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.
AQA GCE A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the reasons behind the radicalisation of Nazi policies towards Jewish people in the years 1940-41.
The scene is set with the outbreak of war, the invasion of the Soviet Union and further restrictions placed on Jewish people in Germany.
Students follow a flow diagram of events with questions posed throughout. There is also a case study of the Warsaw Ghetto and its uprising.
They are then introduced to the Einsatzgruppen, what their key aims were and the possible actions they carried out in a true or false quiz. Further information, including whether the group were ‘ordinary men’ or ‘willing executioners’ is examined before students complete a quiz to check their understanding and consolidate their learning.
There is some exam practice to be completed at the end, with a focused markscheme provided 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 A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to judge how far Jewish people assimilated themselves into German society.
Students learn about how many Jewish people became important figure in Weimar society from producers and directors in the film industry, political editors, journalists as well as being successful in finance, banking and cabinet ministers.
They will also assess how events such as the Barnat scandal turned some Germans against the Jewish community and finally judge for themselves how assimilated they had become by 1929.
The plenary is a flash card activity where the students link people and events to themes throughout the lesson.
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 evaluate the consequences of the collapse of the Grand Coalition for the Weimar Republic.
Students begin the lesson with some differentiated questioning on the reasons for the collapse of the coalition and its immediate impact on Government as well as analysing the opposition to the Young Plan and the effects on law and order.
They are also required to evaluate the impact of the decrees passed and the result of Bruning’s disastrous economic policies.
The plenary Is an odd one out activity to consolidate the learning from the lesson.
Some exam practice can be completed at the end, with help and structure given to answer the question if needed.
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 why opposition to the Nazis was limited and sporadic.
Students begin the lesson by giving reasons for opposition and how it might vary across different sections of German society.
A number of tasks are completed on different types of opposition to the Nazis, from youth groups, Churches, elites and the army.
For each opposition group there are key questions, source analysis, links to video footage and a requirement to discuss and debate.
The plenary exemplifies this discussion and debate with a talk like an expert task.
The lesson may be delivered over two lessons. There is some exam practice to be completed at the end with the challenge that opposition methods were too varied and fragmented to be effective against the Nazis. There is a markscheme provided 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 A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess the impact of war upon Nazi Germany.
The lessons begins by assessing the value of some sources, to be used in some exam practice at the end, which questions the effects of the war on civilian morale.
There is a missing word activity for the students to complete after studying how rationing was introduced in Germany and its repercussions.
There is also a grid sheet to complete as students evaluate the four phases of the war and how the use of propaganda affected civilian morale, particularly as the German people began to realise the war was not going to plan and would not end quickly.
An octagon plenary will check understanding and consolidate the learning at the end of the lesson.
The lesson is quite literacy heavy and may have to be delivered over two lessons.
There is some exam practice to be completed at the end, with a markscheme provided 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 A Level Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-45
The aim of this lesson is to assess the reasons behind the radicalisation of the Nazi state.
Students begin by noting the three main phases in the development of the Nazi regime.
They learn about social Darwinism and how this played a role in the formation of the Volksgemeinschaft.
There are some key questions posed about this and the policy of lebensraum.
A 3-2-1 plenary at the end will check and consolidate learning of the racial state.
There is some source exam question practice to finish, with help and tips and a detailed markscheme 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.
Crime and Punishment
The aim of this lesson is to ascertain how attitudes towards punishment have changed in the 21st Century.
Students begin the lesson by deciding which punishments are new in the modern era (change) and which punishments have stayed the same (continuity).
They then analyse how successful new preventative measures are being promoted through schemes such as neighbourhood watch and community policing.
Students also investigate the different policing departments set up to tackle crime, such as Special Branch and the National Crime Agency.
There is a chance to debate the morality of the death penalty and whether it should be brought back or not, with arguments given for both sides.
The final focus is on the role of prisons in today’s society, never far away from the news headlines. A true or false quiz is also designed to challenge misconceptions and clarify current prison problems.
Ultimately there is some recall practice on previous thinking about punishments through the ages, before students can tackle some key assessment question practice, with help and a markscheme provided if required.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies.
Crime and Punishment
The aim of this lesson is judge how effective the punishments were against the crimes committed in Norman times.
Students will also decide throughout the lesson if many of the crimes committed and punishments dispensed were continued or changed under the Normans .
Students begin the lesson with some context of Norman society and then introduced to the new punishments of the Forest Laws and the Murdrum Fine.
They analyse the punishments given by the Norman and then have to categorise the crimes committed from the descriptions given (such as treason, theft, poaching, forest laws and so on).
There are some key questions on the role the Church played in crime and punishment before the students can complete some extended writing practice with a markscheme given if required.
The plenary is a multiple choice quiz to consolidate the 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, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies
Crime and Punishment
The aim of this lesson is judge how effective the punishments were against the crimes committed in Norman times.
Students will also decide throughout the lesson if many of the crimes committed and punishments dispensed were continued or changed under the Normans .
Students begin the lesson with some context of Norman society and then introduced to the new punishments of the Forest Laws and the Murdrum Fine.
They analyse the punishments given by the Norman and then have to categorise the crimes committed from the descriptions given (such as treason, theft, poaching, the forest laws and so on).
There are some key questions on the role the Church played in crime and punishment before the students can complete some extended writing practice with a markscheme given if required.
The plenary is a multiple choice quiz to consolidate the 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, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies
Crime and Punishment
The aim of this lesson is evaluate why the case of Derek Bentley can be classified as a miscarriage of justice.
Students begin the lesson with the background of Derek, his early life growing up and his troubles at school.
They are then given some source scholarship with tasks to complete. The details focus on the events of the night of 2nd November 1953, when Bentley was involved in the shooting of a policeman.
Students use this information to decide if it was right to sentence him to death, despite not firing the shots which killed Constable Sidney Miles.
Some key information of the case has been left out deliberately to then challenge the students to see if they wish to change their minds. (For example they are then told about his severe learning difficulties and metal age.)
Students also complete a diamond nine activity, rating in order of importance the impact and significance of the case.
The lesson ends with some differentiated questions around the subject of the death penalty and a heart, head, bin, bag plenary to consolidate their learning.
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, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies.
This lesson is ideal as an introduction to Crime and Punishment if you are teaching it at GCSE or if you wish to add an interesting unit of work to engage and challenge the students.
The resource can also be used as a stand alone lesson to question the morality of the death penalty, which links to Citizenship, PHSE and Religious Education topics.
Crime and Punishment
The aim of this lesson is to analyse how and why attitudes towards punishment changed in the 18th and 19th Centuries with the development of ‘new’ crimes.
Key questions are posed throughout the lesson. Why was there a shift from public to private punishments? Why was the prison system developed with a focus primarily on retribution and punishment? Why were there a change in attitude towards capital punishment and the desire to expand the police force?
The first part of the lesson assesses the responses of governments to the crimes of highway robbery, poaching, smuggling, rioting, protesting and joining a Trade Union. Students plot the various crimes, giving explanations and reasons for the increase in crimes and how effective the government responses were to reduce it. There is a diamond nine activity and video link to help.
The second part of the lesson plots the strengths and weaknesses of Government punishments such as transportation, the expansion of prisons and the police force.
A thinking quilt at the end of this part of the lesson will check understanding and students can also complete some extended writing practice, with prompts and a markscheme provided.
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, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies.
Crime and Punishment
The aim of this lesson is to introduce students to the concepts of crime and punishment in Britain today.
They begin with a definition of crime and punishment and then have to decide the punishments to fit the eight crimes listed.
There are some key questions to discuss as well as some infamous case studies to analyse and evaluate.
Students will finish the lesson with some extended writing to complete and consolidate with a summary of their learning.
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, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies.
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.
This is a summary revision guide tailored to the OCR Conflict and Cooperation 1918-1939 unit for GCSE (International Relations: The Changing International order 1918-2001).
The resource is in booklet form and is ideal for the student who wants a quick recap before the exam as it set out all the main details in bullet form.
It is also extremely useful and cheap for printing and giving out to the students who can also use it for interleaving and homework.
The resource is editable and can be changed to suit with PDF and Word formats included.
Any reviews of this resource would be extremely welcome.
**Medicine Through Time, c1250-present **
This resource is a condensed version of the Medicine Through Time course onto two sides of A4 .
It is ideal for the student who wants a quick recap before the exam as it includes all the main details in booklet form.
Simply print out double sided and fold down the middle.
It is also great for giving out during revision or cover lessons, especially when the students claim they cannot remember anything they have been taught!
This resource can be also used for homework and interleaving or for retrieval practice.
It can also be easily emailed to parents or put on the school drive for easy access.
I have included both PDF and Word formats if there is a need to change or adapt.
The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to question what sort of a monarch Elizabeth promised to be.
Students also have to decide the initial problems she needed to overcome and how she set about rectifying these to some degree.
The obvious starting point with this, is to compare Elizabeth to her sister Mary. Students then to onto the people most influential in her early years and why. They have the chance to rate and debate each of them.
A quiz will check their understanding of the aims of the lesson and a flashcard plenary requires them to categorise her early monarchy.
There is some challenging homework included which enables students to support and challenge the validity of an interpretation on Elizabeth’s character.
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, fully resourced and includes suggested teaching strategies.
This lesson aims to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of attacking Rochester Castle and understand why it was built in such a strategic position.
It also explores the reasons why the Castle was seized by some disaffected knights in 1215 and why King John was so keen to recapture it.
Students have to evaluate the most effective ways of attacking and defending a Castle and learn how difficult medieval siege warfare was.
The second aim of the lesson is to examine how and why it was captured in the first place, as students continue to analyse the power struggle between the barons and the King.
There is a brilliant video link to the siege which the students follow and answer questions on.
Finally they plot the power struggle between the king, the church, the barons and the people in a sequence of lessons.
This lesson includes:
Fun, engaging and challenging tasks
Links to video footage
Printable worksheets
Suggested teaching strategies
PowerPoint format, which can be changed to suit
This bundle follows the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum - challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day with a focus on the Second World War and the wartime leadership of Winston Churchill.
The aims of this bundle are to know and understand how people’s lives in Britain were affected by World War 2 under the guidance of Winston Churchill.
I have created, readapted and used these lessons to challenge and engage students, but also to show how much fun learning about this part of history really is.
Students will learn and understand key historical skills throughout such as continuity and change in the role and use of propaganda in World War II, the causes and consequences of the policy of appeasement, breaking the Enigma Code or the evacuation of children, the similarities and differences of life on the Home Front, the significance of Winston Churchill and interpretations about whether there really was a Blitz spirit.
The lessons are as follows:
L1 Adolf Hitler
L2 Causes of World War II
L3 Appeasement
L4 Winston Churchill
L5 The Home Front - preparations
L6 The Home Front - propaganda
L7 The Home Front - rationing
L8 The Home Front - women (free lesson)
L9 Evacuation of children
L10 The Blitz
L11 The Enigma Code
L12 Prisoners of war (free lesson)
L13 Occupation of the Channel Islands
This bundle includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials.
All lessons come in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
I have also included two free lessons in the bundle to give an idea of what is being offered.
I would also strongly recommend you assess students on this unit of study based on GCSE style questions from your chosen exam board.
Conflict and Tension 1918-1939
This series of five lessons introduce the first part of the AQA Conflict and Tension course 1918-39 and focus on peacemaking after World War One.
Lessons come complete with suggested teaching strategies and differentiated learning tasks.
I have included many of the typical GCSE questions AQA have so far supplied, from source analysis, write an account, source opposition to the longer 16+4 mark questions.
The lessons are broken down into the following:
L1: Aims of the Peacemakers
L2: Compromise
L3: Terms of the Treaty of Versailles
L4: Satisfaction with the Treaty
L5: The Wider Peace Settlement (free resource)
Lessons also include some retrieval practice activities and come in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Any reviews would be gratefully received.
These eleven 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.
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.
This bundle addresses key historical skills from the outset, from a baseline test to track the students’ starting points, questioning what is history and how to use historical sources.
Furthermore key questions are asked in this period; WHo was Alfred the Great? Why was England a good place to invade in 1066? 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?
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 (free resource)
L7 Contenders to the throne
L8 The Anglo-Saxon and Norman armies
L9 The Battle of Stamford Bridge (free resource)
L10 The Battle of Hastings
L11 Why did William win the Battle of Hastings?
( + Key Word History Display)
All the resources come in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.