This is a card sorting resource on the development of Britain’s rule from the 1750s to 1947. There is a differentiated resource for lower ability students. Students are invited to sort the cards into categories: a) violence/war b) peaceful protest c) political power / government. Lower ability students can look at what was violent / non-violent. They then place the cards into chronological order, and can use the timeline to indicate where Britain’s rule was secure or weak. More able students can be challenged to decide how strong or weak each event showed British rule to be. Students can then answer the following questions on British India: 1. What event showed that British power was at its strongest? Why? 2. What event showed that British power was at its weakest, before 1947? Why? 3. What do you suggest about British rule in India over the years? Think of rise and fall of power. Why do you think that this was? This can lead to a class debate or piece of extended writing.

The worksheet is a card sort / Diamond 9 activity for students, with a differentiated version too. Students are invited to categories and prioritise the reasons that the American Revolution happened. Students should answer the question underneath the card sort, and then more able students can attempt the extension questions. This can lead to discussion / debate on why the revolution happened. The powerpoint contains objectives, key words, background information and a video and task on the course of the revolution. The worksheet forms part of the lesson as described on the ppt.

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 for GCSE History. Students have three sheets which they can work through. the powerpoint is slide with definitions of the impotent / undeserving / deserving poor 1. Laws against begging and why they failed - Students match the law to why it failed, and higher ability students can take note of whose reign each was passed in. More able students can answer two extension questions to compare the laws of Henry VIII to Elizabeth. 2. The Act for the Relief of the Poor – 1601 - Students match up which parts of the Poor Law fit to which people. Terms of the poor law are underneath - you may want to cut the sheet in half so that terms and the chart are not together. Refer to the PowerPoint if needed for this. There is an extension question underneath the chart for the more able. 3. Effectiveness of the Poor Law - students colour code or use as a card sort the strengths and weaknesses of the Poor Law. They can consider the biggest strength and greatest weakness, before making an overall judgement on the effectiveness of the Poor Law. The best responses will suggests that whilst the effect was limited, it was a significant step and certainly better than anything attempted before.

This is a resource for the new GCSE, although could also be used with KS3. Students put the events in Mary’s life into order. There are differentiate card sorts for core and lower ability students. Answers are on the powerpoint slides. Students are invited to answer extension questions when they have finished the sorting excersize. The Youtube link is a run through of Mary’s life, which could be shown either before or after the card sort activity.

This is a card sort designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise reasons that Henry VIII made the Break with Rome. More able students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on the most important reason for the Break. The task could also be done as a diamond activity. It could be done as a venn diagram using the venn diagram template. This is an ideal activity for preparing students for longer-answer exam questions. It allows discussion to develop as students explain their thoughts and defend them in front of their peers.

This is a resource for GCSE History students. Worksheet1: Students look through the reasons. They decide which of these were reasons that Stalin signed, and which were reasons that Hitler signed the Pact. It can be done as a card sort, cut and stick or highlighting activity. Higher ability students can be challenged, particularly in a card sort, to prioritise the reasons, and categorise genuine reasons (more Machiavellian) and those ‘officially given’. There are extension questions at the bottom of the sheet. Worksheet 2: Students can explain why different reasons made Stalin sign the Pact. Students analyse the different reasons. It might be helpful to show the powerpoint slide as an aid to this to help students realise Stalin’s aims. There are extension questions at the bottom of the sheet. The second slide contains a link to the YouTube clip - Nazi invasion of Poland.

This is a card sorting activity to help students revise the American West for the GCSE. They are to arrange the 12 dates in chronological order, and then match the events to the dates. I have found that giving them a highlighter for drawing out the key information can be helpful. There is a differentiated version, for lower ability students, with 6 key dates. The information is less detailed on these as well. Powerpoint can be used to support learning, as it allows students to reflect on the reasons that the dates are significant for the Indians and the settlers. There are key concepts to jog students’ memory on the powerpoint. More able students can reflect on these questions as an extension. Which are the 2 most significant events in: The settling of the Plains The destruction of Indian culture?

A resource for students to compare and contrast the lives of Hitler and Stalin. I use it as an introduction to sixth form units, or with high-ability year 9s. There are definitions of key words to help with literacy, and information sheets on aspects of the lives of Hitler and Stalin. Students read the information, either displayed around the room or printed off as handouts. They fill in the table of information about each character, and then complete the similarites and differences section.

This is a card sort for GCSE History. Pupils look at the reasons that there was poverty in Tudor times. They need to know the key words at the start of the presentation. They have a number of tasks which they can be invited to complete, to sort which were: 1. Long-term causes / Short-term causes 2. To do with money To do with foreign wars or trade To do with natural factors (poor harvests, disease) To do with other things 3. Most important 1-2 Quite important 4-5 Less important 4-5 Least important 1-2 Students can then explain why they have given the level of importance to some of the reasons. This can lead to debate or an exam Q.

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.

This is a KS3 resource which could also be used as an introduction at KS4/5. Students are invited to read through a series of events. they are to explain the feelings of the Russian population at each point. The story starts in 1905 and ends in 1945. There is a differentiated version which students can use to make a storyboard. Students can use the final box, empty, to explain the feelings of Russian people at the end of the sequence of events. Order - A, E, B, G, C, F, D.

This is a cut and stick or card sorting resource. Students can firstly arrange the problems for the Mormons which happened a) before or during the journey to the Great Salt Lake and b)on arrival at the Great Salt Lake. More able students can then arrange them in order of importance as an extension. The second part of the activity is to match the solutions to the problems. Some have multiple solutions, others just one. More able students can decide on the most effective solution to the problems, and a discussion can be generated on the reasons for the Mormons' success, such as the leadership of Brigham Young, or dedication of the individual Mormons. This can lead to a piece of extended writing on the Mormons' journey.

This is a worksheet that can be used as a cut and stick or a card sort. There are versions for higher and lower ability students. Feedback can lead to discussion on how factors link together. Students look at and decide upon the push, pull and enabling factors. They then decide on 2-3 which were the most important, 3-4 which were very important, 8-10 which were quite important and 2-3 which were less important. They can explain their opinions on importance. Finally students can categorise the reasons into:- Government action, Railroads, Problems in Europe, The end of the Civil War, Manifest Destiny and propaganda, Technology, Others. This can lead to an essay or exam answer on the reasons that the homesteaders moved on to the Plains.

This is an interactive information sheet for GCSE students. Students look through the information about sod houses. They can make a storyboard on how sod houses were created. They are then invited to look at problems for people living in sod houses, and finally make a comparison with tipis by filling in a similarities and differences table. This can lead to a piece of extended writing comparing sod houses and tipis.

This is a card sort designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise reasons that Hippocrates is known as the ‘Father of Medicine’. More able students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on the most important reason for Hippocrates' moniker. The task could also be done as a diamond activity, with categories taken out for the more able.

This is a card sort or diamond 9 activity designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise the reasons that the US Government gained control of the Great Plains. Students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on which were more / less important reason for the US Government gaining control of the Great Plains. Categories could include, but not be limited to: Indian weakness US Government policy US Army strength Pioneers / settlers on the Plains As an extension, students can answer an exam-style question on the reasons for the he US Government gaining control of the Great Plains.

This is a card sort or diamond 9 activity designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise the reasons why Germans supported Hitler. Students can watch the clip to get a feel for what Hitler felt about other countries compared to Germany. Students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on whether they would have voted for Hitler, and why Hitler wanted the support of these different groups of people Categories could include, but not be limited to: Workers and families Business / farm owners Soldiers Nationalists As an extension, students can choose either to write as a German or foreigner, explaining a one-sided argument of why Hitler gained such support.

This card sort allows students to judge the good and bad parts of life for African American soldiers. Students can split the cards into advantages and disadvantages. They can decide on categories for the factors - such as army life, families, money. More able students can explain the best and worst features of life for African American soldiers.

A resource for younger or lower-ability students. Students arrange events into chronological order. They then decide which were the causes, events and consequences of the fire. They explain why the fire spread so quickly by writing sentences about aspects of London in September 1666. Finally they decide whether to write an article or make a storyboard of the events (presented in activity 1) in the fire.