I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
The aim of this lesson is for students to analyse and evaluate the winning tactics used in by William in the Battle of Hastings
Students commence by analysing the Bayeux Tapestry, sources of the battle and information on the leadership qualities of the two combatants.
They then complete a differentiated task using a storyboard to map out the events of the battle before completing a summarising pyramid on William’s skills.
There is also a chance to recreate the battle with suggestions of role play before the plenary requires some recall and retention skills.
An optional homework suggestion is also provided.
The resource is therefore differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
I have produced these Bitesize Cards to help my GCSE History groups revise.
They summarise the content for the Germany 1890-1945, Democracy and Dictatorship course, which can be overwhelming for some students.
They contain the main events, people and key words needed for the exam
Students can use these 14 cards in lessons or for homelearning to help them with recall, retrieval and retention.
I also use them as starters in the lessons or for interleaving to help with the course content.
I have broken down the revision cards down into the following themes:
Kaiser Wilhelm
The Treaty of Versailles
Problems in Germany
Super Stresemann
The Rise of Hitler
Hitler’s consolidation of Power
The Nazi Police State
The Nazi economy
Propaganda
Youth groups and women
Churches
Opposition
Persecution to Genocide
The German Homefront
They have proved a great success as a revision tool. I have also posted them on our google classroom (digital platform) so students can access them, when GCSE practise questions are set or they are required to revise for an assessment test.
They simply need cutting, hole punching and tying with treasury tags, or simply stapling together.
I have included both PDF and PowerPoint versions if you wish to amend or adapt.
If you like this resource, please check out my full Revision Guide for Germany: Democracy and Dictatorship 1890-1945 which can be found here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/germany-democracy-and-dictatorship-revision-guide-aqa-gcse-9-1-11764985
The aim of this lesson is to assess the validity of four claimants to the English throne in 1066.
It also includes a script for those students who prefer a more kinaesthetic approach to this topic.
Each contender is introduced and students have to assess who has the best claim to the English throne, which on the face of it is a difficult choice, which each having a strong argument and motive.
This can also be completed by colour coding thermometers and rating them out of ten before making a substantiated conclusion.
There are differentiated questions to ask the students once this task has been completed.
The plenary asks them to think outside the box and link pictures to the issues and contentions raised.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
The Tudors
The aim of this lesson is to understand why Henry VIII is always judged to be larger than life.
It focuses on four portraits of Henry VIII from the early years until his death.
Students will aim to write a descriptive piece about Henry by using each other to write it.
When they finish, they will have a masterful descriptive paragraph which has been co-constructed by a number of them (with help from a word list). This activity is great for differentiation and team work.
The lesson also attempts to banish the perception that Henry was always a large person who ate a lot. This is shown through video evidence and a thinking quilt.
The plenary gets the students to summarise Henry’s match statistics and what he ‘should’ be remembered for.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
The Tudors
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the consequences of Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries and who were the winners and losers.
The start of the lesson gets the students to imagine walking into a monastery, with accompanying music to set the tone. They are given character cards (for both monks and nuns) and introduce themselves to each other to learn about their various roles.
Students then have to analyse information, which is starting to make them scared of the changes that are happening all around them and subsequently decide what will happen to their character as a consequence of the dissolution.
The plenary tests them in a six minute challenge of what they have learnt in the lesson and adds a competitive edge at the end.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
This lesson examines the different punishments that the slaves endured on the plantations.
Different sources are analysed showing the positive and negative aspects of plantation life as students have to extract fact from fiction.
Students then look at the different forms of resistance from passive to active resistance and decide the best and most effective form of resistance and justify their reasons.
There is also a chance of being more interactive as students are selected to take on some forms resistance which the class have to find out and decide.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship
The aim of this lesson is to analyse Nazi policies towards women and then evaluate how effective they were at controlling them.
The start of the lesson questions the qualities Hitler is looking for in women and then questions what makes the perfect Nazi woman using key words.
Students then have some differentiated questions to complete, using text before evaluating how much certain women were controlled and explaining to what extent.
A GCSE practice question focuses on ‘Which source is the most convincing?’, complete with simplified markscheme and notes on the slide for more guidance.
The key words are then revisited in the plenary.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
This lesson is split into two parts; the first part explains the triangular trade and the various goods and transactions that occurred in the slave trade.
Students are required to find this out through documentary and video evidence before plotting it on a table. A mini plenary checks their understanding and uses a ‘what if’ question to challenge their thinking.
The second part analyses the story of Olaudah Equiano and how his life was before and after he was captured.
However the students are challenged to question his version of events and how there is conflicting evidence in his account.
The final part of this lesson analyses how the slaves were captured by whom, prioritising which were the most common forms of capture and using sources of evidence to extract further information.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91
The lesson aims to explore the cause and effect of the building of the Berlin Wall during the Cold War.
Students will first learn about why people such as Conrad Schuman were desperate to go to the West and how the Wall was built to prevent him and others crossing to the West of Berlin.
There is some source analysis and a thinking quilt designed to challenge students on the social, political and economic impact of the Wall.
A narrative abacus using images will set up the students to tackle a GCSE practice question on a narrative account, with prompts and help given if required.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout this and subsequent lessons to show the progress of learning.
The lessons in this bundle are therefore linked together to build up a picture of how diplomacy, propaganda and spying led two Superpowers with opposing political ideologies to create tensions, rivalries and distrust as well as subsequently forming mutual understanding and cooperation over the time period in question.
The resource includes retrieval practice, suggested teaching strategies, differentiated material and GCSE question practice.
It comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
The French Revolution
The aim of this lesson is to analyse the events of the Storming of the Bastille and the subsequent significance of the Flight to Varennes
Students learn through key questioning and some text analysis how and why the Bastille was attacked. There are some brilliant video links to accompany this.
They will then be required, using a storyboard, to decipher what happened next and explain how these events led to a new France.
They will also learn how Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette attempted to escape to the border and using a cauldron of significance, evaluate which key ingredients ultimately led to their recapture and eventual execution.
The Octagon plenary allows the students to summarise what they have learnt in the lesson, from sights and sounds to numbers and actions for example.
The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies and is linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.
Conflict and Tension 1918-1939
The aim of this lesson is to explore the reasons why Mussolini invaded Abyssinia.
Throughout the lesson, students will be required to analyse the reasons as to why, in the face of unprovoked hostility and belligerence, the League of Nations did little to stop Italian aggression against Abyssinia and why Britain and France went out of their way to appease Mussolini.
At first, students will recap on the previous dealings Mussolini had with the League of Nations in the Corfu incident.
They will then evaluate the role of the League and its clear inability to act decisively, even before Britain and France undermined its very foundations.
When students have built up a clear picture of the whole incident, they are then ready to tackle a ‘write an account’ question.
The plenary is an A-Z tasks using the key words and events from the lesson.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, some retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
Conflict and Tension 1918-1939
What did Hitler want for Germany when he came to power and what were Hitler’s aims?
This lesson is a key component to understanding and analysing the causes of World War II.
Students are introduced to Hitler’s foreign policy and decide which were his six main aims for Germany.
They also have to link these aims back to the Treaty of Versailles and decide what Hitler’s intentions were from the start.
There is a chance to complete a literacy challenge at the end as well as answering a GCSE source question with some guidance given if required.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, some retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to assess the situation in Europe on the accession of Elizabeth and decide how this will influence her foreign policy.
Students recap on the foreign policy aims of previous Tudor monarchs and predict how Elizabeth will deal and react to some initial problems, such as the loss of Calais.
Students will also be required to answer some key questions using the information sheets provided: Which country posed the biggest threat to Elizabeth and why? Was Elizabeth reactive or proactive? Did England follow a consistent foreign policy and who controlled it, Elizabeth or her advisers?
Some exam question practice is included which will also the context of Mary, Queen of Scots.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
American Civil Rights
What were the Jim Crow Laws in America? Who was Jim Crow? Why did this fictional character significantly impact on American society, especially in the south in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? What happened if you did not adhere to these laws?
These questions and more will be answered in this lesson.
Students analyse how black people in America were treated and why discrimination was inherent in some parts of American society and backed up by statute.
They also have to recognise how these laws affected education, family life, social time and employment and prioritise the severest of these laws in their judgement.
The lesson ends with some challenging questions using de bono’s 6 thinking hats.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603
The overarching aim of this and the subsequent bundle of lessons is to question and explore how Elizabeth tried to assert and establish her authority in the early years of her reign.
The lessons are therefore linked together to build up a picture of her difficulties in trying to overcome this.
This lesson focuses on the threat posed by the Puritans and how Elizabeth dealt with this threat, despite prominent members in her Government, such as Walsingham, being Puritans.
Students begin by understanding the nature of Puritanism and how they disagreed with the religious settlement.
They are given information about a number of controversies raised in Elizabeth’s reign and by colour coding decide how much of a threat they posed.
A threat’o’meter give an overall picture which they will have to justify where their judgement lies.
This lesson also focuses on two GCSE questions with a ‘write an account’ and a ‘How convincing is the Source?’ question given for GCSE exam practice.
Students can answer both or choose which one to tackle. The information is included in the lesson to assist in their answers.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, retrieval practice, differentiated materials and comes in Powerpoint format if there is a wish to adapt and change.
The French Revolution
The aim of this lesson is to judge how terrible the Reign of Terror was in France.
The lesson begins with an chronological recap task of the events of 1789.
Students are introduced to Maximilien Robespierre and using the information provided have to explain the context and introduction of the Reign of Terror.
The main task is to rate how terrible some of the events were in the years 1793-5, by colour coding a ‘terror o meter’. For each event and explain why they have made these decisions.
Using these judgements, they will then complete a thinking quilt on whether they think the Terror was justified or not.
The ‘Are you a robot?’ plenary gets them to make links with the images all connected to the learning of the lesson.
The lesson comes with retrieval practice activities, differentiated materials, suggested teaching and learning strategies and is linked to the latest historical interpretations, video clips and debate.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited at the end to show the progress of learning.
The lesson is fully adaptable in PowerPoint format and can be changed to suit.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce Henry VII’s foreign policy aims.
Students are introduced to a map of Europe in 1485 and have to make comparisons and connections to countries on a map of Europe today.
They will learn who the major players were in Europe at the time, such as France and evaluate the threats they posed to Henry VII.
Students learn the three main aims of Henry’s foreign policy and have to justify which one is being applied to the various treaties and agreements reached with various foreign powers.
The plenary checks their understanding of the lesson using a talking heads activity, as they have to decide which European leader would make the given statements from the screen.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to understand how and why Wolsey rose to become Henry VIII’s chief minister.
Students are at first given a quick summary of Wolsey’s rise and subsequent fall from power with some differentiated questions to answer.
A more detailed and in depth study with some focused reading will require them to assess Wolsey’s character and strengths on his rise to prominence and then give an analytical written account using key evidence.
The plenary focuses on some key spellings, knowledge and statistics learned in the lesson.
There is some question practice to complete if required, together with a writing frame focusing on the factors helping Wolsey in cementing his position as Henry’s right hand man.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
This bundle is the complete series of lessons I have created for AQA GCSE 9-1 Germany 1890-1945: Democracy and Dictatorship.
As well as focusing on GCSE exam practice questions, the lessons apply the skills necessary to enable the students to achieve the highest grades.
The lessons will allow students to demonstrate (AO1) knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the period studied from the Wall Street Crash and the transformation by Hitler of the Nazis into an electable force.
They will study (AO2) second-order concepts such as change and continuity in the economic problems facing Germany and the causes and consequences of Hitler becoming Chancellor.
The analysis and evaluation of sources (AO3) are used in for example The Night of the Long Knives lessons whilst substantiated judgements are made (AO4) on the limited opposition in Nazi Germany and the conversion into a totalitarian state.
The lessons are as follows:
L1: Kaiser Wilhelm II (free resource)
L2 The Kaiser’s Government and Weltpolitik
L3 The impact of World War 1 on Germany (free resource)
L4 The Weimar Constitution and Political Parties
L5 The Treaty of Versailles
L6 Political Uprisings – the Spartacists and the Kapp Putsch (free resource)
L7 The Ruhr Crisis and Hyperinflation
L8 The Munich Beer Hall Putsch
L9 Super Stresemann
L10 The Golden Age of Stresemann
L11 The Wall Street Crash
L12 The rise of the Nazis and the transformation of the Nazi Party
L13 How did Hitler become Chancellor? (free resource)
L14 How did Hitler consolidate his power?
L15 The Night of the Long Knives
L16 The Nazi Police State
L17 The Nazis and the economy
L18The Hitler Youth
L19 The role of women in Nazi Germany
L20 The Nazis and the Churches
L21 Hitler’s hate list
L22 The Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht
L23 The Final Solution
L24 Opposition in Nazi Germany
L25 The German Home Front 1939-45 (free resource)
Please note that setting a full mock examination in class after completing each unit is strongly recommended.
All the examination resources and markschemes are subject to copyright but can easily be found on the AQA website.
Each resource gives suggested teaching strategies and are differentiated . They come in PDF and Powerpoint formats and can be amended and changed to suit.
Please note that due to Bundle restrictions of 20 lessons, the free resources (L1, L3, L6, L13, L25) need to be downloaded seperately.
AQA A Level 1C The Tudors: England 1485-1603
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate to what extend Elizabeth presided over a Golden Age.
Students are introduced to the concept of an Elizabethan Golden Age.
They focus on achievements in the arts, popular culture, improved communication and education, patronage and increasing wealth to decide to what extent a Golden Age existed, or whether it was a myth created by a very astute monarch who used propaganda extremely cleverly to put across a cult of Gloriana.
There are video links and images to accompany the lesson, culminating in some exam proactice at the end.
There is an enquiry question posed at the start of the lesson and revisited throughout to show the progress of learning throughout the lesson and subsequent unit of work.
The lesson comes in PowerPoint format and can be changed and adapted to suit.
The lesson is differentiated and includes suggested teaching strategies.
