I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
This bundle is the third and final part in a series of lessons I have created for AQA GCSE 9-1 Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship.
As well as focusing on GCSE exam practice questions, the lessons apply the skills necessary to enable the students to achieve the highest grades.
The lessons will allow students to demonstrate (AO1) knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the period studied from Youth Groups to life in Germany during the war.
They will study (AO2) second-order concepts such as change and continuity in the role of women and how their lives were transformed and the causes and consequences of the Final Solution.
The analysis and evaluation of sources (AO3) are used in for example the Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht lesson whilst substantiated judgements are made (AO4) on how far the Nazis controlled the Churches in Germany.
The lessons are enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lessons and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resources includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
The lessons are as follows:
L1 The Nazis and the economy
L2 The Hitler Youth
L3 The role of women in Nazi Germany
L4 The Nazis and the Churches
L5 Hitler’s hate list
L6 The Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht
L7 The Final Solution
L8 Opposition in Nazi Germany
L9 The German Home Front 1939-45 (free resource)
Please note that setting a full mock examination in class after completing this unit is strongly recommended.
All the examination resources and markschemes are subject to copyright but can easily be found on the AQA website.
The aim of this lesson is for students to question and evaluate different interpretations in history.
Students have to analyse various explanations and viewpoints of Richard the Lionheart from his statue outside the Houses of Parliament, to modern day films and the views of historians.
As sentiment might overrule reality, they are ‘led’ to conclude he is a King of outstanding repute.
They are then given details of the context of his reign and are shocked to discover his real temperament, brutal nature and even the fact that he didn’t speak English!
Students finally re-evaluate their original judgements and justify which of the interpretation is now the more realistic one.
They will continue to plot the power struggle between the king, the church, the barons and the people in a sequence of lessons.
This lesson includes:
Fun, engaging and challenging tasks
Links to video footage
Printable worksheets
Differentiated tasks
Suggested teaching strategies
Homework ideas
PowerPoint format, which can be changed to suit
American Civil Rights
What were the Jim Crow Laws in America? Who was Jim Crow? Why did this fictional character significantly impact on American society, especially in the south in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? What happened if you did not adhere to these laws?
These questions and more will be answered in this lesson.
Students analyse how black people in America were treated and why discrimination was inherent in some parts of American society and backed up by statute.
They also have to recognise how these laws affected education, family life, social time and employment and prioritise the severest of these laws in their judgement.
The lesson ends with some challenging questions using de bono’s 6 thinking hats.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
This is a fun, entertaining as well as a challenging lesson, designed to question and evaluate the causes of the Great Fire of London in the summer of 1666.
The hook is Samuel Pepys; why did he bury his cheese and why did he bury it alongside items that were surely more valuable?
The lesson comes complete with differentiated resources as students have to plot the causes and consequences of the fire on a visual display using logs,flames and smoke.
Notes have been put on each slide on how to deliver the activities and answers to some of the questions posed as well as suggested teaching strategies.
This lesson is active, exciting and engaging and would also suit a non specialist. It is aimed at key stage 3, but can be delivered to key stage 2 pupils also.
The lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies and are linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
The lessons are fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.
AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603
The overarching aim of this and the subsequent bundle of lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her reign.
The lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this.
This lesson aims to evaluate the threats posed by the Northern rebellion and the Ridolfi plot to Elizabeth. Students analyse these threats and dangers to Elizabeth both through video footage and written text before coming to their own conclusions based on the criteria set out for them.
They complete an essay question on what they have learnt, using the structure provided and key argument words.
Ultimately they will recognise the seriousness and therefore significance of the threats to Elizabeth in her early years.
The lesson includes learning activities such as structuring an answer, analysing and evaluating the plots, the use of video evidence and using tier 2 and 3 vocabulary and argument words in an answer.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
The Tudors
The aim of this lesson is to assess how ready Elizabeth was to become Queen
What was the young Elizabeth like and how did her background and upbringing prepare her to be a Queen?
Moreover how did the foundations of her life enable her as a woman to be strong in a man’s world?
This lesson attempts to examine her attributes growing up but also shows how luck and ruthlessness also played a later part in her life.
Students build up a picture of her early life through pictures, sources and video evidence before explaining her character and noting the problems she faced and how she overcame them from a young age.
Activities include a a chronology exercise, a true or false quiz, video and source analysis as well as using a tree to connect her early problems (branches) and character traits (leaves).
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603
The overarching aim of this and the subsequent bundle of lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her reign.
The lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this.
This lesson focuses on the threat posed by the Puritans and how Elizabeth dealt with this threat, despite prominent members in her Government, such as Walsingham, being Puritans.
Students begin by understanding the nature of Puritanism and how they disagreed with the religious settlement.
They are given information about a number of controversies raised in Elizabeth’s reign and by colour coding decide how much of a threat they posed.
A threat’o’meter give an overall picture which they will have to justify where their judgement lies.
This lesson also focuses on two GCSE questions with a ‘write an account’ and a ‘How convincing is the Source?’ question given for GCSE exam practice.
Students can answer both or choose which one to tackle. The information is included in the lesson to assist in their answers.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
AQA GCSE 9-1 Britain: Health and the People, c.1000 to present
This lesson focuses on the power of the church over medieval society and medicine and why it became so involved in helping the sick.
Students explore the different types of care on offer from the Christian Church in the Middle Ages and learn why care not cure was the priority.
They are required to analyse sources, reconstruct sentences and complete a key word summary question sheet to challenge their understanding.
They are finally asked to fill in an efficiency rating of the Church and then predict its potential (as with a house energy efficiency rating).
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in Powerpoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
The British Empire
The aim of this lesson to investigate the causes and consequences of the Boer War (1899-1902) for the British Empire and the character of Lord Horatio Kitchener, appointed Commander of the British Army in South Africa.
Students are required to analyse and make judgements on his character by deciding how heroic he was, before, during and after the war by rating each of his actions.
They are soon shocked to find his underhand tactics of trying to win the Boer War through initial incompetence to devastating ruthlessness as the war progressed with his scorched earth policy and the setting up of concentration camps.
They also learn how the war impacted upon the Government at the time, culminating in the Liberal Reforms and evaluate how these measures helped improve public health which left a lasting legacy on Britain.
The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching and learning strategies, differentiated materials and is linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
The lessons are fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.
Edexcel 9-1 Medicine in Britain, Thematic study and historic environment
This lesson aims to explain to the students the tricks and skills of answering the source questions set in this part of the exam.
They will learn how to comment on the utility and purpose of sources, by questioning their provenance as well as using their own knowledge.
They will analyse a variety of sources and be able to question their relevance and well as their limitations.
Students will also write about the details of a source and follow these up with questions of their own.
I have provided exemplar answers in this lesson and examples of the skills to use when completing GCSE exam questions.
Activities also include recall and retrieval, analysis and evaluation of different types of sources as well as GCSE exam question practice.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in Powerpoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
The Norman Conquest
The aims of this lesson are to understand what the crusades were about, the significance of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and why medieval Europe answered the call of the Pope to fight there.
There is some context given to the Holy Land at the start of the lesson, with some analysis of the Holy sites in Jerusalem and their significance as well as a map showing the journey of the crusaders.
Students are given a character card at the start of the lesson and discover the reasons why they abd others embarked on a ‘religious’ crusade.
They will plot what happens to their character throughout the lesson and learn the final consequences of their chosen actions.
There are a number of differentiated learning tasks to complete, including analysis of sources and text as well as video footage, questions and plenaries to complete.
This is an engaging, challenging and interactive lesson which requires students to think independently and justify their choices as well as considering the morality, the significance and impact of all five crusades of Medieval Europe.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end using a rate ‘o’ meter to show the progress of learning.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
World War II
The aim of this lesson is to understand how the British Government prepared for war and why it introduced rationing.
The lesson begins by deciding which foods were rationed and why. Students will also have to work out which foods also became unavailable and the reasons for this.
There has always been an assumption that as foods were rationed and restricted, people on the Home Front therefore struggled to make ends meet.
Students are given information on all the goods rationed and compare this to the recommended weekly healthy intake per person today. As they will soon find out, rationing did not always mean everyone suffered as a result.
Students will also be required to analyse the effectiveness of some posters at the time, encouraging people to grow their own food and well as a comprehension task and a challenging thinking quilt on clothes rationing.
The plenary uses flashcards to question their understanding of the lesson.
The lesson comes complete with embedded videos and a lesson plan on how to use the activities.
It is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Rise of Dictators
The aim of this lesson is for students to judge how much love there was for Mao Zedong in China.
There is also some retrieval practice which can also be used to tie with the other Dictatorships of Hitler and Stalin.
This lesson can be delivered over two as there is quite a lot of information given so that students will be able to make their own assumptions and judgements.
The lesson begins with questioning what the students already or might know about China throughout its history.
Students will learn about the background of communism in China and Mao’s rise to power, which they will answer key questions on.
They will ultimately be required to evaluate Mao’s term in office and decide how much love there was for him amongst the Chinese population with his policies on industry, land reform, women, education and youth for example.
There is also an extended writing task to complete for students to show off their new found knowledge.
They are some key words and phrases to analyse such as the Long March, collectives, purge, anarchy, the ‘New Leap Forward’ as well as the ‘Cultural Revolution’.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
The French Revolution
The aim of this lesson is introduce the types of Government that existed within Europe in 1780.
Students are given a map of Europe in 1780, from which they learn the various rulers and how they each individually ruled their countries, making links and connections between them as well as recognising their differences.
They will also study contemporary accounts of France and evaluate the reasons why the seeds were sown already in France for a revolution.
The plenary requires students to use their knowledge from the lesson to complete a multiple choice quiz.
The lesson comes with differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies and is linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is assess the change and continuity in government between Henry VIII and his father before him.
Students will analyse the workings of government in both Henry’s reigns and decide how much control their had, using a ‘control o’meter’.
Students are also introduced to his ministers for the first time in a model answer from which they can complete some exam practice and allocate marks accordingly referring to a markscheme.
This will also enable them to see how differently Henry VIII ruled the country in comparison to his father.
The plenary using some animated flashcards which the students have to link to Henry and his ministers.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to question whether Edward was fit to rule from the start.
Students are given some context into previous child Kings of England and their problems as well as some analysis of his Chronicle, which show him to be somewhat cold and callous.
Some excellent video links make reference to Edward’s early years and growing up. Students are also challenged to predict what Edward might have done if he had ruled on his own.
There is some guided reading to complete with a focus on Edward’s attitude to kingship, his personality and character and main influences.
The plenary tests their knowledge in a real or rubbish activity and which also aims to dispel some popular myths about Edward.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to judge how successful Mary’s economic policies were.
At first glance, it would be easy for students to assume that Mary’s policies failed. Bad harvests, inflation, a sweating sickness ravaging the country and population growth characterised her reign.
However, further investigation and analysis will reveal some successes and foundation stones laid for the future with the help of an able Lord Treasurer.
A revaluation of the currency, a Militia Act, poor relief and the commissioning of six new ships for the navy were all to be welcomed by Elizabeth and her successors when she became Queen.
The plenary is a colour coding exercise where students have to decide which key terms and Acts belonged to either Edward or Mary.
The second part of the lesson focus on a mid Tudor crisis. Students can attempt some question practice with planning guidance and a markscheme provided if required.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
Conflict and Tension 1918-1939
This lesson focuses on the various attitudes and reactions of the Allies after the Treaty of Versailles was agreed and signed.
The students begin by analysing and evaluating a number of sources from a German point of view and decide how and why the Germans would react in this way.
They then have to plot the thoughts of the allies on a grid, again making their own conclusions and judgements on their viewpoints.
The plenary is a ten question quiz which will test their new learning.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, some retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
The aim of this lesson is to decide what makes a successful Medieval Monarch.
Students are asked for their ideas before being given the criteria for a successful medieval monarch (such as leaving an heir and not being murdered!)
The main part of the lesson requires students to conduct an investigation into three monarchs and decide how successful each of them were using a table to chart their success.
When they have made their judgements, they complete an extended writing task, with scaffolding and help given if required.
The plenary gives twelve answers, to which students have to work out the questions
This lesson includes:
Fun, engaging and challenging tasks
Links to video footage
Printable worksheets
Differentiated tasks
Suggested teaching strategies
Powerpoint format, which can be changed to suit
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to assess the threat posed by Mary, Queen of Scots throughout her life to Elizabeth.
The lesson begins with some context of Mary’s life before students’ decide her threat to Elizabeth before she flees to England from Scotland.
In the second part of the lesson, students learn about the different plots against Elizabeth involving Mary and how Elizabeth and her Privy Council dealt with each in turn.
There is also a diamond nine prioritising exercise as to the main reasons why Elizabeth was so reluctant to execute Mary after the Babington plot.
Some literacy and extract exam practice is also included with help given and a markscheme supplied
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
