The aim of this lesson is to question whether the breaking of the Enigma Code led to Britain winning the Second World War. Having watched the ‘Imitation Game’, I was fascinated to learn more about the story of Alan Turing and the injustice he received at the hands of the British Government. I was therefore inspired to write this lesson for my department especially after his contribution to the war effort and his brilliance of mind. The first task naturally is for students to crack the code and find out what they will be learning about in the lesson. They will also learn about the significance of Bletchley Park and how the code for the Enigma Machine was deciphered by Turing and his team in Hut 8, using a missing word activity. A thinking quilt will also test and challenge their understanding of his early life, his work during the war as well as his legacy. There are some excellent video links using the BBC website and an exert from the film above. The plenary will finally test their understanding of the lesson, using a true and false quiz as well as images to link to the key ideas of 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.

The aim of this lesson is to understand how the British Government prepared for the Second World War and why it introduced rationing. The lesson begins by deciding which foods were rationed and why. Students will also have to work out which foods also became unavailable and the reasons for this. There has always been an assumption that as foods were rationed and restricted, people on the Home Front therefore struggled to make ends meet. Students are given information on all the goods rationed and compare this to the recommended weekly healthy intake per person today. As they will soon find out, rationing did not always mean everyone suffered as a result. Students will also be required to analyse the effectiveness of some posters at the time, encouraging people to grow their own food and well as a comprehension task and a challenging thinking quilt on clothes rationing. The plenary uses flashcards to question their understanding of the lesson. The lesson comes complete with embedded videos and a lesson plan on how to use the activities. 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.

The aim of this lesson is to decide if everyone celebrated VE Day and the end of the Second World War (World War II) in May 1945. At first glance, it would appear so as famous pictures at Trafalgar Square show soldiers and civilians alike celebrating as well as the famous faces on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Students are also given information about the lead up to the German surrender in the form of a quiz, in which they have to choose the right options to gain points. However, further investigation reveals the Americans were still fighting the Japanese in the Pacific, as well as prisoners of war still held captive around the world. Students also have to consider the terrible losses people had gone through and therefore had little cause to celebrate. I have also included some curious questions such as why did divorce rates surge at the end of the war or why were there rumours that soldiers were to be trained in jungle warfare? There is lots of video evidence from the time to accompany the lesson as well as a talking heads plenary, which analyses which leader said what at the end of the war in Europe. 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 includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The aim of this lesson is to assess how Channel islanders survived World War II with the only occupation of British soil by German armed forces.Britain had taken the decision to leave the Channel islands undefended. Therefore students are questioned as to why this decision was taken and how they might feel being at the mercy of the German occupation during the Second World War. Use of a text and a thinking quilt will help students analyse the ways in which islanders survived, through rationing, acts of resistance and their treatment by the German soldiers garrisoned there. The Germans attempted to make it a model occupation with respect shown to the islanders, but with curfews and censorship, students have to evaluate if this was the case. Some excellent video footage will also explain the treatment of prisoners of war moved to the island to help build the Atlantic Wall defences and how they attempted to manage under appalling conditions. Some real life testimony from survivors is also given to allow students to evaluate fully the significance of the occupation and survival techniques developed to survive. A big thank you in my research for this lesson goes to Dan Snow and his podcast on the occupation as well as the book by Duncan Barrett, ‘When the Germans came’, as well as testimony from a family friend who is still a resident on Jersey. 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.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is introduce the types of Government that existed within Europe in 1780. Students are given a map of Europe in 1780, from which they learn the various rulers and how they each individually ruled their countries, making links and connections between them as well as recognising their differences. They will also study contemporary accounts of France and evaluate the reasons why the seeds were sown already in France for a revolution. The plenary requires students to use their knowledge from the lesson to complete a multiple choice quiz. 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. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The British Empire The aim of this lesson is to discover how tough it was to colonise the New World for British settlers and why America fought for its independence from Britain. The lesson begins with the Pilgrim Fathers and students discuss the reasons why they and many families began to settle in the New World. Further analysis requires students to judge how tough it was to set up in America and the impact they made on the local communities they came into contact with. Having made their judgements, students can engage in an extended writing task with key words and a writing frame to use if required. The second part the lesson analyses the reasons why the colonists became so angry with Britain and claiming no taxation without representation. Students are then required to give reasons as to why a war ensued and the significance of George Washington of the Declaration of Independence. A true or false plenary focuses on the legacy of Britain’s Empire in America and its links to today. The lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies, differentiated materials 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. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to assess the personalities and characters of King Louis and Marie Antoinette and how these contributed to the French Revolution. Students are required to build up a picture of the French monarchy using some source scholarship and written accounts from the time. This will enable them to decide and explain the most important reasons why they became so unpopular with the French population. Furthermore, they will be required to chart a popularity rating for each of them and justify their choices, using some extended writing techniques. The plenary uses a summarising pyramid to evaluate and condense what they have learnt in the lesson. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, 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. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to understand the social position and place of the three classes or Estates in French society. Students are given information about all three Estates from which they have to categorise their privileges and duties, which they can present in a diagram or in written form. There is some source analysis as well as a brilliant video clip which highlights the class gap between the second and third Estates. They will also be required to explain how each Estate feels with their position in society and which taxes had to be paid as duties. The plenary gives numerous fictitious people from which the students have to identify the Estate they belong to and whether or not they would support the King. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, 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. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to understand how and why Louis’s financial problems precipitated the storming of the Bastille and the French Revolution The lesson begins by questioning how our present government raises money through taxes, both directly and indirectly. This is then linked to how much debt Louis is in and how he can raise money to run the country (and pay for his extravagances). Moreover, students must prioritise what he should spend his money on and the reasons for this. Students are then given a number of options, from which they have to decide whether this is a good idea to raise money or not and what could be the consequences as a result. This is an evaluative task which will challenge their thinking outside the box, although answers are given or can be revealed to help if required. The true or false plenary will test their knowledge of what they have learnt and check understanding. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, 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. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to understand the significance of the Tennis Court Oath Students are introduced to some key words before they analyse what tipped the French people over the edge. This includes some interactive slides explaining the rise in prices particularly with bread. The main task is to complete some source scholarship on the Tennis Court Oath, as the events are broken down into sections, with some modelling of how to complete this task if required. There are some key questions on the Tennis Court Oath to summarise, followed by a significance activity, where the students rate each significance by colour coding a thermometer and then justifying their answers and the choices they have made. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, 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. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to analyse the events of the Storming of the Bastille and the subsequent significance of the Flight to Varennes Students learn through key questioning and some text analysis how and why the Bastille was attacked. There are some brilliant video links to accompany this. They will then be required, using a storyboard, to decipher what happened next and explain how these events led to a new France. They will also learn how Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to escape to the border and using a cauldron of significance, evaluate which key ingredients ultimately led to their recapture and eventual execution. The Octagon plenary allows the students to summarise what they have learnt in the lesson, from sights and sounds to numbers and actions for example. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, 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. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to assess whether Louis deserved to be executed Firstly, students have to put a number of events in chronological order leading up to the execution. This can be done wither as a verbal or card sort activity. They are also given a narrative account of Louis XVI’s last day, from which they have to compose a number of tweets, imagining how he might have felt at the time. There is some further source analysis and video links to help them with their learning. The main task is to turn the classroom into a mini courtroom. Students are given information either defending King Louis XVI or opposing him. They will then make choices and decide whether to defend or send him to the guillotine. There is a writing frame to accompany this task with argument words to help if required. The final task is to decide what happened to Louis’ body and why this was done. A find and fix plenary will consolidate their learning from the lesson, with answers provided. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, 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. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to question who supported the French Revolution both internally and externally The lesson begins with the students giving their own opinions as to whether they would support the Revolution. They are then given the context with a literacy challenge, as to how attitudes at the time began to change with the September Massacres of 1793. No lesson is complete without James Gillray’s ‘Un petit Souper a La Parisienne’, which is analysed. Some help with prompts and guidance is given if required. A study of the British reaction is also scrutinised as students learn how opinion became divided with the published works of Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine. The main task is to analyse how different groups within France reacted; these include the Church (with a model answer given on how to complete the task), the Sans-culottes, nobles, Jacobins and Girondins and finally Counter-Revolutionaries. Students can feedback and present their findings to the class. The plenary required a talking heads activities and to distinguish which group would be attributed to the various comments and opinions used. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, 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 French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to judge how terrible the Reign of Terror was in France. The lesson begins with an chronological recap task of the events of 1789. Students are introduced to Maximilien Robespierre and using the information provided have to explain the context and introduction of the Reign of Terror. The main task is to rate how terrible some of the events were in the years 1793-5, by colour coding a ‘terror o meter’. For each event and explain why they have made these decisions. Using these judgements, they will then complete a thinking quilt on whether they think the Terror was justified or not. The ‘Are you a robot?’ plenary gets them to make links with the images all connected to the learning of the lesson. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, 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. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson to be judge how much Britain had to fear from Napoleon. The first learning task for the students is to analyse a map of Europe in 1810, when Napoleon was considered at the height of his power, and work out which European countries were ruled over by France. There is some source scholarship on Napoleon’s army to give some context on why it was so successful. The main task is to decide how much Britain had to fear from Napoleon. Students have to emoji rate each part of Napoleon’s power, from battles, to his rule in France and his attempted invasion of Britain, before his defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar and subsequent imposition of his continental system. Students can give their overall judgements in a written task, with key words and a writing frame to help if required. As Napoleon’s power declined and therefore his fear factor, students are required to finalise his demise deciphering a dual coding task. The plenary requires them to choose the correct answers, which focus on Napoleon’s health problems and ultimate reasons for his failure and final exile to St Helena. 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 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 Industrial Revolution This lesson aims to describe and explain the conditions of Victorian prisons through the eyes of a young person awaiting trial. Students learn how a poor diet, pointless tasks and a payment system for every amenity meant a miserable existence for inmates. So why did things begin to improve? How did key prison reformers change attitudes and make the government of the day reform the prisons? These questions and more will explored through prose, quizzes, video links and knockout tournament competitions to see and judge how far the prison reforms went and how effective they were. 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.

AQA GCSE 9-1 ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND, 1568-1603 I have produced these flashcards to help students be prepared for and help revise for their GCSE exam on Elizabethan England. They are easy to use and; simply cut out fold and line up. Students can test each other in class or take them for their home learning. The flashcards will help with: Recall, retrieval and retention 3rd tier vocabulary to attain the higher marks in the examination Vast subject content The Historic Environment for Sheffield Manor Lodge, 2023

The aim of this lesson is to decide if Winston Churchill deserves the title as the ‘Greatest Briton’? When the BBC conducted a poll entitled ‘Who is the Greatest Briton?’ Winston Churchill came out on top, besting some strong competition. This lesson therefore challenges this assumption and evaluates the four areas the BBC cites as his fortitude; for being the greatest British Gentleman, for inspiring the nation, for symbolising the spirit and strength of Britain and for his comforting speeches. The evidence for this task is through radio broadcasts, video footage and source analysis (using a battery rating) from which students will conclude and either concur or not with the poll. A splat the bubble plenary will test their new assumptions. This lesson is ideal as preparation for GCSE if you are embedding source skills or teaching the interwar years or the Second World War at Key stage 4. It 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 includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 The aim of this lesson is to prepare students for the GCSE question, ‘How successful was the League of Nations in the 1920’s?’ Students have to research the various actions of the League took and analyse how successful it was in avoiding war and/or settling international disputes. I have included differentiated materials and examples of scaffolding to help students of all abilities answer this question. There is an option to give feedback individually or as a class, before undertaking the question under timed conditions.There is also a teacher markscheme supplied. The plenary asks students to prepare three questions for a League of Nations official celebrity visit. 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.