I’ve added a search feature so that you can check out some the most recently created QR Treasure Hunts made using the Classtools QR Treasure Hunt Generator.
Year: 2012
ActiveHistory Mysteries: new student record sheet/markscheme
After making lots of use of the “History Mysteries” format this year with KS3 in particular, I’ve redesigned the student record sheet and the markscheme for the project to reflect my experience of what’s working in the classroom. My Year 8 students are currently working on the “Gunpowder Plot” mystery.
125 Years Ago Today (23rd March 1887): Birth of Prince Felix Yusupov
Birth of Prince Felix Yusupov, Russian nobleman and mining heir, best known for killing Rasputin
Modern World IGCSE History Revision, Summer 2012
I have just updated my IGCSE revision pages with the most recent past examination questions on the key topics for Papers 1 and 2 ready to start revision lessons with my students next week. Hope you find them useful!
Add your own cast of characters (i.e. students!) to ActiveHistory Decision-Making Games!
I’ve just finished developing a new feature which allows you to customise ActiveHistory decision-making adventures by adding a class list. You then get a special link to a version of the game to share with your students which includes their names as characters in the game itself. You can check it out for yourself in…
100 Years Ago Today (16th March 1912) – Death of Lawrence Oates
Death of Lawrence Oates, British Antarctic explorer, a member of Scott’s ill-fated expedition, who famously said ‘I am just going outside and may be some time’ as he walked into a blizzard where he faced certain death
QR Code Treasure Hunt – the Gunpowder Plot
To accompany the Gunpowder Plot History Mystery, I’ve produced this QR Code Treasure Hunt on the same topic. Whilst students are working on their essays as a two-week homework exercise, these codes are hidden around the school and students gain a point for every QR code they successfully decode, and another point for every QR…
National Minorities in Lenin’s Russia
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
Model Essay on the Reign of Alexander III (Tsar Alexander III Roleplay Unit)
This resource is part of a new roleplay unit for teaching this topic at IB / A-Level. The teacher takes on the role of the Tsar, and the students as his ministers. Over several hours the ‘reformers’ and the ‘reactionaries’ debate the issues whilst the teacher uses the 30-slide presentation to guide the debate and…
150 Years Ago Today (9th March 1862) – Merrimack v. the Monitor
American Civil War: the first battle between two ironclad warships – the ‘USS Monitor’ versus the ‘CSS Virginia’, at Hampton Roads, Virginia. Result: indecisive
50 Years Ago Today (7th March 1962): First Beatles Radio Broadcast
The Beatles gave their first performance on BBC radio in the UK, on the show ‘Teenagers’ Turn: Here We Go’. (Recorded 7th March, broadcast 8th)
100 Years Ago Today (7th March 1912): First Paris-London Flight
French aviator Henri Seimet made the first non-stop flight from Paris to London
Propaganda Posters of the Russian Civil War
This PowerPoint is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
200 Years Ago Today (1st March 1812): Birth of Augustus Pugin
Birth of Augustus Pugin, British architect, designer, design theorist and writer, best remembered for his use of the Gothic Revival style in the Palace of Westminster and many churches
War Communism – Lenin’s Russia, Roleplay Unit
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
Lenin’s Testament
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
200 Years Ago Today (27 Feb 1812): Byron’s Maiden Speech
British poet Lord Byron gave his maiden speech in the House of Lords, in which he defended Luddite violence against industrialisation, saying they had been driven to it because they had no other choice.
History Mystery: The Gunpowder Plot
This new “History Mystery” is designed as stand-alone projects which each last 3-4 hours. Through engaging historical topics, they teach skills of problem formulation, deductive reasoning, independent research, groupwork and structured writing.
End of Unit Factual Test (Tsar Alexander III Roleplay Unit)
This resource is part of a new roleplay unit for teaching this topic at IB / A-Level. The teacher takes on the role of the Tsar, and the students as his ministers. Over several hours the ‘reformers’ and the ‘reactionaries’ debate the issues whilst the teacher uses the 30-slide presentation to guide the debate and…
History on TV and Radio: Email Alerts now Available
I have added an email newsletter facility to alert you of the latest history TV programmes coming up!
40 Years Ago Today (21 Feb 1972): Nixon goes to China
U.S. President Richard Nixon became the first president to visit China. His visit led to a significant improvement in U.S. – Chinese relations
Email Newsletter for ActiveHistory now available
If you’d like automatic email alerts whenever something new is added to the ActiveHistory blog, just follow this link!
50 Years Ago Today (20 Feb 1962): First American to orbit the Earth
John Glenn became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, making 3 orbits in the space capsule ‘Friendship 7’
The New Economic Policy – Lenin’s USSR
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
Timeline of the Reign (Tsar Alexander III Roleplay Unit)
This resource is part of a new roleplay unit for teaching this topic at IB / A-Level. The teacher takes on the role of the Tsar, and the students as his ministers. Over several hours the ‘reformers’ and the ‘reactionaries’ debate the issues whilst the teacher uses the 30-slide presentation to guide the debate and…
The Kronstadt Rebellion and the Tambov Rebellion
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
The Bolshevik Victory in the Russian Civil War – Lenin’s Russia, Roleplay Unit
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
150 Years Ago Today (11 Feb 1862): Death of Lizzie Siddal
Death of Elizabeth Siddal, British poet, artist and artists’ model. Wife of the artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti and model for Millais’ “Ophelia”
50 Years Ago Today (10 Feb 1962): Gary Powers Released
American spy plane pilot Gary Powers was released from jail in the USSR in an exchange deal with the USA, who released Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.
100 Years Ago Today (10 Feb 1912): Death of Lister
Death of Joseph Lister, British surgeon who pioneered the use of antiseptics in surgery and promoted sterile surgery.
175 Years Ago Today (10 Feb 1837): Death of Pushkin
Death of Aleksandr Pushkin, Russian poet, novelist, dramatist, and short story writer, widely considered to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature
Debate Record Sheet (Tsar Alexander III Roleplay Unit)
This resource is part of a new roleplay unit for teaching this topic at IB / A-Level. The teacher takes on the role of the Tsar, and the students as his ministers. Over several hours the ‘reformers’ and the ‘reactionaries’ debate the issues whilst the teacher uses the 30-slide presentation to guide the debate and…
The Red Terror – Lenin’s Russia, Roleplay Unit
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
Debate Preparation Worksheet (Tsar Alexander III Roleplay Unit)
This resource is part of a new roleplay unit for teaching this topic at IB / A-Level. The teacher takes on the role of the Tsar, and the students as his ministers. Over several hours the ‘reformers’ and the ‘reactionaries’ debate the issues whilst the teacher uses the 30-slide presentation to guide the debate and…
“Who Am I?” Challenge – The USSR under Stalin
“Who Am I?” Challenge – The USSR under Stalin Each team will be presented with a clue about a key historical figure. They get 50 points if they guess it correctly. If they wish to ‘pass’, they get further (easier) clues but the points available steadily decline. An incorrect guess at any point means they…
Investigating Racism through De Bono’s “6 Hats” Approach (PSHCE)
In this lesson, the teacher will take the role of someone with a “Green Hat”. If they have not already been decided upon in advance in an assembly, they will choose (or ask the class to vote on) one of the numerous “Imagine a world…” discussion points which are provided (or invent one of their…
Tsar Alexander III Roleplay Unit – 30 Slide Presentation
This resource is part of a new roleplay unit for teaching this topic at IB / A-Level. The teacher takes on the role of the Tsar, and the students as his ministers. Over several hours the ‘reformers’ and the ‘reactionaries’ debate the issues whilst the teacher uses the 30-slide presentation to guide the debate and…
150 Years Ago Today (1 Feb 1862): The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Julia Ward Howe’s poem ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’ was first published in ‘The Atlantic Monthly’. Set to the music of ‘John Brown’s Body’, it became a popular Union song during the American Civil War
PSHCE: Racism (Assembly Presentation)
In this presentation (which will take roughly 20 minutes), students are given some provocative images, an entertaining video clip, and plenty of ideas to think about and reflect upon prior to the main lesson.
The Treaty of Brest Litovsk – Lenin’s Russia, Roleplay Unit
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
300 Years ago today (24th Jan. 1712): Birth of Frederick the Great
Frederick II’s first act on assuming the throne of Prussia in 1740 was to take his state to war—a consequence, he later explained, of possessing a well-trained army, a full treasury and a desire to establish a reputation. For the next quarter century he confronted Europe in arms and emerged victorious, but at a price…
The Constituent Assembly – Lenin’s Russia, Roleplay Unit
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
75 Years Ago Today (23rd Jan. 1937): Second Moscow Show Trial
The second Moscow show trial (The Trial of the Seventeen) took place. 17 leading Communists were accused of participating in Trotsky’s plot to overthrow Stalin. 13 of them were sentenced to death. The Moscow Trials were a series of show trials conducted in the Soviet Union and orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the Great Purge…
The 1917 Decrees and the 1918 Constitution – Lenin’s Russia, Roleplay Unit
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
75 Years Ago Today (19th Jan 1937): Howard Hughes breaks the air record
American industrialist, film producer and aviator Howard Hughes broke the U.S. transcontinental air record, flying from Burbank, California to Newark, New Jersey in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds. The New York Times report of the event can be found here.
100 Years Ago Today (18th Jan. 1912) – Scott reaches the South Pole
British explorer Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition reached the South Pole, but discovered that Roald Amundsen’s Norwegian team had beaten them by over a month. In addition to Capt. Scott, Lieut. Bowers, and Dr. Wilson, two others, Capt. Titus Oates and Petty Officer Edgar Evans made the final push to the Pole. Conditions were appalling: temperatures…
400 Years Ago Today (17th Jan. 1612) – Birth of Thomas Fairfax
Birth of Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Baron Fairfax of Cameron, English general, commander of the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War. Known as “Black Tom” for his dark complexion, Sir Thomas gained a reputation as a gallant and courageous commander in the struggle to control Yorkshire — but his fortunes were mixed. In March 1643,…
Research Grid – Lenin’s Russia, Roleplay Unit
This worksheet is part of the new Scheme of Work through which the entire topic of Lenin’s Russia is taught through an extended roleplay with students taking the role of different Politburo members.
New History – Redesigned, Relaunched!
“New History” is a microsite from ActiveHistory which collates all the Latest History news, tv, podcasts and blog entries in one place – complete with anniversaries / commemorations and a “Quote of the Day”!
“Fakebook” – Gallery of examples for inspiration!
I have created an auto-updating gallery of ‘Fakebook’ examples created by students and teachers around the world in a wide variety of subjects. Why not try Fakebook out with your own classes as a way of getting thinking about timelines of events / biographical summaries and relationships between historical figures?
Who was the Greatest Figure of the Industrial Revolution?
This lesson follows on well from the studies of individuals (see entire unit here). Students consider the big changes – transport, agriculture, smelting and so on – and try to link them together in a meaningful way. I have now added are some samples produced by my own students: Olivia | Hanif | Grace
600 Years Ago Today (6th Jan. 1412) – Birth of Joan of Arc
Birth of Joan of Arc, French martyr, saint and national heroine. (This is the date given in a letter from Lord Perceval de Boullainvilliers. Her actual date of birth is impossible to verify, and she could only estimate her age)
Religious Events in the Early Modern Period – Overview timeline / research task
Religious events in the Early Modern Period Before moving on to the next topic of study, this activity gets students to investigate a wide range of other events going on in Europe at the same time as the Lutheran Reformation. In this way they get a useful overview of the entire period rather than merely…
100 Years Ago Today (5th January 1912): The Bolshevik Party was Formed
Lenin’s Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party broke away from the main party and formed what would later become the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Bolsheviks were born out of Russia’s Social Democrat Party. When the party split in 1903, the Bolsheviks only had one obvious leader – Lenin. In…
The Lutheran Reformation: Designing a Movie Poster / Trailer
A Powerpoint template getting students to match historical characters from the timeline of Luther’s life to real actors. A completed version is also available, along with a movie trailer produced recently by one of my students. For the full unit, click here.
