350+ ready to use and fully resourced History lessons. As a British history teacher with 25 years of experience, I understand the challenges you face in the classroom. That's why I created my store — to share high-quality lessons and to save you time. This store shares my love of History, inspires critical thinking, and get students connected with the past. I’m also an examiner and textbook author, so you can trust that my lessons align with current standards and best practices.
350+ ready to use and fully resourced History lessons. As a British history teacher with 25 years of experience, I understand the challenges you face in the classroom. That's why I created my store — to share high-quality lessons and to save you time. This store shares my love of History, inspires critical thinking, and get students connected with the past. I’m also an examiner and textbook author, so you can trust that my lessons align with current standards and best practices.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This 52-page pack is the incredibly detailed and complete set of notes I have written for my students. It is basically an entire course on Weimar and Nazi Germany in one pack! Suitable for 16+ including GCSE, AP, A Level, and IB students. Notes are broken down into the following sections:
What problems did the Weimar Republic face between 1919-23?
How did the Weimar Republic recover between 1923-29?
Why did the Weimar Republic collapse between 1929-33?
How did Hitler consolidate his power between the years 1933-34?
Through what methods did Hitler control Germany?
Who benefitted from the Nazi state?
How did the Nazis control the economy?
Who supported and who opposed the Nazi state?
What was the Holocaust?
I am confident you will love this resource because there is nothing on the Internet which I have found which offers the same level of breadth and detail on this topic.
Your students will find the notes supremely useful and they will help them achieve examination success.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This is one of my absolute favourite lessons. Students read through the background knowledge/notes before working their ways through a 21 piece evidence sort to answer the question ‘Who killed Kirov?’ Students then place the card sort information into piles which suggest Stalin was guilty of the murder and evidence that suggests he was not, before arriving at an opinion abotu why the 1st December Law and the subsequent purges and period of Yezhovschina occured. My students truly love this lesson and I really hope yours do too!
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
I’ve always found Maoism fascinating and I created this lesson when I worked at an international school in China. As such the level of detail in the notes is of really high quality and its a lesson which my students always found really enjoyable. The class work through the notes and use it to create a newspaper from the perspective of either the Communists or the Nationalists. The ‘Red Globe’ proforma included in the lesson pack allows for students to refine their arguments and carefully select only the most relevant evidence in order to formulate an answer to the key question. I really hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine do.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
My students love using these as a revision tool and also as an in class activity. Each of the twenty three hand-shaped cards has a key topic about the Cold War on it and each finger has a name/date/quote/statistic/fact on. Students learn precise supporting material which really boosts examination success. These aides can be reversed so students can test each other by reading the answers first and guessing the topic also. Once cut out and laminated they make a very handy and mobile revision aide and knowledge on them is extremely precise and exact.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
I hope they can be of much use to your students as they are to mine. If you enjoyed this resource please leaf through my collection of other revision menus and resources.
This pack focuses on USA 1917-41, includes space for student notes, and includes revision content for the following topics:
The impact of the First World War on the USA
Immigration
Prohibition and gangsterism
Mass production and the stock market boom
The Roaring Twenties
The position of black Americans
The USA in Depression, 1929-33
Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1933-41
The opposition to the New Deal
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
Of all of my resources these revision menus are my must-haves!
I hope they can be of much use to your students as they are to mine. If you enjoyed this resource please leaf through my collection of other revision menus and resources.
This pack focuses on Twentieth Century China, includes space for student notes, and includes revision content for the following topics:
China 1911-34
The triumph of Mao and the CCP, 1934-49
Change under Mao, 1949-63
The impact of the Cultural Revolution
China, 1969-89
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
In this lesson students work through a ‘what’s behind the squares’ starter activity which introduces them to the horrors of the First World War. They then proceed to work through the detailed set of notes and use this knowledge in the main activiation tasks (questions to test comprehension and a mind-map activity) before testing their chronological understanding of the notes in the ‘play your cards right’ plenary. My students always love this lesson and it is a great introduction to life in 1920s USA. I’m confident your students will love it too.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
In this lesson students begin to explore the concept of totalitarianism by a class discussion of photographs of a much-loved Hitler in the starter activity. This the leads to students accessing a detailed set of notes before beginning a mind map exercise in which the class explore the role of propaganda, economics, crushing of opposition and use of terror. Students conclude this lesson by participating in a Connect 4 style plenary to measure subject knowledge.
I hope your students get as much out of this lesson as mine do.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
In this lesson students begin by identifying what’s behind the squares in the starter activity which leads to source analysis which is designed to introduce the Key Question - What were the motives of the Big Three at Versailles? The class then explore a detailed set of notes before being issued a character card. The class then hotseat in role using the masks provided before concluding with a ‘Have I got News for You?’ style plenary in which they have to fill in the gaps to show comprehension.
I hope your students gain as much from this lesson as mine do.
Comprehensive and detailed notes as well as rigorous and engaging activities for this entire topic.
Lessons covered include:
Why did Saddam Hussein rise to power in Iraq?
What was the nature of Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq?
Why was there a revolution in Iran in 1979?
What were the causes of the Iran-Iraq War?
What were the consequences of the Iran-Iraq War?
What were the causes of the First Gulf War?
I have also thrown in a comprehensive revision menu for the unit.
I hope your students enjoy these materials as much as mine do.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
In this lesson students begin by working through the set of background notes before completing a large diamond 9 activity as a group task. They then fill in their pyramid activity collectively before making recipe equations. I hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine always do.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
I designed this lesson for my IB students and it is pitched at more able students. The lesson begins with a simple starter activity to introduce them to the topic. The hook here is the Socialist Fraternal Embrace and it leads to a discussion of the symbolism of the Breznev-Honeker kiss on the Berlin Wall. From here students read the introductory notes before working through a highly detailed card sort. The cards are coloured to guide those who need it (lighter and darker tones portray positive and negative aspects of life in Brezhnev’s USSR whilst the colours themselves represent factors - domestic, foreign, economic etc). Students then use this information to model a spoken or written responses to the Key Question. The plenary is a fun dingbats powerpoint in which students have to shout out one of the key words or events covered in this lesson and explain its significance. I created this last week and used it with my students for the first time and they really understood the period in so doing whilst showcasing a range of higher order Historical skills. I hope your students can benefit from it also.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
Ideal for an end of unit fun quiz on the USA in the roaring Twenties and thirsty Thirties …
Seventy eight slides with fourteen categories and a whole range of activities to help students think about the key areas in this period. Tasks include anagrams, photo fit faces, chronology activities, dingbats and lots more.
You might wish to allow students to use phones or devices to help them throughout the quiz or you may wish them to attempt it without them.
I hope your students find this as fun and useful a revision activity as mine do.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This is one of my favourite lessons. It take a little bit of preparation by the teacher beforehand though, although there is a short cut you can take too.
In this lesson you will find six codes to crack and six missions all of which help answer the question ‘how did Rasputin die?’ As the class figure out the codes and complete the missions they fill in the worksheets provided. By the end they will have six different responses which help them understand the Felix Youssopov-inspired version of events but which also leave them questioning this version of events.
This lesson works best with a few props (beard, bottle, crucifix etc as well as six boxes and six padlocks) but you can if you prefer simply print off the codes and print them back to back instead.
Any questions please email me. This lesson has been pitched towards high achieving secondary aged students and please do be aware there is one image of a dead Rasputin in this lesson. Please include/leave out at your discretion.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This lesson begins with a fun starter activity where students view images of Putin and are introduced to the idea that Russians like a tough muzhik style leader (Geoffrey Hosking). They then read through a detailed 4-page pack of notes before completing a card sort where they divide information onto two ‘roads’ - one that suggests Russia was legitimately on the road to reform and democracy, and one that suggests it was on the road to revolution because of a Tsar who refused to give up any power. Students are then expected to write a short response to the overall question before the plenary which shows them two different Historians’ views on this question (Pipes and Morison). The class are asked to vote by standing either on the left or right of the room.
I hope you enjoy this lesson as much as I do when I deliver it and please do ask me if you have any questions. The lesson is pitched at high achieving secondary school students.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
In this lesson’s starter activity students are introduced to some of the weird ideas that existed before Marco Polo’s travels (such as headless men and women with single giant feet) and there are graduated learning outcomes provided (all of you will/some of you will/most of you will). Students are then provided with background information about Marco Polo’s voyage and are given a list of key events on slide 14. The main activity is that students are asked to use this information to create an Instagram style storyboard to narrow this down to the ten key events of his life (examples are given). The lesson concludes with a Dingbats plenary designed to get students to shout out some key words relating to Marco Polo’s voyage.
I hope your students enjoy this lesson as much as mine and thanks for your interest. Please be aware this lesson is pitched at high ability secondary aged students (11+). I hope your students enjoy it as much as mine do (I teach in China so this is always an extremely popular lesson with my students!) and please let me know if you have any questions.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.” Dan
This is a History mystery lesson in which students explore the Essential Question ‘what happened to Princess Anastasia?’ This is always a popular lesson because of the 1997 Disney movie (!) but more importantly one that really challenges student second order thinking and gets them working on their reasoning skills.
The lesson begins with a starter activity where students watch two short video clips about Anastasia’s death and answer a few quick questions on this. The clips are deliberately very different and from this the class are encouraged to create their own lesson title (which will be very similar to the title given here). Students then work through graduated learning objectives (all of you will / most of you will / some of you will) before working through some detailed background information. The class then work through a card sort activity detailing evidence which suggests a) that Anastasia did die at the Ipatiev House and b) evidence which suggests she may have survived (the Anna Anderson story). A colour coded differentiated version is supplied also. Students then use this information from the card sort activity to complete a template to help them write an Okhrana police report which answers the Essential Question. The lesson concludes with a voting plenary.
This lesson is pitched towards high achieving secondary students and is always one they really do well in. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Have a great day fellow teachers and if you enjoy this lesson please leave me a review.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.” Dan
This is a great project-based lesson designed to introduce students to the topic of Ancient China and to the second-order concept of significance and includes graduated learning outcomes (all of you will/most of you will/some of you will).
The lesson begins with a quick starter activity where students have to guess which of four sports was not invented in China. They’re often a bit surprised by the answer (table tennis) and this leads on to a second activity in which they have to see how many inventions which originated in China they can identify (the rocket, paper, wheelbarrows - 21 are given in total). From this the class are then introduced to the idea of how historians decide what makes an event or discovery significant and they explore the acronym GREAT: G = ground-breaking, R = remembered, E = extent of importance to people at the time, A = affected the future, and T = turning point. For the main task students are given a card with three different inventions on. They need to choose one of their inventions and explain in presentation form why they felt it was so significant. The lesson concludes with a class vote on which they felt was the most important invention and why.
I’ve also thrown in an assessment rubric should you wish to turn the project into a formal assessment.
Please note this lesson was designed for high achieving Year 7 students with the ability to do their own research (some websites are given) but it also works well as a great library-based lesson depending on the resources you have in yours.
Please let me know if you have any questions and I hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine always do.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.” Dan
In this lesson students are given a quick odd one out activity as a starter to invite them to consider the positives and negatives of Capone, the notorious gangster.
The PPT then offers them some background information and the learning objectives are broken down into all of you will/most of you will/and some of you will. The main activity is a 44-piece card sort and there is a slide explaining the answers to this also. The lesson concludes with a short voting plenary where students are asked to side with the views of different personalities when answering the question as to whether Capone was as “black as they say” to use his own words.
This lesson has been designed for high achieving high school students.
“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see other’s points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan
This free lesson is titled “1066 – Who should be King?”
The lesson begins with a freeze-frame Starter Activity in which students act out four scenes explaining the life and death of Edward the Confessor (prompts are given). They are then asked to come to the board and write down 3 adjectives of what a good leader should be. This leads to an introduction of the Key Question along with lesson aims and graduated objectives (all will/most will/some will). After this there are 5 slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition and a true or false activity to test knowledge gained. There are then 4 printable character cards and students are issued these (with examples) and placed in groups of 4. They prepare a speech (with props) explaining why they should be King and take part in a Blind Date style hot seating activity (questions are provided). Lesson aims and objectives are revisited. After this, students self-assess (two stars and a wish) before peer-assessing on the kite diagram plenary. I hope your students enjoy this lesson as much as mine always do. It has been created for high school students but could be adapted to work with slightly younger students too.
I’d be so grateful if you can find time to add a positive review and ‘follow’ me if you enjoyed this lesson. If you do please look around the store and email me for any free lesson of your choosing – danguiney78@gmail.com – and I’ll add you to my mailing list so you get to hear about other bargains once in a while.
Wishing you a terrific day.