Explores crime and punishment in the Middle Ages. After defining a few key terms, the students watch a 3 min YouTube video and then describe some medieval torture techniques and punishments. The teacher then explains how the trials by ordeal worked. Next, there is a paired activity where the students use a worksheet to look at change and continuity from the early to later Middle Ages. The lesson ends with a wrtitten task to bring it all together. Enjoy!

Explores the way Norman castles were attacked and defended. Features included are battering rams, catapults, trebuchets, seige towers, keeps, moats, drawbridges, portcullises, arrow slits and murder holes. The starter asks the students to identify features of a Norman castle. The main task involves describing different features and saying whether they were used to attack or defend. I have included a gap fill version of the worksheet for students who you think may need a little extra assistance. The slides with the information can be delivered by the teacher or stuck around the classroom for a carousel activity (that’s how I do it). The lesson ends with a written task to show their knowledge. Enjoy!

This lesson explores medicine in the Middle Ages. It begins by looking at some amusing and surprising medieval treatments. The students then carry out some research around the physician, the apothecary, the barber surgeon and the housewife. The groups of students then teach each other what they have learnt (this is easily changed if you don’t want to do it as group work). After a quick AfL task they then compare medieval medicine with modern medicine in a written task. I have provided a structure strip for this which you might want to use with some of the students. Enjoy!

Explores life in a village in the Middle Ages. The starter involves labelling a picture of a village. They then look at villeins, freemen and the Lord of the Manor. There are two written tasks, both of which can be assisted with the handout I have included. The lesson ends with a quick AfL task. Enjoy!

Explores the role of monasteries in the Middle Ages. After a quick starter to get them thinking the students evaluate the different roles of the monastery in society. After a differentiated written task the students then carry out some quick AfL. The lesson ends with a second written task. Enjoy!

Explores the Harrying of the North 1069-1070 by William I and the Normans. After a picture starter and some information, the students carry out a task which involves analysing a collection of sources. The written task is in the form of a newspaper article either from the Saxon or Norman point of view to further develop their understanding of bias. There are printable templates of the newspaper in the slides and also a differentiated version for the students who you think may benefit from a slightly easier version. You end with a Harrying of the North crossword (answers on the slideshow). Enjoy!

This lesson explores the Triple Trawler Tragedy in Hull in 1968. The tragedy was followed by a campaign by many of the trawlermens’ wives, known as the Headscarf Revolutionaries. I plan on uploading a second lesson about this in the future. This lesson focuses on the actual events of the tragedy and the sinking of the three ships. It includes a starter, a film clip with a question sheet (and answer sheet) and a selection of written tasks differentiated at different levels. Enjoy!

Two lessons exploring Nelson Mandela. Lesson 01 focuses on apartheid in South Africa before introducing Nelson Mandela. Lesson 02 explores the highs and lows of Nelson Mandela’s life. I created this for KS3 but it will work well with all ages. Activities include: Starters (one image-based, the other a quick word game) Source enquiry Written tasks Videos (1 included plus a link to a second video on YouTube) Fortune graph task Chronology task Enjoy!

Explores the life of Leonardo da Vinci and considers both his achievements and limitations by mainly focusing on his inventions, along with some of his art. I produced this lesson for KS3 but it will work well with all age ranges. The lesson includes a starter, a link to a video, an A3 information sheet for the main task, a ‘carousel’ version of the information sheet if you wish to stick the info around the classroom, a ‘positives and negatives’ task and an exam question. Enjoy!

Ideal for remote home distance learning, sickness, self isolation, school closure or revision - Tropical Storms - KS3 Geography. This lesson covers what tropical storms are, their different names and how/why they form. This is a remote learning resource which can be emailed out or set on Google Classroom or similar platforms. I simply copy the information over into a Google Doc on Classroom so the students can then type their responses straight onto the sheet. All the information needed and links to videos are included to help them understand. Enjoy!

This lesson investigates whether the Black Death was a disaster for everyone. The students start by completing speech bubbles for some peasants in a medieval village (printable version on the last slide) to demonstrate what they know already. They then score the Black Death from 0 for a complete disaster to 10 for a blessing, explaining why. They then create a table in their books for positives andf negatives. There is a link to a YouTube video to give them a few things to add to the table. There is then a carousel activity to add more to the table. This is easily tweaked if you do not want to deliver it in this way but I stick the images around the classroom and get them to move around, discuss and add to their tables. I have added a brief explanation in the notes of the carousel slideshow just in case you are not sure what point I’m trying to make with each image. The students then bring it all together with a written task and then finally return to the scoring activity to see if their opinions have changed. Enjoy!

This lesson looks at castles built by William after his victory at Hastings. It works well for GCSE or KS3. The lesson includes labelling the features of a Motte and Bailey castle, considering the effect of these castles on the local population and a task where the students explore how to attack these castles and the features of their defence. Enjoy!

Explores the highs and lows of the life of Bishop Odo. The lesson includes a picture starter, a storyboard task and an exam question. Please note - The Pearson textbook - Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88 is used to add extra information in this lesson. If you use a different textbook, you will need to alter the page numbers on the slides accordingly. Thanks, enjoy!

Explores how land ownership changed under the Normans. I created a Tenant in Chief game for this lesson in an attempt to lively up a pretty dry topic! You will need some dice for the game, everything else is included in the lesson. The lesson includes a starter, the game, a report and then an exam question. Enjoy!

A full lesson exploring the spread of the Black Death. The lesson includes some background information and then a chronology task. The next activity is a fun task where the students take their chronologically ordered cards and stick them onto an A3 map to show the spread (this links in nicely with Geography as they find all of the places involved). They then bring all of this together in a written task at the end. My students always enjoy this lesson, I’m sure yours will too!

This lesson explores the changes to the church after the Norman invasion, looking at the differences between Stigand and Lanfranc. It includes a starter, a video, a Venn diagram task and a written task. It works well for GCSE and KS3. Please note - The Pearson textbook - Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88 is used to add extra information in this lesson. If you use a different textbook, you will need to alter the page numbers on the slides accordingly. Thanks, enjoy!

A lesson exploring why the Earls submitted to William after he won at Hastings. The lesson includes a multiple choice starter, a categorisation task and an exam question. The resources needing to be printed are included at the end of the slideshow and I’ve arranged them so that you can teach this lesson by only printing 11 sheets of A4 in total for a class of 33 (we all get told to keep the printing costs down!) Enjoy!

This lesson explores how England changed after the Norman invasion in 1066. It includes how the Normans introduced the feudal system, built castles, changed everyday language and many other changes. The lesson starts with a quick identification starter. There is then a task involving categorising factors. This is then brought together in a comic strip task and the lesson ends with a true or false quiz. Enjoy!

This lesson explores the symptoms of the Black Death. There is a link to a video and a question sheet, a primary source used to describe the symptoms day by day and a final section on plague doctors with a differentiated written task. Enjoy!

Explores the Domesday Book - what it was and why it was created. After a quick starter to get the students thinking and a brief video, they move onto the main task. This involves carrying out their own Domesday survey based on five villages detailled in the information document. These can be stuck around the classroom for the students to move around or you could adapt it if you do not wish to deliver it this way. There are two versions of the survey sheet, one is slightly easier to complete to aid with differentiation. I have also included a completed copy for the teacher so that you can go through the answers. The lesson ends with a written task to bring it all together. I always find this to be a fun and engaging lesson. Enjoy!