Cold War The aims of this lesson are to explain what the Cold War was in post war Europe and how it developed between the two existing Superpowers in 1945. The USA and the USSR had different ideologies and students will learn the differences between Capitalism and Communism. Furthermore, despite cordial relations at the three meetings held before the end of the war at Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam, suspicions were soon aroused. Students will analyse the preceding decisions made about the divisions of Germany and Berlin and make informed judgements as to why these suspicions developed. The central enquiry of this and subsequent lessons is to ask why did civilians fear for their lives? Students will map out their ideas each lesson (which can be plotted in different colours or dates to show the progress of their learning and centred around a lightbulb) and build up a picture of how these and different countries in the world responded and acted in this new nuclear age. The resource comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change and is differentiated. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of this lesson is to determine how much of an impact the Renaissance had on Medicine. Students study and analyse Vesalius, Pare and Harvey with their individual specialisms and contributions at the time of the Renaissance. They then have to decide who has made the most important contribution to medicine and justify their decisions thinking about short, medium and long term significance. Opposition to all three is evaluated as students decide who was being criticised and why. There is a brilliant video link to bbc teach as well as learning activities to check understanding. 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 comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

American Civil RIghts The events and actions surrounding the Little Rock Nine are now infamous in history. This lesson gives the background to the beginning of the desegregation of American Schools with the Brown vs Board of Education case of 1954. Yet Orval Faubus, the Governor of Arkansas found this difficult to accept and unleased a tidal wave of protest from his actions in Little Rock, shown in this lesson through video footage and images from the time. The students are given the context to the events of 1957 and have to decide what is being shouted at Elizbeth Eckford before they predict the actions of Eisenhower. Ultimately they have to evaluate the impact of the Little Rock Nine and how they influenced American society today. They are required to justify their opinions at the end with scaffolding given if required. 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

The English Civil War The aim of this lesson is to understand why James lost his crown in the Glorious Revolution and how and why the lessons of his father were not learned. Students will define what they think a Glorious Revolution might be, before learning about the reign of James. They will have to judge how seriously Parliament saw him as a threat to the stability of the monarchy and how they could avoid turning the world upside down yet again. They also have to assess the impact of the Magna Carta on the Stuart dynasty as well as completing a thinking quilt, defining key terminology such as Whigs and Tories under James II. The plenary requires students to find and fix statements which will consolidate their learning from the lesson. 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 suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and 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.

Norman Conquest The aim of the lesson is to understand how WIlliam asserted his control over the population using the feudal system. Students get to know how the feudal system works by interacting with each other in a Norman style ‘party’. They each have a card to read which tells them their status and their oath to William. However they will have to decide and justify if they are happy with their status or not. This lesson is designed to be fun, with students required to interact with each other and show their status by using the tables and chairs in the room. The lesson uses video footage and music to engage and connect the learning. Further learning tasks include creating a feudal system diagram using differentiated prompts, as well as explaining how it worked and analysing how pleasant it was to be a peasant under this system. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end using a rate ‘o’ meter to show the progress of learning. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in Powerpoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

Cold War The aim of this lesson is to explore the moon landings and the subsequent conspiracy theories which suggest it was faked and not real at all. Students have to decide why it was so important for the USA to be the first to put a man on the moon and prioritise their reasoning using their knowledge of the Cold War. They analyse footage from the time and are introduced to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to emphasise this audacious achievement in 1969. However they also analyse sources from the time and different interpretations making their own sustained judgements as to whether the moon landings were fake or fiction. They finish with writing an extended piece on the evidence they have selected and are given some argument words to help if required. The plenary required them to judge if further facts are fake or authentic news. The central enquiry of this and subsequent lessons is to ask why did civilians fear for their lives during the Cold War? Students will map out their ideas each lesson (which can be plotted in different colours or dates to show the progress of their learning and centred around the key question) and build up a picture of how these and different countries in the world responded and acted in this new nuclear age. The resource comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change and is differentiated. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.

Edexcel GCSE 9-1 Medicine Through Time, c1250-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. These flashcards are great when addressing the 12 mark ‘explain why’ question, particularly when arguing over rapid change. There are 33 individuals listed, including those for the Historic Environment; The British sector of the Western Front. 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.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is assess the success or failure of Somerset’s domestic and foreign policies. From the beginning students learn about the financial crisis left by Henry VIII and how the Scottish war (including a case study of the Battle of Pinkie) meant that Somerset merely exacerbated rather than solved it. They then have to rate how ‘disastrous’ his foreign policy was in Scotland. They will also evaluate the significance of the Western and Norfolk rebellions by examining their causes, events and Somerset’s response to both of them. Students will then be required to judge his leadership skills. The plenary uses the octagon to discuss the learning from the lesson. There is some exam practice to complete if required, together with a planning sheet, markscheme and prompts to help the students. 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.

World War I The aim of the lesson is to understand why alliances and rivalries at the beginning of the Twentieth Century led to the outbreak of war. This lesson sets out the long term causes of the First World War based on four underlying principles: Nationalism, Imperialism, Alliances and Militarism. The lesson asks the students who and why were countries arguing with each other based on their geographical as well as their historic national rivalries. Students then have to decide who could sit next to each other at a dinner party after they have justified their reasons for distrust and paranoia. The alliances are plotted and colour coded on maps, culminating in a task prioritising and linking the reasons as to why the world was ready for war in 1914. 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 suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Britain: Power and the People, c.1170 to the present day This 33 page Revision Guide is broken down into four sections: challenging authority and feudalism, challenging royal authority, reform and reformers and equality and rights. The Guide starts by explaining the 4 questions types asked in the exam and gives suggestions and tips on the easiest way to tackle these. The Revision Guide gives over 20 typical exam questions asked on each topic (from significance, to how useful, to similarities and differences to factors) and how to put these questions into practise with model answers. This Guide has been designed to be engaging, detailed and easy to follow and can be adapted and changed to suit with PDF and Word formats supplied. This Guide can be used for revision, interleaving, within the classroom as well for homework purposes. Any reviews on this resource would be much appreciated.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603 The overarching aim of this and the subsequent bundle of lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her reign. The eleven lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this. This lesson focuses on the threat posed by Mary, Queen of Scots through her activity and inactivity under the close guard and ‘protection’ of Elizabeth. Students are taken through Mary’s life from the controversy of her husbands in Scotland to her imprisonment in England by Elizabeth. Through sources, visual and video evidence, they have conclude how much of a threat Mary posed to Elizabeth using a colour coding activity which includes of all the plots associated with Mary, including the infamous Babington Plot. A threat’o’meter gets the students to make an overall judgement and justify their conclusions. They also learn about her execution and answer a GCSE practice question on the significance of her execution on Elizabethan England. 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.

AQA GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45 The aim of this lesson is to understand the political vacuum left in Germany after the abdication of the Kaiser and the political consequences for Germany. Students begin with a definition task using some key words and phrases linked to the Treaty. They are then introduced to the political machinations of Ludendorff and the implications of the Peace Note. A chronological and multiple choice task as well as a ‘Am I a robot?’ exercise allow students to grasp the consequences of the abdication of the Kaiser and analyse the political parties vying for ascendancy in the Republic. Some exam question practice completes the lesson using sources, with a model answer given if required. There is a 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 GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45 The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the problems for Ebert in the very early stages if the Weimar Republic. Students begin at first by assessing the value of a speech given by Philip Scheidemann. This is an introduction to the source based question and using a COP technique, with help given if required. They are then introduced to Friedrich Ebert and have to prioritise the biggest problems he faced as leader. Students are also introduced to the Ebert-Groener Pact. They are then given numerous scenarios of which they have to decide why he needed the help of the army and justify their choices. Finally students have to decide which events posed a threat from the left or right wing. This culminates in the Spartacist rising from which they answer questions and predict the consequences for the Republic. The plenary is a true or false task on the elections to the constituent Assembly. There is a 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.

This 40 page revision guide is tailored to the Edexcel Weimar and Nazi Germany 1918-1939 specification for GCSE 9-1. It is broken down into 4 main sections: The Weimar Republic, Hitler’s rise to power, Nazi control and dictatorship and life in Nazi Germany. This revision guide includes 21 GCSE practice exam questions throughout on the 6 main questions and gives examples on how to answer each using model answers. This will enable all learners to achieve the higher grades required by the exam board, including the skills of explanation, inference and interpretation as well as source utility. The information is also broken down into an easy to use format to aid the students in their revision programme. I have also included some useful mnemonics for specific areas of study which have really helped in the past to remember subject content. This Guide has been designed to be engaging, detailed and easy to follow and come in PDF format. It can be used for revision, interleaving, homelearning as well as class teaching. Any reviews on this resource would be much appreciated. Please email me for a free copy of my Edexcel Weimar and Nazi Germany revision summary guide if you do.

American Civil RIghts The aim of this lesson is to show a different approach to achieving Civil Rights pursued by Malcolm X. The start of the lesson asks why Malcolm Little changed his name and makes a link to the film by Spike Lee. It follows his early life chronologically and some higher order thinking questions are posed. The lesson then looks at his later life and beliefs and analyses some of his views and most famous quotations in a fun and engaging way. Students have to finally decide the most important aspects of his legacy and prioritise them, as well as deciding the fundamental differences of his beliefs and approach compared to Martin Luther King. 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.

The Tudors The aim of this lesson is for the students to understand the causes and prioritise the reasons for the failure of the Spanish Armada. As the students are posed with the question, ‘why did the Spanish eat rope?’, they make up an explosive cocktail to understand the main causes of the invasion. As the story unravels as to the failures of the Spanish invasion fleet, students have to analyse and prioritise which were the main reasons for English success, against Spanish superiority in numbers and firepower. The plenary requires students to evaluate the Blob bridge and explain which blob represents the best fit in this story, from an English sailor, the Spanish public right up to Queen Elizabeth and King Philip. The lesson is differentiated and includes video evidence as well as an interactive diagram plotting the route of the Armada. 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 Industrial Revolution The aim of this aim is to assess why coal became known as ‘black gold’. Students learn how important coal was to the Industrial Revolution and how it was used in a number of areas. However the interesting facts focus on its extraction and yet again the dangers involved for all concerned, especially children. Students have to rate how effective the various measures put in place were to overcome some of the problems They also have to tackle some historical hexagonals to get them thinking and linking all the information together. A find and fix plenary should test their recall and knowledge from the lesson. 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 comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

Cold War The aim of this lesson is to analyse the causes and consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis, its significance and its effect on future relations between the USA and USSR during the Cold War. In an anger management task, students link various emotions to emojis as they learn why tensions (and therefore anger) between the USA and Cuba escalated following the coming to power of Fidel Castro and his subsequent alliance to the USSR. In a text mapping exercise they analyse how Castro defied the West by organising the placement of nuclear missiles on Cuba and how Kennedy reacted to this report and the stark choices he faced, urged on by the Hawkes and Doves in his assembled special committee, Excomm. Furthermore students undertake an interactive quiz which is designed to be engaging and challenging as they have to make 13 decisions in the 13 days of the crisis. The plenary is an interactive blockbusters and there are links to video evidence as well a recall, retention and retrieval task. The central enquiry of this and subsequent lessons is to ask why did civilians fear for their lives during the Cold War? Students will map out their ideas each lesson (which can be plotted in different colours or dates to show the progress of their learning and centred around the key question) and build up a picture of how these and different countries in the world responded and acted in this new nuclear age. The resource comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change and is differentiated. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.