A knowledge organiser for the content required for the Hardwick Hall Historic Environment pack 2025

Revision resource focusing on how to answer the 16 mark ‘Hardwick Hall’ question on Paper 2. The resource models the structure and models examples of good practice, offering pupils then the chance to structure their own answer. The key changes demonstrated by Hardwick are also included.

A model answer to a sample question for the AQA 2024 HE on Drake’s Circumnavigation of the Globe 1577-1580. The answer explores several factors to address the question: “The main result of journeys of exploration was the increase in the wealth and power of Elizabethan England”. How far does the study of Drake’s circumnavigation support this statement? You should refer to Drake’s circumnavigation and your contextual knowledge (16 marks)

Model answer for specimen paper question: ‘The main change that manor houses demonstrated was the greater prosperity of their owner’. How far does a study of Hardwick Hall show this?

Lessons focused around the 2020 Historic Environment on the Spanish Armada. The fourth lesson focuses on the key reasons for the failure of the Armada. The lesson starts with pupils analysing Phillip II’s plan and assessing advantages and disadvantages for Spain. Pupils then categorise the cards into reasons for failure; focusing on weather, English tactics, leadership, luck, Spanish mistakes and English ship design/weapons. Using the cards and additional information (plus relevant textbooks if required), in small groups pupils create a mini poster explaining one of the above reasons for defeat - presenting back after 15 minutes whilst all students complete a table recording the key details, allowing students to assess which reason for defeat they feel is most significant. The plenary focuses on the ‘how convincing’ question, using the Armada portrait as the source material.

Lesson exploring the impact of Thatcher's economic policies - information hunt carousel, leading to a card sort thematically categorising the impact of her policies, judgement regarding the overall economic legacy of Thatcher and homework assessment source on economic realignment.

This lesson focuses on the 25-mark extract response. The lesson begins exploring the marking criteria, askign students to collate ‘what makes a good response’. Students then make inferences from the extracts on socialist views of capitalism, leading to a paired planning session on the extract question. Students then can write it in class/at home, with a WAGOLL provided for students to analyse and highlight where they see meaning, knowledge, contrast and provenance.

Exploration of the impact of the Nazis on society. Starter considering who may or may not have benefitted, two hyperlinked videos explore positives and negatives of Nazi society, group task exploring one area and focusing on positive/negative impacts then team teaching others, judgement on how far Nazi Germany benefitted and judgement line/post-it plenary.

Whiteboard starter, hyperlinked video showing the Warsaw ghetto, source analysis of images of the ghettos to build a picture of life there, use of "lessons from the Holocaust" DVD (on youtube also) and "describe" question on the ghettos, use of 'the Holocaust KS3' textbook to discuss morality of life in the ghettos, plenary link to ghettos and the final solution.

Lesson exploring motives for the introduction of prohibition - group task exploring four groups in society and how they viewed prohibition, judgement activity focusing on the temperance movement and the impact of WW1.

Lesson exploring the way that Harold Godwinson died. Starter utilises the bayeux tapestry scene to explore how Harold is portrayed as being killed. Pupils then investigate five sources and complete the table to analyses the content and provenance of the sources. This is brought together with a paired summary analyses enabling students to reach a conclusion, leading to supported judgement on their own theory on Godwinson’s death.

*Tenth lesson in the scheme - how the Normans changed England * Lesson exploring the change and continuity in religion under the Normans. Source starter introducing religion in medieval England, discussion of statements to explain the importance of Norman control of religion at the time, analysis of the changes made through table completion, group assessment of the positives of religious changes leading to a judgement line plenary on the importance of changes made to religion.

Exploration of social change in the 1920s. Whiteboard picture starter, carousel activity/market place exploring differen aspects of social change (music, cars, cinema and sport), judgement on if the roaring 20s really "roared" for everyone

Tenth lesson in the scheme - how was the power of the monarch challenged in medieval England? Lesson exploring the impact of the Peasants’ Revolt. Starter recaps what life was like for peasants BEFORE the revolt, video explores the significance of the revolt, categorisation card sort into positive and negative impacts of the revolt leading to a creation of a Venn diagram (attached at the end of the PPT) to assess the overall impact. Creation of a table showing change/continuity for peasants after the revolt leading to a written judgement on the overall impact. A continuum plenary shows pupils understanding of how much the revolt improved life for peasants.

Sixth lesson in the scheme - how was the power of the monarch challenged in medieval England? Lesson exploring the impact and significance of the Black Death. Starter recapping medieval understanding of the causes of the Black Death, rally-robin source task, video notes assessing positive and negative impacts of the Black Death, categorisation of the long and short term impact of the Black Death (could be done as a card sort instead), video assessing the positives for the peasants of the Black Death, leading to differentiated summary question choice on the overall effects of the Black Death on England.Finally, a judgement line plenary assesses pupil understanding of the impact. NB - significance assessment plan is attached for homework for use in the following lesson.

Lesson 25 in the scheme for Edexcel 1H10/B4 - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588. This double lesson explores why the attempts to colonise Virginia was significant. A starter for 10 recaps the learning on society, leading to an explanation of the significance of Virginia for England, ranking the most to least significant. Students then complete a carousel activity examining the reasons why the colonisation of Virginia failed. Students then apply their learning from the past three lessons to the following 16-mark essay question: ‘The main reason that voyages of exploration were undertaken during Elizabeth’s reign was to increase England’s wealth.’ How far do you agree? Explain your answer. (16) You may use the following in your answer: • Spain and the New World • Elizabeth I You must also use information of your own. This can be answered timed, or at home. Finally, students assess how far they think the failures in Virginia were due to Walter Raleigh.

This lesson explores why the Korean War was significant in the short and long term. A bingo plenary allows a recap of the key knowledge of the topic, moving into a video asking students to consider how the government would view the war in contrast to the US public. Students then use the handout to complete the Venn diagram, assessing the impact of the war in terms of human cost, the cold war and weapons build up. A post-it note plenary allows an assessment of what students consider the most signifcant impact of the war.

Lesson 1 in the Hardwick Hall 2025 Historic Environment learning sequence. This lesson focuses on how and why manor houses developed in Elizabethan England. The lesson begins with a starter focusing on features of a typical manor house. Students then use a video to explore why the Great Rebuilding occurred, leading to the creation of a spider diagram on why so many manor houses were built in this period. The lesson then explores the typical features of an Elizabethan manor house, leading to a recap plenary.

This lesson explores how WW2 affected the USA both positively and negatively. The lesson starts with a recap of key terms from the previous lesson (e.g. Cash and Carry), moving into a video introducing the impact of WW2 on US society/economy/politics. Students then use the hand out to create a table showing the positive and negative impacts of WW2, leading to application planning to an 8-mark response on the impact of war on African-Americans and women. Students then debate the overall impact of WW2 on America, leading to an interpretation plenary on the legacy of WW2, linking in knowledge gained from the lesson.