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.

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 card sort or diamond 9 activity designed to allow students to categorise and prioritise the effects of prison. Students can use the cards to explain their thoughts on the importance of positive and negatives of the effects of prison. Categories could include, but not be limited to: job / careers social / family and friends skills character / personality As an extension, students can choose to write a letter of advice to a prisoner, or to make a poster aimed at advising prisoners…

This is a resource for late-KS3 or KS4 students about the different types of government that exist in the world. Students are invited to think of as many types of government thy can as a starter activity, which can be recorded n the worksheet. They must then come up with definitions of the words democratic, undemocratic, and totalitarian. The second half of the worksheet is about matching the different types of government to their definitions, on the information sheet. Students must think of examples, with some provided for lower-ability students. Higher ability students are invited to choose one of two extensions to build on the knowledge gained through the lesson. All answers are on the powerpoint.

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.

A lesson on the development of Medieval Parliament. Students begin by discussing what they know about Parliament today. They then look at information on the slides, which should be printed off and stuck around the classroom. They fill in thee activity sheet as thy look around.There are extension questions for the more able students at the end of the activity sheet. Students complete a judgemental paragraph at the end of the lesson. There is a writing frame and key words to help less able students.

This is a lesson for Key Stage 3, looking at the events of the First World War. It is designed for near the end of a module on the First World War. Students place events on a timeline and decide whether each event was a victory for the Allies or Germany. They reach an understanding of how the war unfolded and why it did so. They are challenged to think of a turning point. Students then look at a range of memorials, and think about why they are developed in such a way - location, design etc. They can then design their own memorial.

This is for GCSE Medicine. Students look through the pieces of evidence. They decide which of these suggest that Islam helped medicine, and which suggest that Islam hindered it. It can be done as a card sort, cut and stick or highlighting activity. Higher ability students can be challenged, particularly in a card sort, to prioritise the pieces of evidence on either side of the argument. There are extension questions provided at the end of the task. There are resources for higher and lower ability students included This can lead to a class debate or a piece of extended writing.

This is a resource for Key Stage 4 Citizenship. Students are invited to distinguish between civil and criminal law (definitions are provided) and complete a table using an interactive decision-making process whereby issues are flashed on and of the powerpoint using animations. Answers are in the powerpoint. There is a run-down of the different courts that try disfferent crimes - mgistrates, crown and youth courts, and a video and written/dicussion activity on the role of the CPS. The final aspect of the lesson takes recent examples of breaches of law and invites students to explain what they think should have happened in each case. Answers as to what really happened are in the powerpoint. There is a teacher notes document to help delivery as well.

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 a resource for GCSE History students. Worksheet1: Students look through the reasons. They decide which of these were reasons that Stalin signed, and which were reasons that Hitler signed the Pact. It can be done as a card sort, cut and stick or highlighting activity. Higher ability students can be challenged, particularly in a card sort, to prioritise the reasons, and categorise genuine reasons (more Machiavellian) and those ‘officially given’. There are extension questions at the bottom of the sheet. Worksheet 2: Students can explain why different reasons made Stalin sign the Pact. Students analyse the different reasons. It might be helpful to show the powerpoint slide as an aid to this to help students realise Stalin’s aims. There are extension questions at the bottom of the sheet. The second slide contains a link to the YouTube clip - Nazi invasion of Poland.

A lesson featuring a chronology activity for students and an opportunity for extended writing and source analysis. Students can cut up the cards and have students arrange them into the correct order. Answers: B, F, E, A, G, C, H, D YouTube link covers causes more than events - but a great lead-in. Potential questions to ask students either orally or as written answers:- Questions – answer in any order: Do you think that the peasants were right to march to London and attack the city? Or should they have protested differently? Why? Was there a point where it became a real threat to the monarch’s power? Why? / why not? What do you think of King Richard tricking the peasants at the end? Why? Should the peasants have gone home when they were promised what they wanted? Why? / why not? This could be turned into a storyboard or article afterwards.

This is a lesson resource in including a two-fold card sorting or cutting and sticking exercise. Students start by matching up key terms which will be used in this lesson and others on the Civil War. Students then move on to the causes of the war, on the worksheet. They decide which are the long-term and short term factors. They can subsequently arrange them according to blame - the king, Parliament, or no particular blame. Lower-ability students can move straight on to blaming the king, Parliament, or no-one in particular. Students can use the writing frame at the end to decide on the more important causes of the Civil War, and attach overall blame to the king / Parliament. A fun and informative lesson.

This is a card sort for students to categorise what the press are and are not allowed to do. Students can explain what is the more important of these liberties and responibilities.

This is a resource for GCSE students. I use it on the AQA course, but it can doubtless be used on others. Students arrange characters into chronological order, and explain the factors behind them - e.g. war etc. This can be done as a role play, by cutting up the required number of cards and handing them out, and as a cut and stick / card sort. Cards can be arranged on the table sheet if you like - blow it up to A3 - or by drawing the table into their book. This can lead to debate and extended writing on the importance of individuals and factors. There is a differentiated version of the card sort to give out to less able students.

This is a lesson to explain the meanings of Communism and capitalism. Students decide on the worksheet which of the statements apply to which ideology. Emphasise the different meaning of democracy to higher (and middle) ability students. This leads to a debate and analysis of which system is best, and why they caused problems in European relations. The sheets are differentiated for high, medium and lower abilities. The powerpoint concentrates on the impact of Communism prior to WWII and can be used to gain a foothold into Hitler. It comes with a link to YouTube embedded which discusses the Spartacist rising in Munich in 1919 and can lead onto a module on Hitler which makes his hatred and German fear of communism more understandable. The second powerpoint is more relevant if you are teaching a Cold War theme afterwards as it has a cartoon of Churchill and the Iron Curtain. Students can analyse the cartoon and explain its meaning, or why it is hostile to the USSR.

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 resource for the new GCSE section on Elizabeth. Students are to put the events of the Essex rebellion in order. They are to then answer the scaffolded questions at the bottom of the sheet. More able students can be invited to consider turning points and the overall position of Elizabeth after the rebellion - was her position strengthened or weakened? An exam Q can be set after the activity, or as a homework. The powerpoint allows a fully-taught lesson, and the consequences worksheet allows students to weigh up evidence to decide whether Elizabeth was stronger or weaker for the rebellion’s failure. This can lead to extended writing or a debate.

This is a role play and chronology lesson for KS3, possibly KS4. Students are assigned a country to play the part of. These are differentiated as resources, but also within each resource: weaker students read about Austria and Serbia, middling students can have Germany and Russia and more able students can have France and Britain. Students are shown the July Crisis unfolding on the powerpoint. They must decide what they would feel, advise or actually do on each of the 6 dates / events shown. There are many opportunities for class discussion through the exercise, as students can be asked what they feel so far, whether they have taken any actions or merely advised one action or other to their allies. There is a seperate worksheet for students who would not react well to the role play aspect. As an extension, (more able?) students can explain whether their country triggered war, willingly went to war or were dragged unwillingly to war. The second activity is a chronology activity to decide what order events happened in as countries slid to war. Students look at 12 events and decide the order in which they happened. This can be done as a card sort or numbering activity. Answers can be shown later on the powerpoint. Students can also be asked whether Franz Ferdinand’s murder simply brought forward a war than was inevitable at some point.

This is a whole lesson for KS3. There are linked youTube videos explaining how the Troubles began, and defining key terms. For higher ability students, there is a link to a YouTube clip on gerrymandering. Part of it is useful. Students are invited to match key terms up, and then have an extension to decide whether the IRA’s aim was a good one. Students then are invited to complete a diamaond 9 ranking. Categories are marked on the powerpoint - historical/political/social/other factors. They have extensions to judge key causes, which can be given at teacher discretion, and to give their own thoughts on the Troubles’ beginnings. This can easily lead to class debate.