PowerPoint (with 6 slides) and one Word Document that examines the reasons why the police failed to catch Jack the Ripper in 1888. The lesson includes information on police failings (such as a lack of detectives, lack of co-operation between forces), issues with the environment of Whitechapel (alleyways, migrant populations, adversarial relationships with the police), and lack of technology (DNA, CCTV, fingerprinting). Activities include Ranking activity on the likely effectiveness of various tactics used to try and catch Jack the Ripper. Source analysis question on why the police did not offer rewards during the investigation. Source analysis exercise on the utility of a witness statement in aiding the police to solve the Whitechapel Murders. Evidence organisation task to identify three or four larger factors that help explain why the police were unable to catch Jack the Ripper. Source analysis task on the reasons Charles Warren lost his job as Metropolitan Police Commissioner. Concluding discussion / paragraph on whether police failings were the most important reason why the murders were never solved. Designed for the teaching of Key Stage 3 History. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace. Resource reviews and ratings are always much appreciated and help others using the site.

PowerPoint and worksheet that examines the extent of success Thomas Wolsey achieved in his administration of English domestic policy during the reign of King Henry VIII. The lesson considers his administration of Justice, Finance, Parliament, the Privy Chamber and the Church in England. Activities include Reading and comprehension task to highlight examples of success and failure in Wolsey’s domestic policy. Matching task connecting Wolsey’s abuses as a clergyman with the correct definition. Pupils add evidence to a table looking at the extent that his domestic policies were beneficial or detrimental to the King, the nobility, the common people and Wolsey himself. Plenary ranking activity to stimulate discussion on the relative success Wolsey achieved in different areas of domestic policy. Designed for the teaching of OCR History Y106 The Early & Mid Tudors. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace.

PowerPoint (with 4 slides) and two Word Documents that examines Saxon resistance against the Normans after the conquest in 1066. The lesson focuses on the Harrying of the North and Hereward the Wake. Activities include Starter activity in which students consider why Saxons hated William after the conquest. A reading and comprehension exercise on the Harrying of the North and Hereward the Wake in which pupils complete a comparative table. Discussion of which rebellion was the greater threat to Norman control of England. Source analysis to determine the reliability of Orderic Vitalis. Discussion of why the legendary version of Hereward’s fate was so popular. Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class covering aspects of the Medieval World. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace. Resource reviews are always much appreciated and help others using the site.

PowerPoint (with 9 slides) and two Word Documents that examines whether the Battle of the Somme was a victory or defeat fro the British army. Activities include: A quick quiz on the opening stages of the First World War. A chronology exercise in which the stages of General Haig’s plan of attack are put into sequence. A matching exercise in which British errors are connected with the correct explanation. A ranking exercise on Britain’s biggest error during the Battle of the Somme. A sorting exercise on British successes and failures. A concluding paragraph / plenary discussion in whether the Battle of the Somme was a victory or defeat for Britain. A re-evaluation of that judgment after the tactic of attrition is introduced and considered in the context of the Somme. A past paper exam style question (8 marks) on the Battle of the Somme. Designed for the teaching of Edexcel iGCSE History 4HI1 Paper 2 A1 The Origins and Course of the First World War, 1905-1918. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace Resource reviews and ratings are always much appreciated and help others using the site.

PowerPoint, source pack and worksheet that consider whether or not suffragette Emily Davison intended to kill herself at the Epsom Derby and the importance of her actions to the wider campaign for votes for women. Activities include Starter activity in which pupils discuss the meaning of the word martyr. Teacher introduction on who Emily Davison was supported by information on the PowerPoint including a video of the incident at the Derby which caused her death. Main activity in which pupils analyse a variety of sources and fill in a table to determine whether Davison was intent on martyring herself or whether what happened was an accident. Plenary conclusion discussion on why Davison’s death was important for the suffragette campaign and whether her intentions matter? Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class. Lesson Length: 1 hour depending on pace.

PowerPoint (with 4 slides) and two word documents that examine the causes of the American War of Independence. Factors/events that are considered within the lesson are the Seven Years War, The Royal Proclamation of 1763 limiting westwards expansion, The Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre of 1770, the Boston Tea Party and the events at Lexington in 1775. The issue of whether the British or the American Colonists were more responsible for causing the war is also considered. Activities include Starter activity that requires pupils to match groups relevant to the situation in America with the correct definitions to establish the different sides in the conflict. Student analysis of statistical data and a map to establish why the Thirteen Colonies were becoming culturally, economically, politically and practically difficult for Britain to control in the late 18th Century. Comprehension task in which pupils read about six key events in the build up to war and complete an evidence table of how the British and/or the American colonists were to blame for the deteriorating relationship in each case. Pupils judge which side was most to blame for each of the key events and rank their importance in causing the War of Independence. Using a source by James Otis as stimulus, pupils reach an overarching judgment on whether the British had acted like tyrants in the build up to the War of Independence. Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class covering aspects of the British Empire. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace. Resource reviews are always much appreciated and help others using the site.

PowerPoint & 2 worksheets that examine the key evidence for and against a number of prime suspects in the Whitechapel murders carried out by Jack the Ripper in 1888. The suspects covered are John Pizer, Montague John Druitt, Aaron Kosminski, Francis Tumblety, James Maybrick, George Chapman, Carl Feigenbaum, Michael Ostrog and Prince Albert Victor. It also raises the underlying prejudice that drove many of the accusations. Activities include Starter activity to analyse two very different sketches of the killer published in the Illustrated London News. Pupils to read mini-biographies on the suspects and use the information to complete a comparative table on key information about the suspects such as their location in 1888, their mental health, their nationality, whether they had a history of violence against women, whether they were known to have killed before or after 1888, etc. To spark discussion, pupils to score the suspects out of 10 according to how likely they were to have been guilty. Extension activity to identify the homophobia, xenophobia and Anti-Semitism that was an underlying feature of many of the accusations. Conclusion on whether any of the suspects were likely Jack given the evidence. This could lead onto an essay on the issue. Designed for the teaching of Key Stage 3 History. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace.

PowerPoint & 3 worksheets that examines the socio-economic backgrounds of the five canonical victims of Jack the Ripper: Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Kelly. Activities include -Starter activity to analyse what Booth’s survey tells us about Whitechapel in the 1880s. Discussion on what Annie Chapman’s photograph with her husband, the only one of the five victims who was seemingly pictured alive, tells us about the socio-economic status of the women as a group. Comprehension task in which students complete a table based on notes to identify whether the women had stable relationships with men, substance abuse problems, steady employment and access to accommodation. Causation activity in which pupils attempt to connect the socio-economic issues the women faced. Designed for the teaching of Key Stage 3 History. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace.

PowerPoint and two worksheets that examine the causes and consequences of the Seven Weeks War between Prussia and Austria in 1866 with particular emphasis on the roles of Bismarck, Prussia and the development of German Nationalism. Activities include Reading & comprehension exercise on the build up to the Seven Weeks War to establish whether Bismarck was reacting to events or master of events. Sorting activity on the reasons for the outcome of the war to establish those which Bismarck can and can’t take credit for. Analysis of the reasons for the outcome of the war to identify 3 or 4 overarching factors to explain Prussia’s victory. Analysis of map of the German Confederation during the Seven Weeks War to generate a discussion on the extent of German unity in 1866. Designed for the teaching of OCR History Y314 The Development of German Nationalism 1789-1919. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace.

PowerPoint and worksheet that consider whether Robin Hood was a real historical figure. The lesson focuses on what elements of the legend of Robin Hood have a basis in history and also whether the Robin Hood story conformed to, or challenged, medieval society. Activities include Starter activity in which pupils complete a spider diagram on what elements of the Robin Hood legend they already know about. A main activity in which pupils read the legend of Robin Hood and highlight any real historical events, figures or locations contained within the story that they are aware of. Pre-existing knowledge of King Richard, King John and the Crusades is helpful for this activity. Pupils consider a timeline showing what evidence for Robin Hood’s existence is available from the reigns of various medieval monarchs to judge when and if he really existed. Sorting activity in which pupils decide whether elements of the Robin Hood legend conformed or threatened medieval society. Conclusion in which pupils discuss why historians might still find the legend of Robin Hood useful in helping them study the past despite the limited evidence he existed. Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class covering the Medieval World. Lesson Length: 1 hour depending on pace.

PowerPoint and two worksheets that consider why Jewish people were persecuted in Medieval England. The lesson focuses on the persecution of Jews in England between their arrival with William the Conqueror and their expulsion in 1290 with specific examples including the murder of William of Norwich, the massacre of the Jews of York in 1190 and the treatment of Jewish coin cutters by the authorities. The lesson also considers the economic, cultural and religious causes of Jewish persecution. Activities include Starter activity in which pupils discuss the strength of the evidence that William of Norwich was murdered by Jews in 1144. Reading and comprehension exercise in which pupils identify/highlight the different ways Jews were discriminated against from a passage of text. These examples are then added to a spider-diagram. Activity in which pupils complete a table of cultural, economic and religious causes for the discrimination shown to Jewish people. Source analysis extension activity on what an anti-semitic illustration from a Norwich tax document tells us about official attitudes to Jewish people. Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class covering the Medieval World. Lesson Length: 1 hour depending on pace.

PowerPoint (with 4 slides) and two Word Documents that examine the causes of the 1857 Rebellion. Factors that are considered within the lesson are cultural causes such as rumours of cartridges greased with animal fat, economic causes such as low pay for sepoys and political causes such as the Doctrine of Lapse. Activities include Starter activity to match key terms used in the lessons with the correct definitions. Source analysis activity (6 sources) to determine the causes of the rebellion, judge whether the issues were short or long term causes and consider who was most motivated by the cause; princes, sepoys or civilians. Evidence based discussion activity on whether the cartridge issue was the most important cause of the rebellion. Debate on why historians give different names to the events of 1857; mutiny, rebellion or the First War of Indian Independence. Conclusion on which view of the events of 1857, given the causes, is most convincing. Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class covering aspects of the British Empire. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace. Resource reviews are always much appreciated and help others using the site.

PowerPoint (with 5 slides) and one Word Document that examines the impact of the Nazis on the lives of women in Germany between 1933 and 1945. Activities include Quick Quiz starter activity on prior learning relating to women in other units we study at GCSE: 20th Century USA and China. Feel free to edit to more relevant material that best suits your context. Source comparison exercise of two images of German women from the 1920s and 1930s to identify how their depiction has changed from the Wiemar to Nazi period. Sorting activity to match facts about German women to determine whether they better represent women in the Wiemar or Nazi periods. Reading and comprehension activity on Nazi policies towards women related to their roles in the workplace and in the family. Pupils complete a table to determine whether women benefited from Nazi policies and whether Nazi policies were consistent. Plenary discussion on the extent Nazis policies towards women were successful based on statistical evidence such as birthrates, abortions, and employment statistics. Designed for the teaching of Edexcel iGCSE History 4HI1 Paper 1 Depth Study 3 Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918-45. Lesson Length: 1 hour depending on pace. Resource reviews and ratings are always much appreciated and help others using the site.

PowerPoint (with 4 slides) and two word documents that examine the Sit-in Movement (1960) and Freedom Rides (1961) within the context of the wider civil rights movement. Activities include Starter activity in which pupils interpret a picture of the first sit in to understand what is going on and why. Reading, comprehension and comparison activity to establish the aims, tactics and extent of success, etc, of the two campaigns. Discussion to reach a judgment on which campaign was more significant in advancing the rights of Black people. Discussion of the changing tactics employed by the Sit-in Movement and Freedom Rides in comparison to the Montgomery Bus Boycott to establish an understanding of why these later tactics were more effective. Designed for the teaching of Edexcel iGCSE History 4HI1 Paper 1 Depth Study 7 A Divided Union: civil rights in the USA, 1945-74. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace. Resource reviews and ratings are always much appreciated and help others using the site.

PowerPoint & 2 worksheets that examine the causes and consequences of the Danish War of 1864 over control of Schleswig-Holstein with particular emphasis on the roles of Bismarck, Prussia and the development of German Nationalism. Activities include Starter Quiz on the status of Schleswig-Holstein prior to 1864 based on prior learning Reading & comprehension to identify any successes achieved by Bismarck & Prussia during the 1864 Danish War. Matching activity to link interested parties (Austria, Denmark, Prussia, the German Confederation & the Duchies themselves) with their hopes for Schleswig-Holstein. Activity in which pupils complete an evidence table with how Prussia benefited militarily, economically, territorially and in its relationship with Austria as a result of the Danish War. Ranking task on the benefits Prussia achieved above. Comparison of two passages by historians to evaluate which is more convincing in on the domestic consequences of the Danish War for Bismarck & Prussia. Concluding debate on whether the Danish War was a victory for German nationalists. Designed for the teaching of OCR History Y314 The Development of German Nationalism 1789-1919. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace.

PowerPoint & two worksheets that examine the causes of the decline of Austrian power in the 1850s. The Austrian economy, the legacy of the 1848 Revolts, the Crimean War, the Second War of Italian Unification and cultural differences with much of the German Confederation are all considered. Activities include Analysis of a letter from Bismarck to consider the nature Austro-Prussian relations. Linking activity to connect the problems Austria faced in this period with Austria’s policies and the consequences of those policies. Sorting activity on facts to determine whether they apply to Austria or Prussia. Ranking activity on how beneficial Austria’s problems were to Prussia. Designed for the teaching of OCR History Y314 The Development of German Nationalism 1789-1919. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace.

PowerPoint & two worksheets that examine the role of the Frankfurt Parliament and its ultimate failure during the 1848 Revolts in the German Confederation. Issues that are covered are its political and social makeup, its attitude to the industrial code, the problem of Schleswig Holstein, the Grossdeutscheland / Klinedeutschland debate, the debate over whether a united Germany should be a republic or constitutional monarchy and the attitude of King Frederick William IV to the Frankfurt Parliament. Activities include Chronology exercise to establish a timeline of key events concerning the establishment and existence of the Frankfurt Parliament. Analysis of data concerning the membership of the Frankfurt Parliament to draw conclusions about how representative it was. Decision making exercise to encourage debate on the key issues the Frankfurt Parliament needed to address. Matching task to link the issue faced with the Frankfurt Parliament’s policy with the consequence of that policy. Sorting activity on whether reasons for the failure of the Frankfurt Parliament were its own fault or not. Designed for the teaching of OCR History Y314 The Development of German Nationalism 1789-1919. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace.

PowerPoint and worksheet that considers whether King Richard I deserves his reputation as a ‘Lionheart’. The lesson focuses on the events of Richard’s life including his rebellions against his father, his conduct and achievements during the Third Crusade, his capture and imprisonment in Germany and his return to England and death in France. Activities include Starter activity in which pupils define what characteristics someone with the name Lionheart might have. Reading and comprehension exercise on the life of Richard. Pupils create a spider diagram on Richard’s actions during his lifetime before colour coding them according to whether they fit Richard’s reputation as a ‘Lionheart’ or not. Source analysis exercise on whether Richard’s treatment of prisoners while on crusade and his efforts to finance the crusade fits his reputation as a ‘Lionheart’. Source analysis exercise to judge the utility of the romantic poem Coeur de Lion to a historian investigating Richard’s reputation as a ‘Lionheart’. Having added the extra information to their spider diagrams pupils write a conclusion on whether Richard deserves his nickname. Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class covering the Medieval World. Lesson Length: 1 hour depending on pace.

PowerPoint and two worksheets that considers what it was like to work for King Henry VIII. The lesson focuses on the careers and fates of Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell. Activities include Starter activity in which students analyse a source by the Venetian Ambassador about the relationship between King Henry VIII and Wolsey to consider what it tells us about Henry VIII as a king. Reading and comprehension activity on Wolsey, More and Cromwell. Pupils complete a comparative table on their attributes as Henry’s servants, their achievements, the reasons for their fall from power and whether they deserved their fate. Source evaluation of the scaffold speeches of More and Cromwell to judge the reliability of their words in context. Plenary / extension exercise in which students discuss why so many people aspired to work for Henry VIII given the risks. Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class covering the Tudors. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace.

PowerPoint and worksheet that considers the problems faced by Queen Mary I and how she dealt with them. Activities include Starter activity in which students discuss why religion, gender and legitimacy all posed problems for Mary Tudor. Decision making exercise in which pupils take the role of Mary and consider how she should tackle problems like the Lady Jane Grey Plot, whether to marry, Wyatt’s Revolt, whether to join King Philip II’s war with France, and who her successor should be. Pupils complete a table to justify their decisions. Plenary source analysis exercise. Students analyse the advice offered by her relative Emperor Charles V at the start of Mary’s reign and judge whether she followed it. Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class covering the Tudors. Lesson Length: 1hr depending on pace.