The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to understand the reasons for the relative success of Red Cloud against the US Government as opposed to Little Crow and Black Kettle. Students have to piece together the causes behind Red Cloud’s decision for going to war despite his tribe being divided and the awareness of the previous consequences of fighting back. They learn about Fetterman’s Trap and the second Fort Laramie Treaty. They then have to decide the reasons or limits of Red Cloud’s success (such as Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse refusing to sign the Treaty). I have also included an interactive click and drag exercise using activex textboxes which moves text to complete gap fills to reinforce the learning of the lesson. The plenary uses an interactive flashcard activity linking to Plains Indian Chiefs. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘write a narrative account’ worth 8 marks, with help given if needed. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included linking key words together. 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 analyse the large scale mass migration of black Americans to Kansas in 1879. Students are introduced to a picture called ‘American Progress’, painted in 1872 and have to decide how and why it promotes the inhuman treatment of native Americans. They also have to answer the following key questions: Where does the word Exoduster come from? Who was Benjamin Singleton and why was there a mass migration of black Americans to Kansas in 1879? Furthermore they have to pick part and decipher the causes and consequences of this mass migration to Kansas and why black Americans received a positive as well as a negative reaction from white Americans living there. The plenary uses boxing gloves to spark a number of discussions amongst the students and what they have understood in this and previous lessons. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘consequences ’ question worth 8 marks, with help given if needed. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included which involves splatting bubbles. 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 analyse the fears over the Ghost Dance and the significance of the Wounded Knee Massacre. Students have to analyse text, answer differentiated questions and use video evidence to evaluate the reasons for the massacre and the implications of the Ghost Dance. The plenary is a connection wall which requires students to connect 4 key words together and explain why. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘write a narrative account ’ question worth 8 marks, with help given if needed. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included from the start. 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 recognise the implications of the passing of the Dawes Act of 1887 and the final assimilation of the Plains Indians by the US Government. Students begin and end the lesson with a retrieval wheel using key words they have to define, which have been used throughout the course. Students are also challenged into deciding which policies went before or after 1887 and what constituted this new change in direction. They analyse the Dawes Act in detail and make inferences from it before they evaluate its impact on the Plains Indians. There is also some source analysis to complete as well as colour coding a thinking quilt linking key terms and their definitions. 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 The aim of this lesson is to understand the significance of the Johnson County War and the consequences of the range wars between Homesteaders and Cattle Barons. Students are given the context of the range wars, before they have to predict what might happen as they are given 12 key scenarios ranging from the growth of the WSGA, the killing of Ella Watson and Jim Averill and the beginning and end of the Johnson County war. The plenary is a horse race team game where a series of questions are asked. Correct answers allow their horses to progress around the course. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘consequences’ question worth 8 marks with help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included using a talking heads activity. It comes in Powerpoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

World War II The aim of this lesson is to assess how Channel islanders survived the war with the only occupation of British soil by German armed forces. Britain had taken the decision to leave the Channel islands undefended. Therefore students are questioned as to why this decision was taken and how they might feel being at the mercy of the German occupation. Use of a text and a thinking quilt will help students analyse the ways in which islanders survived, through rationing, acts of resistance and their treatment by the German soldiers garrisoned there. The Germans attempted to make it a model occupation with respect shown to the islanders, but with curfews and censorship, students have to evaluate if this was the case. Some excellent video footage will also explain the treatment of prisoners of war moved to the island to help build the Atlantic Wall defences and how they attempted to manage under appalling conditions. Some real life testimony from survivors is also given to allow students to evaluate fully the significance of the occupation and survival techniques developed to survive. A big thank you in my research for this lesson goes to Dan Snow and his podcast on the occupation as well as the book by Duncan Barrett, ‘When the Germans came’, as well as testimony from a family friend who is still a resident on Jersey. It is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning. The resource includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 This lesson aims to define what the Cold War was about, the differences between Communism and Capitalism and how after 1945, both the Soviet Union and America went from allies to enemies. Students use a map and video footage to define what the Cold War was all about, with a writing frame supplied if required. Students also learn about the different political spectrums in the world at the time and use this knowledge to categorise them in a colour coding activity. They also had to analyse evidence of how mutual suspicions grew which they plot on a suspicion o’meter and justify their choices. The plenary uses a mood board to distinguish between the various ‘moods’ of leaders and soldiers from the time. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question 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 suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the significance of the Truman Doctrine and its implications for East-West relations. Students are asked to analyse two political cartoons of the time to establish how and why the new foreign policy of the USA was a direct challenge to the Soviet Union. There is help given if required. As well as studying the finer details of the Truman Doctrine, they also have to understand its consequences for Europe and write this up in a GCSE practice question. 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.

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 This lesson focuses on the financial aid given to Western Europe as part of the Marshall Plan. Students have to evaluate how significant it was in relation to the Truman Doctrine and how Stalin reacted this ‘dollar imperialism’. There are differentiated questions which explore why this aid was also offered to Eastern bloc countries, how America was able to offer such huge sums and who received a majority of the aid. There is some text to therefore analyse and use to make inferences. The plenary asks students a series of questions which recap the lesson and consolidate their learning from previous ones. There is some GCSE exam question practice to complete, with tips on how to answer the consequences question, with a model answer given if required. 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 exam practice. It also comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 The lesson aims to explore the significance of the Hungarian uprising in the context of the Cold War Students will first learn about the leaders of Hungary and its importance as a country to the Soviet Union. There is a source activity to complete to analyse the various viewpoints of the time from ordinary Hungarians to Khrushchev himself. The main task is to take on the role of Khrushchev and make some vital key decisions with regard to the uprising. Students will pick up points to cement their totalitarian leadership qualities or waiver and act indecisively. Students will finally analyse the consequences of the uprising and make judgements and conclusions as to why the west failed to intervene. There is some GCSE question practice to complete at the end with help and prompts given if required. The final task is to complete a road map as students attempt to answer questions correctly to reach the safety of a nuclear bomb shelter. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question of how close was the world to a nuclear war 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 form mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated material and GCSE question practice. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to understand the social position and place of the three classes or Estates in French society. Students are given information about all three Estates from which they have to categorise their privileges and duties, which they can present in a diagram or in written form. There is some source analysis as well as a brilliant video clip which highlights the class gap between the second and third Estates. They will also be required to explain how each Estate feels with their position in society and which taxes had to be paid as duties. The plenary gives numerous fictitious people from which the students have to identify the Estate they belong to and whether or not they would support the King. 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 understand how and why Louis’s financial problems precipitated the storming of the Bastille and the French Revolution The lesson begins by questioning how our present government raises money through taxes, both directly and indirectly. This is then linked to how much debt Louis is in and how he can raise money to run the country (and pay for his extravagances). Moreover, students must prioritise what he should spend his money on and the reasons for this. Students are then given a number of options, from which they have to decide whether this is a good idea to raise money or not and what could be the consequences as a result. This is an evaluative task which will challenge their thinking outside the box, although answers are given or can be revealed to help if required. The true or false plenary will test their knowledge of what they have learnt and check understanding. 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.

Rise of Dictators The aim of this lesson is to decide how evil Tsar Nicholas was. Students are given facts about Tsar Nicholas and his family which suggest he is a caring and devoted family man as well as a competent ruler. Inferences will be made using video, source and photographic evidence. Students are then given more information which will challenge their original assumptions. Incompetence, an ambitious and influential wife, a massacre as well as the growing influence of a ‘mad monk’ will enable students to give him an ‘evil rating’ out of 10. An extended written piece using argument words and a writing frame if required will allow students to give their final judgements and be able to justify their conclusions as to how evil they think he was, or not as the case may be. In the plenary activity, students have to prove they are not a robot by ticking the correct images which link to the learning 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 some retrieval practice on Dictators, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Rise of Dictators The aim of this lesson is to decide if Castro was a callous or courageous leader of Cuba. Students will learn about how important Cuba was to the USA geographically as well as economically, with the rule of Batista and the corruption in his Government. They will have to decipher some text mapping and dual coding to find this out. They will also be introduced to Castro using video evidence, before given key facts about his rule. They will then have to decide where this evidence fits in with their judgements of him being callous or courageous with the extra challenge of judging how strong or weak the evidence is. An extended writing activity with a writing framework and key words to help will enable students to show off their judgements and new found knowledge. The final task is a road mapping exercise with differentiated questioning to see how far they can travel in Cuba. 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.

Rise of Dictators The aim of this lesson is to question if Saddam deserves his reputation as the ‘Butcher of Baghdad’. Students are at first questioned as to what they know about Saddam and are given information on the importance of Iraq and the Middle East with its oil rich economies. Some source scholarship analyses the death of Saddam and the reasons why he was executed. Together with a thinking quilt, students learn about Saddam’s brutal reign of terror together with the Iran-Iraq war and his invasion of Kuwait. Thus so far, the lesson appears straightforward and there is little to argue against his reputation. However students will also learn through video and source evidence of revisionist ideas of Saddam and the consequence of his execution with the instability within Iraq today. Thus they will be challenged on their original assumptions and evaluate how this reputation has been given to Saddam; is it a just a Western perception? Whilst Iraqis may not necessarily doubt his brutal regime, do they insist life was better than now? 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 some retrieval practice on Dictators, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson focuses on the impact of Pacific Railroad Act of 1842. Students analyse maps and original advertisements to evaluate how effective the railroad companies were in encouraging people to move west and the difficulties involved in building a railroad in the first place. They focus on the effects of the American Civil War and judge the economic impact of the railroad in terms of travel, immigration, the rise of towns, farming as well as the growth of the cattle industry. They also have to determine the negative impacts the railroad had on the Plains Indians and the Buffalo. There is some GCSE exam practice on the ‘consequences’ question, with help given if required. The plenary requires thinking around the popular head, heart, bin and bag activity. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some key word retrieval practice is also included using a spider diagram. 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 consequences of overstocking the open range and the subsequent move to small ranches after the Great Die up of 1886-87. Students are required to tackle some GCSE exam question practice from the start as they have to work out reasons why and the consequences for the changes to the cattle industry. They also analyse the impact on cowboys and reasons for a decline in their demand. Students are also challenged into deciding which policies went before or after 1887 and what constituted this new change in direction. The plenary requires them to demonstrate what they have learnt in the lesson using a summarising pyramid. 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 The aim of this lesson is to examine the consequences of the extermination of the buffalo and the effect on the Plains Indians way of life. Students analyse the reasons how the buffalo were exterminated and then discuss why this was possible, with some prompts to help them. They also have to answer some key questions on the impact of this extermination and are required to plan a debate taking on the role of a white settler or a Plains Indian. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘consequences’ question worth 8 marks, with help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included using the Blockbusters game, complete with changing colours and music! It comes in Powerpoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

World War II The aim of the lesson is to question if it is right to help your enemy. Once the students decide what a collaborator is and the punishments involved, they have to make a judgement if they agree with collaborating in times of war or not. Their opinions are challenged throughout the lesson. They analyse the reasons for collaboration and complete a thinking quilt which challenges their literacy and evaluation skills. There are some brilliant sources to accompany the lesson, including visual images from the time as well as a case study of Chaim Rumkowski who helped the Nazis believing it was the key to Jewish survival in the ghettoes. The plenary is a retrieval practice activity deciding which is the odd one out. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning. The resource includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 This lesson focuses on the Satellite States created by the Soviet Union. Students will be encouraged to question how far these states were willing participants in communism and happy to be part of a Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. There is some source analysis as well as differentiated questioning to help them unpick the events which followed the fall of Berlin in 1945. Furthermore they will evaluate how each eastern country fell into line with the Soviet Union and plot if it was through intimidation and threats and how much they resisted this control. The plenary asks the students to think outside the box and link particular events to key images. The final part of the lesson is some GCSE question practice on the ‘narrative account’ with some help given and a markscheme if required. 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.