In this lesson students begin with a starter activity which reveals Marco Polo believed in some odd things, including men with dogs’ heads! From here they work through some background information including the views of historian Dr. Frances Woods who believes Marco Polo never really made it to China after all. In the main activity students sort evidence from a card sort into two columns, things that suggest he did go to China (the accuracy of his descriptions of things like currency for example) and evidence that suggests he did not actually visit China (his book was ghost written and he makes no mention of things like chopsticks or the Great Wall etc.) The lesson concludes with a plenary where students vote on their beliefs. It is a great lesson designed to get students thinking and can be taught as part of an Ancient China/Mongol Empire unit or as a stand-alone lesson. Please note this lesson has been pitched towards high achieving secondary aged students. Please do ask if you have any questions and I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as mine always do.

This lesson has clearly defined learning objectives and a starter activity which asks students to consider two very different historian’s perspectives on the reign of Alexander II. The 56-slide PowerPoint then provides very detailed information on the reforms Alexander put in place including the Emancipation Statute of 1861 before giving students a task of creating a mind map showing the positive and negative aspects of the reforms. There is a two part plenary - a fun DingBats exercise which goes over some of the key vocabulary - and a voting exercise based on the starter and main activity. This lesson is pitched at high-achieving post-16 students and has been created by a UK teacher so is in English rather than American English. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and I hope this lesson helps you deliver this fascinating topic! Have a terrific day, Daniel

This book features 11 high scoring IB essays for the Paper 3 topic Imperial Russia, revolution, and the establishment of the USSR 1855-1924. Teachers – this book is for you if you have high-performing students asking what a good one looks like (WAGOLL). Set an essay and staple the corresponding exemplar to your students’ effort for instant assessment for learning. Included are over 70 annotations by an experienced IB examiner offering tips and tricks to improve your students’ Paper 3 technique. Don’t just tell them what to do, show them. Students - this book features high-performance essays for popular IB examination questions from real past papers. You’ll learn great essay mechanics and clever ways to dazzle the examiners. Learn how to apply Q SPEND, write an introduction using the DCO technique, and use fancy words like panegyric, quixotic, potentate and more to make your essays stand out from the rest. What is ‘snowballing’ and how is an essay like a Grand Prix? Look at real examples of how to evaluate perspectives effectively. Discover how topic sentences can help you and how anecdotal evidence can add colour to your response. Are you guilty of post hoc ergo propter hoc? How can you ensure you are more conceptual and when exactly should you challenge the premise of a question? If you are a student achieving Level 6 but want to reach for the very top grade in IB History this book is for you. Parents - this book will help you support your child to think critically and to produce deluxe essays. Essays include: To what extent do you agree that Alexander II was the Tsar Liberator? (May 2021) “Alexander III was a political reactionary, but an economic moderniser.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? (November 2013) How significant were the weaknesses of Russia by the end of the Nineteenth Century? (May 2008) Discuss the causes of the 1905 Revolution in Russia. (November 2018) How effectively did Nicholas II respond to the 1905 Revolution? (November 2005) Why did Russia lose the First World War? (May 2003) Discuss the reasons for the final crisis of autocracy in February/March 1917. (November 2019) How effectively did the Provisional Government rule Russia in 1917? (November 2017) Evaluate the reasons for the overthrow of the Provisional Government in October/November 1917. (May 2021) Why did the Reds win the Russian Civil War, 1918-21? (November 2001) “The Bolshevik state under Lenin between 1918 and 1924 was a ruthless dictatorship, caring little for the Russian people.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? (November 2008) Daniel Guiney is a highly experienced IB teacher, examiner and assessment author. He has led highly successful History departments in the UK as well as Singapore, Egypt, and China.

My IB students always do really well in their exams, especially on Paper 3 (Higher Level). One of the main reasons for this is the detailed and focused set of revision menus I give them to help them prepare for exam success. Now you can have them too. Of all of my resources these revision menus are my must-haves! I hope they can be of much use to your students as they are to mine. If you enjoyed this resource please leaf through my collection of other revision menus and resources. This pack focuses on Russia from c. 1953-1991 and includes revision content for the following topics: How successful was Khrushchev’s rule? Was the USSR stagnant under Brezhnev? Was Gorbachev the “gravedigger of Communism?” How successful was the rule of Boris Yeltsin, 1991-1999?

This lesson is pitched at high achieving secondary aged students (16+) and is an interpretation based lesson on Khrushchev. The lesson begins with clear differentiated learning objectives and a starter activity which invites students to question why this Soviet leader was not buried in the Kremlin Wall as with the others (he is buried in Novedivichy Cemetery in the south-west of Moscow - well worth a visit!). From here students work through background info on his rise to power before attempting the main task, a 29-piece evidence sort (with some images to spruce it up). These need to be broken down into those factors related to domestic policy (five year plan, Virgin Lands programme, abolition of MTS etc) and also foreign policy (not least Berlin, Cuba, and Hungary). Students then divide these into sub sections to ascertain if each was a triumph or failure for Khrushchev’s leadership. This can be a paired or individual task but the content is extremely precise and detailed and includes some perspectives (Thatcher Vs Taubman). There is also a differentiation version for students who need a bit more structure (colour coded). This will mean students effectively create a large essay map to answer the Key Question which I personally like to set as a homework. The class concludes with a thoughtful plenary in which students are invited to come up with a fitting statement for the tomb of this Soviet leader as well as a class vote on the Key Question. I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as mine always do. I take real pleasure in providing resources to the awesome community of History teachers out there. If you have any questions please contact me.

One of the main reasons for my department’s exam success is the detailed and focused set of revision menus I give to my students to help them prepare. Now you can have them too. Of all of my resources these revision menus are my must-haves! I hope they can be of much use to your students as they are to mine. If you enjoyed this resource please leaf through my collection of other revision menus and resources. This pack focuses on Russia from 1855-1924 and includes revision content for the following topics: Does Alexander II deserve the title ‘Tsar Liberator’? √ How reactionary was the reign of Alexander III? √ How well did the Tsarist regime deal with the difficulties of ruling Russia c. 1900? √ What were the causes of the 1905 Revolution? √ How did the Tsar respond to the 1905 Revolution? √ Why did Russia do so badly in the First World War? √ Why was the Revolution of March 1917 successful? √ How effectively did the Provisional Government rule Russia in 1917? √ Why were the Bolsheviks able to seize power in November 1917? √ Why did the Bolsheviks win the Civil War? √ How did Lenin rule Russia? √

This lesson explores how reactionary Alexander III was. Lesson objectives are differentiated and very clear and there is an interesting starter activity (about the ‘hippo’ statue of Alexander in St. Petersburg). The 52 page PPT proceeds to discuss the various changes Alexander made to Russia (economy, society, politics and opposition, Russification) and the class then have a two part main task. One is to create a speech as a particular character, and the second is to plot this on a graph to show which groups were repressed, like Jews, Poles, Zemstvos etc and which were doing well like the black clergy and Pobodonostev etc. The lesson concludes with a plenary in the form of ‘Have I Got News For You’ where students test their knowledge retrieval of what they have learned. The lesson also comes with a set of ready-made student notes. I hope you enjoy this lesson as much as my students do. It has been designed for high achieving post-16 students and is written in English, not US- English. Please let me know if you have any questions and thanks so much for your interest in this lesson. Have a great day fellow teachers!! Daniel

This fully resourced lesson begins with two starter activities designed to introduce the topic. First students watch a short video clip about the first McDonalds in Pushkin Square and are asked to guess the price of a Big Mac in four countries in the early 1990s. Russia is by far the most expensive and this leads to a question of why. They then watch a second video clip which shows some of Yeltsin’s eccentricities and they are invited to offer three adjectives. Students then divide a page into four and there is detailed information for the teacher to run through describing economic successes/failures and political successes/failures. An overall crib sheet to summarise is provided also. The lesson concludes with two plenaries designed to test subject knowledge. A fun dingbats game focusing on some of the key words (shock therapy, Chicago school, depression etc) and a fill in the blanks Have I Got News for You style exercise. It is a PowerPoint with 75 slides. I hope your students get as much from mine from this resource. If you have any questions please ask away and I wish you a wonderful day. This resource is written in English and is pitched at high achieving IB / A Level students.

In this 21-page PPT students are introduced to the events of 1066 with a short video activity. Lesson objectives are clear and graduated and there is detailed information about the Tapestry which runs through some key moments, including in note form. The main activity asks students to sequences the events in order by matching the heads and tails of the sentences. It also includes extension questions for more able students. The lesson concludes by asking students to evaluate which level they achieved in the lesson objectives. I hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine do. It has been pitched to 11 year old students in mainstream settings.

Students are given one of the 26 different character cards ranging from Kaiser Wilhelm to Gavrilo Princip to lesser known players such as Leopold Lojka. Once students have got to know their character they then get into teams of fellow countrymen and attempt to find evidence to answer the question as to why the war began. There are 31 pieces of evidence for them to sift through, all greatly detailed and colour-coded for differentiation. This is one of the lessons I’m proudest of and it always leads to powerful debate (such as from those students pictured - they have placed the evidence around their tabards!) and empowers students with extremely high levels of subject knowledge from which to begin extended written responses to one of the biggest questions in History. I hope you enjoy it as much as my students do.

A very detailed set of notes with questions based on these which will cover the persecution of groups during the Holocaust in Nazi Germany. This lesson also comes with an appropriate starter and plenary activity to ensure students understand this very important period of history. If you have any questions please let me know. Thank you.

This works really well as a quick starter or plenary activity. Students complete a questionnaire about Roman inventions and how recently they have used them. From this they achieve a score (out of 66) and are asked to stand up when their score bracket is read aloud. A fun way to introduce the concept of why the Romans are so significant.

This activity works really well as a starter to introduce the topic or indeed as a plenary to test student knowledge and understanding. Its very simple. Just print out and laminate the cards and place them upside down. Students have to choose any two and read them aloud. Once they spot a colour-coordinated pair (a question and an answer) they score one point. My students really love the simple activity and it really boosts their precision in historical subject knowledge. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

This lesson begins with a starter activity in which five factors are laid out on a pentagon for students to consider. These include the Wall Street Crash, Hitler’s personal appeal, propaganda, opponent’s mistakes, and fear of Communism. The class are then told they will revisit this in the plenary. The 19-slide PPT then talks through teacher expo on each of the factors. The class then attempt a 30-piece hexagonal card sort activity. This is colour-co-ordinated for purposes of differentiation. More able students will draw links between factors. The lesson concludes with a plenary in which they are invited to vote on the most significant factor. I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as I know mine do.

This lesson includes clear and graduated aims and objectives (all will, most will, some will) and begins with a starter activity in which students have to identify which major groups came to the islands first (the order is Negritos or indigenous peoples, Austronesians, Spanish, Americans) in a Play Your Cards Right Activity. They are then given background information as well as cards and pictures. Using these students create a day in the life of a Negrito by adding the cards to an emotional rollercoaster (discerning between positive and negative aspects of life). They then conclude with a voting plenary. During this lesson they learn about the lifestyle of the nomadic and semi-nomadic Negritos (a word coined by the Spanish colonisers later) and explore such things as the Angono petrogylphs, the Tabon Man, and lots more. I hope your students enjoy this lesson as much as mine.

Very simple but spices up source analysis skills. Students create their die from the template and throw - when the die lands they have to ask the person next to them the question which is face up. This is a featured resource on the T.E.S scaffolding for History teachers website. Have a wonderful day.

This lesson is a bit niche! But its great. If you teach the history of the Philippines this is my first lesson in a local history unit. The class are introduced to five inquiry units they will study and begin the lesson with an odd one out starter activity. The lesson aims and objectives are clearly laid out and graduated (all will, most will, some will) and there are slides explaining some of the terrific things about the island nation. Students are then invited to create a title page using this info and there own knowledge/research. The lesson concludes with a game of Last Historian Standing in which they are tested on some of the information that they have gone over during the main phase of the lesson. I hope your students enjoy this activity as much as mine do.

This is another in my line of lessons about the history of the Philippines and one I am especially proud of. The lesson begins with a Countdown style starter activity in which students have to figure out anagrams on the four key reasons the Spanish came to colonise the islands (religion, technology, individuals, and economics) which builds on prior learning. They are then given learning objectives which are clearly graduated (all of you will/most of you will/some of you will). The 48 page PPT then gives some background information on the preamble to the battle before students commence the main task. This is a 16 piece hexagonal card sort which students break down into factors (Lapu Lapu’s forces strengths, Magellan’s forces mistakes, technology, geographical factors, and luck). There are two versions provided, one being colour-coordinated, for purposes of differentiation. Once they break these down students are next encouraged to make links between the factors and examples are given (which is why the cards are hexagonal and not rectangular). The lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which students are asked to place a post-it note on the board on a five starred shape to conclude which factor they feel is the most significant in answering the Key Question about why Magellan was killed in 1521. There is a written piece of homework assigned also. Thanks so much for your interest in this resource and please do have a look through my shop for hundreds of other resources for History teachers.

This is my third lesson in a unit on the history of the Philippines and as always includes graduated aims and objectives (all will, most will, some will). The lesson begins with a starter activity asking students to infer from the Boxer Codex, a manuscript of illustrations the Spanish created of Filipinos in the Sixteenth Century. Students are then given the main task which is to categorise information from 48 information cards into areas such as conflict, government, belief systems, trade, and education and skills. There is a colour-coordinated set and a blank set. You decide which to use based on the level of ability of your class. There is then information on the PPT for students to discuss what they have learned. The lesson concludes with a fill in the gaps (Have I Got News For You) activity designed to test their knowledge of information learned. Homework is included which is to create a piece of written work to answer the key question.

This 61-page PowerPoint is a full lesson to the Key Question ‘why did the Spanish come to the Philippines?’ The lesson begins with clear and graduated lesson objectives (all will, most will, and some will) and proceeds to a lesson starter which is designed to build on existing student knowledge (students match up five dominoes with the correct question and answer). There is then background information in the PPT explaining from the Battle of Mactan in 1521 through to Spanish conquest. The slides then deal with four key factors - the role of economics (and the proximity of the Spice Islands in particular), the role of key individuals (not least King Phillip II who lends his name to the island chain), changing technology (Spanish galleons), and religion (missionaries). From this, students are placed into groups of four and asked to create a short role play to answer the key question. Students are reminded of the lesson objectives to see which level they have achieved. The lesson concludes with a DingBats plenary where students are invited to figure out a key word from the lesson based upon some picture clues (maritime trade routes, canon ball, Spice Islands etc). Thanks for your interest in this lesson which is written in British-English and is pitched at high achieving mainstream high school students. It is one of a series of lessons I’ve made on the history of the Philippines so please do feel free to look through the rest of my store.