This is a card sorting resource for KS3 or KS4 students looking at the success of the evacuation process, Operation Pied Piper, in 1939. Students can sort the cards into: advantages for children, disadvantages for children, successes of the process, failures of the process. Alternatively, they can sort them into good/bad points. Further activities can sort the cards for priorities of positives and negatives. There is a differentiated resource for lower ability students. This can lead to a discussion activity or a piece of extended writing on the success of evacuation. I have in the past used it as the basis of an assessment on the success of evacuation.

This a lesson for KS3/4 Citizenship. Pupils initially have to make spider diagram on Doc 1 of what anti-social behaviour problems there are in society. More able students are invited to explain which are the most serious. With the diamond 9 ranking, higher ability students can use the ‘(H) Diamond 9’ sheet. They explain in the space provided why each of these examples is a problem. They can then make 3 separate arrangements (get students to sort first bullet point, then put them all back together, then sort second bullet point, then put them all back together, then sort third bullet point), of which problems: • Damage property • Make the community look unpleasant • Leave longer-term mental scars for victims (choose up to 5) Then arrange as a diamond 9 card sort. Lower ability students can use the differentiated version, and colour code these categories - some will fit into more than one category, then arrange as a diamond 9 card sort. With Doc 2, students match the people on the left hand side of the info sheet to the work that they do in the community. They should then explain how these people/groups might contribute to solving problems of anti-social behaviour. Potential answers in notes section of ppt slide 7, and can be printed to help lower-ability students. More able students are invited to explain which are the most useful people or groups.

This is a card sort designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise reasons for the 1905 Revolution in Russia. There is a differentiated version for lower-ability students. More able students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on the most important reason for the Revolution. It could be done as a diamond 9 activity. It could also be done as a venn diagram using the template sheet. This is an ideal activity for preparing exam-class students for longer-answer exam questions. It allows discussion to develop as students explain their thoughts and defend them in front of their peers.

A card sort and written task on the positive and negative aspects of TNCs. There are two versions of the activities, for higher- and lower-ability students. Students classify the impacts as to whether they are positive and negative. Students then arrange them into categories such as job creation, job loss, effect on richer/poorer countries, money, environment. Students complete a scaffolded written task to describe and explain the best and worst impacts of TNCs. They finish by examining whether a boycott of TNCs such as Nike would have a positive or negative effect. A list of key words is provided on the lower-ability resource.

The first resource is an information sheet which students can use to identify the successes, partial successes and failures of the Gulf War. More able students can decide for themselves how successful the Gulf War was. The second resource is a card sort designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise the successes, partial successes and failures of the Gulf War. More able students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on the most important successes and failures - in the short and long term, and apply their knowledge to a GCSE style essay question. The task could also be done as a diamond activity. This is an ideal activity for preparing students for longer-answer exam questions. It allows discussion to develop as students explain their thoughts and defend them in front of their peers.

This is a resource for GCSE Medicine, with activities for higher- and lower-attaining students. It allows students to identify and explain the positives and negatives of Medieval hospitals in terms of how they cared for people’s health. Students can either use this as a card sort or a cut and stick, or as a highlighting/colour coding activity. They are then invited to judge the biggest positives and biggest negatives of hospitals, and more able students can reflect on how far they reflected the Church’s teachings (for this, you will need to make clear that the church ran most hospitals). Finally, students can evaluate their own thoughts on the effectiveness of hospitals. This could lead well into class discussion, extended writing or an exam-style question.

This is a lesson for the events of the assassination and afterwards. Students can watch the clip and have a writing frame provided in the powerpoint to write an article. Key terms and people are explained in the powerpoint too. The second half is a card sort designed to allow students to understand what happened during and immediately after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Students arrange the cards into groups - what happened during and what happened immediately after the assassination. They can also be arranged as a chronology exercise. There is a differentiated version for less able students, and the very weak ones could be encouraged to match the country to the reaction… Students can pick out and explain 2 or 3 of the more significant of the events, which were important in the First World War breaking out, or the assassination itself.

This is a KS3 resource for the character of Charles II. Students decide whether or not they would have liked him. As a starter, they brainstorm the qualities of a good king. they can explain positive and negative aspects of his personality by highlighting information sheets, differentiated for higher and lower ability students. Key words are provided in the powerpoint. This can lead to a debate in class - split them to defend / attack Charles’ personality - and/or a piece of extended writing on whether he was a good / bad character. Different writing frames are included in the powerpoint. My classes love it every year. YouTube clip supports lesson as a way in.

A worksheet differentiated for the higher-, medium- and lower-ability students, containing reasons for the abolition of the slave trade, and slavery itself. Could be used as a card sort or a colour-coded worksheet. Students can decide which factors help to end the slave trade, slavery itself, or both. Students can sort for political, economic social and cultural reasons. Students are invited to make decisions on the most important 3 reasons at the end of the sorting. This can lead to lively debate.

A resource where students look at the various effects of the slave trade on Britain. The powerpoint has a series of slides that can be used as discussion points about the buildings / street names / people involved / statues, with notes added on street names. Card sort alternatively can be done as a diamond 9 or a highlighting / categorising activity. It can stimulate lively discussion or a written up piece. Research and vocab-building task added too.

This is a resource for KS3/4 students to be looking at the decisions to drop the atomic bombs in 1945. On the ‘bomb decisions’ sheet, students decide what they would do regarding the decisions on dropping thee bomb. As an extension, they can lace themselves in the position of Harry Truman and decide what he should have done. On the second sheet, differentiated for lower ability students, students firstly which of the points suggest that the dropping of the bombs was: • The right thing to do • The wrong thing to do They then choose their opinions on what were the best reasons for and against dropping he bomb. As an extension, the more able students can write a letter explaining their views fully. This can lead to a debate or a piece of extended writing. It has also been used in the past as a resource to prepare for an assessment.

This is a card sort designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise reasons that groups of people have migrated to Britain throughout history. They can also be arranged as a chronology exercise. There is a second version of the cards designed for less able students. The categorising task could be done as a venn diagram using the venn diagram template.

This is a card sorting resource for KS4 students. I have used it with the new GCSE spec for US History. Students read examples of reasons why the Depression happened. They arrange them into the longer term causes and the stock market’s problems (make clear – or allow the more able to work out – that it was these mainly that led to Wall St crashing, and the longer term ones that made the crash turn to depression). They are then invited to prioritise the reasons in each of the two categories, and explain a judgement of the most important to do with longer term causes and the stock market’s problems.There is an exam-style question for the GCSE spec for US History at the bottom of the sheet. This can lead to a debate or piece of extended writing.

This is a card sort designed to allow students to arrange uses of the rainforest, and problems caused by humans. There is a differentiated sheet for lower-ability students. They can explain judgments on the best and most damaging uses.. More able students can come up with ways that the rainforest can be better used.

This is a resource that could be used for any year group, although I use it for Key Stage 3. Students have to plan a birthday party. They can choose whether to do go karting, ice skating, cinema or a disco. They must consider what they have to plan and how much it costs. They have a s budget, as appropriate to the activity. They will have to pick from a number of options to have in the party, such as a shop-bought or home-made birthday cake, amounts of food to be bought, and how many people to invite based on the cost of the event. They will have to prioritise and debate what to spend money on. At the end of the lesson, they can answer reflection questions contained on the resource sheet, on how they made their choices, and what they learned about budgeting. Place students in pairs/3s. They will need to choose which party theme to have, and then collect the appropriate resource sheet. Answers can be written, and sums worked out, on the other resource sheet. There is also a powerpoint to guide students through the lesson.

This is a source based assessment in which students look at a source about King John, and decide how accurate it is. A writing frame and mark scheme is included. The mark scheme applies NC levels, but can easily be converted to GCSE-style grades.

This is a whole-lesson on Martin Luther King. it contains a link to the ‘I have a Dream’ speech, an information sheet on Martin Luther King 's beliefs and a factfile on Martin Luther King, differentiated for the lower ability students. The factfile can be turned into a spider diagram, or students can categorise information in it into Martin Luther King 's views, actions and consequences of actions. Students have a writing frame on which to base an evaluation of Martin Luther King’s significance. Students finish by considering the effect of non-peaceful protest.

The worksheet is a card sort / Diamond 9 activity for students, with a differentiated version too. Students are invited to categories and prioritise the reasons that the American Revolution happened. Students should answer the question underneath the card sort, and then more able students can attempt the extension questions. This can lead to discussion / debate on why the revolution happened. The powerpoint contains objectives, key words, background information and a video and task on the course of the revolution. The worksheet forms part of the lesson as described on the ppt.

Students complete diamond 9 card sorting activity on the reasons why voting is important. Students can decide on the key reason(s) and give their own explanation. This can lead on to or be receded by class discussion.

This is for GCSE History. Students have three sheets which they can work through. the powerpoint is slide with definitions of the impotent / undeserving / deserving poor 1. Laws against begging and why they failed - Students match the law to why it failed, and higher ability students can take note of whose reign each was passed in. More able students can answer two extension questions to compare the laws of Henry VIII to Elizabeth. 2. The Act for the Relief of the Poor – 1601 - Students match up which parts of the Poor Law fit to which people. Terms of the poor law are underneath - you may want to cut the sheet in half so that terms and the chart are not together. Refer to the PowerPoint if needed for this. There is an extension question underneath the chart for the more able. 3. Effectiveness of the Poor Law - students colour code or use as a card sort the strengths and weaknesses of the Poor Law. They can consider the biggest strength and greatest weakness, before making an overall judgement on the effectiveness of the Poor Law. The best responses will suggests that whilst the effect was limited, it was a significant step and certainly better than anything attempted before.