Lesson exploring the impact of the Falklands on Thatcher’s government and standing in the world. Starter recaps existing knowledge of the conflict using pictures, moving on to a video giving an overview of the key aspects of the conflict. Pupils use the Oxford textbook to create a table showing the arguments for and against British involvement in the conflict (information included on the PPT), leading to application of this knolwedge to analyse a source from Thatcher focusing on content, tone and provenance (frame included). Finally, pupils read the summary hand out and create an argument for the pros or cons of the conflict for Thatcher and Britain which links to the judgement line plenary.

AQA 8145: Exploration of the two rebellions against Elizabeth - Norfolk and Essex including details and worksheets - comparison of the two rebellions at the end.

A review starter/plenary for AQA 8145 Health and the People - focused on the key themes of surgery, causes and cures and public health. Students match up three words and must write a definition explaining the links. Challenge questions built in.

Lessons focused around the 2020 Historic Environment on the Spanish Armada. The third lesson focuses on the chronology of the Armada, with specific focus on the ‘turning points’ of the battle. The lesson starts with a comparison of two accounts of the Armada, linking to the ‘how convincing’ question stem in this unit. In pairs pupils then annotate a variety of sources to understand the key events of the Armada. Pupils then use an overview worksheet to identify when and why the Armada was defeated, using this information to create a ‘symbol poster’/flash cards on the key turning points. Pupils use this information to answer: At which point do you think the Armada was defeated? Finally, pupils recap their learning in a 3,2,1 plenary.

Model answer for the 2019 historic environment question for AQA 8145 Elizabethan England on the Globe. The answer explains several factors, focusing on how the Globe shows changes in society using features of the site and wider evidence. Useful for revision, essay planning and in-class assessment.

Lesson outlining the causes of the 1984 miners’ strike. The lesson begins with a recap of right to buy. A video introduces the miners’ strike from the Welsh perspective so students can begin to make inferences. Pupils list the various reasons for the strike using the Oxford AQA textbook pp. 128-129 making links to the successes in 1972 and 1974; pupils then rank the causes in terms of significance using the cards. The lesson culminates in an analysis of three sources (two from June 2017 exam and one new Arthur Scargill source) focusing on the reasons given in each for the strike, leading to a judgement plenary on the ‘most valid’ source using the content only.

Lesson exploring the failure of the 1984/5 miners’ strike. The lesson starts with an inference task using contemporary images, leading to a video outlining the Battle of Orgreave. Using the hand out students identify and explore the impact of the strike, leading to an activity ranking the reasons for failure. Pupils then link in previous learning assessing the various reasons for industrial unrest in the period, finally culminating in a judgment plenary exploring why the unions were less successful in the 1980s in comparison to the 1970s.

Lesson exploring why the poll tax was introduced and why it was hated. The lesson starts with recapping Thatcher’s interactions/policies towards local governments. Pupils then explore any positives or negatives of the poll tax using the information given, following on with a video exploring the poll tax riots with accompanying questions. Pupils then categorise the impact of the poll tax thematically using cards, moving on to exploring the long term impact of the poll tax on Thatcher. Finally, a plenary explores why Thatcher was becoming so unpopular in the mid 1980s.

Lesson exploring the extent of the liberalisation of society under John Major. The starter recaps social liberalism by defining the characteristics, allowing a discussion of who may oppose liberalisation. Analysis of a John Major extract allows students to infer conservative policy and attitudes towards society, leading to analysis of the role of Princess Diana in relation to AIDS patients using a news report clip. Two further videos (Peter Lilley and Gay pride march) allow a contrast of opposing views. The main activity gives students key information on the changes in society and asks them to assess the impact on wider society these changes would have. This leads to a plenary assessing how far there has been progress in the area of social liberalism by 1997.

Lesson rounding off the foreign policy section of unit 5 with a focus on the Balkans. The starter explores a map of the Balkans asking for inferences with focus on post-Cold War Europe, leading to the creation of a spider diagram using the Oxford AQA textbook assessing the causes of the troubles in the Balkans. Pupils then use the hand out to answer several questions assessing the role of the UN/EU and NATO. A video assesses the impact of the Srebrenica massacre, moving on to analysing how this changed the course of the conflict. Students round off their learning by assessing how Britain’s place in the world had changed, leading to a judgement plenary on who was more successful in foreign policy - Thatcher or Major. The essay plan is a homework, with option to assess students in timed conditions in the following lesson.

Lesson exploring the sleaze, scandals, satire and Conservative policies under John Major. The Spitting Image starter allow students to explore contemporary satire and the portrayal of the Conservatives. Students then group or pair to research one of the following: Arms to Iraq, Mellor and Yeo, Cash for Questions and policies focusing on the what, why and impact. (Use Oxford AQA textbook as a starter and the internet). Pupils then present and complete the A3 table, leading to a judgement on the most significant factor impacting on the Conservatives.The source plenary allows a review of many of the issues facing the Conservatives at this time and assessing the validity of the source itself.

Two lesson sequence exploring the extent of multiculturalism in Britain by 2007. The lesson starts with a video focusing on the legacy of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, asking students what they can infer about equality in the 1990s. Using the first side of the hand out students create a table showing progress/tensions re. integration, leading on to a report on the 7/7 bombings and the impact. A clip of a speech by David Cameron promotes discussion around the idea that ‘multiculturalism’ was dead by this point. Students then categorise the responses to the 7/7 bombings into positive and negative, focusing on the long term impact on race relations. A judgement line plenary allows students to show the extent of their agreement to the idea that Britain was a muticultural society by 2007, leading to a 10 mark source practice homework question on community relations.

Lesson exploring the emerging youth culture in Britain 1951-64. The lesson starts with a recap of the key social and economic changes, asking students to consider what changes these would bring to the youth. A video introduces Mods and Rockers, leading to a spider diagram (using Oxford AQA textbook) on the reasons for the emergence of a distinct youth culture at this time. Pupils then use the table to explain what each image represents in relation to youth culture, leading to an analysis of the wider social tensions and what short and long term impact they would have on Britain. The plenary draws together all learning on social changes, asking students to contrast the idea of change and continuity in Britain during this period, using key prompts.

Lesson exploring how the Special Relationship between Britain and the USA changed 1951-64. The lesson starts with exploring students understanding of what the special relationship is, leading to a discussion on who holds the balance of power within it. Students then watch four videos to explore four key events - Burgess and Maclean, nuclear deterrent, Korean War and Suez Crisis (hyperlinked in), completing the table as they go. Using the Oxford AQA Making of Modern Britain textbook students then add to their table, exploring which issue/event had the biggest impact on the Special Relationship. Students then colour code the table showing how Britain was and was not still a world power by 1964, leading to a table showing change and continuity in the Special Relationship at this time. Finally a continuum plenary asks students to assess where they would place Britain on a scale in terms of their position as a world power by 1964 (links to 25 mark essay after the next lesson).

A two lesson sequence focusing on why the Conservatives fell from power in 1964, including a practice 25 mark essay and model answer. The lesson starts with what factors cause a government to lose support, leading into an assessment of the factors involved with the Conservative Party. Students then assess the relative significance of the various factors in causing the Conservative loss in 1964. The lesson then moves to analyse the role of the Profumo Affair in the Conservative fall from government, using a video and a contemporary newspaper to assess the impact of the scandal. Pupils then assess the impact of Douglas-Home on the loss of support, moving to contrast him with Harold Wilson in the Labour Party (video and note sheet included). Students then plan a segment of the following essay: “The Conservatives lost the 1964 election as they were outdated and out of touch with the electorate”. Assess the validity of this view (25 marks). Students use the mark scheme to understand how to achieve Level 3 and above in their answer, moving on to planning a segment using the DEAL frame. Pupils then complete the plan for the essay for homework.

Lesson exploring the Conservative election victory in 1951 and the post-war consensus. The lesson starts with a recap snowball of Britain by 1951. Pupils are then introduced to how to approach assessing the value of a source using a source regarding the Attlee legacy by Hugh Dalton. Students are guided through assessing the content and provenance, using the source on the sheet to highlight and annotate. A video then assesses why the Conservatives were successful in 1951 in comparison to Labour under Attlee, leading to a ranking exercise of the reasons for the post-war consensus regarding key policies. The plenary asks students to explain why there was a post-war consensus and why this would help the Conservatives to maintain support from the electorate.

First lesson in the Britain 2S A level unit allowing students context of 1950s Britain. The lesson starts with an overview of the A Level, moving on to looking at three videos to explore 1950s society and politics. A data capture activity allows students to gain an overview of the period, leading to a brief source analysis activity of Britain’s position in the world in the 1950s. A reduction plenary allows students to summarise Britain’s position by the 1950s. NB: A ‘how to answer the questions’ guide is also included, to give to pupils at the start of the unit.

Lesson exploring the short, medium and long term significance of Germ Theory on medical understanding. the lesson starts with a ‘factors’ sheet - asking students to categorise the evidence and explain how contributed to the understanding of germs/discovery of vaccines. Using the cards students then populate the significance table, moving on to explaining why this evidence is so significant. Using the table students complete the 8 mark assessment: Explain the significance of the discovery of Germ Theory (8 marks) - a model answer and assessment grid is included which can be used for peer/self-assessment.