To accompany the Podcast: Apartheid South Africa, 1948-1964, I have added a Student worksheet | Teacher answers | Quiz. Access them here.

Rule of Mao and Castro: Compared and Contrasted | Student Worksheet | Teacher Notes | Quiz How did Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro reshape their nations, and where do their paths converge or diverge? In this episode, we compare and contrast the political aims, governing strategies, economic policies, and social transformations pursued under their rule….

To accompany the Podcast: Feminism and the Americas: Causes and Impact, I have now added Student worksheet | Teacher Notes | Quiz Which can all be accessed via the main topic page.

A new addition to the Red Scare Unit: Red Scare: Causes and ImpactWhat triggered the fear of communism in the United States, and what were its lasting effects? In this episode, we explore the social, political, and international factors behind the Red Scare, examining its impact on American politics, civil liberties, and society. A rigorous,…

A new quiz to test factual knowledge after students have watched the podcast and completed the associated worksheet.

Podcast: Impact of the Korean War | Student Worksheet | Teacher Notes New additions to the Korean War section of the website.

Unlock the secrets of top-level history analysis with this deep-dive masterclass on IB History source skills. In this episode, we break down exactly how to tackle every question on Paper 1—from crafting sharp inferences and decoding an author’s message to mastering OPVL, comparison, and the final mini-essay. Using rich historical examples, including apartheid South Africa…

This podcast analyses Richard Nixon’s foreign policy during his presidency, focusing on his key initiatives and their outcomes. It examines his efforts to end the Vietnam War, his groundbreaking détente strategy with the Soviet Union and China through “Triangular Diplomacy,” and his administration’s actions in Chile and the Middle East. While highlighting successes like normalising relations with China and achieving…

This podcast offers an analysis of Richard Nixon’s domestic policies, evaluating both their successes and failures. They explore various policy areas, including economy, environment, youth, women’s rights, civil rights, and welfare, with some discussion of the complexities of his economic management. Additionally, it presents a debate regarding whether Nixon’s foreign policy methods undermined democratic principles through secrecy and clandestine operations, considering…

The podcast examines the multifaceted reasons behind the US failure in the Vietnam War and its wide-ranging consequences. They analyse the impact of guerrilla warfare, the ideological commitment of the Vietnamese, and the social and political missteps of the American forces within Vietnam. Furthermore, the sources explore the significant domestic pressures in the United States,…

This new podcast primarily explores the political and historical events surrounding the 1973 military coup in Chile that overthrew the democratically elected socialist president Salvador Allende and led to the authoritarian regime of General Augusto Pinochet. It examines the precursors to the coup, including Chile’s political polarisation, economic instability, and the significant role of the United States and its Cold War…

This new podcast considers the Alliance for Progress, a significant initiative of the Kennedy administration aimed at fostering economic and social development in Latin America during the Cold War. It provides a comprehensive overview of the programme’s establishment, objectives as outlined in the Charter of Punta del Este, and its implementation, examining the roles of various…

This new podcast considers the reasons for, and features of, Eisenhower’s “New Look” in foreign policy. It then proceeds to consider successes and failures, with a particular focus on countries in the Americas (e.g. Guatemala, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nixon’s visit to Latin America).

This new podcast analyses the impact of Truman’s containment policies on Latin America between 1947 and 1953. It argues that Truman, preoccupied with communism in Europe and Asia, prioritised military solutions and regional stability over economic aid and democratic progress in Latin America, fostering resentment. Initial positive sentiment following the Act of Chapultepec, which promised sovereignty, was…

A new podcast for IBDP History Revision. Compares and contrasts the methods and conditions which led to the rise to power of Mao in China (1949) and Castro in Cuba (1959), focusing on such themes as: Conditions > economic factors Conditions > social division Conditions > impact of war Conditions > weakness of political system…

This episode examines Fidel Castro’s rule in Cuba, exploring his rise to power, the consolidation and maintenance of his authority, and the aims and impacts of his domestic and foreign policies from the revolution in 1959 into the post-Soviet era. They analyse the interplay of ideology, political control, economic strategies, social reforms (particularly in areas…

Focuses on comparing and contrasting SEVEN Cold War policies of each of the Presidents (Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon). This podcast is designed to accompany the decision-making simulation at ActiveHistory entitled “Which US President are YOU?” (activehistory.co.uk/presidents). This provides a great way to draw together key points for the “Cold War” section of Paper 2…

A new podcast. Focuses on the question: “What were the methods and conditions which led to Castro becoming ruler of Cuba in 1959?”. It focuses on the following methods and conditions, as per the demands of the IBDP History Syllabus: Conditions > economic factors Conditions > social division Conditions > impact of war Conditions >…

The podcast cover the following factors:Economic > the financial benefits of reducing arms expenditure for a US drained by the Vietnam War and for a USSR that faced a stalled economy and weak satellite states.Military > both countries were deeply aware of their nuclear capabilities (MAD: mutually assured destruction), and having achieved parity, were more…

This comprehensive online simulation, which comes complete with structured tasks, multimedia clips, and essay-planning exercises, provides a self-contained method of studying the rest of the Vietnam War. It can be completed over several lessons, with the other activities that follow on this page being included at appropriate points.

Student-friendly sourcework mark schemes from ActiveHistoryI sometimes find that the mark schemes from CIE are rather convoluted and lack logical progression. So I’ve produced my own standardised mark schemes for some of the most popular questions which I use with my students. Hope you find it useful 

A fling the teacher quiz designed to accompany the interactive simulation “Which US President are YOU?“

The Causes of the Korean War Student Worksheet | Teacher Notes | Quiz This podcast covers a key topic for Paper 2 (Cold War Crises and Conflicts AND Causes, Practices, Effects of War) and Paper 3 Americas (Truman’s Foreign Policy)

The Chinese Civil War and the Rise of Mao Zedong Student Worksheet | Teacher Notes | Quiz This podcast covers a key topic for Paper 2 (Rise of Authoritarian Rulers AND Causes, Practices, Effects of War).

“How successful were Castro’s policies towards women?” Student Worksheet | Teacher Notes | Quiz This podcast investigates a key question connected to Authoritarian States (Paper 2) and The Americas (P3).

Online Factual Test: Truman’s Policy in Latin AmericaThis is a great way to test knowledge at the end of the topic. Each student in the class is given 30 randomly selected questions from a database in mutliple-choice format. At the end of the exercise, the teacher can access all the scores at once to put…

Generated using the Google LLM Artificial Intelligence engine, this ‘deep dive’ podcast provides an impressive overview of the main themes covered in my book “Essays in Modern World History”.

Podcast: “The Cold War: A New History” by John Lewis Gaddis This 15-minute podcast was AI generated by Google based on a digital copy of the Gaddis book. It is remarkably impressive and is wortth listening to as a homework exercise.

Useful Quotes from Mao and Chiang Students are given a list of quotes from Mao and Chiang, and consider where and how they could be integrated into their essay plans. Part of the scheme of work on The Rise of Mao.

The Rise of Mao: End of unit self-marking factual test This is a great way to test knowledge at the end of the topic. Each student in the class is given 30 randomly selected questions from a database in mutliple-choice format. At the end of the exercise, the teacher can access all the scores at…

A 20-question factual test, complete with teacher answer key, to accompany the scheme of work on Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress.

Cold War Essay Plans: Crises, Leaders, Impact A useful revision aid, designed to be a teacher-led presentation. 10 key questions are broken down and and essay plan provided for each one: Compare and contrast the causes of two Cold War crises, each from a different region.Compare and contrast the impact of two leaders, each from…

Rule of 20thC Dictators: detailed essay plans for ten key essay questions A useful revision aid, designed to be a teacher-led presentation. 10 key questions are broken down and and essay plan provided for each one: Compare and contrast the methods used to maintain power in two authoritarian states, each from a different region.“Full authoritarian…

Part of the complete scheme of work for IBDP History: Multimedia Lecture [4]: Essay Plans for Paper 3 – Feminism in the Americas

Which US President are YOU? | Worksheet In this simulation you will learn about the foreign policy of US foreign policy during some of the most critical years of the Cold War. For each of seven different policy areas, you will choose your favoured course of action from a list of five options. You will then be…

Head2Head Virtual Interview with Mao Zedong | Lesson IdeasThis interactive application allows students to interview historical characters directly! In this way, different groups of students can learn about different aspects of their life and career. There are plenty of lesson ideas to choose from.

How did the Vietnam draft actually work? Which famous people have been accused of being draft-dodgers? A short PowerPoint presentation.

The Red Scare: Classroom simulation! In this educational simulation, students each research a different character secretly. One of them was a genuine communist, the rest were innocent of the charges. Then, after each one is interrogated (HUAC style!) by the teacher, students have to organise themselves over several rounds into different groups in an attempt…

Red Scare = Individual Research Phase > Factual Test This pack provides detailed information and suggested areas for research. Students choose a range of themes from those suggested and conduct their own research to help them prepare their essays. There is also a factual test for students to test their knowledge of this material.