Lesson 4 in the Hardwick Hall 2025 Historic Environment learning sequence. This lesson focuses on what Hardwick Hall can show about changes in the Elizabethan period. The lesson begins with a knowledge recall of Hardwick Hall, moving on to a carousel source activity where students use sources to explain key changes in England that Hardwick demonstrates (fashions, wealth, support for Elizabeth, rise of Gentry and new architectural styles. Students then explain what Hardwick Hall can show about Elizabethan England, explaining why Hardwick can be seen as a symbol of Elizabeth’s reign.

Revision booklet for America 1920-73 - part 3: Post-War America The booklet includes key information and guided tasks to review the key content in preparation for the exams.

Lesson 24 in the scheme for Edexcel 1H10/B4 - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588. This lesson focuses on Raleigh’s attempts and plans to colonise Virginia. The lesson starts with a review of what students already know/can remember about Walter Raleigh, leading to a video which introduces his attempts to colonise Virginia. Students then explore the factors which influenced investment in this project, explaining how each would influence support for Raleigh’s project, moving to a strengths and weaknesses table exploring Raleigh’s plan. Students then assess how strong the plan was, building to exploring the significance in the following lesson.

Lesson 18 in the scheme for Edexcel 1H10/B4 - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588. This lesson focuses on the development of leisure in Elizabethan England. A picture starter encourages students to explore different leisure pursuits available, leading to a video which provides an overview of the period. Students then complete a data capture carousel, making notes on the different forms of leisure. Students then use this information to assess the positives and negatives of these different pastimes, leading to application to a ‘describe two features’ 4-mark response. Students then assess how similar Elizabethan leisure is to modern day leisure in a post-it note plenary.

Lesson 5 in the Hardwick Hall 2025 Historic Environment learning sequence. This lesson focuses on application of knowledge of Hardwick Hall to the 16-mark essay on the Elizabethan paper. The lesson begins with a recap of the changes in the period demonstrated by Hardwick, leading to a paired retrieval task reviewing the key features of Hardwick. Students then explore the 16-mark essay criteria and then apply their learning to a plan for the following question: “The main change that Elizabethan manor houses demonstrated was the greater prosperity of their owners”. How far does a study of Hardwick Hall support this statement? You should refer to Hardwick Hall and your contextual knowledge. (16 marks). Students then explore a WAGOLL paragraph and assess the strengths and weaknesses of this. A model answer for this question is included in the bundle pack.

This lesson explores how both Eisenhower and Kennedy increased US intervention in Vietnam and their similarities/differences. The lesson begins with exploration of existing knowledge of Eisenhower, using a video to make notes, with the same task utilised for Kennedy. Students then use the handout to create a table showing similarities and differences of their policies, leading to a detailed focus on the Strategic Hamlet Programme. Students then list any successes and failures so far for the US in Vietnam, finally assessing how far they agree that the Strategic Hamlet Programme was ultimately a failure for the US.

Lesson 12 in the scheme for Edexcel 1H10/B4 - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588. This lesson focuses on how England and Spain were vying for power of the seas and links in Drake’s circumnavigation. The lesson begins with a trio starter, recapping key terms/content. Students then explore Elizabeth’s foreign policy aims and how she could achieve them. Students then create a timeline of Drake’s events to plot how this impacted on Spanish relations. Students then explain what was the most significant outcome of Drake’s voyages, leading to a group task assessing the relative significance of each outcome. Finally, students show on a post-it note their opinion of the most important outcome.

L6 in the 2024 Historic Environment series on The Americas and Drake’s circumnavigation, 1577-1580. This lesson utilises the AQA Historic environment source booklet to review the Circumnavigation. The lesson begins with a ‘giant post-it’ task to review the key causes, benefits, dangers and impacts of the circumnavigation. Students then use the source booklet to add to the knowledge audit table (to be printed on A3) to link in features, events and specific knowledge of the circumnavigation. Students then share what the circumnavigation tells them about life in Elizabethan England, leading to a judgement regarding the most significant impact of the circumnavigation. A 3, 2, 1 plenary recaps key learning in preparation for the following essay-planning lesson.

Lesson 1 in the scheme for Edexcel 1H10/B4 - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588. This lesson begins by laying the foundations for social structure and political power in 1558. The lesson starts with an exploration of hierarchy, linking to the Great Chain of Being. Moving on students watch a video to explore social change, and then apply learning from a worksheet to a 4-mark describe two features question, allowing opportunity for self or peer-assessment. Students then explore the key political groups/individuals and assess their function, leading to a judgement on who held the most power in 1558. The lesson culminates in a judgement on the extent of decision making power that Elizabeth had upon her accession to the throne in 1558.

A revision lesson exploring the Conservative Party 1997-2007 with focus on leaders and key reasons for divisions. The lesson begins with a ‘who am I?’ recap, leading to a source analysis task of why the Conservatives were electorally unpopular. Students then complete the 5-minute essay plans, leading to a group task on the significant reasons for the Conservative electoral failure 1997-2005. Finally a judgement plenary allows students to reach their own conclusions on why the Conservatives were electorally unpopular in this time period.

A lesson revising the key economic policies and social impacts of Thatcher’s government. The lesson begins with a recap of Thatcherism and opinions on her, moving to an exploration of monetarism, privatisation and deregulation. Students then examine a source exploring the impacts of her policies, leading to categorising cards into successes/failures of her policies. Students then focus on the social impacts with a table anlaysing realignment, unemployment and inflation. Students then review key economic social policies (right to buy and poll tax) with reference to their successes and failures, leading to an essay plan on the handling of industrial disputes by Thatcher. Finally, the plenary focuses on the overall success of Thatcher’s economic policies in a judgement line task.

L1 in the 2024 Historic Environment series on The Americas and Drake’s circumnavigation, 1577-1580. This double lesson explores how the voyages of exploration benefited Elizabethan England. The lesson begins with an inference source starter, leading to a video clip demonstrating how exploration advanced in this period. Students then rank the main reasons for these voyages, justifying their top 3 choices. Students then explore 5 key Elizabethan explorers, outlining for each their successes and negatives from their voyages. The lesson then moves into a direct comparison between the contribution made by Drake and Raleigh to Elizabethan England, linking into an 8-mark ‘explain what was important’ response with mark scheme and assessment grid included. The lesson culminates in a review of the main motivations for voyages, explorers and benefits these voyages brought in the wider Elizabethan context.

Lesson introducing witchraft in the 16th and 17th centuries. Hyperlinked video introduces why people were accused, chronology card sort shows reasons for accusations, source task explores views on witches and allows an introduction with a plenary recap quiz.

Lesson reviewing key content and linked to exam skills for Hardwick Hall. Recap starter on Hardwick, use of diagram to define how Hardwick is a "typical" manor house, card sort matching key features to key changes (e.g. rise of the Gentry), use of the cards to create PEE points linked to the 16 mark essay question, model paragraphs linked in to show use of PEEEE skills, post-it plenary writing criteria to the 16 mark essay question.

For new Germany unit - 1890-1945 Picture starter focusing on how the depression linked to an increase in extremism, video on the impact of the depression, source sheet and explanation tasks with continuum plenary

For AQA 8145 conflict and tension, 1919-39 Two lesson sequence exploring the events and impact of the Abyssinian Crisis on the League of Nations. Lesson 1 introduces the crisis with a video, and has a 'symbol' poster task included to consolidate the key facts. Lesson 2 focuses on the impact of the crisis, linking Manchuria and Abyssinia together then analysing the impact Abyssinia had on the failure of the League

Two lesson sequence exploring the rule of Oliver Cromwell and interpretations of him. Source starter and comparison of two paintings of Cromwell to explore how he is portrayed. Video hyperlinked in to gather contrasting evidence on Cromwell and categorisation card sort task. Leading to a 12 mark bullet point essay comparing Cromwell's legacy - hero or villain.

Lesson exploring the impact of abolition on black Americans. Videos hyperlinked show the rise of the KKK and the start of the civil rights movement.

Two lesson series exploring life on plantations for slaves. Lesson 1 focuses on day-day life. Hyperlinked vider starter leads to a data capture carousel activity and judgement line plenary. The second lesson involves students exploring life on plantations using sources and creating positive and negative interpretations to enable them to reach a clear judgement.

Lesson introducing the causes of the Cold War and context of 1950. Video starter, paired card sort categorising causes of the Cold War - use to create a mind map, introduce location of Korea and notion of why the USA and USSR could not directly fight each other, source plenary linked to 4 mark "source supports/opposes...how do you know?" question.