This lesson focuses on the historical skill of interpretation, and students are invited to consider two different opinions on Malcolm X: those of conservative analyst William F. Buckley (who calls him a “public menace”) and movie director Spike Lee (who calls him a “freedom fighter”). The lesson has graduated aims (all will/most will/some will), and students are quickly introduced to the Starter Activity. This activity involves two sources showing different opinions on Malcolm X: one is a mural in New York which shows him as a martyr, and the other is a letter written to the FBI complaining about him. They complete a Venn diagram on these two sources to begin conversations about why there should be such duality of opinions on this Civil Rights leader. Then, there is some background information on his early life to enable teacher exposition. The main task is then introduced, and the class divides 18 cards into positives and negatives to help them form an opinion. This then leads to written and verbal explanations before the class concludes with a voting plenary to answer the main question.
All topics on Civil Rights must be taught sensitively and head-on, and I hope this resource helps you bring this important leader and his legacy to life in your classroom.
This lesson begins with a starter activity in which students are asked to sequence four key events of American history in the correct order, the last of which is Ruby Bridges’ first day at an all-white school in Louisiana. The class are then introduced to the lesson title with graduated criteria (all will/most will/some will) and the PPT has some background information for teacher exposition. The class then begin their main activity in which they cut out 24 cards. The start and end cards are labelled but all the others need to be placed in the correct order using the heads and tails sentences. This then tells the story of Ruby Parks. The class then use this information to create a rollercoaster map. Examples are given and this enables students to consider which aspects would have been most distressing or dangerous. The lesson then concludes with a plenary in which the class are asked some comprehension questions on a famous Norman Rockwell painting about the incident to consolidate their knowledge and understanding. Lesson aims are revisited and a two-paragraph homework task is set.
This lesson on Ruby is one that students always connect with and I hope your students appreciate her as much as I do. I don’t normally include URLs in my lessons because they expire but I’ve put in a link to a great segment from a chat show in which Ruby explains her role in history.
This lesson is a 25-page PowerPoint presentation in which students are introduced to the topic with two divergent opinions on the impact of sit-ins (which are revisited later) and a Starter Activity in which the teacher asks them to close their eyes as they are read information about a typical Southern diner in the 1960s. Towards the end, a sit-in is described, focusing on the experiences of the participants. Students are given a choice of three options and then watch a three-minute video clip from the movie “The Butler,” which reveals the violence and verbal assaults sit-in protestors experienced (please be aware there is racially offensive language in the clip). They are asked to revisit their response. The lesson title is introduced, along with graduated aims (all will/most will/some will). The class is then provided with background information on teacher exposition slides before beginning the main activity, which is a two-page source analysis activity (5 sources, 15 comprehension questions). There is then a written activity inviting students to respond to the Key Question using the knowledge they have acquired and the sources. Following this, there is an opportunity for group discussion before the conclusion of the lesson. The class listens to the lyrics of the song “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke (or if you prefer “A White Man’s Heaven is a Black Man’s Hell” – also good but harder to make out the lyrics) and relates this to today’s learning, before deciding which of the two earlier historiographical perspectives they now agree with by moving to a designated area.
As always, teaching Civil Rights needs to be done maturely and head-on but with a sensitive approach. I hope this PowerPoint resource enables you to do so for this important topic and helps your students see the importance and courage of the sit-in protestors.
This lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are invited to match up celebrity Hollywood actors with Shakespeare roles they have appeared in. The lesson title and aims as well as graduated criteria (all will/most will/some will) are introduced and there are some teacher expo slides which explain the concept of significance. This invites students to explain their perspective on what makes someone or something important. The acronym GREAT is introduced (ground-breaking, remembered, importance at the time, affected the future, and turning point) and examples are given to aid discussion and understanding of these as they relate specifically to Shakespeare. This information is then used as the class begin their main activity (to make a digital, written, or visual model celebrating his importance.) The lesson concludes with a Design Your Own Question retrieval knowledge activity. A consolidation homework task is included where students write an answer to the Key Question.
I created this as a series of 2-3 lessons and its pitched at high achieving Key Stage 3 students for Shakespeare Day.
If you have any questions do let me know and I wish you a wonderful day.
This lesson begins with a What’s Behind the Squares? Starter activity in which students are invited to shout out what they see in a Medieval interpretation of St. George. The lesson title and aims as well as graduated criteria (all will/most will/some will) are introduced and there are some teacher expo slides which explain the second order concept of historical significance. The acronym GREAT is used (ground-breaking, remembered, importance at the time, affected the future, and turning-point) and examples are given to aid discussion and understanding of these as they relate generally and more specifically to St. George. This information is then used as the class begin their main activity (to make a digital, written, or visual model celebrating George’s importance.) The lesson concludes with a Design Your Own Question retrieval knowledge activity. A consolidation homework task is included where students write an answer to the Key Question.
This lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are invited to comment on an easy, medium or difficult question on a cartoon which sheds light on the position of Black Americans from slavery to the modern day. The lesson title and aims as well as graduated criteria (all will/most will/some will) are introduced and there are some teacher expo slides which explain the concept of significance. This invites students to explain their perspective on what makes someone or something important. The acronym GREAT is introduced (ground-breaking, remembered, importance at the time, affected the future, and turning point) and after a few intro slides on MLK himself, examples are given to aid discussion and understanding of these GREAT significance criteria as they relate specifically to Dr. King and his significance. This information is then used as the class begin their main activity (to make a digital, written, or visual model celebrating his importance.) The lesson concludes with a Design Your Own Question retrieval knowledge activity to check understanding. A consolidation homework task is included where students write an answer to the Key Question.
I created this as a series of 3 lessons and its pitched at high achieving Key Stage 3 students for Martin Luther King Day. Because I am British the words are in UK-English.
If you have any questions do let me know and I wish you a wonderful day. Dr. King is one of my heroes and I am proud that this lesson will impact on your students as well as mine.
This is one of my most detailed lessons and one which students love. After a quick starter activity about the significance of the poppy in British-Chinese relations the class read detailed background notes before being issued one of 23 character cards. These range from tea-magnate Thomas Twining to Confucius! In role the students then extract evidence which their character might use to explain how China became to be ruled by foreigners after the Opium Wars. I always follow this up with either a piece of extended writing or even better a debate. Please watch the short video clip attached to see this lesson in action. The lesson includes a separate plenary Power Point also. I hope your students will gain as much from this lesson as I know mine always do. Enjoy!
This is a powerful lesson in causation. Students read through the detailed background information before arranging 17 extremely detailed and precise information cards into factors (economic, cultural, and people). This activity helps students scaffold a response to the key question which can then be used as the basis for a piece of assessed or extended written work. I hope your students find this as useful as I know mine have!
In this lesson students read through incredibly detailed notes designed to really boost their subject knowledge and understanding of factors which caused Franco’s nationalists to prevail in the Spanish Civil War. Students then complete a mix and match dominoes activity to test their comprehension before completing the lesson with a ‘find someone who’ activity which involves them interviewing classmates to complete differentiated tasks. This lesson is pitched at very able students and my classes always find these notes and approach an excellent way to grasp the topic. I hope this lesson can be of use to you and if so please feel free to browse through my other resources in my shop. Best wishes, Daniel
I’ve always enjoyed this lesson and its one that really helps students develop an expert grasp of a difficult series of events. Students read through background knowledge before completing a card sort of 21 precise pieces of evidence. I then encourage students to make links between these factors and to identify which pieces of evidence they find the most compelling. I worked in the Middle East when creating and delivering this lesson so it carries real meaning for me and I hope you can see how that has come across in the level of detail and precision. Above all though I hope your students enjoy this as much as mine did.
This is one of my most detailed resources. Students are given a pack of 15 large information cards offering information as to how and why President Kennedy was assassinated and are encouraged to write their findings on the mystery sheets provided at the end of the pack. This is one of my very best lessons and has been designed to encourage students to think, question, collaborate and take risks. During this lesson students will explore the possibility that there was more to JFK’s death than the lone gunman theory and will offer alternatives using precisely selected evidence. I really look forward to delivering this lesson each year. I really hope you enjoy teaching this topic and that you find it gets your students truly acting as young Historians should.
In this fully resourced lesson students explore the causes of Mussolini’s decision to invade Abyssinia in 1935. The lesson features graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will) and begins with a What’s Behind the Squares Starter Activity. Be aware the image is harrowing (it is the feet of an African burned by Italian mustard gas) and invites students to ask why this happened.
There is then some background information / teacher exposition and students are asked to add notes to a mind map with 9 nodes.
Once this has been added to the class plenary is to add to a 9-sided shape (a nonagram). The class are asked to place four post-it notes which answer the question and to place these notes more centrally in the shape if they consider a particular factor to be of greater importance. If it is of lesser importance, they will place it towards the perimeter.
I hope your students enjoy this lesson as much as mine do. It has been created for high school History students and has been written in UK-English.
In this lesson students read up on background knowledge before assembling a 30 piece hexagonal card sort into a factor-led response. Evidence is very precise and being a hexagonal rather than square card sort students are encouraged to make effective links between the evidence used whilst also being encouraged to prioritise the evidence they find the most compelling. Once the class have formulated their card sort this sets them up extremely well for either a debate or a written piece of work. My students love this lesson and I really hope yours do too!
I love using these and always have a pack in my pocket or on my desk. Thirty cards with extension activities specifically for History students means you will always have a highly differentiated set of extension tasks on you. Brilliant for any lesson, especially observations!
This 34-page pack is the incredibly detailed and complete set of notes I have written for my students. It is basically an entire course on Why do events in the Gulf Matter? in one pack! Suitable for 16+ including GCSE, AP, A Level, and IB students. Notes are broken down into the following sections:
How did Saddam Hussein rise to power in Iraq?
What was the nature of Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq?
Why was there a revolution in Iran in 1979?
What were the causes of the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-88?
What were the consequences of the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-88?
Why did the First Gulf War take place?
I am confident you will love this resource because there is nothing on the Internet which I have found which offers the same level of breadth and detail on this topic.
I created this lesson when I taught in the Middle East and so I’m very proud of the level of detail in it. Students work their way through the background information before attempting a 30 piece hexagonal card sort. The cards are colour coded and the students need to explain what they have in common as well as to make links between factors. This activity was one of my best lessons of the year and always leads to thoughtful and precise historical argument. I really hope you enjoy teaching this as much as I do!
As a child growing up during the Gulf Wars and someone who has worked in the Middle East I am extremely proud of this lesson. Download this and you will find an extremely detailed set of notes along with a starter and plenary activity to bring this topic to life.
This is a fully resourced lesson focusing on the second order concept of interpretation. Students watch two video clips (Disney and Alan Rickmann’s interpretations of Rasputin) and complete a VENN diagram as their starter activity to introduce the idea that there are very different views of Rasputin. They then work through a detailed set of notes before rifling through a 50+ piece card sort to identify arguments in favour of him being a Mad Monk or indeed a Holy Man. Students use this information to complete a written task (report for the Okhrana) using the criteria-driven assessment template provided. In the plenary students look through five different images of Rasputin and are invited to shout out their thoughts as the squares are taken away to reveal the picture.
Please let me know if you have any questions and I hope your students get as much out of this fully-resourced lesson as much as mine do.
In this lesson students are issued an exceptionally detailed pack of information and are required to create evidence based storyboard using the template provided which causes them to focus on the five key reasons. A plenary is also included which asks for them to develop two of these points using ‘on the other hand.’ I hope you enjoy this lesson as much as my students do.
This is one of my absolute favourite lessons. Students read through the background knowledge/notes before working their ways through a 21 piece evidence sort to answer the question ‘Who killed Kirov?’ Students then place the card sort information into piles which suggest Stalin was guilty of the murder and evidence that suggests he was not, before arriving at an opinion abotu why the 1st December Law and the subsequent purges and period of Yezhovschina occured. My students truly love this lesson and I really hope yours do too!