A simple but very effective sheet which I pieced together to help my students improve their written work for IB Papers 2 and 3. It really does help and I have found the number of students achieving Levels 6 and 7 has increased in my classes since I began using this approach. I hope you find this useful and feel free to check out hundreds of other resources for History teachers here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/danguiney

In this lesson students begin with a starter activity in which they recap prior learning (by designing a question about events previously studied using the rubric provided). Students then read background information about the Provisional Government’s actions prior to moving onto the main activity which is a spectrum card sort. Students are given eight things the Provisional Government did, ranging from continuing the war through to its handling of the July Days through to the Kornilov Affair, and have to rate them on the spectrum provided (over a double page in their books/notes works best) in terms of good/bad policy. The lesson concludes with a plenary activity designed to ensure students have acquired the key knowledge in the lesson (in the form of a ‘Find someone who can’ walkabout activity). This lesson is pitched at high ability high school students with some prior knowledge of Russia before 1917. Please do ask if you have any questions and I hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine do.

This is a powerful lesson in causation. Students read through the detailed background information before arranging 17 extremely detailed and precise information cards into factors (economic, cultural, and people). This activity helps students scaffold a response to the key question which can then be used as the basis for a piece of assessed or extended written work. I hope your students find this as useful as I know mine have!

This is one of my most detailed lessons and one which students love. After a quick starter activity about the significance of the poppy in British-Chinese relations the class read detailed background notes before being issued one of 23 character cards. These range from tea-magnate Thomas Twining to Confucius! In role the students then extract evidence which their character might use to explain how China became to be ruled by foreigners after the Opium Wars. I always follow this up with either a piece of extended writing or even better a debate. Please watch the short video clip attached to see this lesson in action. The lesson includes a separate plenary Power Point also. I hope your students will gain as much from this lesson as I know mine always do. Enjoy!

In this lesson students read through incredibly detailed notes designed to really boost their subject knowledge and understanding of factors which caused Franco’s nationalists to prevail in the Spanish Civil War. Students then complete a mix and match dominoes activity to test their comprehension before completing the lesson with a ‘find someone who’ activity which involves them interviewing classmates to complete differentiated tasks. This lesson is pitched at very able students and my classes always find these notes and approach an excellent way to grasp the topic. I hope this lesson can be of use to you and if so please feel free to browse through my other resources in my shop. Best wishes, Daniel

In this very detailed lesson students received clear aims and objectives (all will, most will, and some will) before being given a source starter activity which they are asked to break down using the frame provided. This introduces the idea of growing Japanese strength (its about the Russo-Japanese War). The class are then given activation material in the form of extremely detailed notes. The consolidation phase then asks IB students to sort a 25 piece hexagonal card sort into factors - domestic, economic, militaristic, and nationalistic. The lesson concludes with a chronology activity to test student knowledge acquired in a fun way. I have also made a revision video which is included as homework. I hope your IB students get as much from this as mine do and that it helps them prepare for this Move to Global War Paper 1 IB topic.

I’ve always enjoyed this lesson and its one that really helps students develop an expert grasp of a difficult series of events. Students read through background knowledge before completing a card sort of 21 precise pieces of evidence. I then encourage students to make links between these factors and to identify which pieces of evidence they find the most compelling. I worked in the Middle East when creating and delivering this lesson so it carries real meaning for me and I hope you can see how that has come across in the level of detail and precision. Above all though I hope your students enjoy this as much as mine did.

This is one of my most detailed resources. Students are given a pack of 15 large information cards offering information as to how and why President Kennedy was assassinated and are encouraged to write their findings on the mystery sheets provided at the end of the pack. This is one of my very best lessons and has been designed to encourage students to think, question, collaborate and take risks. During this lesson students will explore the possibility that there was more to JFK’s death than the lone gunman theory and will offer alternatives using precisely selected evidence. I really look forward to delivering this lesson each year. I really hope you enjoy teaching this topic and that you find it gets your students truly acting as young Historians should.

In this lesson students read up on background knowledge before assembling a 30 piece hexagonal card sort into a factor-led response. Evidence is very precise and being a hexagonal rather than square card sort students are encouraged to make effective links between the evidence used whilst also being encouraged to prioritise the evidence they find the most compelling. Once the class have formulated their card sort this sets them up extremely well for either a debate or a written piece of work. My students love this lesson and I really hope yours do too!

I love using these and always have a pack in my pocket or on my desk. Thirty cards with extension activities specifically for History students means you will always have a highly differentiated set of extension tasks on you. Brilliant for any lesson, especially observations!

Students work their way through the background knowledge before taking a what-would-you-do style quiz. Each question focuses on a different stage in the crisis and students are given three options to choose from. Afterwards students add up their tally and are grouped into brackets to show what kind of President they would have made. My students really enjoy this activity, especially as a starter to the Cuban Missile Crisis - I hope yours do also.

Boost your teaching with this 4-part lesson plan. It will help refine existing skills, ensure pace to every lesson, and enable you to take into account a variety of different needs in order to facilitate accelerated learning in your classroom. Yes, you too will have a cunning plan!

I designed this lesson to encourage my students to be reflective Historians capable of textured debate. Students divide 39 pieces of evidence (textual and photographic) into columns which suggest the leader of Charlie Company during the My Lai massacre in Vietnam was a war criminal or a scapegoat. The cards are colour-coordinated to allow for differentiation and provide the perfect scaffold for a debate or piece of exended written analysis. This is a hard-hitting lesson which always provokes outstanding levels of historical reasoning and debate but please be aware many of the images and text are graphic in content and should be taught to students with the emotional tools to deal with sensitive issues. Students will learn about the death of Ron Weber, the ‘and babies?’ photograph, Captain Medina’s role, and the ‘black blouse girl’ and much more. My hope in sharing this resource is that more students will learn about and learn from the heartbreaking tragedy which took place in My Lai.

This lesson is titled “How were the Pyramids built?” The lesson begins with three anagrams designed to introduce the topic in a Countdown Style Starter Activity. The Key Question is made clear along with aims and lesson objectives are graduated (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. The main activity takes the form of a jigsaw classroom approach. Students are given one of five fact files on an alternative theory which explains how the pyramids may have been built (water theory, slave theory, social cohesion theory, and ramp theory. I have also included alien theory for fun if you want to use it but obviously this one isn’t correct!). The students then break away and research their respective area of expertise before rejoining the group. The challenge is for them to then persuade the others in their ‘jigsaw’ that their theory is the correct one. Following this the lesson objectives are revisited, and a piece of written work is set. The lesson concludes with a starfish plenary in which students are asked to vote on which of the five theories they felt was most persuasive. This was a lesson I created whilst teaching at an international school in Cairo, so it means a lot to me to pass it on to other educators. I hope your students enjoy it as much as mine always did. It is pitched toward high school students but could be adapted for slightly younger students. Wishing you a terrific day.

This lesson is titled “What were the causes of the Spanish Civil War?” The lesson begins with a Blankety Blank Starter Activity to introduce the students to a quotation by H. L. Mencken related to the conflict. The Key Question is then made clear along with aims, and lesson objectives are graduated (all will/most will/some will). There are then slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. The main activity takes the form of a jigsaw classroom approach. Students are given one of five fact files on an alternative cause of the Spanish Civil War (political instability and polarization, social and economic problems, military uprising and coup attempt, regional differences, and foreign intervention and ideology). The students then break away and research their respective area of expertise using the fact file given (as well as a library book box/internet) before rejoining the group. The challenge is for them to then persuade the others in their ‘jigsaw’ that theirs was the principle cause. Following this the lesson objectives are revisited, and a piece of written work is set in which they collaborate their research to arrive at a fuller answer to the Key Question. The lesson concludes with a starfish plenary in which students are asked to vote on which of the five causes they felt was the most important. I hope your students enjoy it as much as mine always do. It is pitched toward high achieving post-16 high school students and requires them to have some research skills. Wishing you a terrific day.

This lesson is titled “How was Franz Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914?” The lesson begins with an Odd One Out activity designed to introduce the class to the concept of political assassination. The Key Question is shown along with aims and graduated learning objectives (all will/most will/some will) before slides of background knowledge to enable teacher exposition. The class are then set a heads and tails card sort activity which they cut and glue into their books to tell the chronology of the assassination. They are then placed in groups of six (or less) and given their own character cards. From here the main activity begins. A four scene role play is explained to them and they have to work together to create a role play involving their characters. A summary of the four acts is provided on one single slide for ease of reference. Students revisit the learning objectives as they act out their performances. The lesson concludes with a flower plenary in which they are invited to add eight pieces of newly acquired knowledge to 8 petals. This lesson has been designed with high school students in mind and I hope your students get a much from it as mine always do. Wishing you a terrific day.

This lesson is titled “What were the causes of the French Revolution?” The lesson begins with a Blankety Blank style Starter Activity in which students are invited to fill in the missing word. This then leads to the Key Question and the introduction of aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). After this there are slides of background information to enable teacher exposition. Students are then placed in groups of three and given a one slide fact file on either social, economic, or political causes. Their jigsaw activity is to research their topic using the cards as well as internet/library to then return to their group as an expert and convince them of the importance of their single factor. After this they are asked to work together to complete a piece of writing to answer the Key Question. The lesson objectives are revisited, and the lesson concludes with a plenary activity in which students vote on the most convincing reason. This lesson has been designed for high school students. I hope yours get as much from it as much as mine do. Please be aware this lesson is pitched to students who have reasonable research skills. Wishing you a terrific day.

This lesson is titled “Was William Wallace a hero or a villain? Braveheart.” The lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are asked to place four historical figures in order of height. This introduces the class to the idea of myth (Wallace was probably not the giant legend states). The Key Question is then stated. Aims and lesson objectives are graduated (all will/most will/some will). There are slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. Students are then placed in a pair and given one of two character cards (for and against Wallace). They work together to sift through 12 evidence cards to decide if the evidence suggests he was a hero or a villain. A plain version is provided as well as a colour coded one for those who need a little more help. Using this they then attempt the second part of the main activity which is to write a two-sided newspaper report. The lesson objectives are revisited. The lesson concludes with two plenaries. First, they are asked to come to the board and fill up an eight-petalled flower with compelling evidence. They then vote with their feet by standing to the side of the classroom they mostly agree with (i.e. he was a hero, or he was a villain). I hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine do. Wishing you a terrific day.

This lesson is titled “What were the roles of religion in the Middle Ages?” The lesson begins with an Odd One Out Starter Activity which gets students thinking about the Key Question. Lesson aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will) are then introduced. After this there are slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. The main activity is a Gallery Walk where students get out of their seats and walk around the classroom making notes on the social, economic, spiritual, and political aspects of religious life in the Middle Ages. From here students create mind maps and show them to their peers. The lesson objectives are revisited. The lesson concludes with a trash can plenary in which students are invited to come to the board and place a post it note with knowledge acquired in the correct category. I hope your classes enjoy this lesson as much as mine always do. Wishing you a terrific day.