American Civil Rights I have always been fascinated by the contribution Martin Luther King made to the Civil Rights Movement and his leadership which was inspired by Gandhi to promote non-violent struggle. This lesson focuses on five main events in his life, from his speeches and letters, to his marches and boycotts. Students are given information about each of them and they have to evaluate their significance and make a judgement in numerical form. Students then conclude their findings and present them to the class. 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 GCSE 9-1 Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to present The aim of the lesson is for students to understand the role of war in medicine and how many strides are made due to investment made by Governments to treat its wounded soldiers. The lesson begins with the students linking war and its effects on medicine before they have to distinguish which advances have been made in both world wars. The second part of the lesson is based on the wonderful information given by BBC I Wonder on the plastic surgeon Harold Gillies and his attempt to focus on the physical appearance of soldiers affected by war. This part of the lesson is differentiated and requires students to analyse, prioritise and evaluate their judgements. The plenary requires the students to find and fix the statements from what they have learned during 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 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 French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to investigate how rotten Robespierre was. At first, students have to decide and discuss makes a good leader, with suggested answers given They are given some context of the Revolution before they are introduced to Robespierre. The main task of the lesson is to decide whether he was an outstanding leader and a ‘champion of democracy’ or rotten to the core and a ‘depraved monster.’ Students will work through the evidence, which is differentiated, before completing this an extended piece of writing with argument words and a writing frame to help if required. An odd one out plenary to finish aims to challenge what they have learnt in the lesson. 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. It is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

The Tudors This lesson aims to explore how Elizabeth approached the difficult subject of religion. Students are given the context of the religious situation left to Elizabeth by her predecessors, which will then give them answers as to why she took a calm and pragmatic approach to it. Furthermore they have to decide through a colour coding exercise which were the smallest and major problems she faced with religion before deciphering her religious settlement using a text mapping activity. Key questions can be used to understand the decisions she took. A sequencing activity reinforces the learning of the lesson and its significance 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 aim of this lesson is to understand the causes and consequences of Harold Hardrada’s invasion of the north of England. Students learn through narrative and video evidence of the forthcoming battle of Stamford Bridge and how Harold was able to win, despite the hurdles Hardrada’s army put in front of him. Furthermore students have to analyse how much power Harold’s army had and efficiency rate (as with a house) why Hardrada eventually ran out of energy. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The aim of this lesson is to understand why Britain was such a good place to invade. Students are given a thinking quilt to link words and meanings together and challenge their reasoning skills. Further information will help them understand what Britain had to offer to invaders giving context to its cities, markets and population as well as natural resources and weather. Students are then required to justify why England was a good place to invade in 1066, with prompts and help given if required. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to explore the challenges faced by Homesteaders in moving onto the Plains and setting up farms. Students begin by deciding how different inventions could lead to improved farming techniques. They also have to complete a true or false quiz, before using a thinking quilt to match up key facts with the correct questions. The plenary is based around the ‘are you a robot?’ idea which is becoming all too familiar when we are trying to log into a specific website. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘importance’ 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 spider diagram. It comes in Powerpoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel The aim of this lesson is to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of the new inventions introduced in the 19th Century to the Great Plains to aid the Homesteaders and tackle the problems they faced. Students have to decide what a Homesteader would need with up to $1000 and use images to piece together how inventions would help them settle in the Plains. There is an effective rating activity using a battery in which they have to rate the most and least effective of all the inventions (or not if they take into account natural disasters). Some GCSE question practice focuses of the narrative account question with key exam skills attached as well as some help if required. The plenary involves students deciding on the answers to 12 answers. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. Some retrieval practice using the odd one out is also included. It comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The American West 1835-1895, GCSE 9-1 Edexcel This lesson aims to understand and evaluate the impact of the US Government policy on the Plains Indians. Students recall previous Government policy pre 1860 and analyse how this started to encroach on the Plains Indians way of life. They then have to analyse four areas of impact; the coming of the railroad, cattle, reservations and the discovery of gold. Using a cauldron, they have to decide which facts (or ingredients) are the most significant to mix into it. These ingredients are placed on the shelves. The higher the shelf, the more significant the impact of the ingredient. The plenary uses images (the linkee game) to decipher and recap further problems faced by the Plains Indians . Students then have to decide what happened at a consequence. There is some follow up exam question practice using the ‘consequences’ question worth 8 marks. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in Powerpoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

World War I The aim of this lesson is to understand why building trenches led to a static war of attrition. It focuses on some key questions: Why did they build trenches in the first place? Why were the trenches built in zig zags? Why were there lines of trenches behind the front ones and how did they use the barbed wire and sandbags? Through video footage and visual aids, students build up a picture of what a trench looked like, the equipment a soldier would have to carry to build them and the advantages and disadvantages of protecting themselves in a trench. Key knowledge Bingo for the plenary will test students understanding of the lesson. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question of ‘How frightening was the First World War?’ using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout the lesson and this unit of study 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.

World War II The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the reasons why the RAF won the Battle of Britain. With Hitler having conquered France, he soon began his preparations to invade Britain. But with a numerical advantage in planes and skilled fighter pilots, how were the RAF able to defend Britain so effectively? How were they able to overturn another certain disaster into a victory? Students analyse video footage and a ‘top secret report’ to evaluate how the RAF gained an advantage. They also judge how effective the Government’s poster campaign was to convince the public they were in safe hands with the RAF. Ultimately students decide and explain why the RAF won, be it through pilot skill, fuel advantage, the technology of radar, winning the propaganda war or through sheer determination and grit. 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 retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

World War II This lesson was borne out of a necessity to explain the theatres of war in World War 2 after teaching this unit of study at Key Stage 3. Having taught this unit last year without this lesson, I found students were getting confused as to where World War 2 was being fought on a global stage, whether it be fighting in Europe, in the Atlantic, North Africa or in the Far East. Therefore this lesson aims to simplify the geographical locations covered. Using a world map, they have to plot which countries were involved and who they were fighting for, be it for the Allies or the Axis powers. This map will also appear throughout this unit of study to pinpoint where in the world the lesson is focused on. Students will also analyse and study famous photographs of World War 2 and try to explain why they are significant, such as Hitler at the Trocadero in France, the image of St. Pauls in London during the Blitz or the Soviet flag being waved on top of the Reichstag. Students are also required to plot a timeline of events using information provided and subsequently noting whether each event was a success or failure for each side. The subsequent plenary tests students’ general knowledge about the war in an ‘odd one out’ activity. This 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 retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials, and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

World War II The aim of this lesson to analyse and evaluate the part played by women in World War 2. Students will analyse a number of propaganda posters used at the time, with particular reference made to the use of headings, colour, messages and the images used. Traditional teaching has always focused on work undertaken by women such as nursing, the W.A.A.F. or the Women’s Land Army. Although the students will learn the about the vital role women played in these jobs, they will also learn about the Special Operations Executive set up by Churchill as he recruited sixty women to operate behind enemy lines to ‘set Europe ablaze’. There are four case studies to unpick as well as some great video links to accompany the lesson. The plenary requires the students to match the key word to the images shown. 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.

Edexcel 9-1 Medicine in Britain, Thematic study and historic environment This lesson aims to give the context of medical treatments and the advancements made before the outbreak of war in 1914. The lesson focuses on three areas: the strides made in the understanding infection and aseptic surgery, x-rays and blood transfusion. Activities include two different types of retrieval practice, note taking using video evidence, analysis of text and questioning, as well problem solving and GCSE question practice. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowePoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

The French Revolution The aim of this lesson is to examine the significance of the French Revolution today. Students are given information on seven ways it still has a lasting legacy; Bastille Day, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, Politics, the tricolour, Paris, the National Anthem, the Code Napoleon and the Legion of Honour. Students have to decide the most important part of this legacy in their opinion and explain why. There are some excellent video links to the BBC and Youtube as well as a virtual tour of the Eiffel Tower. 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. It is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

Rise of Dictators The aim of this lesson is to decide if Franco should be loved or loathed. This lesson focuses on the policies of Franco in his time in office and opinions today over his legacy. The lesson does however steer clear of the political machinations of Spanish politics of the time and the events of the Spanish Civil War. Students learn about Franco’s early life and have to chronologically order key words in his rise to power. They also have to evaluate the controversy of moving his burial site from the Valley of the Fallen and the significance of doing this. The main task is to analyse key policies in his reign and decide whether he should be loved or loathed. This can the be written up an an extended writing task. The final task requires student to decide which phrases and images associated with Franco are the best fit; students also need to explain why this is the case. 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.

World War I The aim of this lesson is to question the integrity of Field Marshal Douglas Haig, one of the most controversial figures of the war. Does Field Marshal Douglas Haig deserve the nickname of ‘The Butcher of the Somme’? Students are given the context of the ‘Lions led by Donkeys’ argument and are then led through a journey of audio, video, and source evidence from which they have to make a judgement at the end if he deserves his nickname. They will also recognise and analyse how views about Haig have hardened and then softened over time. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout the lesson and this unit of study 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 British Empire The aim of this lesson is to explore the reasons for why Africa became so important to the British Empire and how its people were affected in a global race to exploit it. The scramble for Africa was the reference given by the Times newspaper when several European nations, including Britain, took over most of the continent of Africa. These countries looked to Africa to enrich themselves; students learn which resources they could acquire and analyse the various reasons these European powers grabbed whatever land they could. A thinking quilt challenges thinking and ideas for this scramble and the dangers involved for European nations, whilst a true or false quiz and summarising pyramid checks understanding and reinforces the aims of the lesson. There is also an excellent video link to Cecil Rhodes and his importance to British colonial power in Africa. 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.

AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to analyse the rise of the Duke of Somerset to power. Students are given a timeline of Somerset’s life and the significant events in his rule during Edward VI’s reign. They can also complete some source scholarship with views from various historians summarising his rule. Students also complete a multi-choice quiz on how he consolidated his power and with it the views of his contemporaries. Students then have to justify why he was criticised at the time and if this i a fair reflection. The plenary looks at fragments of sentences which the students have to convert to full sentences, using their learning from the lesson. 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 analyse the Battle of Bosworth Field and decide how and why Henry won. Students are given the context to the battle and how Richard III and Henry VII lined up against each other. Using video evidence, they mind map the key events of the battle and its turning point leading to Henry’s victory. Students are also given the account of the battle from the Tudor historian, Polydor Virgil. They have to determine from the account how Henry used his skills in leadership, tactics, communication and religion to win, which is a useful exercise when studying Tutor propaganda throughout the course. The plenary requires they to decipher a jumbled up number of words in a botched activity. 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.