Designed to save hours of preparation time, this is a better than usual collection of photocopy masters, from which busy teachers may select tasks that fit into a range of topics and the abilities of different children.

The authors know both the classroom and the national curriculum well. They draw on local and national source material, find space to provide brief but relevant background information on the topics and in most cases the purpose behind the activity.

Some time-filling activities cannot be avoided with sheets in collections like this, but it is good to see activities involving investigation outside the classroom, group discussion tasks, a board game and questions requiring the children to give their opinions as well as practical work in science and maths.

The pack is particularly good on the Empire, an important topic inexplicably dropped in the Dearing version of the study unit.