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New Focus Education

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Key Stage 3, GCSE and A Level History resources available for purchase and download. New Focus Education offer resources from a teacher with 10 years teaching experience, a track record of excellent outcomes and experience of leadership at several levels. The main focus is AQA 8145 and AQA A Level, with key stage three resources available with GCSE skills and requirements embedded throughout.

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Key Stage 3, GCSE and A Level History resources available for purchase and download. New Focus Education offer resources from a teacher with 10 years teaching experience, a track record of excellent outcomes and experience of leadership at several levels. The main focus is AQA 8145 and AQA A Level, with key stage three resources available with GCSE skills and requirements embedded throughout.
How much change did the Normans bring to England - KS3 suitable for AQA 8145
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

How much change did the Normans bring to England - KS3 suitable for AQA 8145

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*Eleventh lesson in the scheme - how the Normans changed England * Lesson exploring the extent of change brought to medieval England under the Normans. Video starter introduces the key changes made, paired card sort - change and continuity leads to completion of Venn diagram (attached at end of PPT), judgement on the most significant change, summary answer to how far the Normans changed England, plenary reviewing different groups in society and how far their lives changed. NB: Assessment GCSE write an account question plan attached for completion next lesson
AQA 8145 Hardwick Hall  HE 2025 L3: A study of Hardwick Hall
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 Hardwick Hall HE 2025 L3: A study of Hardwick Hall

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Lesson 3 in the Hardwick Hall 2025 Historic Environment learning sequence. This lesson focuses on Hardwick Hall in detail. The lesson begins with a video introducing Hardwick Hall and the key features, leading to how Hardwick fits the ‘typical features’ of a manor house from L1. Students then recap Bess and how she was able to fund the creation of Hardwick Hall, moving on to assessing how Hardwick Hall was similar/different to typical Elizabethan manor houses. A taboo plenary recaps the key terminology from the lesson.
AQA 8145: Conflict in Asia: Eisenhower and Kennedy's policies (Vietnam pt.1)
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145: Conflict in Asia: Eisenhower and Kennedy's policies (Vietnam pt.1)

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This lesson explores how both Eisenhower and Kennedy increased US intervention in Vietnam and their similarities/differences. The lesson begins with exploration of existing knowledge of Eisenhower, using a video to make notes, with the same task utilised for Kennedy. Students then use the handout to create a table showing similarities and differences of their policies, leading to a detailed focus on the Strategic Hamlet Programme. Students then list any successes and failures so far for the US in Vietnam, finally assessing how far they agree that the Strategic Hamlet Programme was ultimately a failure for the US.
AQA 8145 - America 1920-73 - who didn't benefit from the boom in the 1920s?
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 - America 1920-73 - who didn't benefit from the boom in the 1920s?

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This lesson explores the groups who didn’t benefit from the boom in the 1920s. Students begin by using a video to assess how typical this would be, leading to an image comparison of rich v poor. Students then use an information sheet to rank the different groups in society, explaining who was ‘worst affected’ during the boom years. Students then apply their learning to an 8-mark explain question, self or peer-assessing their answers. A judgement line plenary allows students to assess how far everyone shared in the boom years.
AQA Politics 7152/3 - Liberalism: Betty Friedan
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA Politics 7152/3 - Liberalism: Betty Friedan

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This lesson explores the role that Betty Friedan played on liberal thought. The lesson starts with a 3, 2, 1 recap starter, leading to a video on Friedan’s ideas and contributions. Students then explore how ‘liberal’ Friedan’s views could be and how liberalism underpins this. Finally, a plenary debate occurs with students debating this extent of equality of opportunity in the UK today.
Edexcel 1H10/B4 - L12 - Commercial rivalry with Spain
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Edexcel 1H10/B4 - L12 - Commercial rivalry with Spain

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Lesson 12 in the scheme for Edexcel 1H10/B4 - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588. This lesson focuses on how England and Spain were vying for power of the seas and links in Drake’s circumnavigation. The lesson begins with a trio starter, recapping key terms/content. Students then explore Elizabeth’s foreign policy aims and how she could achieve them. Students then create a timeline of Drake’s events to plot how this impacted on Spanish relations. Students then explain what was the most significant outcome of Drake’s voyages, leading to a group task assessing the relative significance of each outcome. Finally, students show on a post-it note their opinion of the most important outcome.
L6 - Drake's circumnavigation (HE 2024) - a thematic overview of Drake's circumnavigation
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

L6 - Drake's circumnavigation (HE 2024) - a thematic overview of Drake's circumnavigation

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L6 in the 2024 Historic Environment series on The Americas and Drake’s circumnavigation, 1577-1580. This lesson utilises the AQA Historic environment source booklet to review the Circumnavigation. The lesson begins with a ‘giant post-it’ task to review the key causes, benefits, dangers and impacts of the circumnavigation. Students then use the source booklet to add to the knowledge audit table (to be printed on A3) to link in features, events and specific knowledge of the circumnavigation. Students then share what the circumnavigation tells them about life in Elizabethan England, leading to a judgement regarding the most significant impact of the circumnavigation. A 3, 2, 1 plenary recaps key learning in preparation for the following essay-planning lesson.
Edexcel 1H10/B4 - L1 - Elizabethan England by 1558 - society and political power
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Edexcel 1H10/B4 - L1 - Elizabethan England by 1558 - society and political power

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Lesson 1 in the scheme for Edexcel 1H10/B4 - Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588. This lesson begins by laying the foundations for social structure and political power in 1558. The lesson starts with an exploration of hierarchy, linking to the Great Chain of Being. Moving on students watch a video to explore social change, and then apply learning from a worksheet to a 4-mark describe two features question, allowing opportunity for self or peer-assessment. Students then explore the key political groups/individuals and assess their function, leading to a judgement on who held the most power in 1558. The lesson culminates in a judgement on the extent of decision making power that Elizabeth had upon her accession to the throne in 1558.
Unit 6 Conservative Party 1997-2007 revision
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Unit 6 Conservative Party 1997-2007 revision

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A revision lesson exploring the Conservative Party 1997-2007 with focus on leaders and key reasons for divisions. The lesson begins with a ‘who am I?’ recap, leading to a source analysis task of why the Conservatives were electorally unpopular. Students then complete the 5-minute essay plans, leading to a group task on the significant reasons for the Conservative electoral failure 1997-2005. Finally a judgement plenary allows students to reach their own conclusions on why the Conservatives were electorally unpopular in this time period.
L1 - Drakes circumnavigation (HE 2024): How did voyages of exploration benefit Elizabethan England?
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

L1 - Drakes circumnavigation (HE 2024): How did voyages of exploration benefit Elizabethan England?

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L1 in the 2024 Historic Environment series on The Americas and Drake’s circumnavigation, 1577-1580. This double lesson explores how the voyages of exploration benefited Elizabethan England. The lesson begins with an inference source starter, leading to a video clip demonstrating how exploration advanced in this period. Students then rank the main reasons for these voyages, justifying their top 3 choices. Students then explore 5 key Elizabethan explorers, outlining for each their successes and negatives from their voyages. The lesson then moves into a direct comparison between the contribution made by Drake and Raleigh to Elizabethan England, linking into an 8-mark ‘explain what was important’ response with mark scheme and assessment grid included. The lesson culminates in a review of the main motivations for voyages, explorers and benefits these voyages brought in the wider Elizabethan context.
AQA 8145 - entire Elizabeth scheme planned
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 - entire Elizabeth scheme planned

17 Resources
30 lesson sequence covering the entire AQA 8145 Elizabethan England topic. All lessons fully resourced with assessments, mark scheme and model answers built in. Scheme of learning with hyperlinked videos also included
An introduction to witchcraft
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

An introduction to witchcraft

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Lesson introducing witchraft in the 16th and 17th centuries. Hyperlinked video introduces why people were accused, chronology card sort shows reasons for accusations, source task explores views on witches and allows an introduction with a plenary recap quiz.
AQA 8145 Elizabeth - Hardwick Hall review lesson (pre-exam)
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 Elizabeth - Hardwick Hall review lesson (pre-exam)

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Lesson reviewing key content and linked to exam skills for Hardwick Hall. Recap starter on Hardwick, use of diagram to define how Hardwick is a "typical" manor house, card sort matching key features to key changes (e.g. rise of the Gentry), use of the cards to create PEE points linked to the 16 mark essay question, model paragraphs linked in to show use of PEEEE skills, post-it plenary writing criteria to the 16 mark essay question.
Slave auctions - two lessons
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Slave auctions - two lessons

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Picture reveal starter showing an auction scene, source analysis of slave sale posters, layers of inference analysis task, clip form Roots with note sheet (video on youtube), discussion over how useful video eveidence is, building to a WWW/EBI answer about the utility of Roots with opportunity for peer/self-assessment and improvements.
What was the slave trade?
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

What was the slave trade?

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Exploration of the start of the slave trade. Starter focusing on sources and inferences, group task exploring the roles various groups like the British and Portuguese played in the slave trade, source analysis of the experience of slavery and empathy plenary. Research homework task built in.
Witch trials
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Witch trials

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Lesson exploring the different witch trials in England - starter identifying features of a witch, video hyperlinked showing a witch trial, freeze frame creation of the different trials with an explanation question linked in. Optional homework also included.
AQA 8145 - The Abyssinian Crisis 2 lessons
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

AQA 8145 - The Abyssinian Crisis 2 lessons

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For AQA 8145 conflict and tension, 1919-39 Two lesson sequence exploring the events and impact of the Abyssinian Crisis on the League of Nations. Lesson 1 introduces the crisis with a video, and has a 'symbol' poster task included to consolidate the key facts. Lesson 2 focuses on the impact of the crisis, linking Manchuria and Abyssinia together then analysing the impact Abyssinia had on the failure of the League
Soldiers of the Civil War
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Soldiers of the Civil War

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Exploration of the sides in the civil war, analysis of the weaponry and which was most effective. Culminates in a judgement on which side pupils would like to have fought on.
Cromwell - hero or villain? Essay question linked to AQA 8145 included
LauraMeadowcroftLauraMeadowcroft

Cromwell - hero or villain? Essay question linked to AQA 8145 included

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Two lesson sequence exploring the rule of Oliver Cromwell and interpretations of him. Source starter and comparison of two paintings of Cromwell to explore how he is portrayed. Video hyperlinked in to gather contrasting evidence on Cromwell and categorisation card sort task. Leading to a 12 mark bullet point essay comparing Cromwell's legacy - hero or villain.