IMPORTANT: Some of these activities refer to the textbook “Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History, Medicine through time, c1250-present” (editor Leonard A. and published by Pearson) ISBN 9781292127378 and will not be usable without a copy of this text. This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 2-3 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To understand the extent of change in care and treatment: the impact of anaesthetics and antiseptics on surgery. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying worksheets. It also provides feedback/answers where useful along with advice on exam approach. Activities include a mystery image starter, key terms, thought-shower, annotated timeline (cut and stick or event ordering), analysis of achievements comparing Simpson and Lister, ranking of arguments against change and a final 12 mark explanation essay question followed by peer assessment.

IMPORTANT: Some of these worksheets refer to the textbook “Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History, Medicine through time, c1250-present” (editor Leonard A. and published by Pearson) ISBN 9781292127378 and will not be usable without a copy of this text. This Edexcel 9-1 Renaissance medicine case study covers at least one lesson and perhaps longer depending upon the ability and work-rate of your class. Aims and Objectives: To understand William Harvey and the discovery of the circulation of the blood. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying worksheets and activities. Students create notes which develop their understanding of Harvey’s discoveries and also analyse the impact of these upon medicine. The lesson ends with a short written verdict on the importance of Harvey.

This KS3 lesson should take one hour to complete. The Power Point leads students through all activities and accompanying resources are included. Aims and Objectives: To know the main reasons why each of the contenders thought they should be king. To understand why it is difficult to know what really happened. To consider who had the strongest claim and explain our choice (reach a judgement). Activities include a fun and slightly silly Pictionary starter on the key words for this unit. Students then use the information sheet to make notes on each individual’s claim to the throne. There is an SEN version where students can draw lines from facts to people. There is also a G&T extension which asks students to look more closely at source material on this topic. Students then show their understanding through writing a paragraph answer to the question “Who should be king?”.

This lesson considers why the Nazis lost WW2 and what the longer-term results were for the post-war world. The starter is a memory recall using the bunker scenes from the film Downfall. This also asks the students to make inferences. Students then use their prior knowledge of the events of WW2 to explain why the Nazis ultimately lost. Using the information provided, students analyse ways in which the post-war world improved as opposed to continuing problems. They then end with a consideration of the merits of just revenge versus forgiveness using the example of the Holocaust survivor who forgave the doctor who experimented upon her as a stimulus for discussion.

This KS3 unit should take around two hours to complete. The Power Point leads students through all of the activities with accompanying resources provided. Having spent considerable time looking at the causes, I tend not to get too bogged down in the events themselves as I’ve found that the students like the lessons on the trial and execution more. This is why I’ve condensed it into two hours. Aims and Objectives: To know who fought who during the English Civil War and to compare the differences between the two sides. To use sources to learn about what life was like at the time in England. To know the key events of the Civil War and select the main reasons why Parliament won. To consider how King Charles might have done better. Activities include a video starter on fighting in the 1600s which enables students to visualise this period of time. Students then label a Roundhead and Royalist soldier and consider which side was better equipped. They analyse a range of sources including a painting, cartoon and written passage to gain insight into what life was like. In the second lesson, they read a passage in pairs to highlight reasons why the king lost. There is also a card sort on this topic which I use as an extension or with my G&T groups. Students then use their understanding to write a letter to King Charles during the war advising him on ways in which he could be more successful.

This KS3 unit should take around two hours to complete. The Power Point leads students through all of the activities with support and all resources referred to are included. Aims and Objectives: To know the main events which led up to the outbreak of civil war in 1642. To pick out the key reasons/causes and sort these into categories. To explain your understanding of the causes in an essay using PEEL. To reach a judgement on which causes were the most/least important. Activities include a starter which links this unit to current civil wars and defines “civil war”, an analysis of Charles I’s personality using a portrait and facts determining how this contributed towards the conflict, searching for evidence to support the three key factors of money/religion/power in a written passage (SEN version of passage provided), an introduction and worked example of PEEL paragraphing, an assessment essay aalysing causes with a plan and SEN writing frame (mark scheme inlcuded).

This KS3 lesson provides an overview of events and then analyses the reasons for the Allied victory in WW1. The Power Point leads students through all of the activities. After a brief introductory video, the students rate the level of the Allies’ success through seven closing stages. Having gained an overview of events, students then carry out a range of analytical activities using the cause cards provided. They are asked to group the cards into Allies’ strengths vs. German’ weaknesses, long vs. short term and then group them into social, military and economic. After reading a worked example of an explanation of military reasons, students select either social or economic reasons and produce an explanatory paragraph to demonstrate their understanding.

IMPORTANT: Some of the activities refer to the textbook "Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-1939 (editor Leonard A. and published by Pearson) ISBN 9781292127347 and will not be usable without a copy of this text. This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 1-2 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To understand Hitler’s early career: joining the German Workers’ Party and setting up the Nazi Party, 1919-20. The Power Point leads students through all activities with an accompanying task booklet. Following a starter which answers 5W questions about the origins of the party using a short passage, students work in pairs to discuss the steps that would need to be taken to set up a new party. The booklet tasks then work through each stage, charting the early development of the party. Activities include colour-coding of a selection of the 25 Points into nationalist and socialist, making inferences from sources to understand why membership grew, note-taking/table on the impact of the changes Hitler made, an analysis of what key members bought to the party and a series of comprehension questions on the early SA.

This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 3 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To understand the work of Goebbels and the Ministry of Propaganda: censorship, Nazi use of media, rallies and sport, including the Berlin Olympics of 1936. To understand Nazi control of culture and the arts, including art, architecture, literature and film. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources. Activities include a short Derren Brown video to introduce the idea of mind control, last man standing on forms of propaganda, source comparison of Hitler and Goebbel’s methods, a Goebbels CV (possible homeowork), analysis of short extract from Triumph of the Will looking for examples of propaganda at the Nuremberg Rally, rearching examples of both propaganda and censorship and a Chamber of Culture simulation exercise sorting art work into keep and dismiss with discussion.

This KS3 unit should take 2-3 hours to complete. The Power Point leads the students through all of the activities with accompanying resources included. Advice on writing technique is also included. Aims and Objectives: To know the main events of the Battle of Hastings. To understand the main reasons why William won. To reach a verdict on which reasons were more or less important. To be able to write up your ideas as an essay. Activities include a starter which asks students to draw inferences from the Bayeux Tapestry, followed by a short video which recaps prior events and then shows the key events of the battle. Students use this knowledge to cut out the jumbled events and match/stick them onto the storyboard. There is an extension on source bias using William of Poitier’s account. Initial on why William won are recorded in a thought-shower. Students then complete a card sort activity, categorising the reasons why William won into William’s strengths, Harold’s weaknesses and luck. There is an SEN version of simpler cards with a sorting grid included. Essay writing and PEEL paragraphing is then introduced with a worked example of poor-good paragraphing using PEEL. Students write their answers in essay style using the writing frame provided. A mark scheme is included.

This KS3 unit of work should take at least two hours to complete (depending upon how long you allow your class to spend on the board game activity). The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources included. Aims and Objectives: To know how medieval people practised their faith and the key words that are linked to this. To understand why religion was so important to them. To understand medieval views on Heaven and Hell and apply this by creating a board game. Activities include key words/definitions matching, independent reading and summary note-taking, analysing a medieval wall painting, sorting actions into good deeds/sins and ranking these and creating a medieval religion snakes and ladders board game.

This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 3 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To understand the growth of unemployment- its cause and impact. The failure of successive Weimar governments to deal with unemployment from 1929 to January 1933. The growth of support for the Communist Party. To understand the reasons for the growth in support for the Nazi Party, including the appeal of Hitler and the Nazis, the effects of propaganda and the work of the SA. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources. Activities include starter video analysis on why the Wall Street Crash helped the Nazis, source analysis on the effects of the depression, a cut and stick activity categorising the effects, comprehension questions on the failing of the government and the rise of extreme parties, photo source analysis on Hitler’s appeal, note-taking on this topic with provided grid, card sort activity on reasons Nazis appealed to different sections of society and a full interpretation exam question with advice, examples and writing frame.

This KS3 lesson should take around one hour to complete. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources included. Feedback/answers are also provided when required. I use this lesson at the start of our scheme of learning on WW2 as it clarifies the political landscape in the 1930s and provides students with the necessary vocabulary and political understanding. Aims and Objectives: To know the different types of political systems and link them to 1930s pre-war politics. To understand how they are similar and different. To consider their strengths, weaknesses and impact on people’s lives. Activities include a video starter which uses a short cartoon to introduce key political concepts. Students use this to match definitions to concepts and then consider what type of political system we live under. They then categorise a series of facts according to the belief system which they describe. As an extension, students list all the differences between democracy and dictatorship and then compare the similarities and differences between communism and dictatorship. Finally, students write a paragraph explaining which system they would most like to live under and why.

This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 3 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To understand the reasons for, events and consequences of the Munich Putsch. To understand the reasons for limited support for the Nazi Party, 1924-28. Party reorganisation and Mein Kampf. The Bamberg Conference of 1926. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying worksheets and resources. Activities include a video starter giving an overview of the causes, events and consequences of the Munich Putsch, a card sort/analysis activity on the causes of the putsch, a storyboard task on the events whereby students have to retell the story without reference to their notes, a colour-coding activity on the successes/failures of the putsch, a 12 mark explanation question with advice, worked example and writing frame, a ranking of Hitler’s views from Mein Kampf from moderate to extreme, analysis of written passage to understand how Hitler utilised the lean years to strengthen the party internally and a summary exercise on the reasons for their electoral disappointment at this time.

This Key Stage 3 unit explores the causes of WW1 and then goes on to analyse the reasons why the German Schlieffen Plan failed, leading to trench warfare. It will take around two lessons to complete. The Power Point leads students through all of the activities. There are a number of very nice short video clips on the causes of WW1, including a great Horrible Histories clip (when available) but I particularly like the Blackadder clip attached. Be warned- the final punchline is “bollo**s” and I often censored this with a timely cough much to the annoyance of the class. The lessons start by contextualising Europe in 1914 with some map work and identification of alliance systems. We then identify and analyse the causes of WW1 using the passage provided. The following lesson, the students start by problem-solving Germany’s dilemma and proposing their own war plans- I’ve had some very interesting and intelligent responses to this, along with some quite frankly bizzare/amusing. After studying the Schlieffen Plan, students translate the actual events into a series of annotated maps before analysing the reasons for the plan’s failure and writing this up in an extended paragraph.

This KS3 lesson should take around two hours to complete. The Power Point leads students through all activities and accompanying resources are included. Aims and Objectives: To think about and discuss the main reasons both for and against banning slavery (from our own opinions and ideas held at the actual time). To put these arguments into categories and rank their importance. To know the key events which led to the banning of slavery and sort this information into key factors. To write up our findings in an essay style. Students evaluate to arguments for and against abolishing slavery across the British Empire. They categorise and rank the various reasons historically given. They then categorise the key reasons into those relating to the economy, the slaves themselves and the Abolitionists. This leads into an essay-style written assessment. A writing frame and mark scheme is also provided. To assist with the review of this assessment, there are explained samples paragraphs and a conclusion.

Before looking at the reigns of each Tudor monarch in KS3, I start with this lesson underlining the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. It really helps with the understanding of each ruler’s actions later in the Tudor course. Aims and Objectives: To know how a Catholic and Protestant church look different. To know the main differences in beliefs between the two types of Christianity. To understand why Catholics and Protestants practised their faith differently and why they both felt so strongly about this. After a short parody video on the Reformation, we start by comparing and analysing the diagrams of a Catholic and Protestant church. Students then complete the colour-code activity setting out the different beliefs. There’s an SEN version of the colour-coding which I replace the longer version with when teaching nurture groups. Students then demonstrate their understanding by creating a poster supporting one of the denominations. This is generally set as homework and as a competition. The plenary asks students to identify whether a range of beliefs are Catholic or Protestant using the “C/P” cards to ensure they all have to get involved.