AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People thematic unit. In this lesson we look at how Oliver Cromwell should be remembered. We start with a simple retrieval practice quiz ‘. We discuss the Commonwealth briefly before the pupils complete a text analysis using highlighters on events immediately after Charles’ execution. We then have a look at the evidence for Cromwell being either a hero or a dictator. We look at the Diggers and the Levellers as challenges to the Commonwealth with the aid of a video clip. We then briefly look at the Commonwealth’s end and the Restoration before finally considering several portrayals of oliver Cromwell from 4 different sources. The pupils complete a task called ‘The Gallery of Cromwell’ where they dissect the different interpretations of Cromwell and the reasons for this. I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the major European powers took to re-armament before WWI. We start with a quick retrieval practice quiz putting the events into chronological order. We than look at the tension between the alliances how this lead them to increase production of arms and military plans. The pupils annotate a map of Europe in different colour pens to show how each major power was preparing their armed forces and military plans for conflict. We then turn to the naval race and the pupils look at several sources to explore how Britain and Germany entered into a naval race, why this happened and what the outcome was. we finish with a bio-poem to kaiser Wilhelm. The idea is for the pupils to show the Kaiser’s military and imperial ambitions for Germany. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the Moroccan crises increased political tension amongst the political powers in Europe. We start with a quick retrieval practice quiz. We than look at the location of the ?Balkans and how the declining power of the Ottoman Empire left some European Powers looking for opportunities for annexation. The pupils consider a source from the time and answer some questions. They then look at the events of the Balkan Wars and complete “The Road to War” diagram in their books, visually recording the increasing tension. We then consider the results of the conflict and the pupils consider how that might lead to further war. We then tackle a 16 mark question and the pupils have some guidance on how to complete that. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the Battle of The Somme for the Conflict & Tension 1894-1918 unit. We start with a simple retrieval practice quiz. We then introduce Douglas Haig and his warning to British Politicians of the need to accept more losses in order to defeat the Germans. We then look at Rawlinson and Haig’s plan for July 1st. The pupils summarise the stages of the plan and write any concerns they might have about the tactics used. We then have a text analysis of the events of the battle with the pupils highlighting the successes and failures of the allied troops. We then look at the criticism of General Haig for the losses and how the soldiers felt about the offensive. We then complete a battle summary sheet before tackling an exam question. We finish with an Ode to Douglas Haig if there is time. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

The first lesson in a Key stage 3 unit of work on the Welfare State. The lesson introduces the conditions that the poor had to endure in the early 1900’s through the use of video clips and sources. The pupils complete a text analysis that summarises the political situation in regards to public health. We then look at the Liberal Reforms that were introduced by the Liberal Government in 1906 and then successive governments. The pupils complete an information hunt and complete a hexagon task in which they explain how the reforms help tackle poverty poor health. I hope that this proves useful and saves you some time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the reasons for the offensive, the events of the offensive and its ultimate failure. We start with a simple multiple choice retrieval practice quiz. We then have a brief recap of the situation for all sides at the beginning of 1918 and the reasons why Ludendorff felt a major offensive was the only option. After a brief look at Ludendorff’s backstory we watch a video clip whilst the pupils answer questions on the plan itself. We then look step by step at the events of the offensive and the pupils summarise and answer questions. We then record Ludendorff’s reaction as the news of problems with the offensive reaches him. The pupils need to justify why he would react in that manner. We then look at the reasons for the failure of the offensive by using a source and complete some exam practice using a 16 mark ‘to what extent do you agree’ question with guidance. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the actions taken to end WWI. We start with a simple true or false retrieval practice quiz. We then have a recap of the Hundred Days Offensive with some questions. We then use a thermometer analysis to look at increasing problems for Germany and the pupils explain why they have given the ratings that they have and explain what the most serious issues for Germany were. We then look at the events of the signing of the armistice and the pupils look at the terms of the agreement. They record how the German public would react to the terms of the armistice and explain why. We then compare two sources from General Hindenburg and the pupils look for and explain differences. We then finish the lesson with a video clip and a task to see to what extent the terms of the armistice were too harsh on Germany. This could be done as a simple show of hands or a full written task. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

Key Stage 3 lesson looking at the murder of Thomas Beckett in 1170. The lesson has a focus on causation with the pupils looking at long-term, short-term and trigger causes of his murder. The lesson includes an image source starter with questions. We then watch a video clip and the pupils complete a question sheet. We then look at how to identify short-term, long-term and trigger events before applying this to the case of Thomas Beckett. We then complete an extended writing task where the pupils write a report to Pope Alexander detailing the causes of the event and who is ultimately reposnsible for Beckett’s death. Included is: Picture source starter Video clip with notes sheet Activities around causation in history Information sheet and reading activity Extended writing task with structured guidance. Hope this helps. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE History lesson from the Reform and Reformers section of the Power and the People unit. In this lesson we look at what New Unionism is and begin by looking at two strikes. The Match Girls’ strikes of 1888 and the London Dockers’ strikes in 1891. We compare the strikes and evaluate their success. We then contnue to a short source extract practice question on the strikes. The pupils then examine a longer extract about the impact of New Unionism to evaluate how successful the movement was at gaining control over their employers and from the government. Included is: Source starter using newspaper extract Comparison task with two strikes 4-mark inference question practice Extract task using highlighters and written response from pupils. Hope this helps. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

GCSE Anglo Saxon and Norman England 1060-87 for the new specification 2016. In this lesson we look at the Battle of Hastings. The objective of the lesson is to determine to what extent mistakes by Harold, strength/skill and tactics played a part in the outcome of the battle. We start with a quick retrieval quiz from last lesson. We then look at who had the advantage going into the battle by comparing armies, battlefield position, leaders and tactics. We compare our judgements with an interpretation and the pupils answer questions based around the interpretation. We then plot the events of the battle on a graph to show who had control at various points, the pupils then annotate the graph to show examples of luck, mistakes and military strength We then pull all the strands together and finish with a piece of extended writing on a 16 mark question based on to what extent mistakes played in the outcome of the battle. The pupils have some guidance on how to structure their answer. Hope this saves you some valuable planning time! https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People Thematic Unit. In this lesson we look at the events after the Battle of Lewes, leading up to the Battle of Evesham and Simon de Montfort’s death. The starter is a simple put the events in chronological order activity. We begin the lesson by looking at the events of the Battle of Lewes and how Edward’s escape led to a waning of support for de Montfort. The pupils will write a paragraph using evidence from the board about the barons misgivings with de Montfort. We then look at the Battle of Evesham and the significance of THe Provisions of Oxford. The pupils complete a survey on the significance and write a response using a writing frame. We then compare the Provisions of Oxford with Magna Carta for similarities and differences. We final finish with a bio poem on Simon de Montfort. I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People thematic unit. In this lesson we look at the causes of the reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries. We start with a game of Historabble. The pupils need to come up with a wining historical term or person from the unit of study. Highest scoring word wins! We then look at Martin Luther’s protest before looking at the various problems that henry faced in 1530. The pupils rate the significance of Henry’s problems and explain why they have scored them that way. We then look at Thomas Cromwell as a key person before looking at the road to the reformation where the pupils create a diagram in their books with annotations explaining how the reformation started. We then look at the dissolution of the monasteries. the pupils complete an angry scale on the different events of the dissolution from the perspective of the catholic clergy. We then tackle a 16 mark question. There is some guidance for the pupils on how to tackle the question too. I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People Thematic Unit. In this lesson we look at what King John had done to anger his barons. We start with a simple retrieval practice grid, already filled in for the Norman Conquest but editable. We look at what the expectations of John as a medieval king were, the pupils then make an explained list of the expectations of John. We then look at John’s actions, the pupils undertake a thermometer analysis to see which of John’s actions would have angered the barons the most. We then look at Matthew Paris’ painting of John and the pupils complete some questions around the painting and compare this to the painting of Henry II by the same artist. The pupils conclude by explaining which of John’s actions angered the barons the most and why in a post it exercise. I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People Thematic Unit. In this lesson we look at what happened after King John had signed the Magna Carta in 1215. We start with a quiz ‘Magna Carta or Not?’. The pupils have to spot the genuine clauses of the Magna Carta and which ones are fake. We begin by looking at John’s siege or Rochester Castle, why he chose to assault it and what happened during the siege. The pupils complete several activities including a labeled diagram of the castle defences and a timeline of events. We then look at John’s movements and the actions of the rebels afterwards by creating a ‘control graph’ to show how much control John had over England at various points. We finish by asking the question ‘To what extent was the Magna Carta a success at limiting t he power of the king?’. The pupils complete this as a visual scale in their books with explanation. I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson for The Power & The People Thematic Unit. In this lesson we look at what the relationship between Simon de Montfort and Henry III, including Henry’s actions to upset the barons. We start with a perfect paragraph quiz. In the paragraph are a number of errors in spelling, specific facts, syntax and context. It is a from of retrieval practice but meant to spark debate about how to improve writing as well. We begin by looking at the Angevin family tree and Henry III’s accession to the throne. The first activity is a character profile of Simon de Montfort, the pupils use an information slide to make notes on potential strengths, weaknesses and background information and sum him up in 5 words. We then move onto Henry III’s actions to anger his barons. The pupils will have a table with the actions detailed, they will then rate the actions using a “How angry were the barons?” emoji scale. They will then use this information to write a letter to Henry detailing their concern as a baron about Henry’s conduct. they will establish which of Henry’s actions are the most troublesome to them. We finish with a summarising pyramid plenary. I hope that this saves you some valuable planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on what the Schlieffen Plan was and the reasoning behind it as well as Plan 17. We start with an instagram retrieval practice starter, before a reminder of what Germany’s problem of a war on two fronts meant. We then introduce General Count Alfred Von Schlieffen. The pupils create a quick profile on this key person. We then look at a video clip which the pupils then use to create an annotated map of the plan. We then look at the details of the plan. The pupils look for potential problems with it as well as answering some questions. We then look at Schlieffen’s successor Moltke and his alterations to the plan before the pupils complete an extentometer question on whether Schlieffen’s plan represented the most sensible solution to the problem of a war on two fronts. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on the Third Battle of Ypres & The Battle of Passchendaele for the Conflict & Tension 1894-1918 unit. We start with a simple retrieval practice timeline quiz. We start by looking at the position of Ypres on the Western Front and it’s tactical significance. We then look at the fighting that had taken place at Ypres since the start of the war. The pupils watch a video clip and answer some questions. We then complete a text analysis of the build up to the Third Battle of Ypres and Passchendaele. The pupils highlighting allied successes and failures. We then look at the events of the battle itself, the pupils anticipate problems and also answer questions on a summary strip of the events. We then watch some clips about the battle and look at some photo sources of Passchendaele to give a sense of the battle. The pupils then complete a battle summary sheet using the information gained so far. We then compare the Somme and Passchendaele in a hexagon Venn diagram looking for similarities and differences in military tactics, outcomes, individuals involved. We finish with a to what extent type plenary, where we look at the impact the weather had on Passchendaele. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

AQA GCSE history lesson on how the major European powers took to re-armament before WWI. We start by looking at the British Empire at the end of the 19th Century. The pupils then complete a hexagon task on Britain’s status and position before the war. The pupils gather information on: The empire, Britain’s problems, British society, economic power, ruling Britain and military power. There are some info slides for this and could be taught as a gallery activity, round robin or timed notes etc. We then look at what ‘splendid isolation’ meant in terms of foreign policy. The pupils then rank the threats to Britain’s isolated status and explain what the main threats to Britain was at that time. We then look at a source of the signing of the Entente Cordiale before completing an extentometer activity on the cause of Britain’s abandonment of isolationism. Hope you find this useful and it saves you some planning time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer

The third lesson in a Key stage 3 unit of work on the Welfare State, but could easily be adapted to Key Stage 4. We start with a simple retrieval practice starter where the pupils have to put the events in order, you just adapt to suit your previous learning. We then introduce the term antibiotic and what this means and why it might have been important in the war effort and elsewhere. We then look at the story of the discovery of penicillin. The pupils stick the outline road into their books at watch the information slides as the teacher scrolls through. They are fully illustrated with some amusing sound effects too. The pupils then watch a short video which discusses the science in more detail. We then look at an interpretation and the pupils complete a differentiated task answer the questions around the interpretation in 10mins. We then finish with a ‘to what extent do you agree’ type question where the pupils consider the significance of the discovery compared to other scientific discoveries. I hope that this proves useful and saves you some time. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/markthegeographer