The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to assess how much of a threat Catholicism posed to Elizabeth during her reign. The lesson begins with an analysis of the Northern Rebellion. Was it a direct consequence of the Religious Settlement or simply a Catholic uprising against Elizabeth? Further analysis focuses on the role played by seminary and Jesuits priests who came to England to spread the word of Catholicism and reconvert the masses; students have to decide if they had little influence or posed a direct threat to Elizabeth. Furthermore students judge how significant the measures put in place to tackle these threats were. Some exam practice is included with help given if required. There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

The Suffragettes The lesson focuses on the main differences between the Suffragists and Suffragettes, but also looks at their similarities. Students are asked as to why women wanted the vote and how they were going to achieve it? Further into the lesson, students have to analyse the various methods used by both groups and have to question, prioritise and justify their effectiveness. Included is a thinking quilt which tests pupils’ understanding and links the key ideas, dates, people and definitions together. A differentiated plenary questions and checks their understanding of the lesson. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The Holocaust The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the reasons why Josef Mengele escaped justice. I have been inspired to write this lesson after reading an article by Gerald Posner who spent three decades trying to track him down. The story makes fascinating reading; but was Mengele a brilliant mastermind at escape and evasion tactics or was it pure incompetence on the part of the West German authorities and a lack of will from the Western governments to track and find him? Students are given the context to Josef Mengele, his background and a very brief description of the war crimes he committed at Auschwitz, without going into specific details. They complete a missing word activity, before analysing the fake passport he used to flee to South America. The main task is to judge how believable his escape story really is, with some red herrings thrown in for good measure to get the students really thinking. Some key differentiated questions, an extended writing piece, with some ‘believable’ words as well as a thinking quilt will give the students an accurate account of his double life. There is also an excellent link to video footage of a documentary by Gerald Posner himself. The resource comes in PDF and PowerPoint formats if there is a wish to adapt and change and is differentiated. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is analyse the rise of the Duke of Northumberland to power. Students are given a timeline of Northumberland’s life and the significant events in his rule during Edward’s reign. They can also complete some source scholarship with views from various historians summarising his governorship. Students also complete a multi-choice quiz on the succession as Northumberland looked to install Lady Jane Gray on the throne and learn the consequences of his political naivety. Points are awarded to give a competitive edge and find out who has clear political acumen in the group. The plenary compares the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland and what their major differences were. There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

The aim of this lesson is to explore how historians find out about the past using historical sources. Students are firstly questioned about how we can find out about Castles or Roman artefacts for example with usually some interesting replies. They then have to study four historical sources with differentiated questioning to help decipher and discover their provenance. There is an extended writing task to complete with their new found knowledge, with help and prompts given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The aim of this lesson is for the students to assess how ‘great’ King Alfred was. Students are given the context to Alfred’s reign with his attempt to unite the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to fight back against the Vikings and their area known as Danelaw. There are quite a few key words used in this lesson, so students have to complete a heads and tails task. They are also required to complete a missing word activity as well as analysing his statue at Winchester. The main task will be judge and rate out of ten which of the sixteen statements make Alfred ‘great’ or not. An extended writing activity will allow them to make judgements and justify their decisions. There is also chance to complete a verbal boxing debate using some of the key ideas of his rule from the lesson. The plenary will check understanding with a truth or lie activity. This lesson is also excellent as an introduction to studying the Anglo-Saxons and Normans for GCSE. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The aim of the lesson is to analyse the power struggles between Edward II and his barons. Students begin by discovering the problems of Edward II, which they will rate in order of seriousness (and will find they were mostly brought on by himself!). They then complete an extended writing task with key literacy words given to help them. Students will learn about the central character of the story, a leading nobleman named Roger Mortimer and complete a missing word activity to find out why and how he escaped his imprisonment in the Tower of London. They then have to rate how much power the King had, in the struggles with this leading nobleman and his own wife, Isabella. Some hinge questions and a literacy task complete the lesson. They continue to plot the power struggle between the king, the church, the barons and the people on a graph. In a sequence of lessons they answer the question – who ruled in medieval England? This lesson includes: Fun, engaging and challenging tasks Printable worksheets Differentiated tasks Suggested teaching strategies PowerPoint format, which can be changed to suit

The British Empire The aim of the lesson is to assess the importance of apartheid in South Africa both politically and economically. The lesson begins by giving the context of South Africa being part of the British Empire and it move toward independence and the introduction of apartheid. Students have a quiz to complete as well as source scholarship on its introduction in 1948. They also evaluate the restrictions it imposed on the non white population of South Africa, where they are required to give their opinions on it as well as the significance at the time, overtime and nowadays. The lesson also focuses on the impact of the ANC and Nelson Mandela’s contribution to a modern South Africa and the part he played in ending apartheid. There are some excellent video links to his life and work as well as the Soweto uprising of 1976. The lesson concludes with a diamond nine activity to prioritise the main reasons why apartheid came to an end. The lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies and are linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

Britain: Health and the People c.1000-present These key individual flashcards aim to get the students thinking of key people and their significance in medicine. I always find students have revised thoroughly for exams, but do not push their grades into the higher brackets as they focus on content rather than the individual’s impact and importance, particularly over time. There are 36 individuals listed, Students can use them in class (I use them as starters and plenaries) or to take home and use for their own personal revision programme. I also display them in the classroom (enlarged) and use when teaching this unit of study. The resource comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Edexcel 9-1 Medicine in Britain, Thematic study and historic environment This lesson aims to give the context of the British sector of the Western Front and the theatre of war in Flanders and Northern France, the Ypres Salient, the Somme, Arras and Cambrai. They will also discover that not all the fighting was done in muddy trenches as most students generalise about. Students will learn why there was a salient around Ypres and the advantages this gave the Germans on the higher ground, including Hill 60. They will analyse the horrific death and injuries suffered on the first day of the battle of the Somme and why this battle was initiated in the first place. Furthermore they will investigate the tunnelling system around Arras and the hospital built there, now called the Wellington Tunnels. Finally they are given information about Cambrai and judge the impact of the tank in the overall outcome of the battle. Activities include retrieval practice, the use of video evidence, a prioritising exercise as well as discussion and debate. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The aim of this lesson is to assess the impact and legacy of the Roman Empire upon Britain. Students begin by deciphering some key words and then analyse a map of Roman Britain. They are given some context to the Roman in Britain as well as the reasons why they left. The main task is to research what the Romans left behind in Britain when they left, from bathhouses, to villas, language, roads and towns. There are some excellent video links as well as some extended writing to complete if required. The plenary will check understanding with a multiple choice quiz. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to judge how successful Mary’s economic policies were. At first glance, it would be easy for students to assume that Mary’s policies failed. Bad harvests, inflation, a sweating sickness ravaging the country and population growth characterised her reign. However, further investigation and analysis will reveal some successes and foundation stones laid for the future with the help of an able Lord Treasurer. A revaluation of the currency, a Militia Act, poor relief and the commissioning of six new ships for the navy were all to be welcomed by Elizabeth and her successors when she became Queen. The plenary is a colour coding exercise where students have to decide which key terms and Acts belonged to either Edward or Mary. The second part of the lesson focus on a mid Tudor crisis. Students can attempt some question practice with planning guidance and a markscheme provided if required. There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

The British Empire This lesson explores the rise and fall of Robert Clive of India. Should he be regarded as a hero or a villain of the worst kind? The first part of the lesson establishes his heroic reputation through video and source analysis. Students then sift through a variety of source information and plot a graph coming to their own conclusions and judgements. They also analyse the Battle of Plassey as an additional task and decide whether their judgement has been correct all the time. The plenary requires them to create a plaque for Clive of India to sum up his reputation according to the evidence. The lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies and are linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to question how far Mary was fit to run her government. The first task students have to complete is to predict what Mary with do to overcome some of her immediate problems. They will also determine whether having numerous councillors during her reign automatically meant an inefficient and faction-ridden government. Students will learn how Mary both cooperated and well as clashed with her Parliament and then evaluate how efficient her government actually was. There is an enquiry question posed at the start and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

Civil Rights in America The aim of this lesson is to assess how far Jesse Owens inspired the Civil Rights Movement. Students begin by analysing his early childhood and how his athletic talents was spotted at a young age. Students will also assess how Jesse coped in the segregated south with the Jim Crow Laws and judge how far this impacted upon his athletics career. There is a chronological exercise to complete, together with video footage of the Berlin Olympics and some differentiated questioning on his medals, achievements and legacy… A true or false quiz at the end will attempt to question how Jesse Owens was received back in the USA after the Berlin Olympics and how far his life changed. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to question how effective the burning of heretics was in Mary’s reign to restore Catholicism. The lesson begins with some exam extract practice and then focuses on Cardinal Pole’s positive approach at first to gathering ‘the lost sheep’ back into the Catholic fold. Students learn the process of how a person was condemned to death in Marian England by burning at the stake and why the first executions encouraged large crowds to gather. Using some more ‘burning’ evidence, students have to evaluate how effective they were in Marian England, and be able to give both sides of the argument, including revisionist views from Dr Anna Whitelock. Students will finally have to analyse and decide where Protestantism and Catholicism was embedded around the country if at all and the significance of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

The British Empire This lesson aims to find out whether we should be proud or ashamed of gaining an Empire and how the indigenous peoples we conquered ‘benefitted’ under British rule. This lesson will best be delivered over 2 lessons . The opening slides give some context to the debate and define what an Empire is and which countries Britain owned by 1900. Through video and source analysis, the students have to explain their choice of being proud or ashamed or both and as the lesson progresses justify whether they are sticking to their decisions. Analysis focuses on Victorian propaganda, the recent views of British Prime Ministers as well as how museums refuse to engage about how they have obtained their imperial artefacts. The second part of the lesson examines a number of countries acquired by Britain and focuses on the ‘benefits of Empire’. Students then make their final decisions at the end before drawing conclusions on the legacy of the British Empire. A homework task is to design an Empire plate (photographic examples given) to celebrate Empire day from 1902. The lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies, differentiated materials and is linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to challenge the view that Mary’s foreign policy was a disaster. Students are given the context to Europe at Mary’s accession to the throne and how she was brought into the Habsburg-Valois conflict as a result of her marriage to Philip II of Spain. There are some differentiated questions to answer using some extended comprehension, as well a discussion on the pros and cons of her foreign policy. This is a case study of the capture of Calais from a recent BBC magazine article which sets up an extract practice question to answer, complete with a detailed markscheme to help if required. The plenary challenges what students have learnt in the lesson and some assumptions made by historians. There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to evaluate how much society changed in Tudor England under Henry VIII. Students begin the lesson by recalling how society was structured under Henry VII. They are then required to predict how much society will change, before rating how much change there actually was (using a rate ‘o’ meter gauge). They will then be able to evaluate how much change or continuity Tudor society underwent and why and for which social groups. The plenary asks what is the question from the answers given, using information from the lesson There is some exam practice to complete with a writing frame, some prompts and a markscheme to use if required. There is an enquiry question posed during the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

Germany 1890-1945:Democracy and Dictatorship This lesson focuses on two key questions - how were the Ruhr crisis and hyperinflation so closely linked together and how did they create both economic and political problems for the Weimar Republic between 1919 and 1923? The lesson is split into two parts; the first focusing on why the French decided to invade the Ruhr region of Germany and secondly the consequences for them and for Germany when they did. Students have to answer key questions on the invasion and analyse sources which infer French brutality. A literacy task to follow challenges students’ understanding of the key words used. The second part of the lesson explains the causes and consequences of hyperinflation with a focus on the winners and well as the losers. Some GCSE question practice at the end gives a student friendly markscheme to peer and self assess. There is a plethora of video footage and primary sources to analyse throughout the lesson as well as simplified and chronological explanations. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.