Alexander the Great – Hero or Villain? (History / PSHE Resource)
This engaging resource helps pupils explore the life of Alexander the Great and decide whether he should be remembered as a hero or a villain.
The lesson begins with an exciting attention-grabber (a coin/statue image) to spark curiosity. Pupils then work collaboratively to sort positive and negative qualities cards (written in 1–5 words, suitable for Widgit symbols). This activity encourages discussion, teamwork, and historical enquiry.
Learners record their ideas in a T-chart before completing a short opinion paragraph using sentence stems. The lesson ends with a reflection task where pupils give their final judgement on whether Alexander truly deserved the title “the Great.”
What’s included:
Attention-grabber image prompt
Positive and negative qualities cards (short, Widgit-friendly phrases)
T-chart activity sheet for books
Sentence stems for structured writing
Plenary reflection/exit ticket prompt
Skills developed:
Historical enquiry
Evidence-based reasoning
Critical thinking
Communication and teamwork
Writing balanced arguments
Perfect for Year 4 history (Ancient Greece) or as a cross-curricular PSHE activity to practise teamwork, discussion, and forming opinions.
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Bundle Bio: Ancient Greece Writing & History Pack This bundle brings together four high-quality Ancient Greece resources designed to support writing, history and critical thinking across Key Stage 2. Each resource offers a clear structure, engaging tasks and differentiated support to help pupils develop strong knowledge and writing outcomes. Ideal for Year 3–6 classrooms, whole units, project days or guided writing sessions. Included in this bundle: 1. Alexander the Great – Hero or Villain? A structured debate and writing unit exploring contrasting interpretations of Alexander’s legacy. Pupils weigh evidence, develop arguments and produce balanced paragraphs. 2. Athens vs Sparta A comparative study of the two most famous Greek city-states. Includes fact files, sorting activities and writing frames to help pupils understand daily life, beliefs and military differences. 3. Non-chronological Report on Ancient Greece A complete writing unit with planning sheets, sentence scaffolds, vocabulary banks and model paragraphs. Supports pupils in researching, organising and presenting information using clear report features. 4. Writing a Greek Comic A creative writing and illustration project inspired by Greek myths. Pupils design characters, plan storyboards and write short comic narratives using dialogue, action and humour. Why this bundle? Supports both English and History curriculum objectives Provides ready-to-use lesson materials and writing scaffolds Builds vocabulary, research skills and writing stamina Suitable for whole-class teaching, interventions or independent tasks A comprehensive, classroom-tested collection that develops historical knowledge and high-quality writing across KS2.
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This bundle brings together engaging history and writing resources designed to inspire discussion, creativity, and critical thinking. The history resources include: Athens vs Spartans: A lesson comparing the differences between the two city-states. Alexander the Great – Hero or Villain?: A discussion-based lesson encouraging pupils to explore multiple perspectives. Both lessons include SEND scaffolds with Widgit symbols to support key vocabulary and accessibility for all learners. The writing unit is a 15-lesson comic-style plan focusing on Greek Myths. Pupils retell the stories of Theseus and the Minotaur and Hercules vs the Hydra, building towards their own polished comic narrative. Colourful Semantics are provided to support sentence construction and scaffolding. This bundle combines history, literacy, and creativity, making it ideal for engaging KS2 learners of all abilities.
£2.00
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