Rise of Dictators The aim of this lesson is for students to judge how much love there was for Mao Zedong in China. There is also some retrieval practice which can also be used to tie with the other Dictatorships of Hitler and Stalin. This lesson can be delivered over two as there is quite a lot of information given so that students will be able to make their own assumptions and judgements. The lesson begins with questioning what the students already or might know about China throughout its history. Students will learn about the background of communism in China and Mao’s rise to power, which they will answer key questions on. They will ultimately be required to evaluate Mao’s term in office and decide how much love there was for him amongst the Chinese population with his policies on industry, land reform, women, education and youth for example. There is also an extended writing task to complete for students to show off their new found knowledge. They are some key words and phrases to analyse such as the Long March, collectives, purge, anarchy, the ‘New Leap Forward’ as well as the ‘Cultural Revolution’. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The British Empire The aim of this lesson is to discover how tough it was to colonise the New World for British settlers and why America fought for its independence from Britain. The lesson begins with the Pilgrim Fathers and students discuss the reasons why they and many families began to settle in the New World. Further analysis requires students to judge how tough it was to set up in America and the impact they made on the local communities they came into contact with. Having made their judgements, students can engage in an extended writing task with key words and a writing frame to use if required. The second part the lesson analyses the reasons why the colonists became so angry with Britain and claiming no taxation without representation. Students are then required to give reasons as to why a war ensued and the significance of George Washington of the Declaration of Independence. A true or false plenary focuses on the legacy of Britain’s Empire in America and its links to today. 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.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to analyse the events of the Storming of the Bastille and the subsequent significance of the Flight to Varennes Students learn through key questioning and some text analysis how and why the Bastille was attacked. There are some brilliant video links to accompany this. They will then be required, using a storyboard, to decipher what happened next and explain how these events led to a new France. They will also learn how Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to escape to the border and using a cauldron of significance, evaluate which key ingredients ultimately led to their recapture and eventual execution. The Octagon plenary allows the students to summarise what they have learnt in the lesson, from sights and sounds to numbers and actions for example. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies 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.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is introduce the types of Government that existed within Europe in 1780. Students are given a map of Europe in 1780, from which they learn the various rulers and how they each individually ruled their countries, making links and connections between them as well as recognising their differences. They will also study contemporary accounts of France and evaluate the reasons why the seeds were sown already in France for a revolution. The plenary requires students to use their knowledge from the lesson to complete a multiple choice quiz. The lesson comes with differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies 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.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to assess whether Louis deserved to be executed Firstly, students have to put a number of events in chronological order leading up to the execution. This can be done wither as a verbal or card sort activity. They are also given a narrative account of Louis XVI’s last day, from which they have to compose a number of tweets, imagining how he might have felt at the time. There is some further source analysis and video links to help them with their learning. The main task is to turn the classroom into a mini courtroom. Students are given information either defending King Louis XVI or opposing him. They will then make choices and decide whether to defend or send him to the guillotine. There is a writing frame to accompany this task with argument words to help if required. The final task is to decide what happened to Louis’ body and why this was done. A find and fix plenary will consolidate their learning from the lesson, with answers provided. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies 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.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to question who supported the French Revolution both internally and externally The lesson begins with the students giving their own opinions as to whether they would support the Revolution. They are then given the context with a literacy challenge, as to how attitudes at the time began to change with the September Massacres of 1793. No lesson is complete without James Gillray’s ‘Un petit Souper a La Parisienne’, which is analysed. Some help with prompts and guidance is given if required. A study of the British reaction is also scrutinised as students learn how opinion became divided with the published works of Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine. The main task is to analyse how different groups within France reacted; these include the Church (with a model answer given on how to complete the task), the Sans-culottes, nobles, Jacobins and Girondins and finally Counter-Revolutionaries. Students can feedback and present their findings to the class. The plenary required a talking heads activities and to distinguish which group would be attributed to the various comments and opinions used. The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies 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. It is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 This lesson focuses on the Conferences at Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam and aims to evaluate their impact on East-West relations. Students are required to decide who said what in a retrieval practice activity at first, before analysing the Conferences and evaluating what was agreed, bearing in mind a change of leadership in Britain and America between Tehran and Potsdam had a considerable influence on the outcomes for each. The plenary sums up their knowledge through numbers. Finally some GCSE question practice gives the students some strong and average model answers which they have to distinguish between and be able to explain why referring to the exam board markscheme. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and GCSE question practice. It also comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Suffragettes The aim of this lesson is to evaluate how much the vote gave independence to women in the roaring twenties. Students have to assess how and why women became more confident and empowered with new technology and the introduction of the reckless flapper, shocking society with her wild behaviour. There is video evidence, text mapping and source analysis for the students to complete to aid them in justifying their decisions. Students will also evaluate the role of four pioneering women in a differentiated task by colour coding batteries to rate their contribution to ‘girl power’. There is a chance to complete some extended writing using importance words as well as adding appositives to simple sentences in the plenary. 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 aim of this lesson is to analyse and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Norman and Anglo-Saxon armies in 1066. There are differentiated questions and worksheets for the students to answer before they make their conclusions as to whose army was the best using some argument words to base their decisions upon. The worksheets include information and visual images to aid the students and are easy to print off for individual or group work. A guess who plenary tests their recall knowledge from the lesson. The resource is therefore differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

Edexcel 9-1 Medicine in Britain, Thematic study and historic environment This lesson aims to show the devastating effect upon the soldiers, both physically and mentally from the new technological advances in warfare used at the beginning of the twentieth century. The weapons analysed, for example, include the use of the Lee Enfield Rifle, the machine gun, grenades, artillery shells as well as the use of gas. Activities include retrieval practice, the evaluation of the weapons used and their effect on the soldiers, the use of video evidence, a true or false and noughts and crosses quiz as well as GCSE question practice, with help 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 American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson explores the significance of the Buffalo to the Plains Indians way of life. Students learn about how survival depended on the Buffalo for everything as they analyse which parts of the Buffalo are used for what and how each part had a significance. They can map this out on a printable worksheet. There is an excellent video link to Ray Mears and his brilliant American West series. The final part of the lesson introduces the students to the ‘importance’ question and some tips on how to tackle it for GCSE exam question practice. Some answers for peer assessment are given if required. The plenary requires students to answer questions to reveal a catchphrase from the lesson. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some sentence starters for retrieval practice are also included. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to examine push and pull factors which contributed to the migration west. Students are introduced to the Oregon Trail and learn how the Government promoted its use by providing $30,000 for an expedition led by John Fremont to map it out and report how exciting and achievable it was to travel along it. An excellent accompanying video in contrast shows the realities however of travelling to the west. Students are given various scenarios which they have to decide are push and pull factors and for extra challenge decide if they are social, political or economic factors. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘consequences’ question worth 8 marks. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice is also included on spelling key words. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson examines the process and problems of migration using the Oregon Trail, exacerbated and proliferated by the discovery of Gold in California. Students analyse the positive and negative effects of migrating to California and are then challenged to link statistics to the various facts shown. There is some text analysis on the Donner Party and its consequences with key questions as well as video footage to reinforce the learning. Some GCSE question practice focuses of the narrative account question with key exam skills attached as well as some help if required. The plenary uses an interactive hangman game. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice using the odd one out is also included. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West, c 1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to explore the strengths and weaknesses of the Homestead Act of 1862. What was the Homestead Act and who could apply? How did the US Government make it easier for US citizens to become Homesteaders from what had happened previously? Students will also be required to think and judge who really benefitted from it. Was it all US Citizens who benefitted or did anyone else? Were the Plains Indians considered when this Act was passed and how did it affect them? There are notes on the slides to help. Students are required to complete a GCSE ‘importance’ practice question and are challenged to think why each specific term was significant. The plenary requires connecting and linking key words and dates. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice is also included using an odd one out activity. It comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to assess how positive the US Government’s early attempts were to ‘civilise’ the Plains Indians between c.1830-1851. By adopting a westward expansionist policy, students have to question how beneficial this was and for whom? Was America to benefit from improving the Plains, by ploughing it for farming, digging up its minerals for manufacturing or simply clearing its forests for timber? Students are given various scenarios and laws such as the Indian Removal Act and the Indian Appropriations Act and individually rate each scenario by colour coding a battery to signify positive or negative before coming to a conclusion as to who benefited from this conflict over land. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘write a narrative account’ worth 8 marks. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice is also included using causal equations. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to understand the rise of the cattle industry and the impact it had on the American West. Students are given a Texan Cattle Industry Thinking Quilt which introduces them to new concepts and key words. They are introduced to Joseph McCoy and have to decipher a number of statements relating to him which have specific errors in them to correct. They analyse various texts and video links on the Goodnight-Loving Trail as well as the rise of John Iliff and have to work out relating statistics as well as key questions which aim to challenge assumptions and beliefs. There is some GCSE exam practice on the ‘consequences’ question, with help given if required. The plenary is a talking heads activity. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice on source recall is also included. It comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to explore the rivalry and tensions that grew up between ranchers and homesteaders on the Plains from the 1860’s onwards. Students have to think why conflict arose on the Plains and what the arguments might be with some initial guidance. They also learn about the checkerboard allocation of land and the issue of free ‘public land’. Using some typical scenarios which arose, they have to come up with solutions to the problems. There is some GCSE exam question practice on the ‘consequences question’, with some help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice linking key words and subject is included. The plenary links key words from the lesson together to form sentences to reinforce the learning. There is also some retrieval practice at the start. It comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson to analyse the work of the cowboys on the Long Drives and on Cattle Ranches of the American Plains. At the start, some myths are dispelled about cowboys, many of which can be attributed to Hollywood films and John Wayne. Students learn the importance of the Long Drives and the roles the cowboys played in bring the cattle to their final destination, including all the hazards on the way. They also study the life on the ranches and the further difficulties endured by the cowboys in their work. Students are thus prepared to answer a GCSE exam practice question on the importance of cowboys to the cattle industry worth 8 marks, with help given if required. The plenary challenges students to decide if the statements can be categorised to the Ranches or the Long Drive. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included. It comes in Powerpoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to analyse some of the problems the early settlers faced moving west onto the Great Plains. Students have to work out the initial problems through various images and think through how they could solve these. They also have to decide how to deal with the swarms of locusts that descended on the Great Plain such as in 1874 when an estimated 120 billion grasshoppers devastated over 300,000 square kilometres of land. There is some GCSE exam question practice on the consequences question with some help given if required. The plenary requires students to use dice to pick and link key words together to create sentences. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice with talking heads is also included on the front slide. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to explore the problems of the rapid rising of mining towns and the lawlessness they created. Students complete a Head and Tails activity and a thinking quilt which challenges them to decide the greatest changes as well as the most important and biggest impact the early towns and settlements brought. There is some GCSE exam question practice on the ‘importance question’, with some help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice using an A-Z task is also included. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.