Welcome to RA Resources. I have an extended range of fully resourced, high quality History lessons for KS2, KS3 and GCSE aimed at schools, tutors and home learning. Having taught History abroad and then in Cornwall for 20 years, these lessons reflect my creativity and teaching experience.
Please feel free to email me with any enquiries about the resources on offer. You can keep up to date with my latest published lessons using the Facebook link in my shop.
Welcome to RA Resources. I have an extended range of fully resourced, high quality History lessons for KS2, KS3 and GCSE aimed at schools, tutors and home learning. Having taught History abroad and then in Cornwall for 20 years, these lessons reflect my creativity and teaching experience.
Please feel free to email me with any enquiries about the resources on offer. You can keep up to date with my latest published lessons using the Facebook link in my shop.
In this lesson, students will be able to make the judgement - how far did life change in Medieval society between c.1100 - c.1500? They will study various features of life such as population, power, world knowledge, technology, entertainment, science, medicine, rich and poor and the growth of towns to help them answer the question. They will also have the opportunity to reseach the key discoveries of the medieval era.
The lesson pack includes the following resources:
1 x Medieval continuity & change writing frame and worksheet (PDF & PPT)
1 x Medieval continuity & change fact sheet (PDF & PPT)
1 x Medieval worksheet (PDF & PPT)
1 x Medieval Discoveries Research sheet (PDF & PPT)
Main Power Point:
Slide 1: Title slide
Slide 2: A recap of the Medieval topics
Slide 3: Starter activity - Continuity & change in your lifetime
Slide 4: The importance of continuity, change and historical turning points.
Slide 5: The importance of turning points in the past.
Slide 6: Starter activity 2 - Explain the impact of…
Slide 7: Task 1 instructions and explanation
Slide 8: Make a judgement questions
Slide 9-10: Medieval Discoveries Match up
Slide 11: Challenge questions.
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
In this lesson, students will investigate the various roles and jobs which took place in a Medieval castle. They will then use the information from the lesson to complete a variety of activities.
The lesson includes the following printable resources:
1 x fact sheet about life inside a Medieval castle
1 x worksheet (various tasks)
1 x Diary writing frame
1 x Crossword
The main Power Point for the lesson includes:
Title page and lesson aims
Starter tasks and discussions
Key term activities
Background information about life inside a Medieval castle
A choice of tasks activities
A choice of learning reviews including a crossword (answers revealed).
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
This resource is for personal use only and for copyright reasons should not be copied/amended for commercial use. The lesson is property of RA Resources.
This lesson examines the case study of Derek Bentley, with a focus on the public reaction to his sentence and how his punishment led to the abolition of the death penalty.
Slide 1: Title slide - To explain the controversy of Derek Bentley’s execution in 1953
Slide 2-4: Learning recap - key terms, with printable version for students and answers revealed.
Slide 5: Starter Task - Students read and listen to the lyrics of Elvis Costello’s Let him Dangle’ in order to infer information about the Derek Bentley case.
Slide 6: The story of the Derek Bentley case, written in a student friendly format.
Slide 7: Explanation practice table
Slide 8: Activity - students imagine they are on the side of the defence and the prosecution and write down what their arguments would be.
Slide 9: Learning Task questions with challenge
Slide 10 - 11: Practice 12 and 4 mark questions
Slide 12: Lesson Fact Sheet
To take into account copyright, all photographic and illustrative images have been attributed where appropriate and/or are all in the public domain. Clipart/vector images are all creativecommons.publicdomain.zero.1.0 which do not have to be attributed. If you have any issues regarding copyright please email me in the first instance.
This bundle contains all of my lessons covering the period of the Norman Conquest and Medieval Society and would make a great scheme of learning.
Please read the list of lessons below so you are fully aware of the lessons you will be purchasing:
Lesson 1: Who should be king after the death of Edward the Confessor?
Lesson 2: The events which led to the Battle of Hastings
Lesson 3: William’s problems and challenges after the Battle of Hastings
Lesson 4: William’s Harrying of the North
Lesson 5: The Domesday Book
Lesson 6: The Feudal System
Lesson 7: Locating a Medieval Motte & Bailey castle
Lesson 8: How did life change during the Norman Conquest
Lesson 9: The importance of the Church and religion in Medieval society
Lesson 10: Why did people go on a Medieval crusade?
Lesson 11: The importance and impact of the Medieval crusades
Lesson 12: The key events and individuals involved in the Medieval crusades
Lesson 13: The murder of Thomas Becket
Lesson 14: Health in Medieval England
Lesson 15: The Black Death Source Investigation
Lesson 16: The Black Death - Prevention, cures and treatments
Lesson 17: The consequences of the Black Death
Lesson 18: How did Medieval Kings die?
Lesson 19: How far did Medieval Society change?
Lesson 20: The life and roles in a Medieval castle
UPDATED CONTENT & SPEC. FOR 2025/6
Students investigate the main reforms that Thomas Cromwell introduced to Henry VIII’s government between 1533-1540.
This is a fully resourced lesson which includes a printable fact sheet based on the GCSE Edexcel specification as well as worksheets, discussion tasks, engaging background information, warm up tasks and learning reviews.
17 - slide Power Point contents:
Slide 1: Title slide – Thomas Cromwell’s Reforms to Henry VIII’s government 1533-1540
Slide 2: Main Lesson Aims
Slide 3: As You Enter Warm Up: What are the main roles of parliament today? (With answers provided)
Slide 4-5: Recap Quiz: Students recap their knowledge of Thomas Cromwell so far. Multiple choice with answers given.
Slide 6: Starter Activity 1: Explain the problems
Slide 7-8: Starter Activity 2: Key term match up – all of the terms are essential to understand Cromwell’s reforms.
Slide 9: Background information – An overview and outline of Cromwell’s reforms
Slide 10-11: Task 1 – Students use a table to break down the reforms, and their impact.
Slide 12: Task 2 – An activity based on the impact of Cromwell’s reforms.
Slide 13: Follow Up Challenge Questions
Slide 14: Example Exam Questions
Slide 15: Learning Review 1: What’s the question quiz
Slide 16: Learning Review 2: Cromwell’s Consequences Activity
Slide 17: Lesson Fact Sheet
I would be really grateful if you could leave a review for the lesson if you feel the lesson is effective for you. Many thanks if you spend some of your valuable time doing this as feedback is highly valued.
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
This bundle contains all the lessons/resources you will need to teach the second unit/key topic of Edexcel’s GCSE British Depth Study - Henry VIII and his Ministers.
The lessons included in this bundle include:
Lesson 18: Henry VIII’s Break from Rome
Lesson 19: The Act of Supremacy & The Act of Succession
Lesson 20: Opposition from Elizabeth Barton, John Fisher & Thomas More
Lesson 21: The impact of the Reformation on the English Church
Lesson 22: The Role of Monasteries in Early Tudor England
Lesson 23: The Reasons for the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Lesson 24: The Impact of the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Lesson 25: The Causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace
Lesson 26: The events, failure and significance of the Pilgrimage of Grace.
These are high quality, fully resourced lessons which do not require any text books. Each lesson contains a range of warm up tasks, starter activities, discussion questions, engaging background information, learning tasks, practice exam questions, A4 printable worksheets, learning reviews and much more!
Students examine the main stages of the chain of evacuation such as Regimental Aid Posts, Dressing Stations, Field Ambulance Units, Casualty Clearing Stations and Base Hospitals.
The 26 slide fully resourced lesson contains activities, tasks, practice exam questions, printable resources and all background knowledge:
Slide 1:Title slide
Slide 2: As You Enter Discussion - Students think about modern day treatments and systems to receive medical care.
Slide 3-5: Long Term Recap - 8 multiple choice questions and answers about the topic so far. Also includes printable handout.
Slide 6: Recap - Students complete a picture based activity to remind them about the forms of transport available on the Western Front.
Slide 7: Starter Source Analysis - Students examine a diagram of the chain of evacuation to start thinking about how it was organised.
Slide 8-9: Background information about the chain of evacuation with discussion questions included.
Slide 10-11: Task 1 - A printable worksheet with instructions covering the main stages of the chain of evacuation.
Slide 12: Follow up challenge questions
Slide 13-14: EXAM FOCUS - Examples of the ‘One feature’ question with printable question and answer sheet.
Slide 15-16: EXAM FOCUS - 2 examples of the ‘Follow up’ question - printable resources.
Slide 17-19: EXAM FOCUS - 3 examples of the ‘How useful’ question
Slide 20: EXAM FOCUS - A helpful slide covering how to structure an answer to the ‘How useful’ question.
Slide 21: EXAM FOCUS - A helpful printable sheet covering what to look for when analysing the usefulness of a source.
Slide 22-23 - Learning Review 8 question activity with answers
Slide 24: Lesson fact sheet
Slide 25: EXAM FOCUS - A helpful sheet to help students think about the type of source they might want to use for the ‘Follow up’ question.
Slide 26: More from RA Resources
This lesson has been updated in line with the amended specification and exam questions ready for the 2025/6 examinations.
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
This resource is for personal use only unless a school license is purchased and for copyright reasons should not be copied/amended for commercial use.
NEW 2025/6 Spec In this lesson, students examine the reasons for the Elizabeth I’s execution of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587 and its significance.
This lesson has been updated in line with the amended specification and exam questions ready for the 2025/6 examinations.
The lesson pack includes:
1 x fact sheet - The reasons for Mary, Queen of Scots’ execution (PDF & PPT)
1 x sample exam paper for students to practice questions linked to this topic.
1 x main PowerPoint
The main 11 slide PowerPoint contains:
Slide 1: Title slide
Slide 2: Mary, Queen of Scots recap questions with answers
Slide 3: Starter Task - The reasons for and against Mary’s execution discussion and table fill with answers
Slide 4: Starter Task - Analysis of a painting of Mary’s execution.
Slide 5: Links to video clips covering the execution
Slide 6-7: Task 1 - Why was Mary executed sorting task with instructions.
Slide 8: Follow up questions
Slide 9-10: Practice exam/assessment questions
Slide 11: Fact sheet
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
This resource is for personal use only and for copyright reasons should not be copied/amended for commercial use.
In this lesson, students will study the causes, events and impact of the Reformation in Europe in the early 1500s. The lesson focusses on the actions of Martin Luther and explains the main criticisms that some people had about the Catholic Church. The lesson then covers the differences between the Catholic and Protestant Church and methods of worship.
This lesson can either be used in a unit of work about the Tudors and Henry VII/VIII or as a stand-alone lesson covering the Reformation.
This is a fully resources lesson which includes a warmup, starter task, engaging background information, various learning activities, challenge tasks and learning reviews.
**
The lesson includes the following:**
Slide 1: Title slide – The Reformation
Slide 2: Outline of the main lesson aims
Slide 3-4: Lesson Warm Up – What was the role and importance of the Church in Christian society before 1500? Picture based activity.
Slide 5-6: Background Information about the importance of the Church in the early 1500s.
Slide 7: Discussion Question – Why did the Roman Catholic Church have so much influence over people by c.1500?
Slide 8-9: Starter Task: Printing Press Illustration and background information about the impact of the printing press on religion.
Slide 10: Background Information about the actions of Martin Luther
Side 11-12: Background Information about the main criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church and Reformation.
Slide 13-14: Activity 1: Place the differences between the Catholic and Protestant Church in the table. Answers given.
Slide 15: Useful clips and further reading links
Slide 16-17: Printable fact sheet with questions
Slide 18: Activity 2: Creative Historical Writing Task – A letter from Martin Luther
Slide 19: Activity 3: Historical Source analysis
Slide 20: Follow Up Challenge Tasks
Slide 21-23: Learning Review – Key Term Match Up & Definitions
I would be grateful if you could leave a review for the lesson if you feel the lesson is effective for you. Many thanks if you spend some of your valuable time doing this and your feedback is highly valued.
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
**This lesson provides students with a range of resources to help them decide if Oliver Cromwell should be labelled a ‘Hero’ or a ‘Monster’. **
-Students will be provided with easy-to-follow facts about Cromwell which they have to categorise into ‘hero’ or ‘monster’.
They will also examine a range of historical sources about Cromwell and evaluate the reliability and usefulness of them.
There is also an opportunity for students to complete an extended piece of writing to demonstrate their knowledge of the arguments on both sides before they give their own opinion about Oliver Cromwell.
The 18-slide lesson contains a variety of discussion tasks, warm up start activities, printable resources, and learning reviews as well as engaging background information and historical sources about Oliver Cromwell.
Please be kind enough to leave a review of this lesson if you have found it effective. Thank you.
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. Thank you.
**In this lesson, students will be able to understand and then explain the various reasons why there was a so called ‘Age of Exploration’ during the Elizabethan period. **
Students will be introduced to what little was known about the world by the end of the Medieval period and then discover why so many people began to explore the globe to expand our knowledge of the world.
The lesson contains a variety of discussion tasks, activities, printable resources, starters and learning reviews. The outcome will be the completion of an extended piece of writing which explains the causes of the ‘Age of Exploration’.
The lesson contains:
1 x Main Power Point (15 slides)
1 x Sorting Task/Fact Sheet which covers the main factors that led to an increase in exploration in the 1500s.
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. Thank you.
This lesson follows on from the Brown vs Topeka Case (1954) and examines the events at the Little Rock High School (1957) and the Little Rock Nine. It then allows students to analyse the outcome of desegregation in US schools and school boards’ attempts to prevent integration.
I have included two fact sheets (one slightly differentiated) with the information needed for this part of the course which can be found on the final two slides. Therefore, no other resources are needed for the teaching of this lesson.
The lesson includes the following:
Slide 1: Title slide
Slide 2: Key Questions for the lesson
Slide 3-4: Previous lesson recap gap fill with answers included
Slide 5: Gap fill student print out
Slides 6-12: Fully animated and engaging backgound information about the events at Little Rock
Slide 13: Discussion ‘Why was there opposition to desegregation?’
Slide 14: Storyboard style print out about the events for lower ability students
Slide 15: Printable worksheet (all answers can be found on the fact sheets)
Slide 16: Think & Discuss Question
Slide 17: Learning Review Pyramid
Slide 18: Practice Exam Question - Interpretation difference
Slides 19-20: Fact Sheets
Please note that ALL images included in the lesson are copyright free and can be found in the public domain unless I have attributed them in the notes section of each slide. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me in person in the first instance to resolve any issues.
UPDATED & READY FOR THE 2025 exams! This resource takes into account the latest amendments to Edexcel GCSE History question paper formatting, timing and question types.
This 15-slide presentation takes students on a step-by-step guide through the Paper 2 British Depth Study exam for Anglo-Saxon & Norman England and provides them with:
Example questions
Question walkthroughs
Advice about exam technique
Mark scheme reminders
Model answers
All past exam questions (2016-2023)
Slide 1: Introduction title slide
Slide 2: An overview of the Anglo-Saxon & Norman England question types
Slide 3-5: An outline of the ‘Describe one feature of [2 x 2]’ question type.
Slide 6-8: An outline of the ‘Explain why [12]’ question type
Slide 9-11: An outline of the ‘How far do you agree [16]’ question type.
Slide 12-15: All past paper questions from 2016 Samples to 2023.
Buyers of this resource have often used it as part of a walkthrough for their students before the exam, as an introduction to the topic or as a way to remind students of the exam techniques as they practice their skills.
Please be aware that any images used in this resource are copyright free. Others which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide. If you feel any errors have been made with this, please email me in the first instance at raschoolresources@gmail.com
This lesson looks at the influence of religion and the supernatural on people’s explanations for the cause of illness and disease in the later Medieval period.
The lesson includes a recap from previous learning, a focussed starter task, background information about the wider historical context, a set of learning tasks which are differentiated for higher and lower ability, extention task/s, a focus on the exam with a 12 mark question, a review (plenary) and finally a fact sheet which can be used as a replacement for any books.
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
This resource is for personal use only and for copyright reasons should not be copied/amended for commercial use.
This lesson has a focus on the development of nuclear weapons from 1945 until the end of the 1950s along with its impact on US Soviet Relations at the start of the Cold War.
The lesson resources include:
1 x A4 Workbook Style Fact Sheet (PDF & PPT) – Included in every Cold War lesson!
1 x Main Power Point Lesson
The main Power Point Includes:
RECAP: Students given an A-Z grid and asked to think of one or two key terms they have already learned for this whole unit.
BACKGROUND: A basic slide covering the development of nuclear weapons. Allows the students a chance to understand and discuss the various types of nuclear weapons at this time.
STARTER: Questions and key terms to be discussed. A class clip which key questions to the side.
TASK 1: A printable comprehension sheet using the fact sheet from the lesson which is also provided.
TASK 2: Students to use the fact sheet to create their own timeline/living graph to show the development and threat level of each stage.
EXAM QUESTION: Explain the importance of the Arms Race to the development of the Cold War after 1945. Sentence starters and help given.
EXTENSION TASK: To infer meaning from a political cartoon about the Arms Race.
RECAP: 10 Key questions from the lesson.
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
This resource is for personal use only and for copyright reasons should not be copied/amended for commercial use.
This lesson looks at the various methods used by the Nazis to reduce unemployment but also questions the usefulness of these statistics by taking into account the ‘hidden unemployed’.
This lesson includes:
Clear learning aims/targets
Provoking starter tasks and discussion activities
Printable worksheets
Engaging background information
Challenge tasks
Exam links
Learning Review
Fact Sheet linked to the GCSE specification
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
This resource is for personal use only and for copyright reasons should not be copied/amended for commercial use.
This resource has been specifically designed to support students in their answers to the three main source based questions given in the Edexcel GCSE History exam paper.
The one page print out can be used as a book insert while studying a unit, a table top guide as well as a useful revision resource to prepare for exams. Particular attention is given to the ‘How useful’ question which appears in two exam papers.
The three questions covered in the guide are:
Inference - used in Paper 3
Follow Up - used in Paper 1
Source Usefulness - used in both Paper 1 & 3
This resource would also be ideal for the use with students in KS3 as a way to make them familiar with core GCSE History skills.
This lesson examines the journeys taken by the Mormons and the Donner Party in the 1840s with their reasons for success or failure.
The lesson resources include:
1 x A4 Workbook Style Fact Sheet (PDF & PPT) – Included in every American West lesson!
1 x Main Power Point Lesson
This lesson includes:
Clear learning aims/targets
Provoking starter tasks and discussion activities
Printable worksheets
Engaging background information
Challenge tasks
Exam links
Learning Review
Fact Sheet linked to the GCSE specification
All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.
This resource is for personal use only and for copyright reasons should not be copied/amended for commercial use.
UPDATED & READY FOR THE 2025 exams!
This resource takes into account the latest amendments to Edexcel GCSE History question paper formatting, timing and question types.
This 20-slide presentation takes students on a step-by-step guide through the Paper 3 Period Study exam for the USA: Home & Abroad and provides them with:
Example questions
Question walkthroughs
Advice about exam technique
Mark scheme reminders
Model answers
All past exam questions (2016-2023)
Slide 1: Introduction title slide
Slide 2: An overview of the Paper 3 USA: Home & Abroad question types
Slide 3-5: An outline of the ‘What can you infer’ source-based question type.
Slide 6-8: An outline of the ‘Explain why’ question type.
Slide 9-11: An outline of the ‘How useful’ source-based question type.
Slide 12-16: An outline of the two 4-mark interpretation questions.
Slide 17-19: An outline of the final 20 mark ‘How far do you agree with the interpretation’ question.
Slide 20: All past paper questions from 2016 Samples to 2023.
Buyers of this resource have often used it as part of a walkthrough for their students before the exam, as an introduction to the topic or as a way to remind students of the exam techniques as they practice their skills.
Please be aware that any images used in this resource are copyright free. Others which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide. If you feel any errors have been made with this, please email me in the first instance at raschoolresources@gmail.com