AQA GCSE history lesson on the reasons for the offensive, the events of the offensive and its ultimate failure. We start with a simple multiple choice retrieval practice quiz. We then have a brief recap of the situation for all sides at the beginning of 1918 and the reasons why Ludendorff felt a major offensive was the only option. After a brief look at Ludendorff’s backstory we watch a video clip whilst the pupils answer questions on the plan itself. We then look step by step at the events of the offensive and the pupils summarise and answer questions. We then record Ludendorff’s reaction as the news of problems with the offensive reaches him. The pupils need to justify why he would react in that manner. We then look at the reasons for the failure of the offensive by using a source and complete some exam practice using a 16 mark ‘to what extent do you agree’ question with guidance. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the war at sea, the Germans use of U-boats and unrestricted U-boat warfare and America’s decision to enter the war. For the Conflict & Tension 1894-1918 unit. We start with a simple retrieval practice quiz. We then look at the U-boat threat in detail, firstly by looking at the design and function of the U-boats and then by watching a video clip where the pupils answer questions about how they were used. The pupils then consider how the British responded to the threat and what innovations were adopted. We then progress to look at the sinking of the Lusitania and the pupils complete a tensionometer to record the rising tensions between the USA and Germany. We look at a source “Destroy this Mad Brute” and the pupils answer questions. There are two plenary options to assess the impact or potential impact of America entering the war. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the war at sea, the naval blockade and the Battle of Jutland for the Conflict & Tension 1894-1918 unit. We start with a simple retrieval practice timeline quiz. We then have a recap on the naval arms race before looking at why a blockade was an effective tactic against Germany and the impact that the blockade had on Germany at home. Pupils explain each effect and try to explain how this would impact Germany. We then look at the early engagements in the Indian and Southern Atlantic Ocean before looking at the new German approach using ‘bait ships’. The pupils analyse the events of the Battle of Jutland using sources and an information strip and reach a reasoned conclusion as to who won the battle. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the Third Battle of Ypres & The Battle of Passchendaele for the Conflict & Tension 1894-1918 unit. We start with a simple retrieval practice timeline quiz. We start by looking at the position of Ypres on the Western Front and it’s tactical significance. We then look at the fighting that had taken place at Ypres since the start of the war. The pupils watch a video clip and answer some questions. We then complete a text analysis of the build up to the Third Battle of Ypres and Passchendaele. The pupils highlighting allied successes and failures. We then look at the events of the battle itself, the pupils anticipate problems and also answer questions on a summary strip of the events. We then watch some clips about the battle and look at some photo sources of Passchendaele to give a sense of the battle. The pupils then complete a battle summary sheet using the information gained so far. We then compare the Somme and Passchendaele in a hexagon Venn diagram looking for similarities and differences in military tactics, outcomes, individuals involved. We finish with a to what extent type plenary, where we look at the impact the weather had on Passchendaele. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the Battle of The Somme for the Conflict & Tension 1894-1918 unit. We start with a simple retrieval practice quiz. We then introduce Douglas Haig and his warning to British Politicians of the need to accept more losses in order to defeat the Germans. We then look at Rawlinson and Haig’s plan for July 1st. The pupils summarise the stages of the plan and write any concerns they might have about the tactics used. We then have a text analysis of the events of the battle with the pupils highlighting the successes and failures of the allied troops. We then look at the criticism of General Haig for the losses and how the soldiers felt about the offensive. We then complete a battle summary sheet before tackling an exam question. We finish with an Ode to Douglas Haig if there is time. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the battle of Verdun for the Conflict & Tension 1894-1918 unit. We start with a simple retrieval practice quiz. We then look at the location of Verdun and why the German’s thought that an offensive there would be effective. The pupils watch a video clip and answer questions on Falkenhayn’s plan, we then look at the events of the battle. The pupils read a sample of text and answer the questions relating to the text around the outside. We then move on the the aftermath and the pupils complete a battle summary sheet. There is a source activity and exam practice question. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the assassination of Franz Ferdinand happened in June 1914. We start with a simple retrieval practice quiz. We then look at Gavrilo Princip’s past and discuss how Princip was one of many who had a deep hatred of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia. We then look at the events of the 28th June and the movements of Franz Ferdinand that day, the pupils create an annotated map for this, we then, after watching a brief video clip and considering the aftermath, write a narrative on how events in The Balkan’s lead to the assassination. There is an optional bio-poem task on Princip also. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the assassination of Franz Ferdinand start a chain reaction of declarations of war in 1914. We start with a simple retrieval practice quiz. We then have a brief recap of the murder of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. The pupils have a picture source to look at. We then look at Austria-Hungary’s demands of Serbia. The pupils record the demands and explain how acceptable the demands are to Serbia. We then look at the events of the July Crisis is a sequence of slides. The pupils will record the tension levels in Europe as the events progress by creating a bar chart until a pan-European war is declared. The pupils then revisit the alliance source (a threatening situation) and answer some questions based on the source. We finish with a 16 mark “To what extent” question with some guidance on what the pupils can write about. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the major European powers took to re-armament before WWI. We start by looking at the British Empire at the end of the 19th Century. The pupils then complete a hexagon task on Britain’s status and position before the war. The pupils gather information on: The empire, Britain’s problems, British society, economic power, ruling Britain and military power. There are some info slides for this and could be taught as a gallery activity, round robin or timed notes etc. We then look at what ‘splendid isolation’ meant in terms of foreign policy. The pupils then rank the threats to Britain’s isolated status and explain what the main threats to Britain was at that time. We then look at a source of the signing of the Entente Cordiale before completing an extentometer activity on the cause of Britain’s abandonment of isolationism. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the major European powers took to re-armament before WWI. We start with a quick retrieval practice quiz putting the events into chronological order. We than look at the tension between the alliances how this lead them to increase production of arms and military plans. The pupils annotate a map of Europe in different colour pens to show how each major power was preparing their armed forces and military plans for conflict. We then turn to the naval race and the pupils look at several sources to explore how Britain and Germany entered into a naval race, why this happened and what the outcome was. we finish with a bio-poem to kaiser Wilhelm. The idea is for the pupils to show the Kaiser’s military and imperial ambitions for Germany. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the Moroccan crises increased political tension amongst the political powers in Europe. We start with a quick retrieval practice quiz. We than look at the location of the ?Balkans and how the declining power of the Ottoman Empire left some European Powers looking for opportunities for annexation. The pupils consider a source from the time and answer some questions. They then look at the events of the Balkan Wars and complete “The Road to War” diagram in their books, visually recording the increasing tension. We then consider the results of the conflict and the pupils consider how that might lead to further war. We then tackle a 16 mark question and the pupils have some guidance on how to complete that. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the Moroccan crises increased political tension amongst the political powers in Europe. We start with a quick retrieval practice quiz. We then look at the importance of Morocco to the various European powers. We look at two sources on the Kaiser’s trip to Tangiers and the pupils answer some questions on the sources. We then look at various happenings during the crises and the pupils complete a visual scale to show how much tension there is between Germany, France and Britain, then explain. Further on we look at the impacts of the crises and rank them in order of seriousness in the political sphere of Europe. We thank look at an exam style question on a narrative of the Moroccan Crises, the pupils have some prompts to help answer this. We finish with an ‘extentometer’ on the the level of humiliation felt by Germany after the crisis. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the ‘race to the sea’ developed on the western front which led to trench warfare and events on the Eastern Front in 1914. We start with a quick multiple choice retrieval practice quiz. We then look at the the developing situation on the Western Front after the Battle of the Marne. The pupils undertake a text analysis on the ‘race to the sea’ and answer some questions. We then take a look at the Eastern Front, the pupils have an events strip and answer questions and summarise each event. We then look at the major powers of the war and what kind of start they have had to the war by the end of 1914 by completing a table on their successes and failures on both fronts. We finish with an ‘extentometer’ on the reasons why stalemate developed on the Western Front. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the reasons why the Schlieffen Plan failed and the Battle of The Marne. We start by looking at the early problems for the Schlieffen Plan. The pupils are asked to consider each problem, record how Moltke would react to the problem (using a visual scale) and then explain what the implications of that problem might be. We then look at the Battle of the Marne. The pupils complete a worksheet based around a timeline using a video clip and an info sheet on the battle. We then look at a source “Bravo Belgium” from 1914 and the pupils answer some questions around the source. We finally move to an evaluation of why the Schlieffen Plan failed. the pupils write an answer to a 16 mark exam question. There is some guidance on how to respond. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on what the Schlieffen Plan was and the reasoning behind it as well as Plan 17. We start with an instagram retrieval practice starter, before a reminder of what Germany’s problem of a war on two fronts meant. We then introduce General Count Alfred Von Schlieffen. The pupils create a quick profile on this key person. We then look at a video clip which the pupils then use to create an annotated map of the plan. We then look at the details of the plan. The pupils look for potential problems with it as well as answering some questions. We then look at Schlieffen’s successor Moltke and his alterations to the plan before the pupils complete an extentometer question on whether Schlieffen’s plan represented the most sensible solution to the problem of a war on two fronts. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

Key Stage 3 History lesson on The Reformation, but could easily be adapted to suit other key stages. The lesson focuses on Martin Luther and how he played a key role in starting The Reformation. There are several activities included and all worksheets and video clips are in the resource. The lesson includes: Instagram starter. Video quiz sheet on Martin Luther’s life and beliefs. Consolidation activity “Who would have said what?” Differences in types of church labeling task Extended writing task Emoji’s plenary. Hope this proves useful. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People thematic unit. In this lesson we look at the relative power balance between government and trade unions after General Strike and the events and outcomes of the Miners Strike. We start with a historabble retrieval practice starter, a bit like scrabble but pupils must find Power & The People related words. We then look at the nationalisation of industries after WWII. Pupils then complete a road timeline “The Road to Unrest” using information cards and also create a power balance line graph to show the shifting balance of power between the Government and trade unions. We then look at the Miners Strike in more detail. The pupils then compare the Miners Strike with The General Strike for similarities and differences using a Venn diagram. The pupils then create a bio poen for either Arthur Scargill or Margaret Thatcher. We also have an extentometer plenary. I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People thematic unit. In this lesson we look at the events, tactics used and consequences of the General Strike in 1926. We start with a retrieval practice starter. We then have a recap on the causes of the General Strike. the pupils are given some pictures, then if needed some worded prompts. We then, after a brief recap of events, look at the tactics used by both sides in the general strike. The pupils assess the effectiveness, on a visual scale, of these tactics and explain their reasons. We then look at the ending of the strike, and the consequences. The pupils complete a text analysis and look for political and economic reasons. We then briefly look at the impact of the strike on the Unions before finishing with an exam-style question on a source published in Punch satirising the TUC’s ineffectiveness to shift the government, I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People thematic unit. In this lesson we look at the causes of the General Strike in 1926. We start with a retrieval practice grid which has been filled in for the unit so far. We then briefly look at conditions in the mines in the 1920’s and how the mines were privatised after WWI. We then look at the causes of the strike. The pupils complete a strikeometer, a visual scale to show to what extent that cause the miners. We then look at a picture caricature of a mine owner published in a union publication and the pupils answer some questions on the source. We then have a time question and answer session on the lesson content so far and finish with a ‘placard plenary’ where the pupils need to think of the likely slogans the strikers would have placed in their placards. I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People thematic unit. In this lesson we look at the events and the Impacts of The American Revolution. We start with a retrieval practice instagram themed starter on the Pilgrimage of Grace, but works with any historical event. We begin we a recap using a source of the Boston Tea Party, the pupils have 10 mins to answer as many questions as possible on the source. We then look at how the war started and the events leading to Yorktown. We look at Yorktown in detail and the pupils complete some work on the events of the battle by summarising and answering questions. We then look at he impacts of the American Revolution for Britain, America and The World. there is a summary sheet to help with this but sometimes we spend longer conducting research on the impacts. We then compare Magna Carta with the American Revolution for similarities and differences. There are some examples, and we finish with a biographical poem on George Washington. I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer