Aimed at Year 8: This lesson is an interactive lesson that gets students to investigate the Victorian Home. The lesson gets students to choose a room by clicking on parts of the house and its takes them inside the room with pictures and information. This works work in a computer room where students can make their way through it at their own pace. However, I’ve done it in a normal classroom and its worked just as well. There is a worksheet for them to complete, though many in my class made notes on their own. There is also a writing frame for the question at the end for those that need help with writing.

I always struggle when planning what homework should be set and then moaning about having increased my own workload with more marking. So I created this to solve those problems, every so often I get students to take this sheet home and to explain to an adult at home what they have learnt. The parents them comment what has been explained to them to ensure they have done it. I then expanded it to allow parents to have a dialogue and ask any questions about their child’s learning and work. This helped to increase parental engagement which was low and reduced marking on Homework. I have done this with all different years. I allowed students to also do this with other members of staff including their tutors and homework club if they have issues at home.

This idea sprang up from teaching a particular difficult Year 9 class (maybe pushing it in terms of age, but they loved it). Every student is given a card at the beginning of the lesson and explained that if they work hard and show good behavior their card will be ticked off. Each row completed equals a different reward. At first I rewarded everything and we went through lots of cards. Answering questions, not talking when others are speaking, completing work etc. This worked very well with this class as students start to see and hear that others are getting rewarded. By the end other teachers of the class stole this idea. I printed 4 to an A4 page and It can be stuck in the back of their books i printed it on card and its was their responsibility to bring it. If they loose it they start again.

These were designed to engage and push less able students to challenge themselves as well as Gifted and Talented students. These can be handed out to individual students throughout the lesson or as they come in, by the end of the lesson they need to prove they have done this can be rewarded by students are happy with Praise points. The idea is to keep them secret from the rest of the class to increase engagement with it as it adds mystery. This worked very well with a lower set as it got them to use connectives and improve their work perhaps when they wouldn’t have. As a history teacher there is a a restyled version, “Royal Assignments” as it go with my Year 7 Scheme on William the Conqueror

A revision game for History of Public Health GCSE topic, students use this to recap topic and break up a lesson.

I have a copy of these on each table, it works well for extended writing. They can be printed out, cut up and then laminated and turned into a key chains.

This task works really well and gets students engaged in their revision. Place images into each of the hexagons that connect in some way to the topic you are studying. Right the title in the middle. Students that have to explain how the images link to the tile, making notes around the image. Students can cut them out if they want to add more space (I recommend this for high ability students). Challenge task can be for students to then link the other images together.

This task works well for a recap activity. The images can be swapped if wanted. Students annotate the images with notes on what they can remember about the topic. Students can then try and make links between the different images.

A Year 7 lesson that recaps what has been learnt so far about the Romans. There is a focus on literacy in this lesson. The lesson culminates in a GCSE styled question with a writing frame for those that needs support. This lesson also gives you a chance to get students to reflect on their work using the Book Review sheet.

A year 7 lesson that looks at how useful a source can be. It focuses on one source and builds upon the previous Boudicca lesson. Students can work through it as a class or on their own depending on their ability. It culminates in a GCSE styled question with a writing frame to help students.

A Year 7 lesson that tries to introduce students to source skills. The main focus is looking at Nature, Origin, Purpose and inference skills. Students can work in groups and go through the Roman sources. The lesson after this looks at the utility of sources.

A lesson that looks at the reasons why Boudicca’s revolt failed. This can be used with the Horrible Histories Boudicca song. Students have to read through different sources and work out why Boudicca lost and begin to explain different reasons for failure. Students end with a GCSE styled question, there is a writing frame for lower ability students.

A murder mystery lesson. This is aimed at getting students to work out facts and use evidence to work out the truth. The lesson was super engaging for both my top and bottom sets. Can be taught two ways either place the information around the rooms and students walk around and try and find it/ or place all the evidence into a pack (brown envelope, can place stickers on the envelope, students loved the little touches made it feel like a real CSI investigation). Students then work as a group trying to find out the story, this allows a competition element. The lesson ends with a write up of an account a writing frame is provided.

A lesson that look at the significance of the Roman’s students investigate Roman public health, government, roads, and treatment of the Celts. This is combined by completing a star diagram with a mixture of Christine Counsel’s categories of significance. There is a writing frame for a GCSE styles question.

A Year 7 Lesson that compares Roman Britain and the Iron Age, comes with writing frames for a GCSE styled question. Lessons have challenge tasks and scope for group and solo work.

A lesson that aims to teach the skill of chronology to students. PowerPoint has challenge tasks that aim to push higher ability students. The timeline group task engages students and can be a competition between different groups

A collection of revision materials. Includes a detailed timeline, a key events table mat, a set of revision bookmarks that look at key questions, and a revision clock activity.

Gap fill sheets that can be used as a starter to recap previous lessons or can be printed and stapled together to be used as revision material/homework. There are also some simplified timelines included as well.