History is full of assumptions in that teachers often assume that students have a certain level of knowledge. Topics that are discussed regularly are very rarely explained because it is assumed that students know about them and understand them. One such example is the ‘state’ or ‘country’. ‘A’ level students will have heard the terms many times but will have rarely thought about what such a thing is, what it means and what influence it has. This unit aims to get the students thinking about what a country is and the decisions that go into its creation. The students will discuss and work together to create their own country and then apply what they have talked about to the states and countries that they encounter in their studies.

A simple and interactive resource to explain a complex situation. All discussions in history involve money, especially in the sixteenth century. However, it is never really discussed how the money that monarchs borrow is created and the consequences of this. This resources looks at how money is made in the banking system during the Sixteenth Century (and later). This topic also allows the teacher to link the past with the banking system of today and the influence it also has on power. This activity is rare for the sixth form in that it encourages the students to get out of their seats and actively take part in the learning. Contains a PowerPoint and Lesson Plan and resources

This is a must have resource pack for A level Students (and some higher GCSE Groups). Regardless of the subjects being studied all students need to learn and develop core educational skills in order to help them maximise their potential. There are ten lessons included in this pack, all fully resourced (stationary aside). This includes plans, PowerPoints, and handouts. The topics covered are: Problem Solving Time and how to manage it Money- how it works as a motivator and how students could view its importance. Code Breaking- we all write and talk in code, learning about codes helps us ask the right questions Deviance- doing something the wrong way can sometimes bring benefits. Graffiti- Thinking creatively Perspective- how we need to alter our perspective to see things differently Fight the Power- Why do we organise and make notes in just one way? Think about doing it differently Design a school- thinking about how we learn can make us better learners A letter to yourself- how you would explain your own strengths and weaknesses. The titles may be cryptic but that is because they best describe the activity and they get the students thinking.

This is a brilliant resource pack full of creative ways for getting your students to revise independently, differently and most importantly, successfully. Ten lessons are included and that means PowerPoints and handouts as well. Trial and error has gone into creating lots of resources that really get the students thinking about their revision. No two students are the same so adopting just one method of revision is limiting. Vary the methods and increase the outcomes. Topics included: Image is everything- revising using images Reverse the process- based on reverse engineering to see how a good answer is made Elementary- using Sherlock Holmes to help thinking Help Lights camera action Maps- a look at how mapping can help revision News Report- how putting a news report help focus revision Postcards- writing revision postcards Revision Game Thinking- different ways of thinking The title are varied because so are the methods, however, they are creative approaches to getting the most out of your students.

To behave deviantly is to behave differently from the norm. It is not just about breaking the rules or behaving criminally. This task is about deviance in terms of norms and expectations; Behaving and thinking differently. The students have been conditioned to behave in a certain way for most of their school life. Students are often encouraged to conform and behave passively but within higher education and business this often hinders success. Ofsted claim that an outstanding lesson should be one in which students ‘learn intuitively, encouraging each other to explore, inquire, seek clarity, take risks and think critically and imaginatively’. Having an element of deviance in your students encourages all of these skills. Activity Aims: 1. To get the students to think differently and see the merit of deviant behaviour when solving problems 2. For the students to challenge their own preconceived ideas and processes

This is an interesting look at how democracy changed and emerged in the early twentieth century. The students will be encouraged to look at how women gained the vote but also about power in society and how that is used. This topic fits in perfectly with other aspects of the curriculum. This topic is key to understanding some of the changes in the last century and how we come to live in our world today. The Pack includes Lesson Plan, PowerPoint and Handouts.

It is perhaps the simplest thing to do. Think. However, when the examiner tells the students to begin their exams it can often be a rather more challenging proposal. This Lesson contains a variety of activities designed to get the students thinking. On their own they do not take too much time but can be easily adapted to some of the other Recipes to develop the revision. This activity can also be used as a thinking skills activity at the start of the year.

One of the hardest things to comprehend, especially when young is the passage of time. One of the easiest things to get wrong therefore is time management, especially as the idea of an A level taking two years is misleading. Being able to manage and plan time effectively as well as working with other likeminded people could be beneficial. This Lesson can also be used at the beginning of the course.

This resource encourages the students to look at what they know well and what they need a little more guidance on. There are then five different types of essay plans that can be used either through the course or as part of the revision process. The essay plans are set out differently and can be easily adapted to different topics.