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…

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…

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.

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

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.

The Causes and Events of the French Revolution: Condensed Study Unit

The full study unit covering the causes and the events of the French Revolution takes up to 15 hours. However, in this condensed study unit, designed to last about 7 hours, students will learn about the main causes of the French Revolution. The Three Estates System, the mistakes of King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, the…

The French Revolution: A New Condensed Study Unit

The full study unit covering the causes and the events of the French Revolution takes up to 15 hours. However, in this condensed study unit, designed to last about 7 hours, students will learn about the main causes of the French Revolution. The Three Estates System, the mistakes of King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, the…

How to set up a QR Code Treasure Hunt

A QR-Code Treasure Hunt is a fun, simple way to get students using their mobile devices to continue learning outside of lesson time. Here’s how we set one up at the International School of Toulouse with some guidance on how to do the same with your own students using the QR Treasure Hunt Generator at…

QR Code Treasure Hunt: The Events of the American Civil War

Print off these 20 QR codes and put them up around your classroom / school. Students have to answer as many questions as they can in the time available. The completed answers can be used to develop their individual research project stemming from the interactive simulation.

What should we call the American Civil War?

Students are presented with a long list of alternative names that have been used for the American Civil War. They organise these into suggested categories, compare their ideas with a partner, and then choose what they feel is the best alternative title.

What can we learn from the songs of the Civil War?

In this activity, students analyse the lyrics (and, if possible, listen to the music) of popular Confederate and Unionist songs from the civil war. They then have to produce their own civil war song to a civil-war era tune of their choice. Their objective is to produce a song which clearly explains the causes of…

Timeline Challenge: The Causes of the American Civil War

For this activity, organise the class 5 teams. Display the first event by clicking the button. All the students should copy this information into their worksheet. The first team can play for up to 10 points depending on their confidence. They have to not only identify the mistake in the account, but correct it. If…

History Mystery: The Causes of the American Civil War

This unit is in the form of an ActiveHistory Mystery. Through a roleplay, stimulus images and information slips, students formulate questions, speculate answers, then research for themselves to produce a report which is then peer-assessed against a standard markscheme. The full investigation takes 2 hours of classroom time and at least another hour of individual…

Compare and Contrast the Rise to Power of Two Single Party State Rulers

With the research on Pinochet completed, the students now move on to compare and contrast his rise to that of Mao in China. This worksheet provides them with structured guidance on how to go about this process. As a popular format of question in the IB examination, this is a very useful exercise.

Interactive Simulation Game: The Events of the American Civil War

In this multiplayer interactive simulation, you will take the role of an advisor to either President Davis, or President Lincoln. You will be given a series of military, economic and political problems to deal with. Your first objective is to choose the course of action which you think your President took in real life (his…

Individual Research Task: The Rise to power of Pinochet in Chile

Students are given this worksheet framework to help structure their investigation about why Pinochet became leader of Chile. They should use any sources available to them (books, video, websites). A particularly good video is the 10-minute drama film by Ken Loach which can be found on YouTube.

The Rise to power of Pinochet in Chile: New IB study unit

A brand new study unit. The IB History examination is very keen that students learn to compare and contrast the methods and conditions which led to the rise to power of single party state rulers – sometimes insisting that they are from different parts of the world, and / or that one is a right-wing…

Musicians in the Civil Rights Movement – Feedback on Musicians

Students complete this worksheet following from the image, and then students in the class who researched musicians as their “Fakebook” project now feedback to the class with their findings by identifying the one most important event in their lives which illustrates their importance to the civil rights struggle. Everyone in the class uses this to…

Politicians in the Civil Rights Movement – Feedback on Politicians

Students complete this worksheet following from the image, and then students in the class who researched politicians as their “Fakebook” project now feedback to the class with their findings by identifying the one most important event in their lives which illustrates their importance to the civil rights struggle. Everyone in the class uses this to…

Sportspeople in the Civil Rights Movement – Feedback on Sportspeople

The students in the class who researched sportspeople as their “Fakebook” project now feedback to the class with their findings by identifying the one most important event in their lives which illustrates their importance to the civil rights struggle. Everyone in the class uses this to start developing a thematic timeline document.

Sportspeople in the Civil Rights Movement – PowerPoint Starter

Students are presented with a famous image of two black sportsmen raising one hand in the air, wearing black gloves. What do the students think this means? Why are they wearing their gloves on different hands? A good way of setting up the focus on sportspeople.

The Civil Rights Movement – Overview of civil rights campaigners

Students are given groups of politicians, musicians and sportsmen. Their job is to use Google Images to locate a picture of each person and paste them into the document. As they do so they start thinking about which character they would like to research in more depth if given the opportunity.

Medieval Cathedrals: Interactive Game

In this brand new activity, students answer a series of questions asked by King Henry II. Based on the quality of the responses he then decides how likely he is to let them build a cathedral. Complete with a worksheet and a live “leaderboard” to build up a sense of competition, this is a great…

“Renaissance Day” – a whole-school, cross-curricular project

At the International School of Toulouse, Year 8 students (aged 13-14) are taken off-timetable during the summer term for what we call “Renaissance Day“. The event is popular with both teachers and students. It promotes cross-curricular awareness, gets students working effectively as teams, develops analytical ability and improves presentational skills. The resources to develop your…

Medieval Cathedral Building: Worksheet

This new workpack gets students to think about the layout, design and engineering of Medieval Cathedrals. They learn about the terminology of Church architecture, watch video clips and make deductions from paintings from the Middle Ages showing church building.

Who Am I? Revision Challenge Quiz for IGCSE Modern World History

The “Who Am I?” Interactive team challenge has now been developed to cover some of the main topics in the IGCSE Modern World History syllabus (e.g. Origins of World War One, Peace Treaties, League of Nations, Causes of World War Two, Origins of the Cold War).

The Yom Kippur War

A series of structured questions to help students make sense of the causes, course and consequence of the Yom Kippur War. There is also a completed teacher version.

The Palestinian Diaspora

A worksheet of questions to help students understand the fate of the Palestinians between 1948-1973. A good review exercise. There is also a completed teacher version.

Sourcework Assignment Pack: Weimar Germany

A comprehensive pack of sources and questions in the style of GCSE/IGCSE examinations, designed to be printed off at the beginning of the unit and used as homework exercises over the course of several weeks.

The Six-Day War – Classroom Debate

Classroom Debate Students use their completed timelines to get into role as different characters from different countries and reach an independent judgement about which of the three key interpretations listed at the outset is the most convincing. They are then given guidance on how to construct a written essay answering the central question. There are…

The Six Day War of 1967: Timeline Analysis

Timeline Analysis Students construct a timeline of events broken down into events relating to Jordan, Egypt and Syria. The teacher can then test their understanding using this classroom challenge and this answer sheet.

Timeline Challenge: The 1967 6-Day War

In this activity, Organise the class 5 teams. Display the first event by clicking the button. All the students should copy this information into their worksheet as instructed. The first team can play for up to 10 points depending on their confidence. They have to not only identify the mistake in the account, but correct…

Introduction and Overview – the 6-Day War of 1967

Introduction and Overview Students are introduced to the main debate that they will investigate: Interpretation 1: Israel was acting defensively. This was a pre-emptive strike against Arab armies who were about to invade her. Throughout the conflict Israel acted with admirable restraint. Interpretation 2: Israel was acting aggressively. She deliberately misread the situation to justify…

The Berlin Blockade: Timeline Challenge [Interactive]

This activity is a great way of testing whether students have completed their notes on the Berlin Blockade. Students are presented with a series of information feeds, each one of which contains an error. Students get points for their teams if they identify the error correctly.

Why did Stalin become leader of the USSR? – essay planning task

Students are provided with a detailed list of factors relating to Stalin’s rise to power. These are organised under 3-5 headings. The following headings might give you some ideas: Political | Economic | Personal | Stalin’s Strengths | Opposition Weaknesses | Stalin’s Successes | Opposition Mistakes | Lenin’s Mistakes | Lenin’s Weaknesses. There is a…

The Suez Crisis: Tension Erupts

The Suez Crisis: Tension Erupts Students consider the causes, events and consequences of the Suez Crisis through a series of sources, including a short video from Andrew Marr’s History of Britain. There are teacher notes available for this activity and evidence slips for the main exercise, as well as YouTube Videos available: [1 – Sevres…

GCSE Modern World History: Video

A 3-minute video I use to give Year 9 students an overview of the course. Further materials for Year 9 options discussions can be found here.

Origins of the Cold War: IGCSE Source pack and resources

I’m in the process of tidying up my resources on the Origins of the Cold War, which is the compulsory Sourcework option at IGCSE in June 2011. In particular there’s a sourcework pack with some practice questions that will hopefully be useful.

The Suez Crisis: Tension Builds

The Suez Crisis: Tension Builds Students consider the proposal to turn the Suez Canal into an international zone, and the infamous “Sevres Protocol”. They will use two primary sources: Nasser’s rejection of the Western plan and the Sevres Protocol. There are several YouTube videos that can be used: [1 – Czech Arms Deal, USA Anger]…

The Suez Crisis: Roleplay Exercise

The Suez Crisis: Roleplay Exercise “In this exercise you will take on the role of a French / British / Israeli civil servant. Each of you will develop a particular area of expertise to share with the rest of the group. The group as a whole will have to decide on some key courses of…

The Growth of Political Opposition in the Reign of Alexander II

After this starter activity based around a short story by Turgenev, I hand out a detailed handout outlining the growth of political opposition in the reign of Alexander. Students are encouraged to turn this into an illustrated mindmap. As an extension activity students could complete this worksheet based around Michael Bakunin’s “Catechism for a Revolutionist”