25 years of experience as Assistnt Head; Head of Humanities and AST for history.
Resources generally for KS3-KS5 history, some that can be used as English resources, and some politics/citizenship resources
25 years of experience as Assistnt Head; Head of Humanities and AST for history.
Resources generally for KS3-KS5 history, some that can be used as English resources, and some politics/citizenship resources
This group activity covers 5 tutorials or geography lessons for either KS1 or KS2 pupils, and enables them to build group work skills by focussing on a project where they have to create their own country. Each lesson they have to create another aspect of the country:
Creating an identity - name; flag; currency
Politics and government
The national dish
Holidays - climate; weather; physical features etc
Presentations and prizes.
Fun activity to learn new geographical skills or tutorial team building
This resource doubles up as an assembly and/or a lesson suitable for Bastille day 2024. The assembly is contained in the first part of the power point and looks at the Bastille day celebrations through the use of clips; images and information, and links it to the story of the French Revolution. It takes between 20 and 30 minutes to deliver.
The assembly could also be used as an introduction to a lesson on the French Revolution, and the second part of the power point contains a lesson about the causes of the French Revolution using source materials and an extended writing task.
The lesson is suitable for either key stage 3 or the older students in key stage 2
This assembly has been created for Holocaust Memorial Day. It starts by putting into perspective the sheer number of people murdered in the genocide by focusing on the figure 6,000,000 in real terms. It then considers how intolerance; racism and prejudice escalates and eventually can lead to genocide - testimonies of survivors are used to capture this. Have we learnt from the Holocaust? No - map of genocides around the world since the Holocaust. The assembly then moves onto the theme of resistance - what happens when people don’t speak out - clip of Marin Niemoller’s poem. The assembly end with the discussion of what can happen when people do act resist with a focus on Oskar Schindler - last 5 minutes of Schindle’s list included so that students can reflect on how many lives can be saved when people bravely resist brutality.
Duration: 30 minutes, but can be adapted if you don’t have this much time.
Suitable for KS2 - KS5
This resource was created to celebrate VE Day and is suitable for both primary and secondary school students. It can be used either as an assembly or a lesson or both.
The first half of the presentation can be used as an assembly (approx 20 mins) or as an introduction to a lesson. It contains images; clips and explanations of the aftermath of World War 2 and why we celebrate VE day. If you are going to use it as a lesson you would present the introduction and use the rest of the powerpoint for an inferences and modeled evaluative writing task which is included in the second part of the presentation.
The focus of the lesson is whether or not in light of the destruction caused in the Second World War we can really call it a ‘victory.’ The whole lesson would take approximately an hour to teach.
This assembly is suitable for either Key Stage 2 or 3 students (maybe Key Stage 1). It is based on different traditions around the world at Christmas time. It contains 2 clips - one on Christmas traditions and a short one on the Nativity. It then goes on to discuss different traditions in selected countries. It would take about 20-30 minutes to deliver, and provides opportunities for students to think about their own traditions and what is important to the,
I have included a ‘Christmas in 21 different languages’ wordsearch and quiz to accompany this if it was to be delivered as a lesson instead of an assembly.
This resource contains display material which can be changed weekly throughout the academic year. It is titled ‘PERSON OF THE WEEK’ and contains a photograph and information about a significant person in history for each week of the academic year (excluding holidays). This material can be blown up to A3; laminated and used again and again.
A colourful timeline containing 17 key events leading up to Victory in Europe in 1945. This can be laminated and displayed in the classroom to aid learning aimed at understanding the events leading up to the defeat of fascism.
Each event contains a date; an event; a brief explanation of the event and a representative picture. Suitable for all age groups.
Two 20/30 minutes assemblies which discuss the origins of Halloween and the Gunpowder Plot. Both contain short clips telling the stories of the 2 events, and a quiz which gets the students involved in the stories.
The assemblies both contain advice about how to stay safe on Halloween and Bonfire Night.
They are suitable for KS1 and 2, and also KS3 (years 7 and 8)
This display was created to cover a key event for every day in history of the academic year. It contains pictures of a key event in history with information. The picture can be changed daily and lends itself to a working display.
Useful for the primary or secondary classroom.
This is a bright and colourful display of 20 command terms with definitions and images for either a primary or secondary classroom. Each term can be blown up to A3 laminated and placed around the classroom. The idea is that students start to familiarise themselves with the terms at a young age so that they are able to correctly follow the commands when approaching a task.
This is a 23 slide power point tracing the history of the situation between Russia and the Ukraine. It is an assembly, but would probably take 45 minutes to deliver properly, so would be either 2 assemblies or a lesson - there is an obvious break point in the middle of the power point.
It starts with images of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, and a news report in 1989. It then goes into an explanation of the Cold War and the USSR - citing the Ukraine as one of the founding members after the Russian Revolution. The power point then introduces Putin and his beliefs - cites his hatred of Tsar Nicholas II and Mikhail Gorbachev, and outlines his key beliefs in terms of Russia’s relationship with the Ukraine.
The final section focuses on how the war in the Ukraine is impacting on the rest of the world with rising energy prices; the refugee crisis and potential escalation. It ends with 24th February 2022 BBC news clip showing the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.
Suitable for key stages 3-5
Duration: 40-45 minutes
These resources covers skills required for success in English and Historycontain everything you need to help students understand the significance of VE Day.
The first resource contains an assembly (approx 20 mins) and an extended writing task for a lesson. The whole power point would take about an hour to teach and involves drawing on historical and literacy skills.
The second resource is a n alternative lesson which investigates the morality behind the bombing of Dresden - students use a wide range of historical source material to carry out an investigation and reach a judgment.
The final resource can either be used in a history lesson or a tutorial as a starter or fun activity to test knowledge in the form of a quiz/wordsearch for VE Day.
These wordsearches and quizzes can be used as a fun activity in the classroom at tutorial time or in lessons. Pupils have to find the answers to questions about Christmas and then locate the answers in the grid. They are suitable for all ages but best for KS1-3. The Christmas in 21 European languages is more challenging and perhaps better suited to KS2-5.
They take about 20 -30 minutes and can be done either individually or as team building group challenges.
This wall display for black history month wall display honours and highlights the achievements of twenty people who have contributed to black people under 4 categories:
Activists: Rosa Parks; Steve Biko; John Lewis; Harriet Tubman and Nelson Mandela
Artists: Sammy Davis Jr; Maya Angelou; Louis Armstrong; Akon and Whoopi Goldberg
Politicians: Barak Obama; Bernie Grant; Kamala Harris; Diane Abbot and David Lammy
Blak Sportspersons: Jackie Robinson; Venus and Serena Williams; Mo Farah; Marcus Rashford and Tiger Woods
You will require a relatively large display board - pictures can be printed on A4 instead of A3 if space is limited. Includes lettering and arrows for cutting out.
This bundle contains 6 displays for the history classroom suitable for primary and secondary school students.
Display 1 contains key features of Anglo-Saxon life with images and descriptions.
Display 2 contains images and descriptions of a key person for each week of the academic year - these can be blown up; laminated and changed each week for the benefit of the whole school
Display 3 contains an image of an important person in history with key information for every day of the academic year. This display can be changed each day for the benefit of the whole school.
Display 4 Victory in Europe Day timeline which traces the events in chronological order that led to the defeat of Nazi Germany and is suitable for VE Day celebrations (other resources for VE day also available)
Display 5 Match pictures and events; put them in chronological order and create a detailed timeline of the Cold War events. Would need a large notice board for this display. Lettering also included.
Display 6 A challenge wall display for pupils to have fun and work out some historical problems.
No more display making for a history teacher for a whole year!
VE Day on May 8th. It is suitable for primary and secondary school and contains:
An assembly/lesson - the first part of the ppt is an assembly containing images/clips/explanations about the significance of VE day and the aftermath of the war (approx 20 mins). If it is used as a lesson there are tasks incorporated in the 2nd part of the presentation to support building on writing evaluative answers (in this case weighing up the consequences of the aftermath of the Second World War). The lesson will take approximately an hour to teach, but students may need time to complete the work for homework.
A VE Day Quiz and discussion opportunity - useful for a tutorial or a history lesson. The quiz is on a ppt - so can be delivered to the whole class at the samr time - it is followed up with a discussion about VE Day.
VE Day timeline - this timeline contains 20 key events of 1945 leading to victory in Europe. Each event is on a separate sheet and contains an explanation and a colourful image - will need space for 20 sheets of A4 to go around the classroom.
VE Day wordsearch/quiz - can be used as a starter or an extension activity.
An alternative lesson - was Dresden justified or was it a war crime? Using sources and extended writing.
These resources are useful for classroom or corridor display in any classroom in either primary or secondary schools. They are bright; colourful and aid learning/building wider knowledge.
Command terms display - 20 command terms, each with definitions of each term and an image to make them eye catching. Each can be laminated on either A4 or A3 and pupils can use them to understand what they are being asked to do.
Person of the week display - a picture and a description of a key person for each week of the academic year. Can be changed each week to create an changing display.
A key event in history - picture and description - for each day of the academic year. Can be changed daily to introduce knowledge of an ever growing number of key events to students.
Timeline for VE day.
This bundle contains an assembly/lesson plus 5 quizzes/word searches for students in key stages 1-3 for Christmas. They cover the religious and cultural Christmas traditions, and are useful as 20-30 minute fun activities/competitions at the end of term.
Everything tht you will need for GCSE revision in this booklet for the Anglo-Saxons and Normans, plus a bright and colourful Anglo-Saxon life display for the classroom wall.
This bundle contains 4 lessons created to celebrate Black History Month. One a week during the month of October to trace the progress of African Americans from slavery to President of the United states. They are chronological and each shows a significant development:
L1 The Slave Trade
L2 The Abolition of Slavery
L3 Civil Rights
L4 The Most Powerful Man in the World
They are fully resourced with varied activities and video clips, and are suitable for either KS2 or KS3 students.