The English Civil War The aim of this lesson is to question if James I was the most ‘suitable’ candidate to succeed Elizabeth I as monarch of England, Scotland and Wales. The lesson begins with the death of Elizabeth and the suggestion of the enormity of the task that lays ahead for the new monarch, with the transition from Tudor to Stuart rule. James I puts down his own marker quite forcibly from the start in a letter to her chief advisor, Robert Cecil. Students have to sift through the evidence provided to make up their own minds. They are then required to report back to Cecil with their findings with scaffolding and key words provided if required. The plenary uses the blob playground for students to make links to James and his ‘characteristics’. The lesson 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 suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West, c1835-c1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to assess the importance of Billy the Kid in the continued problems of law and order in the Wild West. Students learn about his story from a young age to him acquiring his notorious reputation as an outlaw and have to emoji rate each part of it to judge how bad he really was. They have to give reasons for each of their judgements before they give an overall assessment of his life. There is an excellent link to a documentary to reinforce the learning. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘importance’ question worth 8 marks, with help given if needed. The plenary uses key letters of the alphabet to link to the learning of the lesson. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included linking their prior knowledge of law and order in the towns It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

AQA GCSE Britain: Health and the People c1000 to present The aim of this lesson is to make the factor question (factors affecting the development of medicine such as war, individuals, science and technology, government, individual brilliance and chance) more accessible to students. A question that we think is an easy one for them to answer in fact causes the students the most difficulty. I find students begin to panic and forget everything they have learnt over the course; many answers become scrambled into a vague paragraph or into a few sentences on some individual’s stories. This lesson can be delivered over two as there is quite a lot of information to get through. A ‘model’ answer is given to them, only for it to be dissected and the ‘generalisations’ identified and highlighted. Some key assessment tips and advice from the exam board to their markers is shared to show students how to create a model answer reaching the higher boundary grades. Students can be properly assessed using recent specimen questions which come complete with an up to date mark scheme from the exam board and my own student friendly mark scheme to peer or self assess in class, where they are shown how they can improve. Further activities include revision on how to categorise the factors and topics which could possible come up in forthcoming exams. It is inevitable that this question will undoubtedly become more demanding and specific as the course embeds itself. 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 comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson and there are differentiated materials included.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to understand the significance of the Johnson County War and the consequences of the range wars between Homesteaders and Cattle Barons. Students are given the context of the range wars, before they have to predict what might happen as they are given 12 key scenarios ranging from the growth of the WSGA, the killing of Ella Watson and Jim Averill and the beginning and end of the Johnson County war. The plenary is a horse race team game where a series of questions are asked. Correct answers allow their horses to progress around the course. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘consequences’ question worth 8 marks with help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some recall retrieval practice is also included using a talking heads activity. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603 The overarching aim of this and the subsequent bundle of eleven lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth I tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her Elizabethan reign. The lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this. This is the third lesson and attempts to clarify the problems Elizabeth I faced as a ruler in her first ten years; from being a female to the succession, foreign policy, Ireland, taxation and religion. Students have to answer a variety of different questions from the start and engage in a thinking quilt to challenge them and link definitions to key words. Students are given a chance to review her biggest problems either in a knockout tournament or using structured questions. This will enable them to answer two of the exam question types; the ‘interpretation’ question and the ‘write an account’ question. Two plenaries focus on retrieval practice and what the students have learnt in the lesson. 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 suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 This lesson focuses on the various attitudes and reactions of the Allies after the Treaty of Versailles 1919 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.

AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 Students in this lesson piece together the events surrounding Hitler’s invasion of the Sudetenland and ultimately Czechoslovakia. They are required to question the wisdom of the policy of appeasement, but also analyse the reasons why Chamberlain pursued this policy and the strengths and weaknesses of this. The lesson is accompanied by a quiz in which points are accumulated for the correct answers, video footage and source material which enable students to answer a ‘how useful’ GCSE source question. They also have to put events in chronological order culminating in the Munich Agreement. They then have to rate these events in order of seriousness and judge which event(s) ultimately contributed to the causes of World War II. The plenary tests the students’ new knowledge from the lesson by analysing some odd one out statements. 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.

AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 In this lesson students have the chance to plot a road map following Hitler’s rearmament policy in the 1930’s leading to the outbreak of war. Students analyse events in Austria, the Saar and political agreements such as the Stresa Front and the Anglo-German naval agreement to judge how these might give Hitler the ‘authorisation’ to rearm. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to tackle a ‘write an account’ GCSE practice question of how Hitler broke the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. They will be able to focus on the causes and consequences of Nazi Germany Rearmament, taking advantage of the frailties and insecurities within Europe and the League of Nations. The plenary further encourages further recall and understanding of Hitler’s aims. 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.

AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 Despite its idealistic aims, the League of Nations did have some successes particularly with its Commissions. Although it is very easy to focus on its problems during the 1920’s, there is a clear theme in the GCSE exam to discuss the successes and well as the League of Nation’s failures. With differentiated worksheets and key information about the Commissions to evaluate, students will at the end of the lesson be able to give examples and evidence to show and discuss the successes. The plenary focuses on recalling their new found knowledge and introduces students to the idea of tackling the higher mark questions first, as in the exam. There is a differentiated homework research task included if required. 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.

AQA GCSE Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship The aim of this lesson is to study and analyse the fascinating Weimar culture that Germany experienced in the 1920’s and to evaluate how it changed Germany in the Roaring Twenties. Art, film, architecture, music and cabaret, theatre and fashion radically changed in Germany and led to the Golden Age which Gustav Stresemann had laid the delicate foundations for. Students analyse these changes through artwork, sources and music of the time, as well as a thinking quilt which focuses on key words and terms used in the lesson. By the end of the lesson, they have to judge how these cultural changes have impacted upon Germany society and explain why these changes have left a lasting legacy today. The final part of the lesson is to answer a GCSE practice question on how Weimar culture impacted upon lives in Germany in the 1920’s. 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.

Rise of Dictators The aim of this lesson is to decide if Castro was a callous or courageous leader of Cuba. Students will learn about how important Cuba was to the USA geographically as well as economically, with the rule of Batista and the corruption in his Government. They will have to decipher some text mapping and dual coding to find this out. They will also be introduced to Castro using video evidence, before given key facts about his rule and his leadership. They will then have to decide where this evidence fits in with their judgements of him being callous or courageous with the extra challenge of judging how strong or weak the evidence is. An extended writing activity with a writing framework and key words to help will enable students to show off their judgements and new found knowledge. The final task is a road mapping exercise with differentiated questioning to see how far they can travel in Cuba. 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.

Rise of Dictators The aim of this lesson is to decide if Robert Mugabe was a hero or a villain. Students are introduced to his early life in a text mapping exercise which they have to decipher to understand his credentials for Presidency. They are given information about Mugabe’s career, such as land reform and human rights abuses, from which they then have to give a number of ratings as to whether he was indeed a hero or villain. Subsequent video footage gives the thoughts of people from Zimbabwe today as well as other commentators to help them in their comprehension of the task in hand. An extended written piece, using a writing frame, will allow students to demonstrate their understanding and give a full evaluation of his rule. A fragment exercise as well as a find and fix plenary recaps on what they have learnt in the lesson and reinforces their judgements of him. 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.

Edexcel Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 This lesson focuses on the financial aid given to Western Europe as part of the Marshall Plan. Students have to evaluate how significant Marshall AId was in relation to the Truman Doctrine and how Stalin reacted this ‘dollar imperialism’. There are differentiated questions which explore why this aid was also offered to Eastern bloc countries, how America was able to offer such huge sums and who received a majority of the Marshall Aid. There is some text to therefore analyse and use to make inferences on Cold War tensions. The plenary asks students a series of questions which recap the lesson and consolidate their learning from previous ones. There is some GCSE exam question practice to complete, with tips on how to answer the consequences question, with a model answer given if required. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and GCSE exam practice. It also comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 The aim of this lesson is to be able to give a narrative account of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Students may already know some of the details of this lesson from their learning at Key Stage 3 on the 13 Days of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Students are given the context of the pictures taken from the U2 American spy plane and evaluate the significance of this find, studying the photographic sources and maps from the time. They then take on the role of President Kennedy and see if they can match the decisions he made and brinkmanship against Khrushchev and the Soviet Union, collecting points on the way. This leads nicely into the GCSE question practice of writing a narrative account of the events, making sure they link the events together coherently and in chronological order. The plenary focuses on analysing the consequences of the crisis for USA and USSR Cold war tensions. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Edexcel Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 The lesson aims to explore the importance of the Kennan’s Long Telegram and Novikov Telegrams. The context of the Telegrams is given at the start of the lesson, with students using video footage to explain the consequences if the atomic bomb was used. Students will also learn of the recommendations each of the foreign ministers proposed to their respective superiors and the importance of their advise, such as containment and mistrust of the West. There is also a home learning challenge which the students can answer a key question and self assess themselves using a model answer. The plenary make use of an interactive connect four game, complete with differentiated questions. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and GCSE question practice. It also comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Edexcel Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91 The aim of this lesson is to analyse the events leading to the Berlin crisis of 1948 and the actions of the Allies to unite a divided Berlin into Trizonia with its new currency, the Deutschemark. Students begin by analysing maps of Berlin to understand its unique position in East Germany; they also use text to find out key information on the Berlin Airlift and decipher key words as well as evaluating how the crisis unfolded during the Cold War using a dual coding and text mapping exercise. The plenary requires the students to use causational equations to explain how and why the crisis happened and the impact on Cold War tensions. There is some GCSE exam question practice to complete, with tips on how to answer the consequences question, with model answers given if required. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning. The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question. The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and GCSE exam practice. It also comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Middle Ages The aim of this lesson is to asses who was Genghis Khan was and how he ruled the largest land area in history, namely the Mongol Empire Students learn about his early life and background and how he became such a powerful ruler. They are required to judge two things about him; how good a leader was he and was he was unifier who brought peace and stability or did he bring chaos and destruction to his Empire? They are required to debate and complete an extended piece of writing with argument words and a scaffolding structure to help them decide. The plenary consolidates their learning about Genghis Khan with key words used in the lesson, from which examples must be given for each. 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 judge the threat Ireland posed to Henry VII and evaluate how much control he exerted over it in his reign. Students are reintroduced to Henry VII’s foreign policy aims and have to decide which one might be applied to Ireland. Anglo-Irish relations will be revisited at the end of the lesson. They are also given information on Henry’s policies towards Ireland and by using a colour coding activity, assess how much in control he actually was. Students are also introduced to Poyning’s Law and the views of two renowned historians to help them justify their conclusions. The plenary revisits Henry VII’s aims and students have to justify which aim is his main priority with Ireland and why. There is also some extract exam question practice, complete with scaffolding and a generic markscheme if required. There is an enquiry question posed and revisited 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 GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45 This lesson questions to what extent the Nazis achieved their aims in relation to young people and the Hitlerjugend. The lesson begins with an introduction to the youth of Germany and their importance, both girls and boys, within the Volksgemeinschaft. Students then analyse the aims of the Nazis education policy, its indoctrination, its youth leaders and are then questioned over the role education played within Nazi Germany. The lesson then switches to the Hitler Youth and similarly the students have to answer a number of questions relating to its policies and aims. A graph of the membership of the Hitler Youth is also evaluated as with Hitler Youth successes and failings. Some exam question practice will consolidate learning at the end of the lesson, which also includes Youth opposition and resistance to Hitler’s policies, so that the aims of the lesson can be addressed. There is a comprehensive markscheme included if required. An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work. The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs. It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

AQA GCE 2O A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45 The aim of this lesson is to assess the use of Nazi terror in enabling Hitler to consolidate his power in 1933. Students begin with some source scholarship using a primary source to describe the evening of 30th January. The lesson is then split over six parts: i) Nazi violence against political opponents ii) the Reichstag Fire ii) the use of legal powers iv) the March election of 1933 v) the Enabling Act vi) the Pact of 1933. This lesson will therefore be delivered over two with regard to the large amount of content to cover. Students are questioned throughout the activities, including a case study on the Reichstag Fire as to whether it was a deliberate act. Students will be given a number of sources to evaluate to come to their own conclusions on Nazi fear and oppression. The lesson also includes a plenary on deciphering some of the key words used in the lesson as well as some source exam practice, with help given if required. An enquiry question posed at the beginning of the lesson will be revisited throughout to track the progress of learning during the lesson and the subsequent unit of work. The lesson is available in PowerPoint format and can be customised to suit specific needs. It is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.