I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
I am a History Teacher with a love for producing high quality and easily accessible history lessons, which I have accumulated and adapted for over 20 years of my teaching career. I appreciate just how time consuming teaching now is and the difficulty of constantly producing resources for an ever changing curriculum.
Unlock the dramatic story of Oliver Cromwell and ask your students the big question, “How should Cromwell be remembered – as a champion of liberty or a ruthless dictator?”
This engaging, ready-to-teach lesson guides students through the key events and debates of Cromwell’s life and legacy, encouraging critical thinking, historical empathy and extended writing.
The lesson begins with a starter activity on the causes of the English Civil War.
A chronological timeline task covers the major events from the war through to Cromwell’s rise to power. Some source analysis and inference on the Apotheosis painting uses key prompts to help if required.
Students also explore the reasons as to why the execution of Charles I was so shocking in Britain and across Europe. A differentiated comprehension activity on Cromwell’s rule is included as well as a structured extended writing task as to how we should remember the legacy of Cromwell. A prioritisation and discussion activity on Cromwel concludes the lesson with an imaginative twist on what if Cromwell had made different choices during his term in office
This lesson Includes:
An engaging PowerPoint with step-by-step guidance.
Source analysis tasks.
A timeline to build chronological understanding.
Comprehension and plenary tasks to consolidate learning.
Differentiated worksheets to support all learners.
Why teachers will love this resource:
Fully differentiated and accessible for all abilities.
Clear structure with high-quality comprehension and literacy focus.
Encourages enquiry, analysis and debate, perfect for developing historical thinking skills.
Ready to use and ideal for both specialists and non-specialists.
Can be used as a standalone lesson or part of a Cromwell enquiry.
Includes printable resources, tasks and challenge options to stretch and support
Great preparation for GCSE style evaluative writing and judgment skills.
Step inside the grim, overcrowded world of early 19th Century prisons and discover how one woman, Elizabeth Fry helped change everything. This engaging and fully differentiated Key Stage 3 lesson brings the past to life with a mix of source work, active questioning and critical writing to encourage historical thinking.
The lessons begins with a “Could you survive a Victorian prison?” scenario with an atmospheric image. Students decide what they’d do in a prison where rats, starvation, and loneliness were the norm.
They are given the Contextual background explaining the terrifying conditions of early 1800s gaols as debtors mixed with murderers, women and children locked up together and no proper toilets…
Students will analyse the work of Elizabeth Fry in a case study; a narrative of Fry’s early visits to Newgate, her religious motivation and the reforms she pushed for.
There are differentiated comprehension questions are used with modelled answers, ideal for mixed-ability classes or stretch and support tasks.
A fact or fiction task separates truth from myth using provided statements about Fry and prisons. This is a great tool for checking misconceptions.
There are also contemporary accounts from visitor reports, encouraging students to infer and empathise.
Finally, an extended writing task on how far did Elizabeth Fry change prisons. Students analyse the extent and nature of change with a writing frame, key vocabulary, and success criteria included.
The lesson includes:
An engaging PowerPoint with step-by-step guidance
Printable worksheets
Source extracts and analysis
Differentiated tasks and writing scaffolds
Why teachers will love this resource:
It grabs students’ attention straight away with a fun prison survival activity.
Easy to use with clear slides and worksheets included.
Works well for all abilities with different levels of questions and tasks.
Uses real historical sources to bring the past to life.
Helps students build key history skills like cause, change and significance.
Supports writing with sentence starters and key words.
Save time as everything is ready to print and teach.
It fits into crime and punishment, social reform, or Victorian history topics.
Bring 19th Century protest to life with this engaging, fully resourced Key Stage 3 lesson, exploring the Anti-Corn Law League, the campaigners who challenged the power of Parliament to bring down to many the unfair and unjust grain laws.
**This resource includes: **
The aims and objectives of the Anti-Corn Law League. The controversy of the Corn Laws and who benefitted from them. How the League spread their message, including the use of mass rallies, pamphlets and the railway networks. How the role of new technology, including the printing press and the penny post helped shape public opinion. Robert Peel’s changing views and whether he cared more about principles or party politics. A prioritisation exercise where pupils evaluate multiple reasons for the repeal, from famine to free trade and decide which mattered most. Finally, a competitive plenary quiz will consolidate learning and assess the understanding of the lesson.
This lesson Includes:
An engaging PowerPoint with step-by-step guidance
Skills in causation, prioritisation, significance, debate and argument
Source analysis tasks using contemporary accounts
Retrieval quizzes and plenary tasks to consolidate learning
Differentiated worksheets to support all learners
Why teachers will love this resource:
Fully planned and resourced. Just print or upload and teach
Builds core KS3 skills such as causation, interpretation and source analysis
Prepares students for GCSE themes like power, monarchy, and Parliament
Encourages critical thinking and balanced historical judgement
Whether you’re exploring Victorian values or tracing the roots of modern democracy, this lesson helps students make meaningful connections between economic protest and political change
Bring the drama and disruption of one of Britain’s most pivotal industrial events to life with this fully resourced, accessible, and engaging lesson on the General Strike of 1926.
This lesson introduces students to the concept of a General Strike, when multiple industries stop work to support a shared cause, threatening to grind the nation to a halt. Students will explore why the 1926 strike was not just about miners’ wages but about the broader struggle between labour and government, and the limits of protest in a democratic society.
Pupils examine the real impact of the strike on transport, food supply, newspapers, and communication. Through engaging tasks and historical sources, they will consider how the strike disrupted ordinary lives and how the fear of chaos shaped public opinion.
This resource explores how Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin prepared for and responded to the strike with military-like precision: using volunteer workers, mobilising the police and army, and launching the British Gazette to control the media narrative. Students will analyse the balance between maintaining order and suppressing dissent.
Through a structured debate or source analysis task, learners weigh up the perspectives of striking workers, trade union leaders, the government, and the press. Why did some see the strike as a bold stand for workers’ rights and others as a threat to democracy itself?
Students will reflect on why the strike collapsed after nine days, considering factors like lack of unity, government planning, media control, and public support. This analysis reveals deeper truths about the power structures of 1920s Britain and opens a wider discussion about class tensions and the limits of protest.
This lesson Includes:
An engaging PowerPoint with step-by-step guidance
Source analysis tasks using modern and contemporary accounts
A timeline to build chronological understanding
Retrieval quizzes and plenary tasks to consolidate learning
Differentiated worksheets to support all learners
Why teachers will love this resource:
Fully planned and resourced. Just print or upload and teach
Builds core Key Stage 3 skills such as causation, interpretation and source analysis
Prepares students for GCSE themes like power, monarchy, and Parliament
Encourages critical thinking and balanced historical judgement
Bring the drama, ideals and global significance of the American Revolution to life with this dynamic and accessible lesson, designed to spark historical thinking and active engagement!
Students investigate a range of political, economic, social and ideological causes of the Revolution. They will categorise and colour-code the factors such as taxation, enlightenment ideas and colonial identity as well as encouraging independent thinking and class debate over the most significant cause.
Students explore key extracts from the Declaration of Independence with accessible support, evaluating Jefferson’s language and ideas. What does “all men are created equal” really mean? This is a brilliant activity for source skills and critical thinking.
An engaging reading activity examines the turning points and weaknesses of the British war effort. Students answer targeted comprehension questions and build an explanation of the British defeat. This si ideal for literacy, sequencing and analytical writing.
Students also explore the far-reaching consequences of American independence, including the spread of revolutionary ideas, the impact on the British Empire, and the foundation of a new nation. Included is a “who was affected?” task that reinforces global historical connections.
This lesson Includes:
An engaging PowerPoint with step-by-step guidance
A missing word activity giving the context to the American Revolution
A colour coding task to link to political, economic, social and ideological causes together
Source analysis tasks using a contemporary account
A comprehension task with differentiated questioning
An exit ticket plenary task to consolidate learning
Why teachers will love this resource:
Fully resourced and differentiated
Builds core Key Stage 3 skills such as historical thinking. empathy, understanding and extended writing
Prepares students for GCSE themes like power, revolution, representation and Parliament
Created by an experienced history teacher with over 20 years experience
Bring Victorian history to life with this powerful, lesson on the inspiring Matchgirls Strike. Perfect for exploring industrial Britain, protest and reform, women’s history or trade union development.
Students will learn about the importance of the humble match, the everyday object that lit homes, fires and lamps across Victorian Britain.
The harsh, toxic conditions inside the Bryant and May match factory in London’s East End.
The role of Annie Besant, a reformer and journalist, in supporting and empowering the girls.
A balanced classroom debate with arguments for and against the strike, encouraging empathy, reasoning and critical thinking.
How the matchgirls defied the odds and won, changing the course of British labour history.
The lesson includes:
An engaging PowerPoint with striking visuals, key facts & discussion prompts
A mini-debate activity as students take on the roles of the matchgirls and factory owners,
Differentiated worksheets for comprehension, analysis and extended writing,
source extracts and source scholarship
Plenary quiz and reflection task to reinforce knowledge and encourage thinking
Why teachers will love this resource:
Fully planned and resourced. Just print or upload and teach
Builds core KS3 skills such as causation, consequence, interpretation and source analysis
Prepares students for GCSE themes like power, monarchy, Parliament, womens’ rights and the Industrial Revolution
Encourages critical thinking and balanced historical judgement
Uncover the birth of English parliamentary system with this fully resourced, ready-to-teach lesson on Simon de Montfort, perfect for KS3 or as a foundation for GCSE students exploring the development of democracy in Britain.
This lesson (delivered over 2 x 1 hour sessions) dives into one of the most dramatic chapters in medieval English history, exploring the life, legacy and controversial reputation of Simon de Montfort.
Background and Ambition: Students investigate who Simon de Montfort was, from French nobleman to English earl and how his personal ambitions and principles brought him into direct conflict with King Henry III.
The Provisions of Oxford (1258): Pupils explore why the barons demanded reform, what the Provisions set out to achieve and how they changed the balance of power between the King and his nobles.
Civil War and Climax: Bring the battles to life with accounts of the Battle of Lewes and Battle of Evesham, helping students understand the high stakes, strategies and outcomes of Montfort’s rebellion.
De Montfort’s Parliament (1265): Was this the birth of democracy or a baronial power grab? Students examine the evidence and significance of the first Parliament to include representatives of the commons.
Hero or villain? Through debate and structured extended writing tasks (with scaffolding included), learners critically assess if de Montfort was a champion of the people.
This lesson includes
An engaging PowerPoint with step-by-step guidance
Source analysis tasks using modern and contemporary accounts
A timeline to build chronological understanding
Retrieval quizzes and plenary tasks to consolidate learning
Differentiated worksheets to support all learners
Why teachers will love this resource
Fully planned and resourced. Just print or upload and teach
Builds core KS3 skills such as causation, interpretation and source analysis
Prepares students for GCSE themes like power, monarchy, and Parliament
Encourages critical thinking and balanced historical judgement
Whether you’re teaching medieval monarchs or sowing the seeds of parliamentary power, this lesson helps students make meaningful connections between past and present.
Engage, challenge and inspire your KS3 students with this high-quality, fully resourced lesson exploring one of the most significant uprisings of Tudor England.
This lesson has a clear focus on historical enquiry skills and critical thinking and is perfect for non-specialists and experienced historians alike!
What’s Included?
A clear explanation of the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the religious, social and economic reasons behind it.
A visual analysis of the 5 Wounds of Christ banner, helping students unpack symbolism and religious motivation.
The key events of the rebellion presented through an engaging timeline and chronological task
A source analysis activity where students evaluate contemporary sources to explore motives, bias and reliability.
A ‘Big picture’ significance task in which students prioritise reasons why the rebellion mattered, from local protest to national crisis.
Why teachers will love this resource
The lesson covers key skills of cause and consequence, source inference and utility, significance and prioritization, historical empathy and communication
This lesson is ready to use and easily adaptable.
It will help your students make sense of faith, fear and rebellion in Tudor England,
Whether you’re teaching the Tudors as part of a thematic unit or delving into political resistance and religion, it is perfect for KS3 students of all abilities.
Bringing one of the most influential working-class movements in British political history to life with this comprehensive and engaging lesson on the Chartists. It is perfect for KS3 or as an introduction for GCSE students studying the fight for democracy in 19th-century Britain.
This lesson in PowerPoint format is designed to be delivered in an hour’s lesson, It includes:
The aims of the Chartists: Students explore the Six Points of the People’s Charter and understand the core demands for political reform that shook Victorian Britain. Moral vs Physical Force: The lesson delves into the contrasting approaches within the movement, examining the peaceful campaign of William Lovett alongside the more militant stance of Feargus O’Connor.
Chartist Leaders Compared: The differences between Lovett and O’Connor’s leadership styles and visions for the movement are explored, encouraging students to evaluate their impact.
Support for Chartism & The Newport Rising: The lesson evaluates who backed the Chartists and why, before investigating the dramatic Newport Rising and its significance within the wider movement.
Short and Long-term Impact: Students will assess how effective Chartism was in achieving its goals, considering both immediate failures and its lasting influence on British democracy.
Why Teachers Will Love This Resource:
Ready to use, with structured, engaging and differentiated tasks for all learners.
It encourages critical thinking as students will debate, analyse sources and form independent judgments The lesson supports extended historical writing with scaffolded tasks help students develop their arguments.
Finally, it aligns with the KS3 curriculum aims and is perfect for teaching British political reform and democracy.
The lesson is editable and can be adapted and changed to suit.
Whether you’re introducing students to 19th-century radicalism or encouraging them to reflect on the struggles for democracy, this lesson will challenge, inspire, and engage your class.
Bringing one of the most pivotal moments in British political history to life with this comprehensive and engaging lesson, perfect for KS3 or as an introduction for GCSE students studying the development of democracy in Britain.
The lesson, which can be delivered over 2 x I hour sessions, includes:
Who could vote before 1832? Students explore the deeply unequal system of pre-Reform Britain and understand how power was distributed among the few, including corruption and rotten boroughs
Political Power Play: Discover how the determined Whig Government pushed the reluctant House of Lords into passing this landmark act, with immense pressure from society at large.
Deep Dive into the Reform Act: Students will analyse the terms of the Act using extracts and guided activities, before evaluating its democratic impact through structured, extended writing tasks with scaffolding to help.
Plenary Quiz: to reinforce key learning points and end on an energetic high with a ready-to-go recap quiz.
Why teachers will love this resource:
Ready to use, with clear structure and differentiation built in
Encourages critical thinking and independent judgement
Ideal for promoting extended historical writing and source analysis
Supports curriculum aims on British political reform and democracy
A foundation to delivering Power & the People at GCSE
Whether you’re introducing students to 19th-century reform or encouraging them to question what “democracy” really means, this lesson will challenge and engage your class.
The aim of this lesson is to for students to assess the importance of change and continuity in history.
This lesson also helps pupils grasp the changing nature of medical treatment across key periods of history.
It begins with a definition of change and continuity and gives the context of why it is important to study this skills in history.
The main task is designed to encourage critical thinking and deepen understanding of how and why treatment methods evolved, from medieval remedies and barber surgeons to modern antibiotics and the NHS.
The resource is ideal for introducing or consolidating knowledge and supports AO1 and AO2 skills through focused enquiry.
There is a choice of plenary to consolidate the learning in the lesson and allows students to reflect on how and why treatments have changed, which is crucial in a thematical period study.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies.
It comes in PowerPoint format which can be edited and changed to suit.
These lessons are designed to enable students to think like real historians!
They build up mastery in the essential historical skills of inference, the use of sources and inference, chronology cause and consequence, interpretation and significance.
Baseline Assessment Test: This can be used to assess what students know and which historical skills have they acquired from primary school.
What is History: This is an ideal lesson to introduce the subject by focusing on the skills required by historians to investigate the past, including chronology and time.
Inference: Students will learn how to ‘read between the lines’ of evidence and developing the critical skills of drawing conclusions from clues in both written and visual sources. This lesson will also build their analytical thinking, essential for understanding past perspectives and motivations.
Cause and Consequence: Students examine how and why events occurred and the impact they had. This will encourage deeper thinking about the causes and effects of decisions and actions throughout history.
Interpretation: Through guided tasks, learners examine different views about the past and develop their own, supporting them with evidence. This will help them build evaluative skills and support extended argument writing.
Significance: Students are challenged to assess what makes an event, individual or development important, helping them in their future studies to make value judgments supported by historical criteria.
Change and continuity: This lesson will help students understand the significance of change and continuity in history by exploring the evolution of medical treatment over time. Beginning with key definitions and historical context, it encourages critical thinking about why and how methods of treatment have developed from medieval practices to modern healthcare. The lesson supports AO1 and AO2 skills and supports thematic understanding.
Historical investigations: The Anglos-Saxons. This lesson investigates why the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain and allows students to develop their reasoning and justify their conclusions. The Princes in the Tower lesson will encourage students to evaluate conflicting sources, question reliability and come up with their own evidence-based conclusions about this unsolved historical mystery.
These skills are not only vital for exam success, but are also transferable across subjects and essential for developing critical and reflective thinkers.
These lessons are perfect for KS3 and can be used as standalone skills lessons, revision tools or embedded into wider schemes of work.
The lessons are broken down into the following:
L1 Baseline Assessment Test
L2 What is History?
L3 Historical Sources
L4 Cause and consequence
L5 Historical significance (X Factor)
L6 Historical Inferences
L7 Historical interpretations
L8 Change & Continuity (Free resource)
L8 Historical Investigation - Anglo-Saxons (Free resource)
L9 Historical investigation – Princes in the Tower
The resources all come in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to edit and change.
Any reviews would be gratefully received.
The aim of this lesson is to for students to understand how to make historical inferences from sources and why it is important to do so.
This lessons also helps students think critically about bias, purpose and perspective in historical sources. It also teaches them that official messages often differ from reality and that both types of sources are essential for a full understanding of the past.
Students begin by writing down their thoughts on inference, which many have learnt from primary school.
They are given a number of picture sources to make inferences from and are asked to explain why these inferences have been made.
The lesson also uses written evidence to evaluate as well using Samuel Pepys diary on the Great Fire of London.
Finally, students are required to make inferences on two different sources on the same topic . In this case I have used the role of ARP (Air Raid Patrol) wardens in World War II. They have to decide what inferences can be made from a poster and a diary entry and explain why they are so different as well as understanding and analysing the importance of delivering these different perspectives.
As there is a lot of information to examine throughout the lesson, answers and help are given throughout if needed.
This lesson will encourage debate and discussion by connecting the past to the present. It will also teach students how historians think and work, which is vital for taking their studies forward to GCSE History.
The plenary checks their understanding of inference and allows them to make conclusions about the past
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be edited and changed to suit.
AQA GCSE Elizabethan England, 1568-1603, Historic Environment Question 2026
This Bundle has been designed to help teachers and students prepare for the AQA 2026 Historic Environment study on The Globe Theatre.
Resource 1: This Revision Guide on the Globe Theatre includes 9 possible questions for GCSE exam practice and breaks down the main details and significance of The Globe into manageable chunks, using student friendly language.
Resource 2: As an introduction to the Historic Environment question for 2026, I have included a lesson on The Globe Theatre including GCSE Exam Question practice. This lesson uses model answers to enable the students to achieve the highest marks in their written work on this unit of study.
The resources come in Word and PowerPoint formats if you wish to edit and change.
I would welcome any reviews, which would be much appreciated.
AQA GCSE 9-1 Elizabethan England, 1568-1603, Historic Environment Question 2026
This lesson explores the significance of the Globe Theatre in Elizabethan England and will prepare students fully for the historic environment question in 2026. This lesson has 38 slides and therefore is best to be delivered over at least two. The lesson has been revised since I first published it in 2019
Students will discover how the Globe became a major hub of entertainment, attracting audiences from all levels of society and helped shape the popularity of the English theatre. Through the works of playwrights like William Shakespeare, the theatre reflected the values, culture, concerns and politics of the time, making it a powerful mirror of Elizabethan society.
The lesson begins by examining two previous student answers, which students have to annotate and decide the marks they could award for each. They will show the common mistakes they make on this question from previous years. There is a simplified markscheme to consult as well as that supplied from AQA.
Two model answers are also analysed which will reflect the higher Level 4 marks awarded for a ‘complex explanation of the consequences leading to a sustained judgement’. Students are given tips and focus on how to achieve these higher marks.
Students are also required to fill in a grid to help them research the ‘5 P’s’, which focus on the main concepts of location, function, structure, design, people connected with the site, how the site reflects culture, values and fashions of the time and how the site links to important events and/or developments of the Elizabethans in the 16th Century. This will help them to gain the knowledge needed to write the question set from the exam board. The answer will also include the
Students are finally given a choice of 6 GCSE practice exam questions to complete with some scaffolding to help if required. Tips are given how to make a sustained line of argument rather than list the people, plays and the entertainment on offer from the Globe and other surrounding theatres.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be edited and changed to suit.
Any reviews on the resource would be greatly appreciated.
This Revision Guide on the Globe Theatre is aimed at students to help them study, revise and be prepared for the AQA Elizabethan Historic Environment question for 2026.
I have broken down the main details into manageable chunks using an amalgamation of P words including place, patronage, protests, popularity and purpose.
This guide has been revised from my 2019 version and these P words focus on the main concepts of location, function, structure, design, people connected to the Globe, the culture, values and fashions of the time and how the site links to important events of the period.
There is clearly a lot more information in the AQA guidance now included from 2019, such as the construction and function of the Globe, the surrounding theatres and their patrons, the famous actors and companies linked to each and the messages included in the plays written. I have added this to expand the Guide from 6 to 8 pages and considered the exam questions that may be asked.
Therefore, this Revision Guide on the Globe Theatre is perfect for busy teachers as it includes all the key information needed and is tailored to support students of all abilities.
Furthermore, with a strong emphasis on how the site connects to the broader themes of the Elizabethan era, this resource will not only save you hours of planning but also help students gain a deeper understanding of how to approach the Historic Environment question with clarity and precision.
The Guide comes in Word and PDF format and can be edited and changed if required. Please feel free to edit and adapt the guide if needed.
I would welcome any reviews on this resource, which would be much appreciated.
This fully resourced and engaging history skills lesson introduces students to the complexities of historical interpretations through two case studies.
It is designed to build critical thinking and source analysis skills; it helps students go beyond “what happened” to explore how and why historians disagree about the past.
I have included differentiated resources suitable for mixed-ability classes, clear learning objectives and an engaging starter activity to introduce the concept of interpretations.
Students focus on two detailed case studies with sources and viewpoints on How Henry VIII has been interpreted (tyrant vs. visionary king) and competing explanations for the fall of the Roman Empire (such as barbarian invasion vs. internal decay)
The lesson will promote deeper understanding of how history is constructed, encourage debate, analysis and independent though. It is perfect for observation lessons or simply introducing interpretations at KS3. There is no planning needed—just print the slides needed and teach!
The resource gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be edited and changed to suit.
The aim of this lesson is for students to understand historical significance and develop critical thinking skills.
To make the lesson more relevant today, I have called it the historical x factor. By the end of the lesson, students will move away from simply from knowing what happened to understanding why events and people matter.
The lesson also encourages students to question why some events, people or developments are remembered, whilst others, as with some acts in the music industry, are forgotten.
The lesson begins by questioning what is historical significance. Students can come up with their own criteria which they can then apply to key people.
The main task is to examine 6 influential male and female individuals in history. Students will judge their historical significance using the following criteria: changes they caused, importance at the time, lasting impact over time, their widespread effect on society and their relevance today.
This task is differentiated and will help students link to the criteria if needed. They can also work in groups and present to the class to judge the most influentially significant person.
The lesson will encourage debate and discussion by connecting the past to the present. It will also teach students how historians think and work, which is vital for taking their studies forward to GCSE History.
The plenary is some more critical thinking of the learning from the lesson with questions in the style of those used in the popular tv programme, The 1% Club.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be edited and changed to suit.
The aim of this lesson is to for students to understand the causes of events and their consequences.
This will help them gain valuable skills in historical understanding and enquiry. Furthermore, this lesson will help students distinguish between short-term and long-term causes, while identifying trigger points - the immediate events that sparked historical change.
Students begin by identifying causes of events. A categorising activity will enable them to organise causes into short-term (immediate events or developments and long-term (deep-rooted social, political, economic, or cultural factors).
Students will also explore consequences in a similar categorisation exercise. They will be encouraged to analyse the immediate outcomes as well as longer-term implications, both intended and unintended.
There are also some differentiated independent tasks to examine where students can make connections and judgements on both the causes and consequences of events – these are not all related to history to help consolidate learning.
The lesson will support students in evaluating the relative significance of different causes and consequences, developing their analytical thinking and argumentation skills.
The resource is differentiated and gives suggested teaching strategies. It comes in PowerPoint format which can be amended and changed to suit.
American Civil Rights
The aim of this lesson is to evaluate the contribution women have played to the Civil Rights Movement.
The title of the lesson is unsung heroes, which is apt as many women have previously been invisible or deliberately placed in the background, despite being key figures in the fight for civil rights for their roles as organisers, strategists and activists.
The lesson begins by considering why this has been the case with a heads and tails activity pointing to media and gender bias, historical narratives and internal patriarchy.
The main task of the lesson is to analyse eight key women and assess their impact and contribution to civil right: from Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Diane Nash, Jo Ann Robinson, Septima Clark, Georgia Gilmore, Angela Davis and Ruby Bridges. A further in depth analysis of Ella Baker at the Democratic National Convention of 1964 is also explored.
Students also have the opportunity for some differentiated extended writing to justify which of these hidden figures in the Civil Rights Movement in their opinion has made the most telling contribution.
The plenary is to answer a series of questions to discover a key word related to the learning from the lesson for women and civil rights.
The lesson is enquiry based with a key question using a lightbulb posed at the start of the lesson and revisited to show the progress of learning.
The resource includes suggested teaching strategies, differentiated materials and comes in PowerPoint format if there is a wish to edit and change.
