Cold War Quickfire Revision Starters (13 Exam-Style Tasks) – Edexcel GCSE

Overview:
This resource contains 13 quickfire Cold War revision tasks, each designed to help students practise Edexcel GCSE “importance” and “consequence” questions in a fast, structured and highly accessible way. Ideal as lesson starters, exit tasks, homework, or rapid retrieval practice throughout the Cold War unit.

Each slide follows a consistent format:

A clear question stem

A sentence starter to guide students into their first explanation point

A choice of three examples from which students must select the best fit

A final open prompt encouraging them to finish the explanation in their own words

This combination provides support and challenge, allowing all students to build confidence with exam-style responses while improving accuracy and reasoning.

These tasks work best the lesson after students have learnt the event, helping to reinforce knowledge and strengthen long-term memory.

What’s Included

13 Cold War retrieval starters, covering events from 1945–49

Topics include: the Novikov Telegram, Truman Doctrine, Berlin Crisis, and more

Fully editable PowerPoint

Perfect for quick review, consolidation, or targeted exam practice

Why Teachers Use This Resource

✔ Fast, low-prep starters that students enjoy
✔ Supports weaker writers with structured steps
✔ Rehearses key Cold War knowledge in manageable bursts
✔ Helps students develop stronger “importance” and “consequence” explanations
✔ Works with any Cold War scheme, especially Edexcel GCSE (Paper 2)

Curriculum Links

KS4 History – The Cold War 1945–91
Edexcel GCSE (Superpower Relations and the Cold War)