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.
Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the significance of the Truman Doctrine and its implications for East-West relations.
Students are asked to analyse two political cartoons of the time to establish how and why the new foreign policy of the USA was a direct challenge to the Soviet Union. There is help given if required.
As well as studying the finer details of the Truman Doctrine, they also have to understand its consequences for Europe and write this up in a GCSE practice question.
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.
Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91
This lesson aims to explore the reasons why the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and the effect it had on Détente and international relations.
Students are given a quick Geography lesson before deciphering some text mapping to work out the events leading up to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
They are also required to complete some questions relating to the Carter Doctrine as a consequence of the invasion.
There is a colour coding activity to complete on the impact of the invasion as well as a true or false quiz on the deterioration of international relations.
The plenary uses statistics to get the students thinking about the human as well as the financial cost of the war.
There is some GCSE question practice to complete, with help given and a student friendly markscheme 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 material and GCSE question practice.
It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91
The lesson aims to explore the cause and effect of the building of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.
Students will first learn about why people such as Conrad Schuman were desperate to go to the West and how the Wall was built to prevent him and others crossing to the West of Berlin.
There is some source analysis and a thinking quilt designed to challenge students on the social, political and economic impact of the Wall.
A narrative abacus using images will set up the students to tackle a GCSE practice question on a narrative account, with prompts and help 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 material and GCSE question practice.
It 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 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.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the reasons why Wolsey fell from grace.
Students begin by analysing evidence that suggests Wolsey was England’s second king, complete with his domestic and foreign policies.
They then have to make up their minds and decide which key event(s) led to his downfall in an mini extended writing task, with argument words to help them construct their answers.
The plenary uses a flashcard with judgements made on Wolsey from which they are required to agree or challenge.
Students have the chance to undertake some exam question practice, complete with writing frame and markscheme 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.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the success of Northumberland’s rule in comparison to rule of the Duke of Somerset.
Students focus from the start on Somerset’s legacy and the dilemmas now facing Northumberland, such as finance, foreign policy, religion and vagrancy.
They then have to predict what Northumberland will do at home and abroad before being given the information to allow them to make a judgement of how successful he was.
Finally the lesson analyses of the Treaty of Boulogne and Somerset’s foreign policy.
There is some exam question practice to complete at the end, using sources , with help, prompts and a markscheme is 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.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is assess the success or failure of Somerset’s domestic and foreign policies.
From the beginning students learn about the financial crisis left by Henry VIII and how the Scottish war (including a case study of the Battle of Pinkie) meant that Somerset merely exacerbated rather than solved it. They then have to rate how ‘disastrous’ his foreign policy was in Scotland.
They will also evaluate the significance of the Western and Norfolk rebellions by examining their causes, events and Somerset’s response to both of them. Students will then be required to judge his leadership skills.
The plenary uses the octagon to discuss the learning from the lesson.
There is some exam practice to complete if required, together with a planning sheet, markscheme and prompts to help the students.
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 success of Mary’s marriage to Philip of Spain and the significance of the Wyatt rebellion.
Students begin by deciding the pros and cons of marrying Philip and what Mary should consider before entering a union and alliance with a powerful Catholic ally.
Furthermore they will be given details of the marriage and all its clauses and evaluate who benefited more from it both personally and politically.
Students will also analyse the consequences of the marriage with the subsequent Wyatt rebellion and decide how significant and threatening it really was by plotting their thoughts on a grid.
The plenary uses some differentiated questioning to check understanding and challenge their understanding in the wider context of the political situation at the time.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start 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.
These lessons are designed to meet the needs of the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum and cover the development of the Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509; the Norman Conquest.
This bundle addresses key historical skills from the outset using historical enquiry and evidence:
Why was England a good place to invade in 1066 after the fall of the Roman Empire? What was the significance of Alfred the Great? What were the causes and consequences of Edward the Confessor dying? What were the similarities and differences in the claims of contenders to the throne? What was significant about the Battle of Stamford Bridge and how was William the Conqueror able to win the battle of Hastings?
Who was William the Conqueror and how did he establish and maintain his rule in England? What were the causes and consequences of Castle building throughout the British Isles? What were the similarities and differences between the role of the Church, monks and nuns and Doom Paintings? What was significant about the Black Death and its effect on the population of Britain and Europe and how dangerous and unhygienic were Medieval towns?
These skills are addressed in each of the lessons and allow students to be able to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends and be able to create their own structured accounts and written narratives.
The lessons are broken down into the following
L1 Baseline Assessment Test
L2 What is History
L3 Historical Sources
L4 Roman Britain
L5 Alfred the Great
L6 The Anglo-Saxons
L7 Contenders to the throne
L8 The Anglo-Saxon and Norman armies
L9 The Battle of Stamford Bridge (free to download)
L10 The Battle of Hastings
L11 Why did William win the Battle of Hastings
L12 William the Conqueror
L13 Castles
L14 The Domesday Book
L15 The Feudal system
L16 The Church (free to download)
L17 Doom Paintings
L18 The Medieval Church (free to download)
L19 The Bayeux Tapestry
L20 Medieval Towns
L21 The Black Death
L22 Crime and Punishment
L23 The Crusades
Due to restrictions placed on bundle resource, please download The Battle of Stanford Bridge and Monks and Nuns in the MIddle Ages separately (which are free resources.)
These lessons are designed to be fun, challenging, interactive and engaging. The resources come in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
All the lessons are enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start and revisited at the end to show the progression in learning.
They are differentiated and come with suggested teaching and learning strategies and link to the latest interpretations of the conquest from the BBC and other sources.
These lessons are designed to meet the needs of the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum and cover the development of the Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509; the Norman Conquest.
This bundle addresses key historical skills from the outset. Using history enquiry and evidence, student will find out who William the Conqueror was and how did he establish and maintain his rule in England. What were the causes and consequences of Castle building throughout the British Isles? What were the similarities and differences between the role of the Church, monks and nuns and Doom Paintings? What was significant about the Black Death and its effect on the population of Britain and Europe and how dangerous and unhygienic were Medieval towns?
These skills are addressed in each of the lessons and allow students to be able to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends and be able to create their own structured accounts and written narratives.
The lessons are broken down into the following:
L1 William the Conqueror
L2 Castles (+attacking a Castle game)
L3 The Domesday Book
L4 The Feudal system
L5 The Church (free resource)
L6 Doom Paintings
L7 The Role of monks and nuns (free resource)
L8 Medieval Towns
L9 The Black Death
L10 Crime and Punishment
L11 The Bayeux Tapestry’
L12 The Crusades
(+ Key Word History Display)
These lessons are designed to be fun, challenging, interactive and engaging.
I would strongly recommend the students undertake an assessment at the end of this unit, using GCSE exam style questions from your own chosen exam board.
All the lessons are differentiated and come with suggested teaching and learning strategies and link to the latest interpretations of the conquest from the BBC and other sources.
All the resources come in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
I have created these set of resources for the History GCSE 9-1 Edexcel Historic Environment for the British sector of the Western Front, 1914-1918.
The central question throughout these seven lessons is to find out how medicine developed throughout the conflict of World War 1. They are closely linked together and address all the content required for this unit.
Pupils will learn about the injuries, treatment and life in the trenches for the soldiers. Key ideas include:
The historical context of medicine in the early twentieth century and the move to aseptic surgery
The trench system and its construction and organisation
The context of the British sector including Northern France and Flanders
The problems with communications and infrastructure due to the nature of the terrain
The nature of wounds received and the conditions requiring medical treatment
The work of organisations such as RAMC and FANY
The significance of the Western Front for experiments in surgery and new techniques used.
The lessons are broken down into the following:
L1: Introduction and the trench system
L2: Flanders and Northern France
L3: Move to aseptic surgery (free lesson)
L4: Deadly weapons and injuries
L5: Trench warfare and the problems of transport
L6: Helping and treating the wounded
L7: GCSE exam question practice
Each lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies and are linked to the latest historical interpretations and ideas used by current history teachers on twitter.
The lessons are fully adaptable in PowerPoint and can be changed to suit. I have included a free lesson to give an idea of what is being offered.
This bundle is the first part in a series of lessons I have created for Edexcel GCSE 9-1 Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-1991.
The lessons are all differentiated, fully resourced, amenable on Powerpoint and are tailored 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 the formation of the Grand Alliance to the outcomes of Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam as well as the ideologies of East and West and the Berlin crisis.
They will explain and analyse (AO2) second-order concepts such as change and continuity in tensions between East and West, the causes and consequences of the formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact as well as the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid.
The lessons are as follows:
L1 Origins of the Cold War
L2 Conferences of Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam
L3 The Kennan and Novikov Telegrams
L4 Soviet Satellite States
L5 Truman Doctrine
L6 Marshall Aid
L7 Cominform and Comecon (free resource)
L8 Berlin Crisis 1948
L9 NATO and Warsaw Pact
L10 Significance of Arms Race (free resource)
L11 Hungarian Uprising
The lessons are enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lessons and revisited throughout 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 form mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question.
The resources include retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and GCSE exam practice questions and come in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
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.
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.
Conflict and Tension 1918-1939
What did Hitler want for Germany when he came to power and what were Hitler’s aims?
This lesson is a key component to understanding and analysing the causes of World War II.
Students are introduced to Hitler’s foreign policy and decide which were his six main aims for Germany.
They also have to link these aims back to the Treaty of Versailles and decide what Hitler’s intentions were from the start.
There is a chance to complete a literacy challenge at the end as well as answering a GCSE source question with some guidance given 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 GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess the problems Stresemann faced as Chancellor.
Students are given the context to the state of Germany by the end of 1923 and the background to Stresemann’s arrival to lead the Grand Coalition.
They are given four pressing problems facing Stresemann and have to prioritise what he should tackle first. A series of question will also challenge their thinking on his decisions, with answers given when required.
Students will also learn the roles of Hjalmar Schact and Charles Dawes and their significance in stabilising Germany.
Finally some exam practice focuses them on how Germany recovered and how the loans from America were put to good use.
The plenary is an old favourite of head, heart, bin and bag.
There is a 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 GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution.
Students are introduced to the reasons why a constitution was introduced and a new Republic set up. They then have to analyse the details of the constitution, assessing its strengths and weaknesses. This also includes deciding the winners and losers and the issues still facing Germany as a consequence.
There is a focus on some key details such as Article 48 and the rule by Presidental decree as well as the survival of some undemocratic institutions.
There is some exam practice to complete if required, complete with hints and tips and a generic markscheme included.
The plenary concludes with a find and fix activity,
There is a 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 GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the consequences of Schleicher’s scheming.
Students begin the lesson with a chronological quiz, recapping the events of the unit of work so far.
They are then introduced to Hindenburg inner circle and how he was influenced by them in his decision making. Students also learn about Schleicher’s tactics to bring the Nazis under his control. They subsequently have to put themselves in Schleicher’s shoes and unpick his decision making.
With Schleicher’s ultimate failure to govern effectively, students conclude by finalising the reasons why Hitler was to become Chancellor.
Students can complete some exam question practice at the end of the lesson, with structured support provided to help them effectively answer the question.
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 A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess how much of a threat early opposition to the Nazis was.
From the off, students have to decide and give reasons why there would be political, worker, Church and youth opposition.
They then have to complete some source scholarship from an SS article, promoting total allegiance and devotion of the state.
The main task is to analyse the different forms of early opposition giving reasons for why and how resistance was shown, as well as the Nazis reaction to it
A headline plenary will aid the consolidation of learning from the lesson.
There is some source exam practice to complete if required, with help given together with a generic markscheme.
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 A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to decide to what extent the Nazis achieved their aims towards women in Nazi Germany.
Students are forewarned about how views today cannot be applied back then and therefore Nazi policies towards women, as misogynistic as they were, would not necessarily have been rejected but welcomed by women.
Some source analysis using images and text begin the lesson, as students gauge what Nazi policies were towards women in 1930’s Germany.
They are questioned on policies to raise the birth rate as well as the organisational apparatus established to do this.
There is a case study of Gertrude Sholtz-Klink before students evaluate the successes or failing of these Nazi policies.
The plenary uses talking heads to decide who would have said what and why at the time.
There is some exam practice to finish focusing on the aims of the lesson, complete with a markscheme and help if needed.
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.
