350+ ready to use and fully resourced History lessons. As a British history teacher with 25 years of experience, I understand the challenges you face in the classroom. That's why I created my store — to share high-quality lessons and to save you time. This store shares my love of History, inspires critical thinking, and get students connected with the past. I’m also an examiner and textbook author, so you can trust that my lessons align with current standards and best practices.
350+ ready to use and fully resourced History lessons. As a British history teacher with 25 years of experience, I understand the challenges you face in the classroom. That's why I created my store — to share high-quality lessons and to save you time. This store shares my love of History, inspires critical thinking, and get students connected with the past. I’m also an examiner and textbook author, so you can trust that my lessons align with current standards and best practices.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “Why was Gallipoli such a disaster?”
The lesson begins with a Blankety Blank style Starter Activity in which students are invited to fill in the missing word. This then leads to the Key Question and the introduction of aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). After this there are slides of background information to enable teacher exposition. Students are then placed in five groups and given a one slide fact file on either planning and intelligence, bad leadership, logistical issues, challenging terrain, and stalemate and the nature of fighting. Their jigsaw activity is to research their topic using the cards as well as internet/library to then return to their group as an expert and convince them of the importance of their single factor. After this they are asked to work together to complete a piece of writing to answer the Key Question. The lesson objectives are revisited, and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which students vote on the most convincing reason. This lesson has been designed for high school students. I hope yours get as much from it as much as mine do. Please be aware this lesson is pitched to students who have reasonable research skills.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “What really happened to the Lusitania?”
The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity in which the class are invited to consider some truths and one mistruth about the fateful ship. The Key Question is then introduced along with aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition as well as a slide which features a kite which has four quarters labelled with the key theories (that it was destroyed as part of Germany’s unrestricted U-Boat warfare campaign, that it was torpedoed because of a case of mistaken identity, that it was attacked because it was deliberately provoked, and that it was sunk because it was carrying weapons cargo). The class are then given a 21 piece card sort and divide the information into these four categories. A color coded version is also supplied in case any one needs a little extra help. The class then get broken into teams of five and are tasked with producing a chat show discussion explaining the main theories and they act these out. An example is given so students can see a model of what their work should look like. The lesson objectives are revisited and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which they are invited to come to the board and add information to the kite (under the correct theory). They then answer the Key Question by reviewing the evidence/knowledge acquired. I hope your students get as much out of this History Mystery as mine always do.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “What really happened in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?”
The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity in which the class are invited to consider some truths and one mistruth about the fateful incident. The Key Question is then introduced along with aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition as well as a slide which features a kite which has four quarters labelled with the key theories (that it was a genuine attack, misidentification, False Flag Operation, and provocation theories). The class are then given a 15 piece card sort and divide the information into these four categories. A colour coded version is also supplied in case any one needs a little extra help. The class then get broken into teams of five and are tasked with producing a TV chat show discussion explaining the main theories and they act these out. An example is given so students can see a model of what their work might look like. The lesson objectives are revisited and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which they are invited to come to the board and add information to the kite they saw earlier (under the correct theory). They then answer the Key Question by reviewing the evidence/knowledge acquired. I hope your students get as much out of this History Mystery as mine always do.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “What can we learn about Mughal India from its architecture? A journey to the Taj Mahal.”
The lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students close their eyes whilst the teacher reads a short story, after which students are asked to sketch what they have heard. The Key Question is then introduced along with lesson aims and graduated lesson objectives (all will/most will/some will). There is then a series of slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition before the main task is introduced. Students create a visual, written or other model and explain these to the group. The lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which they are invited to come to the board and add a post-it note to explain what can be learned from the Taj Mahal in terms of three factors. I hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine always do. It has been written for independent-minded high school students.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “Why did Babur win the Battle of Panipat?”
The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity in which the class are invited to consider some truths and one mistruth about the battle which gave rise to the Mughal Empire. The Key Question is then introduced along with aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition as well as a slide which features a kite (because it has four points) which has four quarters labelled with the key theories (leadership, technology, strategy, and alliances). The class are then given a 15 piece card sort and divide the information into these categories. A color-coded version is also supplied in case any one needs a little extra help. The class then get broken into teams of five and are tasked with producing a TV chat show discussion explaining the main theories and they act these out. An example is given so students can see a model of what their work might look like. The lesson objectives are revisited and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which they are invited to come to the board and add information to the kite they saw earlier (under the correct theory). They then answer the Key Question by reviewing the evidence/knowledge acquired. I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as mine always do.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “Did Akbar the Great deserve his nickname?”
The lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are asked to place identify which of four statements is not true. The Key Question is then stated. Aims and lesson objectives are graduated (all will/most will/some will). There are slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. Students are then placed in a pair and given one of two character cards (for and against Akbar). They work together to sift through 12 evidence cards to decide if the evidence suggests he was or was not deserving of the epithet ‘the Great’. A plain version is provided as well as a color coded one for those who need a little more help. Using this they then attempt the second part of the main activity which is to work together to write a two-sided newspaper report. The lesson objectives are revisited. The lesson concludes with two plenaries. First, they are asked to come to the board and fill up an eight-petalled flower with compelling evidence. They then vote with their feet by standing to the side of the classroom they mostly agree with (i.e. he was or was not deserving of his nickname Akbar the Great). I hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine do.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “What really happened to the Mary Celeste?”
The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity in which the class are invited to consider some truths and one mistruth about the fateful ship. The Key Question is then introduced along with aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition as well as a slide which features a starfish (because it has five points) which has five points labelled with the key theories (that it was abandoned due to rough weather, that it was a victim of piracy, that it was an insurance scam, that there was a mutiny, and that there was an explosion from the cargo.) The class are then given a 21 piece card sort and divide the information into these five categories. A colour-coded version is also supplied in case any one needs a little extra help. The class then get broken into teams of five and are tasked with producing a TV chat show discussion explaining the main theories and they act these out. An example is given so students can see a model of what their work might look like. The lesson objectives are revisited and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which they are invited to come to the board and add information to the five pointed object they saw earlier (under the correct theory). They then answer the Key Question by reviewing the evidence/knowledge acquired. I hope your students get as much out of this History Mystery as mine always do.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “Who was the Man in the Iron Mask?”
The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity in which the class are invited to consider some truths and one mistruth about the Man in the Iron Mask. The Key Question is then introduced along with aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition as well as a slide which features a kite (because it has four points) which has four quarters labelled with the key theories (that he was of Royal blood, that he was spy, that he had witnessed a Royal scandal, and that he was a political prisoner). The class are then given a 21 piece card sort and divide the information into these three categories. A color-coded version is also supplied in case any one needs a little extra help. The class then get broken into teams of five and are tasked with producing a TV chat show discussion explaining the main theories and they act these out. An example is given so students can see a model of what their work might look like. The lesson objectives are revisited and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which they are invited to come to the board and add information to the kite they saw earlier (under the correct theory). They then answer the Key Question by reviewing the evidence/knowledge acquired. I hope your students get as much out of this History Mystery as mine always do.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “Why did Wellington defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo?”
The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity in which the class are invited to consider some truths and one mistruth about the battle which ended the Napoleonic Wars. The Key Question is then introduced along with aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition as well as a slide which features the key theories (weather, Napoleon’s errors, Wellington and his allies’ strengths, and health issues). The class are then take part in a 24 piece gallery walk and divide the information into these categories on a mind map. The lesson objectives are revisited and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which they are invited to come to the board and add information to a ladder of importance. They then answer the Key Question by reviewing the evidence/knowledge acquired. I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as mine always do.
And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers!
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
The title of this lesson is “What can we learn about Native America from the 1995 Disney movie Pocahontas?” NB: To use this lesson you need to have a copy of the 1995 Disney movie Pocahontas.
Students are given graduated learning objectives (some will/most will/all will). The lesson begins with a starter activity to engage your students in which they are invited to guess which of four facts is incorrect. There is then some background information about the story of Pocahontas. The class then work through 30 different bingo cards as they watch the movie and are invited to tick those which they see (some they do not, as the movie is not completely accurate). There are two versions of this card sort, one for students who like a challenge and a differentiated version for students who need a little help. It is a nice end of term type activity - but not simply watching a movie for the sake of it. From this the class then complete a movie review exercise using the template given and vote with their feet to establish how many stars (1-5) they would rate the movie for historical authenticity (i.e. they now answer the essential question).
This lesson was written for high achieving high school students and is written in UK English.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “What happened to the defeated powers in the other post-WWI Peace Treaties?”
The lesson begins with a Starter Activity which is a series of anagrams to introduce the students to the four defeated nations which will be studied. The Key Question is then made clear along with aims, and lesson objectives are graduated (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. The main activity takes the form of a jigsaw classroom approach. Students are given one of four fact files on the Treaties of St. Germain, Trianon, Sevres, and Lausanne (each of which includes information about military, territory, economy, and social impacts). The students then break away and research their respective area of expertise using the fact file given (as well as a library book box/internet) before rejoining the group. The challenge is for them to then inform the others in their ‘jigsaw’ in the form of a speech, PPT, model, or any other way they feel is appropriate. They are also asked to produce a handout. Versailles is always taught very well but these other treaties less so, and so this is a great addition to any History teacher’s toolbox. The lesson objectives are revisited, and a piece of written work is set in which they collaborate their research to arrive at a fuller answer to the Key Question. The lesson concludes with a trash bin plenary in which students are asked to add post it notes to the correct bin. I hope your students enjoy it as much as mine always do. It is pitched toward high achieving post-16 high school students and the lesson requires them to have some research skills.
Please note this lesson does not cover the Treaty of Versailles.
And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers!
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “Why was Boudicca’s Revolt unsuccessful?”
The lesson begins with a Blankety Blank style Starter Activity in which students are invited to fill in the missing word. This then leads to the Key Question and the introduction of aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). After this there are slides of background information to enable teacher exposition. Students are then placed in groups of five and given a one slide fact file on either leadership issues, the superiority of the Roman Army, strategic mistakes, organizational issues, and internal divisions. Their jigsaw activity is to research their topic using the cards as well as internet/library to then return to their group as an expert and convince them of the importance of their single factor. After this they are asked to work together to complete a piece of writing to answer the Key Question. The lesson objectives are revisited, and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which students vote on the most convincing reason. This lesson has been designed for high school students. I hope yours get as much from it as much as mine do. Please be aware this lesson is pitched to students who have reasonable research skills.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “What was life like for soldiers in the English Civil War?”
The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity which introduces the class to some fun facts about the English Civil War. The Key Question is then introduced along with aims and graduated lesson objectives (all will/most will/some will). Students will have been asked to bring in a toy bear or similar the previous lesson (it can work with printable cutouts too). There are slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition about three different groups in both the Cavalier and Roundhead forces, from Sergeants to Infantry to Drummer Boys etc. There are then two heads and tails card sort activities in which students tell the story of a day in the life of a member of both sides of the war. Students then begin their main model making activity using the bears. Aluminum foil is highly recommended, but they can use anything they want (toys, props, drawings) as they attempt to dress up their bears as one of the ranks. Slides are given explaining items they can use (lollipop stick for pikes, water pistols for artillery, half tennis balls for roundhead helmets etc) and printables of these are provided also (these might need to be adapted depending on the size of the bear!). After this the lesson objectives are revisited. There is then further information on battle tactics (sieges, skirmishing, flanking etc) and the students pair up with friends to add some of these to create group dioramas (it’s a lot of fun getting them to get bears to skirmish!). The lesson objectives are again revisited, and the class concludes with a plenary in which they are invited to come to the board and add knowledge they have learned on a group bear. This is a lesson students love and one that makes for a wonderful corridor display afterwards. I hope your class enjoy it as much as mine do.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “What really happened to Marilyn Monroe?”
The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity in which the class are invited to consider some truths and one mistruth about Marilyn Monroe. The Key Question is then introduced along with aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition as well as a slide which features a kite (because it has four points) which has four quarters labelled with the key theories behind her death (accidental death, murder, cover up, and medical negligence). Please be aware this is obviously a lesson which needs to be taught sensitively and not to younger children or those with mental health issues. The class are then given a 21 piece card sort and divide the information into these three categories. A color-coded version is also supplied in case anyone needs a little extra help. The class then get broken into teams of five and are tasked with producing a TV chat show discussion explaining the main theories and they act this TV debate out. An example is given so students can see a model of what their work might look like. The lesson objectives are revisited, and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which they are invited to come to the board and add information to the kite they saw earlier (under the correct theory). They then answer the Key Question by reviewing the evidence/knowledge acquired.
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “Why did the Union Forces win the US Civil War?”
The lesson begins with a Starter Activity which gets students thinking about the topics (they are asked to identify which of a series of statements is not true). Lesson aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will) are then introduced. After this there are slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. The main activity is a Gallery Walk where students get out of their seats and walk around the classroom making notes on five different factors which influenced the outcome of the Civil War (industry, military leaders, politics, population, and resources). From here students work in pairs to create mind maps and show them to their peers. The lesson objectives are revisited. The lesson concludes with a trash can plenary in which students are invited to come to the board and place a post it note with knowledge acquired in the correct category. I hope your classes enjoy this lesson as much as mine always do.
Before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers!
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “Was Robert E. Lee a hero or a villain?”
The lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are asked to look at the names of four schools and identify the odd one out (which is the one named after Lee, because it was renamed due to its association with the Confederacy.) This introduces the class to the idea that Lee is a controversial figure from the past. The Key Question is then stated. Aims and lesson objectives are graduated (all will/most will/some will). There are slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. Students are then placed in a pair and given one of two character cards (for and against Lee). They work together to sift through 12 evidence cards to decide if the evidence suggests he was a hero or a villain. A plain version is provided as well as a colour coded one with simpler language for those who need a little more help. Using this they then attempt the second part of the main activity which is to write a two-sided newspaper report. The lesson objectives are revisited. The lesson concludes with two plenaries. First, they are asked to come to the board and fill up an eight-petalled flower with compelling evidence. They then vote with their feet by standing to the side of the classroom they mostly agree with (i.e. he was a hero, or he was a villain). I hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine do.
Before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers!
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
The title of this lesson is “What are the historical foundations of the Palestine Israel conflict?”
This lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are invited to play a game of Play Your Cards Right to test chronological understanding of four of the key events in the history of this long conflict. The title is then introduced along with graduated criteria (all will/most will/some will). There then follows slides of teacher exposition and students are given a template (a newspaper template with headings which match the points discussed) on which to jot down key names, dates, people, places, events, quotations, and statistics. When they have achieved this, they then write up their own newspaper (you can give them the editable PPT template or just print it off). A completed example is given, and students are brought back to the criteria to show progress made. There is then a Whose Line Is It Anyway? plenary for students to recap the knowledge of key vocabulary covered. I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as mine always do. Please note it is exposition heavy and was written for high achieving high school students and is written in UK English.
Before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers!
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking. Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “What have been the key turning points in the treatment of LGBTQ+ people over time?”
The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity in which the class are invited to consider some truths and one mistruth about the treatment of LGBTQ+ people over time. The Key Question is then introduced along with aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition as well as a slide which features the key periods (Ancient Times, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Enlightenment, 19th Century, early 20th Century, World War Two, and the Modern World.) The class are then take part in a 28 piece gallery walk and divide the information into these categories on a mind map. The lesson objectives are revisited and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which they are invited to come to the board and add information to a ladder of importance. They then answer the Key Question by reviewing the evidence/knowledge acquired. It is a lesson which is designed for older students and one which needs to be delivered sensitively. I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as mine always do.
I’d be so grateful if you can find time to add a positive review if you enjoyed this lesson.
And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers!
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
The title of this lesson is “What was the most significant artefact in the push towards gender equality? Dragon’s Den Project.”
This is a great project-based lesson designed to promote the second-order concept of significance and includes graduated learning outcomes (all of you will/most of you will/some of you will).
The lesson begins with a Who Wants to be a Millionaire starter activity where students are asked to place four countries in the correct order in which women were granted the vote. There is some background knowledge to enable teacher exposition. The class are then introduced to the idea of how historians decide what makes an event or discovery significant and they explore the acronym GREAT: G = ground-breaking, R = remembered, E = extent of importance to people at the time, A = affected the future, and T = turning point. For the main task students are placed in groups and given a card with three different artefacts on with some background information (these range from Rosa Parks’ bus ticket to Malala’s bloodied uniform to Emily Davison’s Suffragette banner and many more). They need to choose one of their artefacts and explain in presentation form why they feel it is so significant. They can make models and sales pitches to accompany their explanations to the ‘dragons’ (get senior teachers to come in to act as these if they’re good sports). Students can use the internet, class texts, or library to help them research. The lesson concludes with a peer assessment class voting plenary on which they felt was the most important and why. This lesson has been designed for high school students.
I’d be so grateful if you can find time to add a positive review if you enjoyed this lesson.
And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers!
Wishing you a terrific day.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson is titled “The French Revolution in 8 Objects – Museum Lesson”
This 40-slide PowerPoint begins with a Starter Activity in which the class is invited to guess the top 6 things a museum exhibition requires to be successful (this is done in the form of a Family Feud-style game). This leads to a discussion of the purposes of a good exhibition with a clear theme/concept and quality content displayed in an accessible manner. This introduces the lesson title and graduated aims (all will/most will/some will). The class is then invited to consider some key areas of the period, and an example of each is given (e.g, a coin for economic problems, a toy squishy brain for the Enlightenment, a tennis ball for the Tennis Court Oath etc.) The class then create their own exhibitions, ensuring they only select a maximum of 8 items and explain and analyse them as they relate to the period. This takes a couple of lessons. When they present, the class peer-assess using the criteria on the sheet (which link back to the Starter Activity). The lesson aims are revisited before the lesson concludes with a plenary in which students address the Key Question and discuss their thoughts on a range of artifacts (these are provided in one slide, but it works best if you use those that students came up with themselves in their own exhibitions). I designed this lesson for high-achieving high school students, and it works well to introduce a topic on the French Revolution or to conclude it. This lesson is written in UK English and requires students to have some research skills.
I’d be so grateful if you can find time to add a positive review if you enjoyed this lesson.
And before you leave be sure to follow Dan’s History Highway for more info on hundreds of fully-resourced lessons for busy teachers!
Wishing you a terrific day.