This is a card sort or diamond 9 activity designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise the effects of the Blitz. Students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on the worst effects of the Blitz, and why the Blitz failed to break British morale. As an extension, students can choose either to write as a German or British journalist, explaining a one-sided point of view on the Blitz. Categories could include, but not be limited to: Fear Death Destruction of cities

This is an activity to introduce Hitler’s foreign policy 1933-9. Hitler’s aims can be introduced by watching the video of his speech. Students can discuss what they think Hitler is likely to do to achieve what he talks about in the speech. Students make a graph of the actions that Hitler undertook. They plot them in chronological order (this can be done as a card sort), and decide which were political or military actions. There are two sheets for the actions, one in chronological order for less able students, one jumbled up for students to arrange (and possibly stick down? - If so, do the graph sheet on A3 for space reasons.) More able students can explain a turning point in the actions which made war inevitable at some point, and explain why other events led to war. They can also offer their thoughts on how Britain and France should have reacted to successfully avoid war.

The powerpoint allows students to decide what was a Medieval belief in the spread of the Black Death, and what was a real cause. The worksheet allows students to decide what was: • Completely ineffective in stopping the spread of the Black Death • Of limited effect in stopping the spread of the Black Death • More effective in stopping the spread of the Black Death Students then explain one treatment that was effective, and why, then one treatment that was ineffective and why people did it anyway. More able students can extend themselves by explaining why people did not know the real causes, and the extent to which fear played a part in the disease’s treatment.

This is a card sort or diamond 9 activity designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise reasons for the outbreak of WWII. As an extension, students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on the most important reason for the outbreak of WWII, and apportion responsibility to the major nations involved. More able students have a differentiated resource which allows them to exemplify and explain each of the reasons given. Categories could include, but not be limited to: The Treaty of Versailles The League of Nations Hitler’s foreign policy It could be done as a venn diagram using the second sheet.

This is a card sort or diamond 9 activity designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise reasons for the Medieval regression in medicine. More able students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on the most important reason for the Medieval regression in medicine, and suggest reasons why the period saw some progress in surgery. At the end, they are challenged to make a hypothesis for life expectancy in the period, which can be returned to in a later lesson. Categories could include, but not be limited to: War Communication Religion It could be done as a venn diagram using the second sheet.

This is a card sort or diamond 9 activity designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise reasons for the American entry to WWII. More able students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on the most important reason for the American entry to WWII, and decide how important Pearl Harbour was. Categories could include, but not be limited to: Pearl Harbour and aftermath USA’s desire to help allies Political desire to join the war Nazi aggression It could be done as a venn diagram using the second sheet.

This is an activity for GCSE students. They should arrange the events into chronological order - it can be done as a card sort, cut and stick or a numbering exercise. They then have a series of questions to answer to explain and justify their thoughts on the reactions of Hitler and Chamberlain. It finishes with an exam-style question for the new GCSE spec.

This is a card sorting resource on the development of Britain’s rule from the 1750s to 1947. There is a differentiated resource for lower ability students. Students are invited to sort the cards into categories: a) violence/war b) peaceful protest c) political power / government. Lower ability students can look at what was violent / non-violent. They then place the cards into chronological order, and can use the timeline to indicate where Britain’s rule was secure or weak. More able students can be challenged to decide how strong or weak each event showed British rule to be. Students can then answer the following questions on British India: 1. What event showed that British power was at its strongest? Why? 2. What event showed that British power was at its weakest, before 1947? Why? 3. What do you suggest about British rule in India over the years? Think of rise and fall of power. Why do you think that this was? This can lead to a class debate or piece of extended writing.

This is a card sorting resource to allow students to judge the effectiveness of the NHS. Students can sort the cards into groups to do with costs, public health and other factors. Students can sort the cards into groups to do with positives and negatives. There are questions at the bottom of the sheet, for more able students, to do with the best/worst point about the NHS, and are invited to explain their own thoughts. This can lead to a piece of extended writing on the effectiveness of the NHS.

A card sort which allows students to place in chronological order the events (from Aug. 1961 to 1965) which saw the construction of and life under the Berlin Wall. Students can explain what they think are the most important events in the story of the Berlin Wall. They can place themselves in the position of a) East Berliners, b) West Berliners c) the USSR, d) the USA and write an explanation of their feelings.

This is a card sort for GCSE / A level students to arrange into chronological order the events in Hitler’s rise to power. There is a differentiated version for lower ability students. They are currently in the right order! As an extension, students can identify and explain 1/2/3 events which they feel were turning points in Hitler’s rise. This can lead to an extended piece of writing, or discussion.

This is a resource for students to explain why the USA joined WW2. Students are presented with 7 reasons, they must explain why these made the USA join the war. There is a differentiated version with are key words to help less able students with the explanations. Students then decide which were reactions to Pearl Harbour, and which were longer term reasons. As an extension, students explain their opinion on the most important reason for the USA joining the war.

This is a resource for KS3/4 students to be looking at the decisions to drop the atomic bombs in 1945. On the ‘bomb decisions’ sheet, students decide what they would do regarding the decisions on dropping thee bomb. As an extension, they can lace themselves in the position of Harry Truman and decide what he should have done. On the second sheet, differentiated for lower ability students, students firstly which of the points suggest that the dropping of the bombs was: • The right thing to do • The wrong thing to do They then choose their opinions on what were the best reasons for and against dropping he bomb. As an extension, the more able students can write a letter explaining their views fully. This can lead to a debate or a piece of extended writing. It has also been used in the past as a resource to prepare for an assessment.

This is a card sorting resource for KS3 or KS4 students looking at the success of the evacuation process, Operation Pied Piper, in 1939. Students can sort the cards into: advantages for children, disadvantages for children, successes of the process, failures of the process. Alternatively, they can sort them into good/bad points. Further activities can sort the cards for priorities of positives and negatives. There is a differentiated resource for lower ability students. This can lead to a discussion activity or a piece of extended writing on the success of evacuation. I have in the past used it as the basis of an assessment on the success of evacuation.

This is a card sorting resource for KS4 students. Students read examples of contemporary opinion concerning anaesthetics. They arrange them into the pros and cons of anaesthetics. They are then invited to prioritise the positives and negatives and explain a judgement of the most convincing. More able students can decide which of the negatives concern unwillingness to change and medical/logical arguments; and which of the positives were taken from history or the contemporary day. This can lead to a debate or piece of extended writing.

This is a resource to sort the advantages and disadvantages of migration to Britain, and invites students to prepare a debate on the issue. Students can decide which of these affect all, most, some or only a few migrants - and then decide which are the most important. Students can pair up as differentiation to prepare a debate on the good and bad points of migration.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to explain why the Great Fire of London spread with such devastating consequences. Students can explain the reasons that each of the causes of the spread of the fire ere important. Students then arrange cards into the following areas: the Lord Mayor, the weather, the buildings and the fire engines. Students can prioritise and classify reasons into these factors. There is a differentiated version, without thee explanation space, for lower ability students. Students should explain what they think are the most important factors in the spread of the fire, and explain their opinons. This can lead to an extended piece of writing on the causes of the spread of the fire.

This is a resource for GCSE students. Students look at reasons for the Plains Indian Wars starting, and look at the incidents surrounding the Sioux and the US Government. Students firstly put the events into chronological order. They are then invited to answer questions on why the Indians were angry at the Government, and how the Government justified its actions - Manifest Destiny. Students can explain which they feel were the most offensive to the Indians. This can lead to an extended piece of writing. There is a differentiated version of the cards for lower ability students.

This is an interactive information sheet for GCSE students. Students look through the information about sod houses. They can make a storyboard on how sod houses were created. They are then invited to look at problems for people living in sod houses, and finally make a comparison with tipis by filling in a similarities and differences table. This can lead to a piece of extended writing comparing sod houses and tipis.

This is a worksheet that can be used as a cut and stick or a card sort. There are versions for higher and lower ability students. Feedback can lead to discussion on how factors link together. Students look at and decide upon the push, pull and enabling factors. They then decide on 2-3 which were the most important, 3-4 which were very important, 8-10 which were quite important and 2-3 which were less important. They can explain their opinions on importance. Finally students can categorise the reasons into:- Government action, Railroads, Problems in Europe, The end of the Civil War, Manifest Destiny and propaganda, Technology, Others. This can lead to an essay or exam answer on the reasons that the homesteaders moved on to the Plains.