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Ruth Messenger's Shop

Average Rating3.44
(based on 19 reviews)

I've been teaching history for four years, and I aim to provide lessons that are ready to go with minimal tweaking just to personalise the resource to your class and their prior learning. I'm a big fan of paired discussion, group work, debates, living graphs and hot seating, and I provide a variety of tasks in each lesson to ensure learning happens at a pace and that all learning styles are catered for. All feedback gratefully received.

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I've been teaching history for four years, and I aim to provide lessons that are ready to go with minimal tweaking just to personalise the resource to your class and their prior learning. I'm a big fan of paired discussion, group work, debates, living graphs and hot seating, and I provide a variety of tasks in each lesson to ensure learning happens at a pace and that all learning styles are catered for. All feedback gratefully received.
Toussaint L'Ouverture, Slave Rebellion and Haitan Independence
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Toussaint L'Ouverture, Slave Rebellion and Haitan Independence

(1)
This resource provides a one lesson overview of the slave revolt on St Dominique (later Haiti) and asks students to make a judgement as to how far it was the actions of Toussaint L'Ouverture that gave Haiti its independence, and how far it was events in and ideas coming from France. Tasks include: source based starter living graph identifying information to make an argument with speaking to persuade in pairs writing a structured paragraph that has been differentiated for learners between L3-L6 and may easily be adapted for SEN, or be part of an extended essay for the most able to achieve L7. If you download this, please review! I'd love so WWW/EBI so I know what works well.
Factory Conditions Board Game
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Factory Conditions Board Game

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Fairly straightforward game for consolidating knowledge at the end of a unit, or for revising for a test. Board game is already assembled, students need a dice and a counter to represent them. Depending on what they land on, the game either gives a fact about factory conditions and instructs them to move further or back, or it prompts them to ask a question in order to advance one space. I have provided a question sheet, but you may want to supplement it with your own specific revision/ consolidation questions or get students to make up their own. A huge thanks to Paul Durnall who gave this to me :-)
Student guidance on answering questions for the new AQA spec Paper 1: Understanding the Modern World
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Student guidance on answering questions for the new AQA spec Paper 1: Understanding the Modern World

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This resource is designed for use with the NEW History 8145 AQA specification Paper 1: Section A: Understanding the Modern World. This guidance is appropriate for: 1A America, 1840–1895: Expansion and consolidation 1B Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and dictatorship 1C Russia, 1894–1945: Tsardom and communism 1D America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and inequality (all examples are from this paper) So what is this? Well for each question I have prepared a 'how to' guide. This includes: - Student friendly guidance to the marking levels - Examples of what an answer at each level would look like - a writing grid to help answer each question - Student friendly self assessment grid for Assessment for Learning - Suggestions for how to use these resources in your lessons and incorporate these skills into your SoW DISCLAIMER: I do not work for AQA and I haven't examined for them. However my experience working as an examiner for Edexcel combined with four years teaching KS4 makes me as confident as its probably possible to be with this new exam spec. This resource is not provided by AQA, but has been compiled following a thorough investigation of all resources online as well as speaking to the advice centre at AQA.
The Lives of Peasant Women in Medieval Times/The Middle Ages
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The Lives of Peasant Women in Medieval Times/The Middle Ages

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This lesson should follow a previous lesson on peasants as this lesson highlights the differences in gender roles. Learning Objectives: ALL: Will be able to describe the traditional roles of men and women in medieval times MOST: Will be able to do so in detail SOME: Will make inferences from a source that they will include in their detailed description. This lesson is highly visual with pictures and a matching task for LA students. There is an element of numeracy in interpreting two graphs on the causes of death of each gender, and a literacy based task in which students write a diary entry of a peasant. I usually allow them to pick their gender, but it would be equally more valuable to make them all be women. I've put on two PowerPoints as I taught this to two classes of differing abilities. There are no monumental differences. If you like this lesson, have a look at my other Medieval Resources in my shop - I have a big chunk of resources that could form a large part of your scheme of work.
Nanny and Sam Sharpe - Freedom fighters and Slave Rebellions in Jamaica
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Nanny and Sam Sharpe - Freedom fighters and Slave Rebellions in Jamaica

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This highly versatile resource can be used as part of a scheme of work (following on from my Toussaint L'Ouverture resource) or as a stand alone lesson. It is aimed at KS3 but contains sufficient challenge for KS4 and can be adapted down for LA KS3 (students aged 11-16). It has been designed to enable students to meet these objectives: LO: To be able to describe the actions of these freedom fighters LO: To make a comparison of their strengths and weaknesses LO: To evaluate their significance in ending slavery in Jamaica There are a range of activities contained, these include: - a very brief overview of Jamaican history up to colonisation - individual reading task that can be adapted to move students around the room - paired peer to peer teaching task - a worksheet that encourages additional detail to be used in answers (old NC level 5) - opportunity for students to set their own criteria to assess significance - opportunity for debate - ideas for homework task and plenary This lesson is ready to go once downloaded for the majority of learners, just minor tweaks needed if you want to differentiate down, or refer back to the prior learning of your class. Teacher notes included with slides. Feedback gratefully received, Ruth
Children in Factories during the Industrial Revolution
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Children in Factories during the Industrial Revolution

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Straightforward lesson on factory conditions with the following tasks: A picture source starter, a 6 minute clip with accompanying questions, then a source analysis of a grisly factory death. Its totally gross, but year 8 love this disgusting source, particularly the bloodthirsty ones! Learning Objectives: ALL students will be able to describe how factories were dangerous for children MOST students will be able to explain why factory owners employed children and how the children ended up there. SOME students will be able to analyse the caption of a source to assess reliability.
The Life of the Medieval Peasant/Villein
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The Life of the Medieval Peasant/Villein

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This lesson has a large visual element as pictures are used to illustrate peasant tasks. There is a moving around the room to find out information element and a structured literacy tasks with literacy challenges such as 'include three adjectives in this answer'. Resources fully differentiated, just print and go. ALL: Will be able to describe aspects of a peasant’s life MOST: Will be confident using keywords in their explanations SOME: Will write a detailed account using keywords and grammar challenges to describe the life of a peasant
The Windrush and migration to the UK after the Second World War - Black History Month
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The Windrush and migration to the UK after the Second World War - Black History Month

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All necessary resources included, this lesson includes a music based starter, questions on a British Pathe clip, a cart sort exercise, a structured literary task and a guided research homework task that asks them to assess the prediction they made in the plenary. The big question that students can answer following this lesson is 'Why did people migrate to Britain after the Second World War?' The lesson covers both push and pull factors and examines why Britain wanted immigrants to come in the first place. Lesson Objectives: ALL: Will be able to identify reasons why Britain wanted immigrants and why people in the West Indies wanted to emigrate MOST: Will be able to describe the push and pull factors and come to a conclusion as to why people migrated in the 1950’s SOME: Will be able to bring their ideas together to explain why so many people migrated in the 1950’s and predict what effect this might have on communities in the UK Suitable for all KS3, HA KS2 or LA KS4 All activities are differentiated and resourced, this lesson can be a standalone lesson or part of a series of lessons on either migration, race or post war recontstruction.
Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot - Innocent or Guilty?
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Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot - Innocent or Guilty?

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This is my absolute favourite lesson to teach to year 8 - I hope you enjoy it! It is quite a long one though, so either keep the pace up, use fewer sources, or break it into two lessons. Lesson objectives: LO: To know the story of the Gunpowder plot LO: To use evidence to find out more about the Gunpowder Plot LO: To use evidence to question whether the story as we know it is true. LO: To decide whether Guy Fawkes was innocent or guilty and use the evidence to prove it This lesson works best if you have students working in groups of 4, but I have done this in pairs and it works fine as well. You will need a focus on good group work, praise for groups that are working well together and rewards for groups who are really discussing and getting into the evidence. One year, I did have to set this lesson as cover so I have also included that as a resource in case you need a quick cover, or need work for a student in inclusion. Enjoy! Ruth
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
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Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

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This resource is designed for a KS3 class and covers the following lesson objectives: LO: To find out information from primary sources LO: To describe the underground rail road using detail LO: To make inferences from combining sources LO: To explain significance using PEE It may be used as a standalone resource, or in combination with other resources on freedom fighters such as Toussaint L'Ouverture, Nanny of the Maroons, Sam Sharpe or Bussa. It contains a variety of tasks such as source analysis, and links to literacy objectives of using metaphors, clarifying the meaning of words using a partner, and refining a PEE paragraph. US teachers - this resources is designed for UK students who have little existing knowledge of the underground railroad and haven't heard of Harriet Tubman. As such, it provides an overview rather than an in depth examination of Tubman which you might want to go to if your classes have a higher level of pre-existing knowledge. NB I have made a map for students on which I have roughly drawn borders and rivers freehand. In case this isn't precise enough, I included a hyperlink to an online map with more precise borders - I didn't use this in the first instance because my whiteboard isn't too great and I don't think many students will be able to see the borders. All feedback gratefully received! Ruth
Segregation in the Southern States of the USA
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Segregation in the Southern States of the USA

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A complete lesson - ready to go if you’re in a hurry, or full of tasks to pick and choose from if you have time to personalise this for your class. All resources included on the Power Point to make it easy to access and print the necessary parts. Aims to cover these objectives: * To understand how segregation came about * To give detailed descriptions of segregation * To explain the attitudes towards race that made segregation so pervasive * To predict the challenges faced by civil rights campaigners Includes a variety of tasks, classroom discussion with additional information for the teacher to support questioning, group work task with opportunity for students to move and a 7 minute clip of a primary source for students to evaluate. Includes ideas for differentiation for each task and so is suitable as a stand alone resource for KS 3 and KS 4, a great intro to the topic for KS 5 but would need to be accompanied by a textbook on the topic to support the research task. Originally designed to support teaching of Edexcel AS Level D5 Civil Rights module.
Crime and Punishment - What was the role of the King in Medieval Law Enforcement?
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Crime and Punishment - What was the role of the King in Medieval Law Enforcement?

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This lesson looks particularly at Henry II and the changes he made in 1154. It includes a clip, a sock matching exercise and an alternative exercise if you prefer to keep your students seated. It includes a structured written exercise and a plenary. Learning objectives are: ALL will be able to describe how the King affected law and order in Medieval England MOST will be able to used precise historical detail to describe the changes the King brought SOME will be able to explain how much things change. All resources are included, no textbook needed. Questions are differentiated into traffic light colours.
Mansa Musa and Medieval Mali
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Mansa Musa and Medieval Mali

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This PowerPoint includes all of the resources to run either a single, or a double lesson on Mansa Musa. It is aimed at Year 7 and provides support for students working between L3 and L6 on the old NC Levels. Lesson objectives: L3 - To identify facts about Medieval Mali and Mansa Musa L4 - To describe Medieval Mali and Mansa Musa L5 - To make inferences from sources about Medieval Mali and Mansa Musa L6 - To explain what Medieval Mali and Mansa Musa would seem like to a time traveller, drawing inferences from sources to support their points. Activities include: * A task where students work in pairs, one looks at an image and describes it to his/her partner. The partner draws the image. * Fact generation, teacher models how to get facts from the source, students compete. * Using written sources to gather information * Creating a Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval Mali
Roman Trading Game
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Roman Trading Game

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This is a great game for introducing numeracy into a history topic. Students work their way around a Roman Empire trading map and at each port they are offered opportunities to trade goods that the Romans would have traded, for denarii. Once they get to the next port, they flip a coin or roll a dice to find out what price they receive for their goods, then they have options to buy more goods of a different time and move on to the next port to find out what their luck brings. The accountancy sheet helps them to keep track of their money, they will need counters to indicate their position on the map and coins and a dice to help them work out what happens with their products. As mentioned, this game is great for numeracy, but also in giving students an idea of the scope of the Roman Empire and how trade opportunities were increased by the stability offered by the Empire. Perfect for KS3, but not too tough for the top end of KS2. Many thanks to Paul Durnall who gave me this.
A Play about Henry VIII and his 6 wives
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A Play about Henry VIII and his 6 wives

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It was the end of term, my lovely year 7 asked me for a drama lesson, so I wrote this play. We rehearsed and performed it within just one lesson, minimum props needed. The play is several very short chunks that allows up to 32 students to have a named part. Each scene is written for between 2 and 5 students and there are 10 'scenes' so lots of people get to be Henry and lots more get to be various wives. I provided yellow cardboard crowns and some cardboard swords and we used our imagination for the rest. After each group had had 15 minutes to rehearse, to plan their entrances and props and actions etc, I gathered them all into an arena shape with a half circle of chairs in front, several tables behind so all could sit and all could see. The groups performed the scenes in order as I called them, it was a beautiful farce that was lots of fun, and lots of clapping. The most memorable part was when a group of boys enacted Jane Seymour giving birth.. lots of ad libbing! I hope you enjoy this as much as we did, I will definitely be using this again. NB I wrote it with a mixed ability class in mind so the reading isn't too challenging. To beef it up you could have a selection of keywords, or historical terms on the board and give points for groups that include them.
How did Clinton win the election in 1992?
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How did Clinton win the election in 1992?

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This lesson requires students to have some existing knowledge of American politics as a large part of this lesson is understanding that the New Democrats were more right wing than the Old Democrats. Students will need to be able to discuss whether they think policies such as 'helping businesses' are traditionally Democrat or Republican territory. This lesson is also heavily based around Vivienne Sanders 'Access to History: Politics, Presidency and Society in the USA 1968-2001' available here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Access-History-Politics-Presidency-1968-2001/dp/0340965983/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472498614&sr=8-1&keywords=vivienne+sanders+politics+presidency+society My favourite part of this lesson is the starter in which students read up on Clinton's background then have to write a speech to persuade Hillary to marry them. I make my students line up in two lines facing each other, then they get on their knees to propose. The student playing Hillary can't say yes until they have heard two good pieces of background information on Clinton
Intro to the Ideologies of the Cold War: Communism and Capitalism
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Intro to the Ideologies of the Cold War: Communism and Capitalism

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Designed for KS3, the HA resources are appropriate for KS4, with an additional research task this could be adapted for KS5. This lesson considers the ideologies separate from their historical contexts so it is a great introduction, but also provides space for debate that would be appropriate to a politics or citizenship lesson. Tasks: a vocab based starter, a main that encourages group work with speaking and listening the main method of learning, a class vote as to which ideology is best and a plenary that sneakily uses group work to consolidate learning. Learning Outcomes for this lesson: To be able to identify differences between ideologies To describe one ideology and give a way in which the other ideology is different To explain the differences between the ideologies and why they appeal to people To analyse the pros and cons of the ideologies to understand how they would work in practice Please note this is a self contained lesson with all necessary materials included (unless you want to adapt for KS5), no textbooks needed and no potentially problematic youtube clips to play. Whether you love it or you hate it, please review below so I can keep adjusting these resources to suit! Many thanks, Ruth
The Battle of Hastings - re-enactment and news report
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The Battle of Hastings - re-enactment and news report

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This is an active lesson which borrows heavily from thinkinghistory.com and their re-enactment instructions http://thinkinghistory.co.uk/ActivityBase/BattleofHastings.html I have provided the resources I use before and after the re-enactment; weighing up the advantages of each side, a quick paragraph on who is most likely to win, the re-enactment itself and then the news report with NC level success criteria. Lovely lovely lesson, works well as part of my Hastings Scheme of Work that you can find in my shop.
Edexcel Paper 1: Option F LESSON 9 Boom and Bust
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Edexcel Paper 1: Option F LESSON 9 Boom and Bust

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If you are using this bundle and are looking for Lesson 8, it is the lesson entitled 'Red Scare'. Apologies this is not more clearly labelled. I'm uploading this lesson for free because the bulk of the lesson I taught on it was me drawing a flow diagram of the wall street crash and students making their own diagrams. There is a good clip though with a summary attached. ALL will understand that the Wall Street Crash resulted from the boom years of the 1920s, will also be able to describe the effects of the WSC MOST Will understand the relationship between the boom and the bust and explain the effects of the WSC SOME Will be able to analyse aspects of both the boom and bust to identify where ideas of isolationism and laissez-faire had contributed to the crisis.
Je Suis Le Roi - the Harrying of the North and how William gained full control of England
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Je Suis Le Roi - the Harrying of the North and how William gained full control of England

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This resource is essentially just a link to an external website. I have uploaded it because it forms the fourth lesson of my scheme of work, but is not my creation so of course it needs to be a free upload. My Hastings lesson is also free if you want to try out a more substantial resource of mine and if you like this style of teaching, please have a look at the full scheme of work in my shop. All I will say about this is you will read it through and be daunted, no doubt your year 7 class are new to you and new to the school, and possibly just a little crazy. But take a risk and give it a go! The more you make this a pantomime, the more fun it is and the more memorable it is for students.