This is a resource for the new GCSE section on Elizabeth. Students are to put the events of the Essex rebellion in order. They are to then answer the scaffolded questions at the bottom of the sheet. More able students can be invited to consider turning points and the overall position of Elizabeth after the rebellion - was her position strengthened or weakened? An exam Q can be set after the activity, or as a homework. The powerpoint allows a fully-taught lesson, and the consequences worksheet allows students to weigh up evidence to decide whether Elizabeth was stronger or weaker for the rebellion’s failure. This can lead to extended writing or a debate.

This is a card sorting resource for KS3 or KS4 students looking at the success of the evacuation process, Operation Pied Piper, in 1939. Students can sort the cards into: advantages for children, disadvantages for children, successes of the process, failures of the process. Alternatively, they can sort them into good/bad points. Further activities can sort the cards for priorities of positives and negatives. There is a differentiated resource for lower ability students. This can lead to a discussion activity or a piece of extended writing on the success of evacuation. I have in the past used it as the basis of an assessment on the success of evacuation.

This is a resource for GCSE Medicine, with activities for higher- and lower-attaining students. It allows students to identify and explain the positives and negatives of Medieval hospitals in terms of how they cared for people’s health. Students can either use this as a card sort or a cut and stick, or as a highlighting/colour coding activity. They are then invited to judge the biggest positives and biggest negatives of hospitals, and more able students can reflect on how far they reflected the Church’s teachings (for this, you will need to make clear that the church ran most hospitals). Finally, students can evaluate their own thoughts on the effectiveness of hospitals. This could lead well into class discussion, extended writing or an exam-style question.

A resource where students look at the various effects of the slave trade on Britain. The powerpoint has a series of slides that can be used as discussion points about the buildings / street names / people involved / statues, with notes added on street names. Card sort alternatively can be done as a diamond 9 or a highlighting / categorising activity. It can stimulate lively discussion or a written up piece. Research and vocab-building task added too.

This is a KS3 resource for the character of Charles II. Students decide whether or not they would have liked him. As a starter, they brainstorm the qualities of a good king. they can explain positive and negative aspects of his personality by highlighting information sheets, differentiated for higher and lower ability students. Key words are provided in the powerpoint. This can lead to a debate in class - split them to defend / attack Charles’ personality - and/or a piece of extended writing on whether he was a good / bad character. Different writing frames are included in the powerpoint. My classes love it every year. YouTube clip supports lesson as a way in.

This is a lesson resource in including a two-fold card sorting or cutting and sticking exercise. Students start by matching up key terms which will be used in this lesson and others on the Civil War. Students then move on to the causes of the war, on the worksheet. They decide which are the long-term and short term factors. They can subsequently arrange them according to blame - the king, Parliament, or no particular blame. Lower-ability students can move straight on to blaming the king, Parliament, or no-one in particular. Students can use the writing frame at the end to decide on the more important causes of the Civil War, and attach overall blame to the king / Parliament. A fun and informative lesson.

This is a card sort / Diamond 9 for GCSE students. Students are invited to categories and prioritise the reasons that monasteries were important in maintaining public health. Students should answer the 2 questions underneath the card sort, and then more able students can attempt the extension questions. This can lead to discussion / debate or an exam question on the importance of the contribution of the monasteries.

This is a resource to sort the advantages and disadvantages of migration to Britain, and invites students to prepare a debate on the issue. Students can decide which of these affect all, most, some or only a few migrants - and then decide which are the most important. Students can pair up as differentiation to prepare a debate on the good and bad points of migration.

This is a resource for KS3/4 students to be looking at the decisions to drop the atomic bombs in 1945. On the ‘bomb decisions’ sheet, students decide what they would do regarding the decisions on dropping thee bomb. As an extension, they can lace themselves in the position of Harry Truman and decide what he should have done. On the second sheet, differentiated for lower ability students, students firstly which of the points suggest that the dropping of the bombs was: • The right thing to do • The wrong thing to do They then choose their opinions on what were the best reasons for and against dropping he bomb. As an extension, the more able students can write a letter explaining their views fully. This can lead to a debate or a piece of extended writing. It has also been used in the past as a resource to prepare for an assessment.

This is a source based assessment in which students look at a source about King John, and decide how accurate it is. A writing frame and mark scheme is included. The mark scheme applies NC levels, but can easily be converted to GCSE-style grades.

A worksheet differentiated for the higher-, medium- and lower-ability students, containing reasons for the abolition of the slave trade, and slavery itself. Could be used as a card sort or a colour-coded worksheet. Students can decide which factors help to end the slave trade, slavery itself, or both. Students can sort for political, economic social and cultural reasons. Students are invited to make decisions on the most important 3 reasons at the end of the sorting. This can lead to lively debate.

A resource for KS3. The PowerPoint has a starter activity to detail the qualities of a good king, and a YouTube link to Disney’s Prince John. Students decide in gthe Word doc whether King John was good, bad or unlucky, by marking different pieces of evidence. This can lead to a PEE paragraph, which is scaffolded in the Powerpoint. The powerpoint then goes on to detail the Magna Carta. Students read through key terms and then make decisions. A written homework from the point of view of a baron is added near the end of the ppt.

A cut and stick activity which leads to a piece of judgemental writing on the daily life and work of enlaved poeople. Students match up point of slave life to the evidence surrounding it. They stick each matched point and piece of evidence into the table. They then give their own explanation, such as ‘This was cruel because…’ Students can categorise and prioritise the different aspects of life, into areas such as social life, work and others. Homework vocab building task also included.

A lesson featuring a chronology activity for students and an opportunity for extended writing and source analysis. Students can cut up the cards and have students arrange them into the correct order. Answers: B, F, E, A, G, C, H, D YouTube link covers causes more than events - but a great lead-in. Potential questions to ask students either orally or as written answers:- Questions – answer in any order: Do you think that the peasants were right to march to London and attack the city? Or should they have protested differently? Why? Was there a point where it became a real threat to the monarch’s power? Why? / why not? What do you think of King Richard tricking the peasants at the end? Why? Should the peasants have gone home when they were promised what they wanted? Why? / why not? This could be turned into a storyboard or article afterwards.

This is a card sorting resource for KS4 students. I have used it with the new GCSE spec for US History. Students read examples of reasons why the Depression happened. They arrange them into the longer term causes and the stock market’s problems (make clear – or allow the more able to work out – that it was these mainly that led to Wall St crashing, and the longer term ones that made the crash turn to depression). They are then invited to prioritise the reasons in each of the two categories, and explain a judgement of the most important to do with longer term causes and the stock market’s problems.There is an exam-style question for the GCSE spec for US History at the bottom of the sheet. This can lead to a debate or piece of extended writing.

This is a resource for students startijg the study of the USA. Students are invited to explain what the parties believe in via a serioes of pictures. they can then write definitions. Students then look at policies more carefully. They decide which are for eaach party. It can be done as a cut and stick, highlighting ar card sort activity. I prefer a card sort as it allows a ‘not sure’ pile initially. Students can idenitfy economic, social and other policies. Less able ones have a differentiated resource. there are extension questions at the bottom of each. This can lead to a debate, either straight away or following more extensive research as homeowrk or ICT facilities in lesson.

This is for KS4, and could be used at A level too. Students watch the videos to gain an insight into elements of the Black Power movement. Students then use the differentiated card sort activity to cut and stick, or complete in any other way, the venn diagram. The venn diagram categorises what attracted poorer people to Black Power, and What many people disliked about Black Power. It would be helpful to rtell students beforehand that: poorer, younger, working class black Americans were more likely to support the Black Panthers, and Black Power. Richer, older, middle class black Americans were more likely to support peaceful protest. This can lead to a class debate / extended writing / exam Q on whether Black Power was effective - either looking at it as a stand-alone, or copmparing it with prior knowledge on the peaceful Civil Rights movement.

A pair of resources, in the same document, to use on a GCSE field trip to RAF Cosford in Telford, and Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker near Nantwich. Questions are arranged in groups based around exhibits in the museums. Non-specialists supervising students on the trip can easily keep up with the answers.

This is a diamond 9 card sort to categorise and prioritise the reasons that Islamic medicine was different to Europe’s. As an extension, you can challenge students to explain the more / less important reasons. This can lead to a class discussion. Categories could include, but not be limited to, knowledge, doctors/surgeons, religion, care for the sick and others.