I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
This lesson sets out to explains how Hitler set Germany on the road to the Second World War in 5 steps.
Students are challenged to find out how and why was he able to defy the Treaty of Versailles so easily with little or no consequences (shown through a causal spider’s web).
Students analyse video footage and a number of sources, using the COP technique (modelled for student understanding) which has proved invaluable for evaluating sources at GCSE.
A final chronological recap of the events and evaluation of the most and least important of the events that led to war, will give students an in depth understanding of why World War II started.
This lesson is ideal as preparation for GCSE if you are embedding source skills or teaching the interwar years or WWII at Key stage 4.
It is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Britain: Health and the People c1000 to present
The aims of this lesson are threefold; for students to recognise the introduction of sulphonamides and how the first magic bullets were discovered, analyse the growth of the pharmaceutical industry and evaluate the difficulties of eradicating the new superbugs which are resistant to antibiotics and alternative medicines.
The first task for students is to analyse the work of Paul Ehrlich and Gerhard Domagk in their quest to cure diseases such as syphilis, malaria and blood poisoning.
Students then have to judge how significant their work was and justify this in a grid (from not a all, partially, moderately, substantially and significantly)
The second task evaluates the work of the Pharmaceuticals such as Wellcome, KlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer, the positive work they do into researching new medicines but also looking at the negatives as well, such as the drug Thalidomide.
The final part of the lesson requires students to analyse how and why there are diseases resistant to antibiotics using current research available from the NHS as well as reasons why people are turning in increasing numbers to alternative treatments and medicines such as acupuncture and homeopathy.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
The resource comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.
Rise of Dictators
The aim of this lesson is to assess whether Mussolini’s legacy can be compared to Julius Caesar. Did he match up to his accomplishments such as the Julian calendar, being a successful military leader, a consul of Rome as well as an Imperator.
Students begin by explaining what they already know about Italy and its historical past.
They also analyse the rule of Julius Caesar and what he achieved in his lifetime.
They will then be given facts about Mussolini’s early life and use the information to make a judgement about him as a person, using key words and a writing framework if required.
The main task will then involve them plotting Mussolini’s life on a graph taking into account his successes and failures.
From this, they will then be able to evaluate if he indeed deserves to have a similar reputation and legacy to Caesar, whom he admired and attempted to emulate in his Fascist Dictatorship from 1922-43.
There is some excellent video footage to accompany the lesson, together with challenging tasks culminating in a ‘what is the question task’ and an ‘odd one out’ activity.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes some retrieval practice on Dictators, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess the impact of Albert Speer in armaments production in the Nazi war economy.
The lesson begins with a recap of the policies previously mentioned of Hjalmar Schacht and Goering in his Four Year Plan. Students will assess how much of an impact their policies had preparing Germany for war and if the German economy was on the verge of collapse before from 1942.
Students will learn about the background of Albert Speer and how he implemented reforms and efficiency to turn the Nazi economy around with his appointment as Armaments Minister and War production.
There is some source analysis to complete together with a true or false quiz at the end of the lesson.
The exam practice will allow students to evaluate the successes of Speer’s policies as well as questioning deep rooted divisions and problems within the economy, which were unreconcilable and ultimately led to its collapse with the defeat of Nazi Germany.
The lesson is quite literacy heavy and may have to be delivered over two lessons.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
American Civil RIghts
This lesson aims to explain how black people in America voiced their protests against their lack of Civil Rights in the 1950s and early 1960’s.
Students are introduced to the various forms of protest they used which they have to research and ultimately decide how effective each form of protest was.
The protests include music, sits ins, marches, freedom rides and changing the law.
There are quite a few links to video footage at the time to reinforce the learning.
Students use the key words at the end of the lesson to summarise their new found knowledge on protesting for equality in Civil Rights.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to challenge the view that Mary’s foreign policy was a disaster.
Students are given the context to Europe at Mary’s accession to the throne and how she was brought into the Habsburg-Valois conflict (war with France) as a result of her marriage to Philip II of Spain.
There are some differentiated questions to answer using some extended comprehension, as well a discussion on the pros (military improvements) and cons (unpopular policies) of her foreign policy.
This is a case study of the capture of Calais from a recent BBC magazine article which sets up an extract practice question to answer, complete with a detailed markscheme to help if required.
The plenary challenges what students have learnt in the lesson and some assumptions made by historians.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to assess the short and long term impact of the dissolution of the monasteries in Tudor England.
Students learn about the role monasteries played in Tudor society and how they became a fundamental part of the break with Rome and the Reformation.
They are given the facts of the dissolution by numbers to help them evaluate the impact of the dissolution as well as the tactics Thomas Cromwell used to close them.
There are some great video links included, as well as some shocking revelations brought to light.
The plenary allows students to reflect on how various sections of society accepted or disputed the dissolution.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to assess the threat posed by Mary, Queen of Scots throughout her life to Elizabeth.
The lesson begins with some context of Mary’s life and political intrigue before students’ decide her threat to Elizabeth, before she flees to England from Scotland.
In the second part of the lesson, students learn about all the different Catholics plots against Elizabeth involving Mary (Northern Rebellion, Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington) examine their impact and assess how Elizabeth and her Privy Council dealt with each in turn.
There is also a diamond nine prioritising exercise as to the main reasons why Elizabeth was so reluctant to execute Mary after the Babington plot.
Some literacy and extract exam practice is also included with help given and a markscheme supplied
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
This bundle follows the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum - the development of Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745.
I have designed these lessons on the Tudors to be challenging and engaging as well as fun and enjoyable.
The aims of this bundle are to know and understand how peoples’ lives were shaped by the Tudors from Henry VII to Elizabeth I, how they changed the course of British history and why we are still fascinated by their lives today.
Students will learn and understand key historical skills throughout; for example, the concepts of continuity and change with the Wars of the Roses and the accession of Henry VII to the throne, key historical terms such as dissolution, Catholic and Protestant and vagrancy, recognising the causes and consequences of Henry’s break with Rome, analysing the significance of the Black Tudors, Edward VI and Elizabeth I as well as evaluating sources and interpretations such as the reputation of Mary 1.
The 20 lessons are broken down into the following:
L1 The War of the Roses
L2 Henry VII
L3 An introduction to Henry VIII
L4 Did Henry VIII break with Rome for love?
L5 Did Henry VIII break with Rome for faith?
L6 Did Henry VIII break with Rome for money?
L7 The dissolution of the monasteries
L8 The sinking of the Mary Rose
L9 Edward VI
L10 Bloody Mary
L11 Black Tudors
L12 The young Elizabeth
L13 The Elizabethan Settlement (free resource)
L14 Elizabeth and the problem of marriage
L15 Elizabeth and her portraits
L16 How did Elizabeth deal with Mary, Queen of Scots?
L17 Famous explorers (Drake, Hawkins and Raleigh)
L18 The Spanish Armada
L19 Elizabeth, poverty and the Poor Law
L20 Elizabethan Theatre and the Globe
Due to TES restrictions on Bundles, the introduction to the Tudors, which is a free lesson, must be downloaded separately.
Each lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies and are linked to the latest historical interpretations and debate from the BBC and other sources.
The lessons are fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit. I have included a free lesson to give an idea of what is being offered.
Although this bundle is aimed at Key Stage 3, it is ideal if you are studying the Tudors for GCSE as it covers the main themes, concepts and skills required.
This key word literacy display has been designed to be used on classroom walls (or on display boards outside) when introducing a new History topic to the students, such as the Cold War.
It is an easy resource to print and will hopefully save an incredible amount of time and effort when incorporating literacy into a new or existing scheme of work.
The slides can also be laminated and used as mobiles hanging from the ceiling or used as part of an informative display.
The slides cover the following words and their definitions:
Agent Orange, Arms Race, Bay of Pigs, Berlin Airlift, Berlin Wall, Cold War, communism, containment, Cuba, Cuban Missile Crisis, East and West Germany, exclusion zone, Fidel Castro, ideology, iron curtain, Marshall Plan, McCarthyism, NATO, Nikita Khrushchev, President Kennedy, red scare, soviet bloc, Soviet Union, Superpower, trade embargo, Truman Doctrine, U2, Warsaw Pact, zones of occupation
The slides come in PowerPoint format so they are easy to print, change and adapt.
The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel
The aim of this lesson to analyse the work of the cowboys on the Long Drives and on Cattle Ranches of the American Plains.
At the start, some myths are dispelled about cowboys, many of which can be attributed to Hollywood films and John Wayne.
Students learn the importance of the Long Drives and the roles the cowboys played in bring the cattle to their final destination, including all the hazards on the way.
They also study the life on the ranches and the further difficulties endured by the cowboys in their work.
Students are thus prepared to answer a GCSE exam practice question on the importance of cowboys to the cattle industry worth 8 marks, with help given if required.
The plenary challenges students to decide if the statements can be categorised to the Ranches or the Long Drive.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
The Holocaust
This lesson directly tackles the overriding enquiry question throughout this sequence of lessons, namely who was to blame for the holocaust?
They will continue to map out their ideas (which can be plotted in different colours or dates to show the progress of their learning and centred around a lightbulb) and build up a picture of how difficult it is to blame a single individual or event for this catastrophe.
The lesson focuses on Police Battalion 101 who were ‘instructed’ by their Commander, Major Trapp to execute Jews in Poland and send many others to the extermination camps.
Two historians have conducted extensive research in this area and either concluded they were willing executioners or just ordinary men, victims of an extraordinary situation.
It is up to the students to make up their own minds by tracking one of the battalion’s first ‘actions’ against 1800 Polish Jews living in the village of Jozefow.
There are accompanying worksheets and grids to colour code as well as excellent links to video footage and differentiated tasks to help students of all abilities.
Other figures to blame in the lesson debate include Adolf Eichmann, the organiser of the transportation of the Jews as well as the German public, train drivers, Camp Commandants or foreign governments who failed to respond. Students have to prioritise their responsibility list in the plenary.
The resource comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change and is differentiated.
I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.
**AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603 **
This lesson is an introduction to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
It starts by finding out what the students already know using a true or false quiz, source material, video evidence and using some portraits of Elizabeth.
The emphasis is also on the precarious nature of her early life which has a major impact on how she rules when she becomes Queen.
The second part of the lesson uses differentiated resources and requires the students to plot, explain and prioritise her early problems on a tree (using the trunk, branches and leaves).
The third part focuses on a typical GCSE question on the usefulness of a source giving tips and notes on how to answer this question.
The lesson also gives a brief introduction to the course and includes a tracking sheet which the students stick in their books detailing the assessment objectives of the course and the four main question types.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension 1918-1939
The aim of this lesson is to explore the reasons why Mussolini invaded Abyssinia.
Throughout the lesson, students will be required to analyse the reasons as to why, in the face of unprovoked hostility and belligerence, the League of Nations did little to stop Italian aggression against Abyssinia and why Britain and France went out of their way to appease Mussolini.
At first, students will recap on the previous dealings Mussolini had with the League of Nations in the Corfu incident.
They will then evaluate the role of the League and its clear inability to act decisively, even before Britain and France undermined its very foundations.
When students have built up a clear picture of the whole incident, they are then ready to tackle a ‘write an account’ question.
The plenary is an A-Z tasks using the key words and events from the lesson.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, some retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess whether the war in the East was the main reason for the implementation of the Final Solution. and Nazi genocide policies.
This lesson can be delivered over two, with the breath and depth of information covered.
Students begin with a recap of some key dates in their implementation of anti-Semitic policies. The significance of the Wannsee Conference is explained, with a comprehension task and timeline guide to examine in the move towards the Final Solution.
There are some key multiple choice questions to answer as well as some map analysis of the concentration and extermination camps across Europe.
Case Studies on Auschwitz and Ceija’s Story give context to the horrific crimes committed by the Nazis in this period.
The final parts of the lesson focus on Jewish resistance (with a colour coding activity to complete) as well as a note on the death marches and questions over who bears responsibility for the holocaust.
The lesson is quite literacy heavy. There is some exam practice to be completed at the end on the implementation of the Final Solution, with a focused markscheme provided if required.
An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work.
The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit if required.
It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to question whether the ‘new woman’ in the Weimar Republic was no more than a myth.
The beginning of the lesson focuses on social welfare and who was entitled to what at the end of the war. However, students learn how many people felt cheated by the system and assess why so many different groups felt aggrieved.
In the second part of the lesson, students ascertain who was classed as the new woman in Weimar Germany. They also evaluate whether gender roles and the new freedoms afforded to women were in fact inconsequential in areas such as politics, employment and sexual freedom.
Case studies for four women are scrutinised before students complete some exam practice, with help given if required.
The plenary requires students to compete some fragmented sentences.
There is a enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to assess and judge the strength of the Tudor economy under Henry VIII.
Students begin by recapping Henry VII and the measures he undertook to deal with a changing economy.
This is then compared to Henry VIII as the students have to test the judgement made by John Guy who said England was ‘economically healthier, more expansive and more optimistic at any time since the Roman occupation’.
Students are also required to give an efficient rating on Henry VIII’s economic policies and explain if he could have been more efficient (as with a household energy rating).
The plenary asks students to expand their explanations on Tudor economic policies, which is a brilliant idea taken from @MrFitzHistory
There is some exam practice to complete with a supplied writing frame and markscheme to use if required.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
Nazi Dictatorship 1933-39
I have produced this bundle of resources on the beginnings of the Nazi Dictatorship 1933-39 to help A Level students gain a deeper understanding of Germany’s past and the establishment of a Totalitarian State.
The enquiry question throughout these lessons will be evaluate how much of a totalitarian state Germany became under the Nazis.
Students will learn about the impact of the Night of the Long Knives and the significance Hindenburg’s death had on Hitler’s consolidation of power in Nazi Germany.
They will also explore the mechanisms and apparatus Hitler installed to provoke repression and fear and ensure compliance among the population, including the roles of the Gestapo and SS.
Students will assess the effectiveness of Nazi propaganda in controlling public perception and opinion, the economic policies of the Four Year Plan and autarky and the impact upon workers of the DAF, Strength Through Joy and Beauty of Labour programmes.
Finally students will analyse the efficacy of social policies on the young and women and decide how successfully the Churches were brought into line and replaced with the Nazis version of Christianity.
The resources provided include detailed lesson plans, case studies, source documents for analysis, chronological tasks and exam practice questions with comprehensive mark schemes.
The lessons are as follows:
L1 One Party State (Free resource)
L2 The Night of the Long Knives
L3 The Terror State
L4 Early Opposition
L5 Propaganda
L6 Economic Policy
L7 Youth Groups
L8 Women
L9 Workers
L10 The Churches
The lessons include the two types of exam question used, with examples of how to tackle them, using model answers, helpful hints and tips, structuring and scaffolding as well as markschemes. However, please refer to the AQA website for further assessment materials as they are subject to copyright.
The lessons are also differentiated and fully resourced and allow students to reach the very top marks.
If you have any questions about the lessons, please email me via my TES shop, or any other information about the course.
I would also welcome any reviews, which would be gratefully appreciated.
The French Revolution
The aim of this lesson is to investigate if Napoleon was a hero or villain.
Students are introduced to Napoleon and make some initial judgements with reference to his upbringing and his early life.
The main task is to analyse some giebn evidence which is focused on his career, personal life, his reforms in France and how he became Emperor of France.
They are required to complete their analysis with some extended writing, complete with key words and a writing frame if required.
The plenary questions whether we should regard him as a legend with links to people in the modern era.
The lesson comes with differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies and is linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
It is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.
The aim of this lesson is to question whether Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union was doomed from the start during the Second World War.
The invasion is a fascinating piece of history to study. Why, when one of the greatest ever military commanders Napoleon failed, did Hitler think he could succeed?
Students are posed this question and using a causal spider diagram link the reasons why invading the Soviet Union could create many problems and challenges to the Nazis.
The confidence of Hitler and his Generals can be seen when analysing sources about the Nazi-Soviet Pact which clearly show Hitler believed he held the upper hand.
However no study of the invasion would be complete without looking at the Battle of Stalingrad and using video footage to show the plight of all those involved.
There is a choice of two differentiated tasks; in both students decide the most important reasons for the failure and final defeat of the Wehrmacht as they categorise the reasons for this.
A literacy plenary asks the students to define some of the key words used in the lesson.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
