10 slides of bullet pointed key content for different topics on the American West, each with an exam question at the end (Edexcel GCSE) I used these at the start of lessons where we were still finishing another topic, just for students to look at as they came into the room then a 5 minute discussion on how to answer the exam question. Covers Plains Indians tribal structure, early government policy towards Plains Indians, Oregon Trail, Mormons, Gold Rush 1849, Later US govt. policy towards the Plains Indians, Building the railroad, Homesteaders, lawlessness and cowboys.

Card sort and essay writing frame for Edexcel Medicine in Britain/Medicine through time. Card sort was created after my class kept putting non-renaissance examples in renaissance questions. Just cut up and ask students to sort into two piles - renaissance or not. Or ‘Renaissance’ and then ‘before’ or ‘after’ the renaissance. Can then use the cards as knowledge to feed into the essay writing frame - what cards would they select as their points for the incomplete paragraphs? Could also be used for other exam questions, i.e. give an explain question and students choose which 3 points they would include.

Lesson that covers US Policy to the Plains Indians from 1830-51, and introduces the analytical narrative question. Includes powerpoint, a timeline worksheet (that uses the Hodder textbook but would work with any textbook with this topic in) an activity where students have to write the final paragraph of a analytical narrative answer on this topic.

Two lessons on the Mormons for Edexcel Paper 2: American West The previous lesson’s homework was reading about the Mormons’ origins and then I did a quick knowledge test at the start of the first lesson. First lesson’s main activity is a decision making activity, putting students in the shoes of Brigham Young preparing for the journey west. Second lesson has a timeline of the journey to sort into the right chronology and uses clips from the LDS YouTube channel to understand parts of the journey. Both lessons build into writing an ‘analytical narrative’ answer on the journey.

Two lessons on moving west for Edexcel paper 2: American West. Powerpoints and worksheets. Lesson 1 looks at the Oregon Trail and push and pull factors for the move west. Lesson 2 focuses on the preparations needed and the expedition of the Donner Party, with a look at analytical narratiive question technique. ‘Lesson notes’ sheets are there as they were created when we were moving to laptops over written notebooks and I was asked to give them a page to start their notes each lesson so just included some of the prompts we would discuss. (I had students research the Oregon Trail before lesson 1, including playing the classic ‘Oregon Trail’ game which I managed to find online.)

A selection of resources revising the US government’s relationship with Plains Indians and the Plains Wars. Includes: Timeline Powerpoint which goes through the relationship and key wars Activity for a consequences question on the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Blank causes/events/consequences storyboard sheet with a worked example on Little Crow’s War (can get students to do their own for other wars). A sample answer for ‘Explain the Importance of the Fort Laramie Treaty (1851).’

A collection of revision resources for Edexcel GCSE Paper 2 The American West, that tackles some of the trickier topics. Includes: An overview timeline, both complete and with blank spaces to fill in as an activity. A 30 mark knowledge test with answers. An overview table of all of the specification content and possible linked exam questions for each of the three question types (consequence, analytical narrative, importance) A word fill on the cattle trade An overview powerpoint of the Plains wars (Little Crow, Red Cloud, Bighorn etc.) with a linked AFL activity on a consequences question on Little Bighorn. Model answer examples for each of the three question types. A topic summary sheet for students to fill in as an activity (with space to define a concept/event and then bullet point notes for answers on the 3 types of question) A blank storyboard sheet for causes, events and consequences, with a worked example of Little Crow’s War. An explain the importance answer on Fort Laramie (1851) An analytical narrative sample answer on the OK Corrall. A timeline of the Plains Wars A worksheet looking at how to make narratives analytical, with a worked example on the Johnson County War and then an activity for students to do a similar answer for a railroads question. 10 revision slides on selected topics, each with a linked exam question