The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to analyse the problems Elizabeth faced in 1558 and evaluate if the decisions she took were right at the time. Students begin with some source analysis and decipher some contemporary opinions of Elizabeth. They also judge the biggest problems facing her reign at home and abroad, before linking the views people may have had at the time, from a prosperous farmer to a Marian exile or a town councillor. The final task is to predict which decisions Elizabeth made for finance, the succession, trade and the economy and choosing her Privy Councillors. 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 Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to give the context of the religious changes that have happened in England since the reign of Henry VIII. Students begin by focusing on the different religions present in England under Elizabeth, such as Lutheranism, Catholicism, Puritanism and Presbyterianism. They are given a religious road map to complete before analysing the political situation in Europe in 1558 and the threats posed by the Catholic states of France and Spain. Finally they assess Elizabeth’s personal beliefs and the state of the English Church at the beginning of hr reign, before predicting how Elizabeth will tackle religion upon her accession. 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 Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to analyse the importance of marriage for Elizabeth. Students begin the lesson by recapping the importance of marriage for previous Tudor monarchs and the reasons for their choice of partner. They then decide who is Elizabeth’s best suitor and what benefits they might bring politically to England 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. . There are some key questions posed to the students as well as judging the relevance of some historians points of view, such as Doran, Haig and Jordan. Some source scholarship can be completed with a themed linked plenary. 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 assess how successful Elizabeth’s policy of plantation in Ireland really was. Students begin by plotting areas on a map of Ireland and are required to explain previous Tudor policy in Ireland with some prompts when needed. After being given the context to Ireland in 1558, they then analyse Elizabeth’s policy in Ireland and rate how effective each was, bearing in mind rebellions such as Shane and Hugh O’Neill. There is some exam extract analysis practice to complete if required, complete with markscheme. The plenary focuses on some interactive flashcards which recall the learning in the lesson. 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 Tudors The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the role the Black Tudors played in Tudor society. Students are given the context of the Tudor times, where they use some source scholarship and questioning to decide how and why Black Tudors came to Britain. Students then have to ascertain which roles and forms of employment they had using a dual coding activity to decipher them. There are video links included as well as a thinking quilt, which is designed to challenge concepts and judge the value and importance of their impact upon Tudor England. The main task is some research which requires students to analyse five Black Tudors in some differentiated Case Studies. The plenary concludes by checking what they have learnt in the lesson using an odd one out activity or by linking symbols and images used throughout 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, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

World War I The aim of this lesson is to evaluate just how efficient and effective the new weapons of the Twentieth Century were. Students have two objectives; to rate the effectiveness and killing power of the weapons used during the war and to explain how well equipped the soldiers were in the trenches, particularly the British Tommy. The lesson begins with discussing the type of weapons used and for students to recognise the continuity and change of many of these pre, post and during World War 1. The historian Dan Snow is quoted as saying the British soldier went into World War I ‘as the best prepared soldier on the planet.’ The lesson subsequently unfolds to explain and evaluate the new weapons used and the advantages (or not) they gave each side. The plenary requires students to link the effectiveness of the weapons to images and to explain how and why this is the case. This lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout the lesson and this unit of study 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.

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 lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this. This lesson aims to evaluate the threats posed by the Northern rebellion and the Ridolfi plot to Elizabeth. Students analyse these threats and dangers to Elizabeth both through video footage and written text before coming to their own conclusions based on the criteria set out for them. They complete an essay question on what they have learnt, using the structure provided and key argument words. Ultimately they will recognise the seriousness and therefore significance of the threats to Elizabeth in her early years. The lesson includes learning activities such as structuring an answer, analysing and evaluating the plots, the use of video evidence and using tier 2 and 3 vocabulary and argument words in an answer. 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 Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to ascertain how smoothly Elizabeth consolidated her power on her succession to the throne. Students use source and documentary evidence to argue how Elizabeth used her coronation so effectively and think how Cecil might advise the Queen from the outset. There is a true and false activity as well as some source scholarship to consolidate the learning in the lesson. Students also have to think why a proposed marriage to Philip II of Spain might have its merits. 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 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 lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this. This fourth lesson looks at the significance of marriage for Elizabeth and the subsequent problems it caused her throughout her reign. There are retrieval practice activities to start the lesson including an odd one out task and ‘splatting’ the board to choose the correct answers. Students are introduced to the criteria for why Elizabeth should marry and then check the criteria against the possible suitors, thus coming to a conclusion about the best candidate. There is also a GCSE practice question to answer. There are sentence starters provided for differentiation and the lesson comes complete with fun activities and video footage. 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 A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the reasons for the increasing problems Elizabethan society underwent towards the end of the 16th Century. Students also have to evaluate the impact of these changes upon society as a whole, from a rising population, gentry class and continuing inflation. They will also question if there was a crisis in the aristocracy, a case put forward by renowned historians such as Hugh Trevor Roper, as he argues their decline of importance coincides with a rise in influence of the gentry class. Finally students will examine and decide if there were any differences in the patterns of trade in the Elizabethan era compared to previous Tudor times. Was England still dominated by agriculture and the cloth trade to Antwerp or were any changes happening to expand markets? 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 assess the validity of four claimants to the English throne in 1066. It also includes a script for those students who prefer a more kinaesthetic approach to this topic. Each contender is introduced and students have to assess who has the best claim to the English throne, which on the face of it is a difficult choice, which each having a strong argument and motive. This can also be completed by colour coding thermometers and rating them out of ten before making a substantiated conclusion. There are differentiated questions to ask the students once this task has been completed. The plenary asks them to think outside the box and link pictures to the issues and contentions raised. 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 analyse the reasons why England went to war with Spain. A first part of the lesson is focused on Elizabeth’s policies in the Netherlands and how this antagonism finally led to war. The second part of the lesson analyses the reasons why the Spanish Armada failed. Whilst students appraise Philip’s plans for the invasion, they also have to make connections throughout its voyage as to why it was doomed from the start. Included is a significance activity to complete, where students rate how important each event is in relation to Philip’s decision to go to war. There is some exam practice to complete if required and a plenary which tests students’ ability to debate and counter argue. This is accompanied with a detailed markscheme. 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.

I have produced these Bitesize Cards to help my GCSE History groups revise. They summarise the content for the Germany 1890-1945, Democracy and Dictatorship course, which can be overwhelming for some students. They contain the main events, people and key words needed for the exam Students can use these 14 cards in lessons or for homelearning to help them with recall, retrieval and retention. I also use them as starters in the lessons or for interleaving to help with the course content. I have broken down the revision cards down into the following themes: Kaiser Wilhelm The Treaty of Versailles Problems in Germany Super Stresemann The Rise of Hitler Hitler’s consolidation of Power The Nazi Police State The Nazi economy Propaganda Youth groups and women Churches Opposition Persecution to Genocide The German Homefront They have proved a great success as a revision tool. I have also posted them on our google classroom (digital platform) so students can access them, when GCSE practise questions are set or they are required to revise for an assessment test. They simply need cutting, hole punching and tying with treasury tags, or simply stapling together. I have included both PDF and PowerPoint versions if you wish to amend or adapt. If you like this resource, please check out my full Revision Guide for Germany: Democracy and Dictatorship 1890-1945 which can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/germany-democracy-and-dictatorship-revision-guide-aqa-gcse-9-1-11764985

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to judge the success of Elizabethan exploration and colonisation. Students are first introduced to the most influential seafarers of the age; Drake, Hawkins and Raleigh Students are required to evaluate the significance of their activities, such as slave trading, the colonisation of Virginia and attacks on Spanish shipping as a result of the attack on San Juan de Ulua. They also analyse the reasons why exploration increased with new ship design and navigational techniques. As well as focusing on Drake’s epic circumnavigation of the globe and the enormous revenue he generated for the crown, some misconceptions are also clarified such as what colonisation meant to the Elizabethans and how much overseas trade expanded as a result of voyages to the New World. There is some exam practice to complete if required, which questions if Drake’s exploits were the main cause of hostilities with Spain. 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 Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the threat the Puritans posed to Elizabeth… The lesson begins with a definition and how the Puritans were becoming a problem for Elizabeth. Four areas of Puritanism are analysed (from Parliament, local reform movements, the Church from within and separatism) from which the students are able to tackle an exam question, with help and prompts given if required, including a detailed markscheme. The plenary requires the students to discuss and rate how much the threat of Puritanism declined under Elizabeth and the possible reasons for this. 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 the lesson is to question if Japan was justified in attacking Pearl Harbour without a declaration of war against the United States. This question is revisited later in the lesson to see if the students have changed their minds. As this is a new theatre of war and not in Europe, the lesson sets out clearly where the war was fought in the Pacific, the location of Pearl Harbour and its significance to the USA. Students are required to discover what Japan wanted and the reasons behind their surprise attack with a choice of options available to piece the jigsaw together. An excellent activity of Pearl Harbour in numbers, which is an idea from KNNTeach, enables students to clearly recognise the initial damage done to Pearl Harbour by the Japanese attack. There are video links to film footage as well as a plenary activity from which the students have to make up questions to the answers given on post it notes. 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 lesson comes in PowerPoint format is there is a wish to change and adapt.

The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the success of the religious settlement. Students begin by analysing the various intricacies of the Settlement, from the Royal Injunctions, the 39 Articles to the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity. Using this information, they then have to decide which historian’s viewpoint appears the more accurate on the settlement and explain why. Moreover students have to discover which parts of the settlement are from Elizabeth’s own personal beliefs and which parts did she have to compromise on. There is some exam practice to complete if required with help and prompts given. 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.

Who was Genghis Khan and how did he rule the largest land area in history? Students learn about his early life and background and how he became such a powerful ruler. They are required to judge two things about him; how good a leader was he and was he was unifier who brought peace and stability or did he bring chaos and destruction to his Empire? They are required to debate and complete an extended piece of writing with argument words and a scaffolding structure to help them decide. The plenary consolidates their learning about Genghis Khan with key words used in the lesson, from which examples must be given for each. This lesson includes: Fun, engaging and challenging tasks Links to video footage Printable worksheets Differentiated tasks Suggested teaching strategies PowerPoint format, which can be changed to suit

Norman Conquest The aim of this lesson is to understand how successful William was controlling England through his survey. Students will learn how he needed to find out as much as he could about the Anglo-Saxon population. They are encouraged at the start to answer a series of questions (a survey) of what they own; this is exactly what William did, but minus the enthusiasm shown in the class to list all their belongings! Through a study of horrible history video footage and source analysis, students realise just how intrusive this new book was and they have to justify, whether in written form or orally, why people in medieval society began to resent it. For homework they have a chance to find out about their own area and what it offered in 1086 with an exemplar given. This is a fun, interactive and challenging lesson in which all the students can take part and make their own conclusions. 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 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.

World War II The aim of this lesson is to challenge the Government’s claim that during World War Two, a Blitz spirit of togetherness emerged across the country in defiance of the bombing of Britain’s cities. This lesson takes students on a journey through archive video footage, government announcements and source information to determine if there was indeed a Blitz Spirit during the war. Students are given details of what the Blitz entailed using some contextual evidence and a thinking quilt. They then have to analyse and evaluate a variety of sources and statistics before they conclude and justify which sources best suit the driving question of the lesson. The plenary is a take on the television programme, ‘Would I lie to you?’ and the idea is to again challenge assumptions. 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 activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.