The aim of the lesson is to question if Japan was justified in attacking Pearl Harbour without a declaration of war against the United States in the Second World War. This question is revisited later in the lesson to see if the students have changed their minds. As this is a new theatre of war and not in Europe, the lesson sets out clearly where the war was fought in the Pacific, the location of Pearl Harbour and its significance to the USA. Students are required to discover what Japan wanted and the reasons behind their surprise attack with a choice of options available to piece the jigsaw together. An excellent activity of Pearl Harbour in numbers, which is an idea from KNNTeach, enables students to clearly recognise the initial damage done to Pearl Harbour by the Japanese attack. There are video links to film footage as well as a plenary activity from which the students have to make up questions to the answers given on post it notes. 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 lesson comes in PowerPoint format is there is a wish to change and adapt.

Edexcel 9-1 Medicine in Britain, Thematic study and historic environment This lesson aims to give the context of the British sector of the Western Front and the theatre of war in Flanders and Northern France, the Ypres Salient, the Somme, Arras and Cambrai. They will also discover that not all the fighting was done in muddy trenches as most students generalise about. Students will learn why there was a salient around Ypres and the advantages this gave the Germans on the higher ground, including Hill 60. They will analyse the horrific death and injuries suffered on the first day of the battle of the Somme and why this battle was initiated in the first place. Furthermore they will investigate the tunnelling system around Arras and the hospital built there, now called the Wellington Tunnels. Finally they are given information about Cambrai and judge the impact of the tank in the overall outcome of the battle. Activities include retrieval practice, the use of video evidence, a prioritising exercise as well as discussion and debate. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

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

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.

The British Empire The aim of this lesson is to discover who the Zulus were and how and why their fighting left a lasting legacy on the British Empire. Students will also find out why the British army, allegedly the best and most disciplined fighting force in the world at the time be defeated and humiliated at the Battle of Isandlwana? They will also analyse how within hours they were heroically defending their lives at Rourke’s Drift in one of the most unlikely ‘victories’ in British military history. Students evaluate both battles, creating headlines and writing articles, using argument words and second and third tier vocabulary. They finally appraise the events of 1879, concluding how both battles should be viewed overall in history and their legacy. 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 lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The aim of this lesson is to understand how successful William the Conqueror was controlling England through his survey. Students will learn how he needed to find out as much as he could about the Anglo-Saxon population. They are encouraged at the start to answer a series of questions (a survey) of what they own; this is exactly what William did, but minus the enthusiasm shown in the class to list all their belongings! Through a study of horrible history video footage and source analysis, students realise just how intrusive this new book was and they have to justify, whether in written form or orally, why people in medieval society began to resent it. For homework they have a chance to find out about their own area and what it offered in 1086 with an exemplar given. This is a fun, interactive and challenging lesson in which all the students can take part and make their own conclusions. 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 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 First World War The aim of this lesson is to question how much Britain valued its Empire soldiers in the First World War. This subject is very topical at present as historians such as David Olusoga are putting cultural diversity at the forefront of our British history curriculum. The starting point of the lesson is to analyse the story of Private Johnson Beharry, focusing on his background and the reasons why he was awarded a Victoria Cross, through source or video evidence. Students will then link his story to World War I, where they will learn how more V.C.’s were awarded to British Empire soldiers than anyone else and discover which parts of the Empire contributed to the war effort and why. There are case studies in the lesson focused on troops from the Punjab and the West Indies. The main task students face is to judge how valued British Empire soldiers were at the time and if not, how and why they were viewed differently. Ultimately they will need to clarify why this varied widely according to country and race. They will also be required to write an extended answer using their own opinions, with argument words and scaffolding given if required. There is a plethora of video evidence to accompany this lesson, with brilliant clips from the BBC and other sources. Students will finally consolidate their learning by creating sentences from ‘fragments’ and a retrieval task on the First World War. 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 Suffragettes The lesson focuses on the main differences between the Suffragists and Suffragettes, but also examines their similarities in their aim of votes for women. Students are asked as to why women wanted the vote and how were they going to achieve it? Further into the lesson, students have to analyse the various methods used by both groups (peaceful protest vs militant tactics) and have to question, prioritise and justify their effectiveness in women’s rights campaign history. A differentiated plenary questions and checks their understanding of the lesson and the aims of Emmeline Pankhurst and Millicent Fawcett. 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 Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of the lesson is for students to understand why penicillin was seen as a wonder drug and how it was discovered by Fleming and then developed by Florey and Chain during the Second World War. Students first of all learn about the role played by Alexander Fleming in the story of penicillin from his chance discovery and the acclaim that eventually followed. The lesson therefore leads the students inadvertently to celebrate his attributes and significance. The second part of the lesson devotes itself to the parts played by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain in the development of penicillin during World War II. Questions and sources are used to analyse why they were unhappy with Fleming and how they had tremendous problems initially producing enough to treat patients effectively. Students have to now question their original assumptions and finally evaluate the most significant of the three in the story of penicillin and antibiotics. There is also some source analysis for exam question practice. The lesson is accompanied by video footage and other documentary evidence as it establishes the part played by factors such as individual genius, science and technology as well as chance. 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.

AQA GCSE Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of the lesson is to understand why and how the NHS was introduced to Britain in 1948 with the Beveridge Report and despite initial sets backs and opposition, why it is still an amazing institution and the envy of the world. Students analyse the reasons how the NHS was introduced by the Labour government and have to explain why. Key people are discussed such as Aneurin Bevan and Sir William Beveridge and using source analysis and GCSE exam question practice, students evaluate how some doctors were opposed to Bevan and the NHS from the start. Video footage at the time shows how the Government tried to calm some fears and how its message on health has changed through the centuries. There is some text analysis with colour coding and evaluation throughout as well as a focus on literacy in the plenary. 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.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to assess the situation in Europe on the accession of Elizabeth and decide how this will influence her foreign policy and diplomatic relations with France, the Netherlands and Spain. Students recap on the foreign policy aims of previous Tudor monarchs and predict how Elizabeth will deal and react to some initial problems, such as the loss of Calais. Students will also be required to answer some key questions using the information sheets provided: Which country posed the biggest threat to Elizabeth and why? Was Elizabeth reactive or proactive? Did England follow a consistent foreign policy and who controlled it, Elizabeth or her advisers? Some exam question practice is included which will also the context of Mary, Queen of Scots, with a detailed markscheme to help 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.

This lesson poses the question ‘How much of a threat did Mary, Queen of Scots pose to Elizabeth I?’ Students are taken through Mary’s life from becoming Queen of Scotland to the controversy of her husbands and her eventual house arrest in England. Through sources, visual and video evidence, students have conclude how much of a threat Mary posed to Elizabeth, after pleading their case through the eyes of Mary herself. There is some help to write an extended answer using key words which help mention cause and effect, to sequence events and to emphasise judgements. There is also analysis of the Babington Plot and a deciphering exercise to work out on how Mary was implicated. 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 British Empire The aim of this lesson is to discover how tough it was to colonise the New World for British settlers and why America fought for its independence from Britain. The lesson begins with the Pilgrim Fathers and students discuss the reasons why they and many families began to settle in the New World. Further analysis requires students to judge how tough it was to set up in America and the impact they made on the local communities they came into contact with. Having made their judgements, students can engage in an extended writing task with key words and a writing frame to use if required. The second part the lesson analyses the reasons why the colonists became so angry with Britain and claiming no taxation without representation. Students are then required to give reasons as to why a war ensued and the significance of George Washington of the Declaration of Independence. A true or false plenary focuses on the legacy of Britain’s Empire in America and its links to today. The lesson comes with 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 lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The aim of this lesson is to understand how the British Government prepared for World War II and if they were successful in doing so. The lesson begins by analysing a source and making inferences about the precautions to be taken in times of war. Furthermore students will also have to decide the Government’s priorities in the Second World War by making judgements as to whether they are low or high, from ideas such as rationing to aid raids or war work to conscription. They will then complete some research focusing on four areas: warning people of air attacks, the Homeguard, the use of gas masks and the blackout. Students will plot what the government did or didn’t do on a grid and then after analysing and processing the evidence, justify their conclusions using a colour coding evaluation table as well as completing an extended written task. The plenary requires students to answer differentiated questions to check their understanding. 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.

The Holocaust The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the reasons why Josef Mengele escaped justice for the part he played in the Holocaust. I have been inspired to write this lesson after reading an article by Gerald Posner who spent three decades trying to track him down. The story makes fascinating reading; but was Mengele a brilliant mastermind at escape and evasion tactics or was it pure incompetence on the part of the West German authorities and a lack of will from the Western governments to track and find him? Students are given the context to Josef Mengele, his background and a very brief description of the war crimes he committed at Auschwitz, without going into specific details. They complete a missing word activity, before analysing the fake passport he used to flee to South America. The main task is to judge how believable his escape story really is, with some red herrings thrown in for good measure to get the students really thinking. Some key differentiated questions, an extended writing piece, with some ‘believable’ words as well as a thinking quilt will give the students an accurate account of his double life. There is also an excellent link to video footage of a documentary by Gerald Posner himself. The resource comes in PowerPoint formats if there is a wish to adapt and change and is differentiated. I have also included suggested teaching strategies to deliver the lesson.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to analyse the problems and challenges Elizabeth faced in 1558 and evaluate if the decisions she took were right at the time. Students begin with some source analysis and decipher some contemporary opinions of Elizabeth. They also judge the biggest problems and challenges facing her reign at home and abroad, before linking the views people may have had at the time, from a prosperous farmer to a Marian exile or a town councillor. The final task is to predict which decisions Elizabeth made for finance, the succession, trade and the economy and choosing her Privy Councillors. 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 assess the importance of courtship and marriage for Elizabeth. Students begin the lesson by recapping the importance of marriage for previous Tudor monarchs and the reasons for their choice of partner. They then decide who is Elizabeth’s best suitor and what benefits they might bring politically to England 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. . There are some key questions posed to the students as well as judging the relevance of some historians points of view, such as Doran, Haig and Jordan. Some source scholarship can be completed with a themed linked plenary to Elizabeth and the marriage question. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

The aim of this lesson is to analyse the character and motives of Henry VII when he became King. The lesson focuses on some crucial and important decision making for Henry VII upon his accession to the throne and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. He has six decisions to make and students plot these on a grid giving their own judgements before finding out and evaluating how ruthless Henry was in charge. The lesson hinges upon whether he was a Gangster or not (judged on the criteria at the beginning of the lesson) in an extended and differentiated written answer with a checklist for guidance. 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 Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of this lesson is to determine how much of an impact the Renaissance had on Medicine. Students study and analyse key figures such as Andreas Vesalius, Ambroise Pare and William Harvey with their individual specialisms and contributions at the time of the Medical Renaissance. They then have to decide who has made the most important contribution to medicine and justify their decisions thinking about short, medium and long term significance. Opposition to all three is evaluated as students decide who was being criticised and why. There is a brilliant video link to BBC teach as well as learning activities to check understanding. 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.

AQA GCSE Britain: Health and the People This resource in booklet form sets out the whole AQA GCSE 9-1 Britain: Health and the People c.1000 to present course in two sides of A4, including the exam questions This is ideal for the student who wants a quick recap before the exam as it sets out all the main details in bullet form. The summary guide includes all the main individuals, events and discoveries made which are asked in the exam. It is also great and cheap for quickly printing and giving out for revision lessons, especially when the students claim they cannot remember anything you have taught! I have included both PDF and Word formats if there is a wish to change and adapt.