This is the first in a short series of lessons focusing on the enquiry question: ‘Was the British Empire an empire to be proud of?’ The lesson is fully resourced with a variety of activities including: A stimulating picture collage starter task. Links to video clip introducing Elizabethan explorers. Discussion tasks on competing views on exploration and empire. Card sort / diamond 9 activity looking at the various reasons why Britain wanted an empire. Written tasks developing the skills of explanation and justification using the PEEL technique of paragraph writing. Short knowledge quiz plenary.

This lesson looks at the development of castles from the earliest Motte and Bailey style castles to the sophisticated concentric castles of the 15th century. The lesson is aimed at students in KS3 and focuses on the main features of attacking and defending castles and how this influenced the development of castles over time. The lesson begins with an engaging starter which introduces the students to different types of castles. Students then acquire knowledge of how and why castles changed over time before moving onto the main task of the lesson. This is an active learning task which involves the students designing their own castle based on their understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of various castle features. The final task involves students debating the effectiveness of their castle designs to evaluate the success of their creations.

This lesson is one of a series of lessons on the Second World War aimed primarily at students in KS3. Students are asked to consider why the allies wanted revenge on their enemies in the Pacific. The lesson begins with an engaging picture starter of a sinking ship at Pearl Harbour which gains student curiosity. The lesson then introduces students to a variety of source materials including video clip, pictures and written sources to gain knowledge about the start of the war in the Pacific, the Japanese enemy, and the treatment of allied prisoners of war at the hands of the Japanese. The lesson ends with students producing a piece of their own wartime propaganda encouraging support for the war against the Japanese in the Pacific.

This lesson explores the issue of shell shock in the First World War through an investigation of the case of Private Harry Farr who was shot at dawn for cowardice. The lesson begins with an engaging starter activity linked to the viewing of two short you tube clips. The lesson then goes on to investigate the case of Private Harry Farr through the transcripts of the court martial trial that Harry Farr faced in October 1916. Students decide whether they believe Harry Farr was innocent or guilty of the charges faced and try to convince their classmates of their viewpoint by producing a courtroom speech either prosecuting of defending Harry. WARNING NOTE - The resource includes a short documentary YouTube clip in which the presenter (Ian Hislop) reads a transcript of some of the evidence presented in the court martial of Private Harry Farr. This includes a short section of no more than 10 seconds in which there is some swearing that occurred in the court martial evidence. Some teachers may feel that this is inappropriate for their students. However, the lesson can still be delivered successfully without this documentary clip should you wish to omit it.

This lesson is the second in a series of lessons on the Second World War. It is a source based lesson including a full, easy-to-follow powerpoint presentation, 3 video links, a range of contemporary and modern sources as well as associated written and discussion activities. The lesson is aimed at students in KS3 and focusses upon the differing interpretations of Dunkirk. Students are asked to consider whether this significant event should be regarded as a triumph or disaster for the British. The lessons begins with an engaging starter task in which students are hooked into the lesson by looking at the trailer for the 2017 film ‘Dunkirk’ . Students are then briefly introduced to the background to this event and its presentation as a great triumph by the wartime government and contemporary media. The main task involves the study of a range of contemporary and modern sources before students judge how this event should be interpreted by modern historians.

This lesson is the third in a series of lessons produced on the Second World War. The lesson is primarily targeted at KS3 students and begins with an engaging starter that looks at the death of Pilot Officer Peter Pease, a young 22year old pilot who died in the Battle of Britain. Students then go on to discover more about the bravery of this pilot through the account of Leutnant Roderich Cescotti, a German pilot who fought in the same battle that Pilot Officer Pease was shot down. Knowledge of this significant battle is gained through a range of historical sources before students apply their knowledge to answering an assessment style question which asks students to **Explain why the RAF won the Battle of Britain. **

This lesson concludes a unit of work on the First World War and investigates some of the main reasons why the Allies were able to emerge victorious from the conflict. The lesson begins with an engaging picture starter and link to a video clip which conveys the feeling of euphoria experienced by the British at the end of this war. Students then consider some of the reasons why conflicts are won / lost before investigating the specific reasons for the end of the First World War. Students learn about factors such as the role that technology played in the war, the entry of USA into the conflict, and some of the main German mistakes that influenced the outcome of the war as well as others. The lesson includes differentiated tasks for higher / lower ability and concludes with an essay style question which focuses on improving the skill of explanation through encouraging the use of the PEEL technique of paragraph formation.

This lesson is the first in a series of lessons on the Second World War aimed primarily at KS3 students and is expected to take between 1-2 hours to complete. Students are introduced to some of the main causes of this significant event of modern world history. The lesson can be delivered as a computer based research lesson or through a more traditional, classroom based lesson. In the computer based lesson students are directed to a series of informative websites and audio visual clips from which they can gather their information. In the traditional, classroom based lesson students use the information sheet resources to gather their information. The final task of the lesson requires students to demonstrate their learning through a choice of creative tasks which they must complete. This can include such things as creating a poem, song, role play or video. Responses from students so far has been excellent.

This lesson is one of a series of lessons created on the Second World War which I deliver to students at KS3. However, it is a great lesson that would also be ideal for students at KS2. The lesson begins with an engaging starter activity which introduces students to the Home Front and asks them to consider the hopes, fears and feelings of various fictional characters at the outbreak of the Second World War. Students then find out more about life on the Home Front either by following a traditional classroom based lesson using detailed information sheets, or as a computer based lesson which guides students to various websites and video clips from which they can gather their information. Students use their information to produce an A3 presentation piece on the home Front and finishes off by revisiting the starter activity to consider how different people in Britain were affected by the Second World War.

This lesson is one of a series of lessons on the Second World War aimed primarily at students in KS3. The lesson focusses on whether or not dropping the atomic bomb can be justified and begins with an engaging political cartoon starter in which students are asked to work out the cartoonist’s opinion about dropping the atomic bomb. The lesson then uses a card sort activity to consider competing arguments on this topic before discussing the students own opinions. The end of the lesson looks at answering an essay style question which can be used as an assessment activity. Within this activity students are advised on how to structure well-written paragraphs using the PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link) technique.

This lesson is one of a series of lessons on the Second World War aimed at KS3 students. The lesson begins with an engaging starter which asks students to consider what their plan of attack would be if they were put in charge of arranging D-Day. Students then gather information about the plan, preparations and outcomes of the D-Day landings before considering whether or not the popular modern interpretation of D-Day depicted in Hollywood films is valid or not. Students are then asked to come up with their own, ‘accurate��� interpretation of the events of D-Day by producing a front cover image and blurb for a modern day film or book on D-Day.

This lesson looks at the various problems facing William the Conqueror as King of England following his victory at the Battle of Hastings. The lesson is aimed at KS3 students in Year 7 or 8 and looks at the earliest, Motte & Bailey, style of castle that William and his barons built around England to control the country. The lesson looks at the main characteristics of this style of castle, the reasons why William needed to build such structures, the advantages and disadvantages of these castles, and ends with a consideration of possible improvements that will be needed to make future castles more effective. The lesson includes an engaging starter task, a link to a BBC Teach audio visual clip, and a creative written task which asks students to consider the feelings and reactions of the local population to the invading barons.

This lesson is a case study of Warwick Castle which focuses on how and why this castle has changed over time. The lesson is aimed at KS3 students and begins with an engaging starter activity looking at some of the main features of attacking and defending castles. The lesson then involves a card sort activity looking at pictures, dates and text to build up a story of the castle’s development over time. Differentiated versions of this activity are included. A video clip and information gathering sheet helps students to build up more information before using this to produce an informative information leaflet for visitors to Warwick Castle.

This lesson on the Trans-Atlantic Trade Triangle and Middle Passage journey is primarily aimed at KS3 students and places a focus on Britain’s role in the slave trade. The lesson begins with an engaging starter showing a variety of images relating to slavery ranging from paintings of American plantations to modern photographic images from the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. The story of Bristol slave trader Edward Colston is a recurring feature of the lesson in order to maintain focus on Britain’s central role in the slave trade. Students learn about the Triangular Trade system through the use of YouTube clips and creative diagram tasks before considering the thoughts and feelings of slaves and slave traders on the Middle Passage journey. Discussion is encouraged to consider why people were willing to accept and promote the slave trade in the past. The final task asks students to produce a diary entry or newspaper article on the Middle Passage journey from varying perspectives.

This Women in History display resource produces an eye-catching display that will cover a large display board. The resource includes 32 pictures of women of significance through history from Cleopatra to Harriet Tubman. A super display to get students interested in the contributions of women throughout the ages and spark interest and curiosity into the achievements of these remarkable characters.

This lesson is the fifth in this series produced for The People’s Health unit of the OCR SHP GCSE. It covers the spread of the Black Death across Asia and Europe and its arrival in England in 1348. It goes on to cover the medieval beliefs and attempted cures for the plague, as well as the impact of the plague upon the country in general. The resource set includes a full lesson presentation with associated starter task, source sheet, activity sheet and associated information sheet. Please leave a review if you find this resources useful.

This Black History display resource produces an eye-catching display that will cover a large display board. The resource includes 41 images of significant people and events throughout history ranging from individuals such as Olaudah Equiano to Barack Obama and from the Middle Passage slave ships to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. A super display to get students interested in Black History and to spark interest and curiosity into these remarkable characters and events.