The aim of the lesson is to analyse the power struggles between Edward II and his barons. Students begin by discovering the problems of Edward II, which they will rate in order of seriousness (and will find they were mostly brought on by himself!). They then complete an extended writing task with key literacy words given to help them. Students will learn about the central character of the story, a leading nobleman named Roger Mortimer and complete a missing word activity to find out why and how he escaped his imprisonment in the Tower of London. They then have to rate how much power the King had, in the struggles with this leading nobleman and his own wife, Isabella. Some hinge questions and a literacy task complete the lesson. They continue to plot the power struggle between the king, the church, the barons and the people on a graph. In a sequence of lessons they answer the question – who ruled in medieval England? This lesson includes: Fun, engaging and challenging tasks Printable worksheets Differentiated tasks Suggested teaching strategies PowerPoint format, which can be changed to suit

The aim of this lesson is for the students to assess how ‘great’ King Alfred was. Students are given the context to Alfred’s reign with his attempt to unite the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to fight back against the Vikings and their area known as Danelaw. There are quite a few key words used in this lesson, so students have to complete a heads and tails task. They are also required to complete a missing word activity as well as analysing his statue at Winchester. The main task will be judge and rate out of ten which of the sixteen statements make Alfred ‘great’ or not. An extended writing activity will allow them to make judgements and justify their decisions. There is also chance to complete a verbal boxing debate using some of the key ideas of his rule from the lesson. The plenary will check understanding with a truth or lie activity. This lesson is also excellent as an introduction to studying the Anglo-Saxons and Normans for GCSE. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

World War II The aim of this lesson is to challenge the Government’s claim that during World War Two, a Blitz spirit of togetherness emerged across the country in defiance of the bombing of Britain’s cities. This lesson takes students on a journey through archive video footage, government announcements and source information to determine if there was indeed a Blitz Spirit during the war. Students are given details of what the Blitz entailed using some contextual evidence and a thinking quilt. They then have to analyse and evaluate a variety of sources and statistics before they conclude and justify which sources best suit the driving question of the lesson. The plenary is a take on the television programme, ‘Would I lie to you?’ and the idea is to again challenge assumptions. The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning. The resource includes retrieval practice activities, suggested teaching strategies and differentiated materials. It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

Britain: Health and the People c.1000-present These key individual flashcards aim to get the students thinking of key people and their significance in medicine. I always find students have revised thoroughly for exams, but do not push their grades into the higher brackets as they focus on content rather than the individual’s impact and importance, particularly over time. There are 36 individuals listed, Students can use them in class (I use them as starters and plenaries) or to take home and use for their own personal revision programme. I also display them in the classroom (enlarged) and use when teaching this unit of study. The resource comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.

The aim of this lesson is to assess the impact and legacy of the Roman Empire upon Britain. Students begin by deciphering some key words and then analyse a map of Roman Britain. They are given some context to the Roman in Britain as well as the reasons why they left. The main task is to research what the Romans left behind in Britain when they left, from bathhouses, to villas, language, roads and towns. There are some excellent video links as well as some extended writing to complete if required. The plenary will check understanding with a multiple choice quiz. The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.

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. 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. 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 threat posed by Mary, Queen of Scots throughout her life to Elizabeth. The lesson begins with some context of Mary’s life before students’ decide her threat to Elizabeth before she flees to England from Scotland. In the second part of the lesson, students learn about the different plots against Elizabeth involving Mary and how Elizabeth and her Privy Council dealt with each in turn. There is also a diamond nine prioritising exercise as to the main reasons why Elizabeth was so reluctant to execute Mary after the Babington plot. Some literacy and extract exam practice is also included with help given and a markscheme supplied 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.

The British Empire The aim of the lesson is to assess the importance of apartheid in South Africa both politically and economically. The lesson begins by giving the context of South Africa being part of the British Empire and it move toward independence and the introduction of apartheid. Students have a quiz to complete as well as source scholarship on its introduction in 1948. They also evaluate the restrictions it imposed on the non white population of South Africa, where they are required to give their opinions on it as well as the significance at the time, overtime and nowadays. The lesson also focuses on the impact of the ANC and Nelson Mandela’s contribution to a modern South Africa and the part he played in ending apartheid. There are some excellent video links to his life and work as well as the Soweto uprising of 1976. The lesson concludes with a diamond nine activity to prioritise the main reasons why apartheid came to an end. The lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies and are 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 Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to analyse the importance of 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. The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit. The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.

The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to analyse the problems 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 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.

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 lesson, is to compare Elizabeth to her sister Mary. Students then decide 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 flahcard plenary requires them to categorise her early monarchy. 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.

The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to give the context of the religious changes that have happened in England since the reign of Henry VIII. Students begin by focusing on the different religions present in England under Elizabeth, such as Lutheranism, Catholicism, Puritanism and Presbyterianism. They are given a religious road map to complete before analysing the political situation in Europe in 1558 and the threats posed by the Catholic states of France and Spain. Finally they assess Elizabeth’s personal beliefs and the state of the English Church at the beginning of hr reign, before predicting how Elizabeth will tackle religion upon her accession. 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 how successful Elizabeth’s policy of plantation in Ireland really was. Students begin by plotting areas on a map of Ireland and are required to explain previous Tudor policy in Ireland with some prompts when needed. After being given the context to Ireland in 1558, they then analyse Elizabeth’s policy in Ireland and rate how effective each was, bearing in mind rebellions such as Shane and Hugh O’Neill. There is some exam extract analysis practice to complete if required, complete with markscheme. The plenary focuses on some interactive flashcards which recall the learning in 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.

The British Empire This lesson explores the rise and fall of Robert Clive of India. Should he be regarded as a hero or a villain of the worst kind? The first part of the lesson establishes his heroic reputation through video and source analysis. Students then sift through a variety of source information and plot a graph coming to their own conclusions and judgements. They also analyse the Battle of Plassey as an additional task and decide whether their judgement has been correct all the time. The plenary requires them to create a plaque for Clive of India to sum up his reputation according to the evidence. The lesson comes with suggested teaching and learning strategies and are linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate. The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.

Civil Rights in America The aim of this lesson is to assess how far Jesse Owens inspired the Civil Rights Movement. Students begin by analysing his early childhood and how his athletic talents was spotted at a young age. Students will also assess how Jesse coped in the segregated south with the Jim Crow Laws and judge how far this impacted upon his athletics career. There is a chronological exercise to complete, together with video footage of the Berlin Olympics and some differentiated questioning on his medals, achievements and legacy… A true or false quiz at the end will attempt to question how Jesse Owens was received back in the USA after the Berlin Olympics and how far his life changed. 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.

The Tudors: England 1485-1603 The aim of this lesson is to ascertain how smoothly Elizabeth consolidated her power on her succession to the throne. Students use source and documentary evidence to argue how Elizabeth used her coronation so effectively and think how Cecil might advise the Queen from the outset. There is a true and false activity as well as some source scholarship to consolidate the learning in the lesson. Students also have to think why a proposed marriage to Philip II of Spain might have its merits. 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 reasons for the increasing problems Elizabethan society underwent towards the end of the 16th Century. Students also have to evaluate the impact of these changes upon society as a whole, from a rising population, gentry class and continuing inflation. They will also question if there was a crisis in the aristocracy, a case put forward by renowned historians such as Hugh Trevor Roper, as he argues their decline of importance coincides with a rise in influence of the gentry class. Finally students will examine and decide if there were any differences in the patterns of trade in the Elizabethan era compared to previous Tudor times. Was England still dominated by agriculture and the cloth trade to Antwerp or were any changes happening to expand markets? 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 challenge the view that Mary’s foreign policy was a disaster. Students are given the context to Europe at Mary’s accession to the throne and how she was brought into the Habsburg-Valois conflict as a result of her marriage to Philip II of Spain. There are some differentiated questions to answer using some extended comprehension, as well a discussion on the pros and cons of her foreign policy. This is a case study of the capture of Calais from a recent BBC magazine article which sets up an extract practice question to answer, complete with a detailed markscheme to help if required. The plenary challenges what students have learnt in the lesson and some assumptions made by historians. 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.

The aim of this lesson is to explore how historians find out about the past using historical sources. Students are firstly questioned about how we can find out about Castles or Roman artefacts for example with usually some interesting replies. They then have to study four historical sources with differentiated questioning to help decipher and discover their provenance. There is an extended writing task to complete with their new found knowledge, with help and prompts 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.

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.