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.

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.

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.

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 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 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 cut and stick activity. Students must decide which of the terms relate to war guilt, reparations, military restrictions and land. There is a differentiated version for lower ability students. Students then decide on the worst of the punishments, placing themselves in the position of Germany. Students are invited to consider the extent to which the terms of the treaty met the aims of the Big Three. This can lead to a piece of extended writing on which would be the worst aspect of the Treaty, or on comparing aspects of the treaty as per GCSE high–mark questions. Videos can be used to support learning.

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.

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.

This is a resource to sort the advantages and disadvantages of migration to Britain, and invites students to prepare a debate on the issue. Students can decide which of these affect all, most, some or only a few migrants - and then decide which are the most important. Students can pair up as differentiation to prepare a debate on the good and bad points of migration.

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.

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 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.

This is a card sorting resource on the development of Britain’s rule from the 1750s to 1947. There is a differentiated resource for lower ability students. Students are invited to sort the cards into categories: a) violence/war b) peaceful protest c) political power / government. Lower ability students can look at what was violent / non-violent. They then place the cards into chronological order, and can use the timeline to indicate where Britain’s rule was secure or weak. More able students can be challenged to decide how strong or weak each event showed British rule to be. Students can then answer the following questions on British India: 1. What event showed that British power was at its strongest? Why? 2. What event showed that British power was at its weakest, before 1947? Why? 3. What do you suggest about British rule in India over the years? Think of rise and fall of power. Why do you think that this was? This can lead to a class debate or piece of extended writing.

This is an activity for GCSE students. They should arrange the events into chronological order - it can be done as a card sort, cut and stick or a numbering exercise. AS an extension they then have a series of questions to answer to explain and justify their thoughts on the Japanese invasion and the lack of adequate response of the League. This is an excellent resource to stimulate debate of the Japanese and the League.

This is a revision resource for GCSE students. Students are presented with 10 events / issues surrounding the League in the 1920s. they are invited to analyse the strength or otherwise of the League in addressing these issues. There are hints to help the weaker students contained on the powerpoint slides, as well as an introduction /refresher to the Article 10 of the covenant. As an extension, students decide whether the league’s ‘successes’ were worth much in the bigger picture, by deciding how well the League contained bigger / smaller countries’ ambitions. This can lead to debate or a variety of extended writing tasks.

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.

This is a KS3 resource which could also be used as an introduction at KS4/5. Students are invited to read through a series of events. they are to explain the feelings of the Russian population at each point. The story starts in 1905 and ends in 1945. There is a differentiated version which students can use to make a storyboard. Students can use the final box, empty, to explain the feelings of Russian people at the end of the sequence of events. Order - A, E, B, G, C, F, D.

This is a whole lessons activity on the coming of canals during the Industrial Revolution. Use the powerpoint to encourage students to define the word canalmania, and to decide the biggest problems that the canalbuilders faced in the 1780s/90s. The worksheet can be done as a card sort or a cut and stick activity. Students must decide which of the pieces of information are advantages and disadvantages. They must then, as an extension, decide which relate to: a) money, b) transporting people/things, c) others. Students then answer the question on the final slide of the powerpoint. This can lead to a piece of extended writing for more able students, or as a more broken down set of answers for the less able. There is plenty of scope for discussion throughout the lesson.

This is a resource for students to explain why the USA joined WW2. Students are presented with 7 reasons, they must explain why these made the USA join the war. There is a differentiated version with are key words to help less able students with the explanations. Students then decide which were reactions to Pearl Harbour, and which were longer term reasons. As an extension, students explain their opinion on the most important reason for the USA joining the war.