & Crown (graphic based church mind map discussions/source question/leaflet productions/Consult the Codex) Henry II (Timeline questions/round room source activity/Henry poster activity/Consult the Codex) Becket (chronology card sort/consult the codex/descriptive writing activity/cartoon strips) Hope it helps. Remember – works best when the students are playing the (free!) Becket game and completing the codex at the same time (perfect ongoing homework task or ict room lesson). WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

1066 and the aftermath of conquest - featuring a unique immersive interactive Learning World (free to play!). The Learning World feeds directly into the in class lesson activities and can be used as an ongoing homework project – students can complete the free codex booklet as they go to consolidate learning. It is a very comprehensive SOW that covers the Norman conquest and its impact on English society. Each and every lesson has been made with enough differentiation, activity variety, cross-curricular support and progress checks that they could be used comfortably ‘out of the box’ in an observation lesson. Care has also been taken to make sure the skills complement each other across the SOW and build up to progress in exam writing ability, source analysis and soft skill development. I’m quite proud of it – if I may say so! The first two lessons and the Learning World Codex are free to download (some of the slides are not editable in these free versions) but the remaining lessons are for sale and are fully editable. From my experience it created a huge ‘buzz’ about learning in the classroom and I even had kids in other classes asking to use it. So soon the whole department were using it and at KS3 parent’s evening it was all the parents talked about – many of them had also played through the Learning World. Note: The Learning World is a ‘beta’ version – I am currently looking for someone to upgrade the artwork to make a few things look more ‘Normany’. But I guarantee the pupils will love it. WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

1066 and the aftermath of conquest - featuring a unique immersive interactive Learning World (free to play!). The Learning World feeds directly into the in class lesson activities and can be used as an ongoing homework project – students can complete the free codex booklet as they go to consolidate learning. It is a very comprehensive SOW that covers the Norman conquest and its impact on English society. Each and every lesson has been made with enough differentiation, activity variety, cross-curricular support and progress checks that they could be used comfortably ‘out of the box’ in an observation lesson. Care has also been taken to make sure the skills complement each other across the SOW and build up to progress in exam writing ability, source analysis and soft skill development. I’m quite proud of it – if I may say so! The first two lessons and the Learning World Codex are free to download (some of the slides are not editable in these free versions) but the remaining lessons are for sale and are fully editable. From my experience it created a huge ‘buzz’ about learning in the classroom and I even had kids in other classes asking to use it. So soon the whole department were using it and at KS3 parent’s evening it was all the parents talked about – many of them had also played through the Learning World. Note: The Learning World is a ‘beta’ version – I am currently looking for someone to upgrade the artwork to make a few things look more ‘Normany’. But I guarantee the pupils will love it. WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

Henry II & Becket. A mini 3 lesson SOW looking at the church, Henry II and Becket’s murder. The module excellently introduces the idea of church v crown and provides the contextual knowledge needed for later study of the English reformation and other ‘power’ issues the English monarchy faces. Works well as a stand alone SOW but is also integrated into the free to play History game world at Wolsey Academy (check it out if you haven’t already!) Each lesson contains a literacy & numeracy starter, teacher narrative context pages (chance for you to do some storytelling !) plenaries and a range of active learning episodes. EAL and literacy support mats included with each lesson. The 3 lessons, along with the main lesson activities, are as follows: Church & Crown (graphic based church mind map discussions/source question/leaflet productions/Consult the Codex) Henry II (Timeline questions/round room source activity/Henry poster activity/Consult the Codex) Becket (chronology card sort/consult the codex/descriptive writing activity/cartoon strips) Hope it helps. Remember – works best when the students are playing the (free!) Becket game and completing the codex at the same time (perfect ongoing homework task or ict room lesson). WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

King John – from his troublesome fighting with his brother (Lionheart) to his troublesome time as King ending in Magna Carta and the Baron’s War. This SOW focusses on John’s policies both foreign and domestic and the consequences they had for his people. Works well as a stand alone SOW but is also integrated into the free to play History game world at WA (check it out if you haven’t already!) Each lesson contains a quick start guide, literacy & numeracy starter, teacher narrative context pages (chance for you to do some storytelling !) plenaries, a range of active learning episodes and a focus on writing skills. Homework, EAL and stretch activity sheets. The 7 lessons, along with the main lesson activities, are as follows: Richard I, Crusades & John (Plantagenet map relay, round robin Crusader battle reports, reading comprehension tasks, consult the codex activity). John’s Early Life (John v Longchamp card sort/PEEKA paragraph practice and assessment/consult the codex activity) John & Taxes (‘Be the teacher’ activity/essay construction practice/consult the codex activity) John & War (Army recruiter role play presentations & Bouvines video) Magna Carta (Baron grievances card sort/prioritisation tasks/PEEKA writing development) The Baron’s War (Round the Room battle reporting/descriptive writing task/videos) End of Unit Assessment (Planning and prep for a Narrative Analysis, Edexcel style Q on John’s legacy). Hope it helps. Remember – works best when the students are playing the (free!) King John game and completing the codex at the same time (perfect ongoing homework task or ict room lesson). WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

Comprehensive lesson analysing Thomas Hardy’s poem ‘Drummer Hodge’ 1899. Use MITSL grids, extensive reference to the criteria (iGCSE Edexcel) and model answers to prepare students for essay planning and then writing. Features stretch questions,literacy support, numeracy cross overs and multiple printed resources to support all learners. Example questions designed to look like a real exam paper to prepare students for the conventions of the exam hall. Used to great effect in a high achieving International School. Took about two lessons to complete in full and then a third lesson to allow for in depth and criteria led reflection and improvements. WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission… Hope it helps.

One lesson from a series of 10 lessons used recently to teach Key Stage 3 which much success. There is a great range of activities and the students really engaged with the subject. Each lesson is fully resourced and ready to teach from the box. Each includes options for adaption up or down depending on class level. Each lesson builds up students’ skills ready for an assessment in lesson 10, but also develops soft skills of group work, presentation, research and problem-solving. The lessons are as follows: • Raiders or Settlers? Push and Pull Factors • Viking Mythology & Top Trumps • Women in the Viking Age • Trade and Longboats • Lindisfarne • Edmund the Martyr • Bluetooth, Forkbeard & Canute • The Kyivan Rus • The Viking Discovery of America • Assessment Wolsey Academy, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission. Hope it helps. W

Lesson to celebrate of Chatham’s Afro-Caribbean Chartist Leader - William Cuffay. Great way to add diversity to your study of the British Industrial Revolution - also a crucial element of the study of political change and the Chartists in Britain. Card puzzle activity. Storyboard activity. Plenary tasks. Stretch activities throughout including a worksheet with activities for higher and lower abilities. Example lesson plan included to help explain the lesson and as a template for your own plans. WolseyAcademy.com, a non-profit resource provider, directs all profits to various charities, including refugee support, youth sports, educational programs, and carbon capture, achieving a carbon-negative status. Explore our site for resources and free history role-playing games loved by students. Thank you for your dedication to teaching and for supporting our mission.

Digital Devices - 6. Convergence - Edexcel ICT iGCSE Unit 1 – EAL Catering for Edexcel ICT iGCSE Unit 1. Lesson 6 of 16 (lessons 1 & 2 and the revision guide are free to download) These lessons were made for students in the Middle East and have a strong focus on EAL and keyword acquisition/application. Each lesson has 3-8 keywords on easy to use cards that fit into the lesson activity and also make excellent printable revision resources (the revision guide features them all in one place). Each lesson begins with a different active learning activity, a mini-plenary and a written or creative ICT task requiring the correct application of the keywords. All have stretch questioning to the main activities. Wolsey Academy has had a lot of success with this SOW with EAL students who have really progressed in their understanding of the technically vocabulary involved with the ICT iGCSE.