Attached are two CPD sessions based around retrieval practice that I used to launch retrieval practice across our school.
The first session discusses the theory of memory, based on the principles outlined in ‘Make Learning Stick’ and ‘Why dont students like school?’, including the forgetting curve, the difference between working memory/ long term memory and cognitive load theory.
The second session discusses the main principles of retrieval practice based on Rosenshine and recent publications. The session also provides a range of examples of different retrieval activities. I have included the templates for these activities for you to share as well.
Both sessions went down extremely well with staff, and helped develop retrieval practice on a whole school level.
The resources could easily be adapted for a departmental level and also sharing with older students.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.
Hardwick Hall visit Booklet for students to complete whilst visiting Hardwick Hall. Includes a description on the purpose of the visit, model exam answer, note taking pages, and treasure hunt.
Allows students to complete a booklet whilst touring the house either with a guide or with a teacher.
An assembly on radicalisation and extremism that lasts around 15 minutes.
The assembly is set out as:
Definition of keywords
Why do people become extremists
Case studies (Joe Cox and Manchester Arena bombing)
What we can do to prevent
Can also be delivered during tutor.
Took around 90 minutes to resource and create so will hopefully save someone time.
Lesson focuses on an investigation into: Why did Austria-Hungary and Serbia hate one another?
Outcomes:
Identify the key points from the Balkan Crisis
Describe the causes, events and consequences of the Balkan crisis
Explain the most important reason for the crisis and its consequences
Lesson contains a variety of activities.
A lesson investigating the importance of Florence Nightingale in the development of hospitals and medicine, which would be suitable for the Edexcel History 9-1 specification. The lesson could be easily be adapted for AQA.
The aims of the lesson are:
Identify what hospitals were like in 1800.
Describe Florence Nightingale’s role in improving hospitals.
Explain how Florence Nightingale improved medical care in the 19th Century.
The lesson involves a range of activities such as a card sort, video (with questions), and an exam question (with scaffolding).
Designed for the AQA History Spec: Germany unit, but could quite easily be adapted for other exam boards/ audiences.
Lesson examines the effect of World War Two on Germany. Fully differentiated and resourced.
Learning Outcomes:
Identify three ways Germans were impacted by the Second World War
Describe how life changed in Germany as a result of World War Two
Evaluate the impact of war on Germans including bombing, rationing, labour shortages and refugees
Please let me know if there are any issues with this resource.
Thank you,
Lesson designed for the AQA Health and the People 9-1 History Specification, but could easily be adapted for other exam specs. This lesson focuses on public health in Medieval towns and attempted improvements.
The lesson has three outcomes:
Describe public health in a medieval town
Explain what caused public health issues
Evaluate how successful attempts to improve public health were
Activities included in the lesson are: annotation of a medieval town (which students return to towards the end of the lesson to show progress), detailed card sort, graph measuring improvements, and a plenary pyramid.
A well resourced lesson that covers medieval public health in towns in detail.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you.
Lesson designed for the AQA 8145 spec, conflict and tension (WW1), which investigates the reasons the Ludendorff Spring Offensive failed in 1918. The objectives of the lesson are:
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of Germany by 1918
Explain how the Spring Offensive went for Germany
Evaluate why the Spring Offensive failed
Lesson contains a range of activities, including a SWOT analysis of Germany in 1918, a Ludendorff happy-o-metre (scattergraph), and opportunities for source anaylsis.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you!
Revision Lesson includes a Revision Mat Game, Walking Talking Exam Questions/ a 50 word Articulate game and chronology hook.
Worksheet is attached to the PowerPoint for students to complete during the lesson.
Included are 6 separate homelearning/ revision activities designed for the Elizabethan unit in AQA History:
Mary, Queen of Scots
Earl of Essex
Golden Age
Causes of Poverty
Problems facing Elizabeth in the first 10 years
Puritans
The format is set out as information on the topic, followed by tasks and exam questions. Easy to set and provides students all the information they need to complete the activities.
Lesson designed for the new AQA History GCSE spec. The objectives of the lesson are:
Recall and prioritise the problems facing Stresemann
Explain the actions taken by Stresemann to restore Weimar’s stability
Evaluate how successful Stresemann was
Differentiation is embedded throughout with a range of activities including, visual sources, card sorts, explanation questions and exam practice.
Designed for the new AQA 8145 spec. Lesson focuses on the two crises in Morocco, looking at the detail of each crisis and how they contributed to World War One.
Lesson comes with additional ideas and resources to suit different teaching styles, including a 4 mark exam question.
WILFs:
To describe the two Moroccan crises of 1905 and 1911
To explain the impact of the Moroccan crises and how it contributed to causing the first world war
To analyse the importance of the Moroccan crises
Lesson for a Slavery SOW
Nat Turner was a slave that actively rebelled in America, and killed over 50 people. This lesson explores who Nat Turner was, what happened during the rebellion, and concludes with a source activity that asks pupils to analyse what the rebellion achieved.
All pupils will be able to describe who Nat Turner was (Level 5)
Most pupils will be able to explain what happened during the rebellion (Level 6)
Some pupils will be able to analyse how successful Nat Turner was (Level 7)
Fully resourced lessons exploring Hardwick Hall for the 2025 Historic Environment. Accompanying student work booklet that includes a range of tasks. This series of lessons took around 8-10 hours to put together so hopefully will save someone some time.
Created for AQA 8145 Elizabethan England topic but possible to adapt. Lesson includes a video, recall quiz, card sort, written activity, interpretation task, and finishes with a game of Splat!
Learning Objectives:
Recall previous knowledge on the Elizabethan topic
Describe reasons that led Elizabethans to explore.Â
Analyse an interpretation on the voyages of discovery
Let me know if there are any issues.
Thanks
Designed for the AQA 8145 spec, conflict and tension (WW1), this lesson investigates why Russia lost the war, and the consequences of the Bolshevik revolution. The lesson has 3 objectives:
Describe why Russia lost during World War One, including the Bolshevik revolution
Explain the causes and consequences of Russia leaving the war
Evaluate the impact of Russian withdrawal on German strategy
The lesson contains a range of activities, such as reading, comprehension questions, and source analysis.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you!
A lesson examining Hitler’s foreign policy aims that is suitable for Key stage 3 or an introductory session for GCSE.
The objectives of the lesson are:
Recall the Treaty of Versailles
Describe why German’s hated the Treaty of Versailles so much
Explain Hitler’s aims with other countries
Activities include source analysis, comprehension tasks, reading and writing, a video, and opportunities for class discussion. Challenge tasks are embedded and based on Blooms. All work/ information sheets are embedded in the lesson and easily accessible.
My students seem to always enjoy this lesson and I find it lays the foundation for future lessons/ knowledge for students.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.
Based on a Pub Quiz model. This quiz includes six rounds, including picture, music and general knowledge.
The students that have played through this quiz have given very positive feedback so thought I would share!
Simple lesson asking students to research Holocaust survivor stories through a mixture of video and text.
Worksheet included alongside to hyperlinked clips to get students started.
Lesson ends by returning to the questions students had originally asked .