These detailed course / revision notes were specially written to give OCR A Level History students a comprehensive overview of the key knowledge from the specification for Unit Y210: Russia 1645–1741 1) Russia 1645–1698 2) The reforms of Peter the Great 1698–1725 3) Foreign Relations 1645–1725 4) Opposition and reaction 1645–1741 These extensive notes are especially useful for students whose note-taking in lesson isn’t as good as others, or whose organisational skills mean they are missing notes/handouts on certain topics / areas. These notes will certainly help reduce the time it takes them to catch up with their peers, and also students like to use these as a checklist of topics to go into in further detail. They give peace of mind that every corner of the specification/syllabus has been covered. Hopefully these notes help to save your students (and you!) some time in the hectic run up to exams. Thanks for taking a look :)

This lesson goes into detail about each of Heracles’ 12 Labours; what happened during them and after each one. The lesson is dual coded where possible to ensure students can easily access the key information they need in what can be an otherwise information heavy lesson. This lesson resource guides pupils to learn about Heracles’ Twelve Labours in first an independent way,and then in a collaborative way to mixup T&L strategies to ensure engagement throughout from all students. Handouts with info on each Labour is included with quotes from primary sources (but not too much - to ensure accessibility) and a commentary for each one too. I have also included the information on each Labour on separate slides in case you’d rather go through them one by one as a class on the whiteboard. Pupils use this information to fill in an A3 sheet (included as a hidden slide to be printed off) and then have their learning cemented by the inclusion of a variety of video clips that summarise the Labours in 4 different parts. Throughout there are study questions and stretch and challenge activities to ensure the most able students are catered for. The summative assessment task at the end is an exam question, but there is also a newspaper task activity with a template included (again as a hidden slide for printing) which worked well with my students as a homework task. I did this lesson with my students in 2 x 1 hour lessons and the feedback I got from it was really good - they certainly retained the knowledge they needed for their Classical Civilisation GCSE exam. There is also a transparent cover on each slide to help pupils with dyslexia/Irlen’s which can be easily deleted or the colour can be changed to suit your pupils. Thanks for taking a look :)

This resource is designed to be printed off and arranged in a timeline fashion on the class room wall. It is designed to be useful as a teaching aid from a distance and promote an understanding of the chronology of the AQA Unit: USA 1920-73: Inequality and Opportunity. It is also designed to be useful close up as a revision aid with some skeleton information included on each part. The idea is that students will find it easier to recall events from having interacted with this display each lesson. There are over 30 colour sections to this timeline so there is plenty to display.

The lesson starts by asking students what the lesson might be about based on a set of abstract images. It assumes some prior knowledge about the basics of Theseus’s life e.g. How he was born and who he was. Included in the powerpoint which can be printed A3 or A4 is a worksheet which students can fill in with information about each of Theseus’ labours as you go through them on the board. Students are introduced to the kylix depicting the labours of Theseus housed in the British Museum. As a prescribed source for the GCSE, it is crucial that students know which labour is depicted where on the kylix itself. This powerpoint provides rotated and enlarged versions of each depiction at the appropriate points in the lesson. This ensures that students are constantly thinking not only about Theseus’ labours, but also how they are depicted on the kylix at all times. All the information students need to know about each of Theseus’ labours for the new Classical Civilisation OCR 9-1 GCSE is included. Having already studied Heracles earlier on in the course. There are questions to prompt comparisons with Theseus’ contemporary hero – in particular in the labours that they undertake and the way in which they go about doing them. This comparative thinking will help with the exam question at the end of the lesson. There is a link to a short animation (appropriate for all ages) included to his final labour: the defeat of the Minotaur which students can use to enhance their understanding of this story. The kylix is then referred back to as students are asked to contemplate how appropriate each depiction on the kylix is based on what they know about their labour, followed by a ranking and justification task. Finally, an 8 mark comparison question is included. It is designed to take them 8 minutes as per the timings on the paper at GSCE, and as a support there are sentence starters and helpful tips available to those that might need it. An extension task is also included which encourages the comparison with Heracles.

This lesson provided the perfect link for my GCSE pupils between the Trojan War and the founding of Rome. It’s all dual-coded to ensure cognitive load isn’t an issue and this way of presenting information really helped the story to stick in the minds of my classes. The slides take you through Aeneas’ escape from Troy and introduces students to the Aeneid by Virgil in quite a light way. The fact that it was commissioned by the emperor Augustus is also discussed. Two useful and entertaining videos are embedded seamlessly within the PowerPoint which helps add colour to the slides and your other exposition. The final task involves students creating images on 3 storyboards (all the writing is already there) which just tells the story of Aeneas’ journey to Italy, and why he many consider him the first Roman, in an interesting and very accessible way. If you’re looking for a lesson that just tells students straight up how Aeneas got to Italy and why he is important to the Romans then this is perfect.

This lesson is designed to fit into an hour and guides students, in a very straightforward but detailed way, through the key features of a Roman insula (apartment building) that was the cornerstone of Roman City Life for the average city-dwelling Plebeian. Roman insulae were subject to collapse, fire damage and unscrupulous landlords and there is a handout included as a slide within the powerpoint file taking students through what different Roman authors had to say about these high-rise apartment blocks. The final task before the plenary is a more creative one encouraging students to write about insulae in the style of the satirist Juvenal, who famously moaned a lot about them! Ideal for anyone teaching Classical Civilisation GCSE, the powerpoint is graphically designed in a way that students experience as little cognitive load as possible which my students definitely appreciate - allowing them to more readily access the information they need to embed. Two video clips are included too (hence the large file size) ensuring students have access to learning about the topic through a a few different kinds of media. Thanks for taking a look :-)

These revision notes were created for my students and were intended to give them a comprehensive overview of th four parts of the Crusades AQA A Level specification: The origins of conflict and the First Crusade, c1071–c1099 The foundation of new states and the Second Crusade, c1099–1149 The Muslim Counter-Crusade and Crusader states, 1149–1187 (A-level only) The Third and Fourth Crusades, 1187–1204 (A-level only) They were especially useful for students whose note-taking in lesson wasn’t as good as others, or whose organisational skills meant they were missing notes/handouts on certain topics/areas. They found these notes certainly helped reduce the time it took them to catch up with their peers, and also they enjoyed using them as a checklist of topics to go into further detail. Hopefully these help to save your students (and you!) some time in the run up to exams. Thanks for taking a look :)

These ‘at a glance’ revision notes were specially written to give AQA A Level History students a comprehensive overview of the key knowledge from the specification for the depth study: **France in Revolution, 1774–1815 ** Part one: the end of Absolutism and the French Revolution, 1774–1795 The origins of the French Revolution, 1774–1789 The experiment in constitutional monarchy, 1789–1792 The emergence and spread of the Terror, September 1792–1795 Part two: the rise of Napoleon and his impact on France and Europe, 1795–1815 (A-level only) The Directory and Napoleon’s rise to power, 1795–1799 (A-level only) The impact of Napoleon’s rule on France, 1799–1815 (A-level only) The impact of Napoleon’s rule on Europe, 1799–1815 (A-level only) They are especially useful for students whose note-taking in lesson isn’t as good as others, or whose organisational skills mean they are missing notes/handouts on certain topics/areas. These notes will certainly help reduce the time it takes them to catch up with their peers, and also students like to use these as a checklist of topics to go into in further detail. Hopefully these notes help to save your students (and you!) some time in the hectic run up to exams. Thanks for taking a look :)

These detailed course / revision notes were specially written to give AQA GCSE History students a comprehensive overview of the key knowledge from the specification for Unit (AB) Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and dictatorship 1) Germany and the growth of democracy 2) Germany and the Depression 3) The experiences of Germans under the Nazis These extensive notes are especially useful for students whose note-taking in lesson isn’t as good as others, or whose organisational skills mean they are missing notes/handouts on certain topics / areas. These notes will certainly help reduce the time it takes them to catch up with their peers, and also students like to use these as a checklist of topics to go into in further detail. They give peace of mind that every corner of the specification/syllabus has been covered. Hopefully these notes help to save your students (and you!) some time in the hectic run up to exams. Thanks for taking a look :)

These detailed course / revision notes were specially written to give AQA GCSE History students a comprehensive overview of the key knowledge from the specification for Unit (AC) Russia, 1894–1945: ‘Tsardom and communism’: Part one: The end of Tsardom Part two: Lenin’s new society Part three: Stalin’s USSR These extensive notes are especially useful for students whose note-taking in lesson isn’t as good as others, or whose organisational skills mean they are missing notes/handouts on certain topics / areas. These notes will certainly help reduce the time it takes them to catch up with their peers, and also students like to use these as a checklist of topics to go into in further detail. They give peace of mind that every corner of the specification/syllabus has been covered. Hopefully these notes help to save your students (and you!) some time in the hectic run up to exams. Thanks for taking a look :)

These detailed course / revision notes were specially written to give OCR A Level History students a comprehensive overview of the key knowledge from the specification for Unit Y110: From Pitt to Peel 1783–1853 British Period Study: British Government in the Age of Revolution 1783–1832 a) Pitt the Younger b) Lord Liverpool and the Tories 1812–1830 c) Foreign Policy 1783–1830 d) Parliamentary reform and the Great Reform Act 1832 Enquiry Topic: Peel and the Age of Reform 1832–1853 a) Peel and the Conservative party 1832–1846 b) Peel and social reform 1832–1846 c) Peel and pressure groups These extensive notes are especially useful for students whose note-taking in lesson isn’t as good as others, or whose organisational skills mean they are missing notes/handouts on certain topics/areas. These notes will certainly help reduce the time it takes them to catch up with their peers, and also students like to use these as a checklist of topics to go into in further detail. They give peace of mind that every corner of the specification/syllabus has been covered. Hopefully these notes help to save your students (and you!) some time in the hectic run up to exams. Thanks for taking a look :)

This lesson takes students through the basic differences between Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Greek Temples. HD examples are included of a variety of temples from each ‘order’ of Greek Architecture. Blank templates are included so students can have a go at drawing their own columns for each order. A differentiated homework task is included at the end of the lesson to encourage further research and thinking. This lesson would be ideally suited to KS4+5 students who are studying Greek architecture for whatever reason for the first time.

This lesson takes learners through the details of the Feminist Movement that emerged in the USA during the 1960s and 1970s. It's been designed in accordance with the new AQA spec for 2017 USA unit. Ideally, this would span two lessons and two comprehension starters (on two of the slides - to be printed off) are included. A challenge question on these starters ensures that higher ability learners get sufficient challenge at the start of both lessons. The first lesson would deliver information, outlining the emergence of the Feminist Movement and then the more radical Women's Liberation Movement. It outlines the groups and laws and leads students to question the impact of these on the lives of ordinary women in the USA at the time (+ in relation to their success/failure). Plenty of exam questions are included (including an 'explain' 8 marker and '4,4,8 marker' interpretation questions)

This lesson is aimed at getting students confident in answering a 8 mark 'chronological narrative' question for the new AQA GCSE paper. For this lesson it is assumed that students will have studied events in Cuba from 1958-1962. The lesson starts with four maths problems - how long would different US cities have to react to a MRBM strike from Cuba (it gives them the speed of the missile - and they aren't too hard!) Students remind themselves of the key events in the 'Cuba story' and attempt a timed 8 mark question titled: 'Write an account of how events in Cuba led to an international crisis'. 3 different model answers are provided (4, 6 and 8 out of 8) and as the teacher you can decide who gets which one. The students highlight information and key phrases they could have inclided but didn't and then use that to make a second attempt at answering the question, A student friendly mark scheme is then included so students can self assess both of their answers and explain why the marks awarded to both were different. Hopefully the progress is very evident! The lesson ends with a slide where students are encouraged to match their knowledge/learning to abstract images. As the teacher you can then question them to extend their thinking.

This lesson was designed for GCSE students as an introduction to Cleopatra and the likely features of her early life/ childhood. The lesson covers both her likely experiences but also the reasons for the lack of evidence available to us when examining her formative years. Scholarship from Weigall and Tydesley is included in various places with students asked to make inferences about her earliest experiences from the text. Challenge questions are included throughout to encourage deeper thinking and both worksheets are included as slides within the .ppt file in the appropriate places ready to be printed out. All instructions are clear to both students and staff and it is a very straightforward, yet informative, lesson to teach. A progress check activity in the middle of the lesson is included and the plenary at the end is more creative/cross-curricular in its focus. There are multiple opportunities throughout for students to consider how her earliest experiences may have shaped her future actions as queen, without necessary prior knowledge of the events of her reign required.

This lesson is designed as a stand alone lesson for students of any age 13+ who studies Herodotus. It acts as a great introduction, covering who he was, what he was writing and why he was writing it. The lesson begins with a series of images asking students to try and work out what the lesson will be about. In order to demonstrate progress the same images are used at the end in a plenary where students are encouraged to show how each image links to their learning. The lesson proper begins with a discussion of what ‘accuracy’ means based on students coming up with their own synonyms. Students are then introduced to who Herodotus was through a handout (included as a slide within the .ppt file) which has a literacy focus and some challenge questions attached. A short passage from Herodotus’ History is then included with students being encouraged to draw inferences from the passage (with prompt questions down the side to promote discussion). Students then address issues such as ‘how could Herodotus possibly know this happened’? etc. There is another handout (included as a slide) explaining the degree to which Herodotus is accurate and students plot Herodotus’ accuracy on a target (based on their own opinion, formulated throughout the lesson). A link to the TEDed video discussing Herodotus is also included with encouragement for students to add to their notes and then finally (before the plenary) there is a task where students have to agree or disagree with a ‘verdict’ given by a Historian on Herodotus’ accuracy/reliability.

This lesson is aimed at KS3/4 students embarking on a study of Alexander the Great. It was designed with the OCR Ancient History Spec in mind but can also be used as a stand alone lesson as its aim is to introduce students to the debate surrounding Alexander and his ‘greatness’. The lesson begins with a quick-fire drawing game based on the Alexander Mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii. Students are then given Mary Beard’s views on Alexander and discuss whether she believes Alexander is ‘great’ etc. It then moves onto a look at a timeline of his life with students encouraged to identify what might have been they most significant events in his life and why. There is then a task where students have to decide whether key events in his life were either positive or negative and draw conclusions about his greatness from this. They are then encouraged to compare their analysis with Mary Beard’s opinion, followed by Philip Freeman’s. The final task involves looking at a map of Alexander’s empire at the time of his death and the routes he took. Students then use this to feed into their gradually evolving opinion on Alexander which they can explain at the end and link to the lesson’s success criteria. This lesson should ideally cover around 2 hours, but could be reduced to 1 if necessary. Reading is included which students do as homework following the lesson with an accompanying short written task.

And how well did each one rule the Persian Empire? This lesson has been designed as an ‘opening’ or ‘overview’ lesson for OCR Ancient History GCSE students, embarking on their study of the Persian Empire/ Achaemenid kings (Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius and Xerxes). It has also been used however as a stand alone lesson, for example as a lesson in a thematic unit on different empires throughout history. The starter introduces students to the geography of the Persian Empire in relation to Europe and the rest of the world - giving students some context. The main bulk of the lesson is based around an activity involving four A5 cards. Each A5 card has details about each king. Students identify positives and negatives of each king from the cards and then evaluate the relative success of each one in relation to the others. The information cars are included as slides within the PowerPoint, ready to be printed. Students are then advised how to apply the knowledge they have gained to the June 2019 summer exam essay question through the use of visuals, followed by an effective plenary involving students judging their own progress (with your support) using ‘post-it’ notes. This lesson is designed to last an hour, unless you elect for students to attempt the exam question, in which case it will run to nearer two. The resources are very accessible are designed with the research behind ‘dual-coding’ in mind. The resources do not shy away from some ambitious vocabulary though and teachers may find spending some lesson time unpicking some of this vocabulary useful.

This lesson is designed with with AQA 9-1 GCSE History spec in mind. The lesson takes inspiration from Oli Caviglioli’s methods of Dual Coding to help lessen cognitive load for students while simultaneously ensuring learning sticks. This requires teacher expertise and subject knowledge (all included as hidden slides in case you’re worried!) The lesson takes you through Sir John Hawkins, his significance and key details. Then Sir Francis Drake, his background, significance of his round the world voyage and other key details. Finally, students are introduced to Sir Walter Raleigh and his significance as an explorer and his direction in the setting up of Roanoke Colony. Information on the new technologies used by these three men is also included, and there are constant prompts to assess students learning through paired attempts at low-stakes multiple choice questions that appear. Then two exam questions are included: the first for students to verbally attempt in pairs, followed by an 8 marker for students to complete on their own, with appropriate scaffolding. There is also an information sheet included for each student (with all the basic details for each sailor on to avoid extensive note-taking) which can be printed off in A5, highlighted and annotated appropriately as the lesson progresses.

These Graphic Organisers are ideal for Ancient History 9-1 GCSE. Quality resources for the GCSE seem scarce and this is me trying to rectify that a bit. My students really appreciate these. The organisers give enough ‘knowledge’ or ‘information’ for students to get a good grade at GCSE - a 4/5/6 depending on how much information they can retain. We print these out A5 size and stick them in the middle of our books and as I am teaching students will annotate these sheets according to how much extra information they need to get above a 4/5/6. The visuals are a huge help and icons and schemas are repeated as and when appropriate across the organisers which makes pupils feel secure and build a mental image of all the content - something I had found challenging to help them create before using these. The GOs really help tell the ‘story’ of Cyrus the Great’s reign Topics included: Cyrus’ birth and early life Cyrus’ conquest of Astyages and the Medes / Media Cyrus’ conquest of Croesus and the Lydians / Lydia Cyrus’ conquest of Nabonidus and the Babylonians / Babylon The importance of the Nabonidus Chronicle, Cyrus Cylinder and Herodotus as sources The foundation of Cyrus’ city at Pasargadae Cyrus’ death at the hands of Queen Tomyris and the Massegatae