A brand new simulation! “In this simulation you will be a British soldier who joins the army in 1914 to fight the Germans. You will learn about the conditions which soldiers lived and fought in, and the dangers they faced. There is a worksheet to go with this activity which you should complete as you proceed. You…
Category: A-Level / IB History
IB History, AS History, A2 History
Six Steps for Writing your Extended Essay in IB History
Six Steps for Writing your Extended Essay in IB History A one-sided sheet provided step-by-step guidance for students on how to go about producing their Extended Essay.
Model Essay: For what reasons, and with what results, did the Civil Rights movement become more radical after 1964?
Model Essay: For what reasons, and with what results, did the Civil Rights movement become more radical after 1964? A sample essay written by me which I share with students for discussion purposes after they have completed their own assignment.
Civil Rights Movement – Student research tasks / presentation instructions
Student research tasks / presentation instructions Each member of the class chooses one research task from a list of 10 options provided. Suggested sources and approaches are given in the worksheet. The students should then share their findings with the class. Links to useful sources are provided, such as this short video about the Black…
Multimedia lecture [2]: IN WHAT WAYS did the Civil Rights movement become more radical after 1964?
Multimedia lecture [2]: IN WHAT WAYS did the Civil Rights movement become more radical after 1964? This detailed online presentation lecture is designed to be delivered by the teacher. It comes complete with media clips from a wide variety of sources. Questions for discussion are provided within the slides and students should be encouraged to…
Multimedia lecture [1]: WHY did the Civil Rights movement become more radical after 1964?
Multimedia lecture [1]: WHY did the Civil Rights movement become more radical after 1964? This detailed online presentation lecture is designed to be delivered by the teacher. It comes complete with media clips from a wide variety of sources. Questions for discussion are provided within the slides and students should be encouraged to consider these…
IB History Internal Assessments – sample studies
Here are a selection of IB History Internal Assessment studies from the International School of Toulouse that were graded highly in May 2017 (marks shown are those awarded after moderation by the IBO).
Student-friendly Sourcework Rubric
Student-friendly Sourcework Rubric This rubric provides a student-friendly mark scheme and tips for structuring each of the answers for the IB Sourcework Paper. For example: [Sourcework Rubric]
Model Essay: Assess the view that “After initial failures, Kennedy’s handling of foreign policy grew increasingly successful as time went on”
Model Essay: Assess the view that “After initial failures, Kennedy’s handling of foreign policy grew increasingly successful as time went on” A model essay written in timed conditions by RJ Tarr. Set the question to students too, then use this to compare alongside them in a feedback session.
President Johnson – An Introduction to “LBJ”
LBJ: An Introduction In this engaging task, students are given an overview of LBJ and his famous ‘treatment’, along with video clip links and an extract from an acclaimed biography of the President. From this they are encouraged to identify five key aspects of the “Johnson Treatment” and substantiate each with an extract from the…
ClassTools.net Arcade Games: “Kennedy’s Foreign Policy”
ClassTools.net Arcade Games: “Kennedy’s Foreign Policy” A whole range of interactive arcade games to accompany the detailed study unit available at ActiveHistory.
Factual test – Kennedy’s Foreign Policy
Factual test – Kennedy’s Foreign Policy In the ‘how certain are you?’ format, this test determines not just what students know, but also how confident they are in their knowledge.
Classroom debate – How successful was Kennedy’s foreign policy?
Classroom debate – How successful was Kennedy’s foreign policy? The class is divided into teams to prepare questions on different policies from either a prosecution or a defence perspective.
Escape the Room! – Mission Havana, 1959
Escape the Room! – Mission Havana, 1959 “You are American business people from the United Fruit Company, placed under house arrest by the new Castro regime due to your close ties to Batista. You have managed to ply the guard with rum and he has passed out. But you have only one hour to find…
How important was the role of women in the Civil Rights movement? – source work
A new source work assignment, complete with model answers, for the following questions. 1a. According to Source A, why was the success of the Little Rock Campaign still not assured? [3 marks] 1b. What is the message conveyed by Source B? [2 marks] 2. With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value…
Model Essay: “Analyse the successes and failures of Nixon’s domestic policies”
Model Essay: “Analyse the successes and failures of Nixon’s domestic policies” A timed essay that I wrote in exam conditions to share with students for revision and discussion. Part of the Nixon’s Administration scheme of work.
Nixon’s Domestic Policy: Student research task
“Higher level students will write a timed essay on the key question outlined above. You will self-study this topic in your own time. When it comes to revision time we will compare and contrast Nixon and Johnson’s achievements. Your task will be to use a variety of sources to decide for yourself what the main…
IB Sourcework: Rights and Protest – sample source work papers and model answers
IB Sourcework: Rights and Protest – sample source work papers and model answers These materials are designed to provide teachers and students with practice sourework exercises for the “Rights and Protest” topic in the IB History examination. More will follow in due course.
Model Essay: “Assess the successes and failures of Nixon’s foreign policy”
Model Essay: “Assess the successes and failures of Nixon’s foreign policy” [teacher password required] Students should close this unit by tackling one of the essay questions outlined above in timed conditions. The essay provided here was written by me in timed conditions whilst my own students tacked a similar question. Part of the new scheme of…
Nixon’s foreign policy: the second administration
Nixon’s second administration (1972-1974) “Nixon’s second administration was mired in the Watergate Scandal, but no less controversial is is handling of foreign affairs in this period. In this part of the investigation you will reach your own judgement on whether Vietnam, Chile, Israel and the Middle East, or South Africa deserves to be regarded as…
Nixon’s foreign policy: The 1972 Presidential Election
The 1972 Presidential Election | Teacher notes “Imagine it’s 1972 election year, with inauguration day due to take place in January 1973. You are deciding how to vote, and Gallup (the public opinion pollsters) have asked for your approval rating of Nixon in the realm of foreign affairs. Using your existing knowledge, discuss with a partner what…
Sourcework Exercise: To what extent was Martin Luther King responsible for the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
Paper 1 Sourcework Exercise: To what extent was Martin Luther King responsible for the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott? A one-hour sourcework paper in the style of the IBO. 1. a) According to Source A, why did Rosa Parks refuse to give up her bus seat? [3 marks] 1. b) What message is conveyed…
Nixon’s foreign policy: the first administration (1969-72)
Nixon’s first administration (1969-1972) | Teacher notes Students complete a gap-fill exercise providing them with an essential overview of Nixon’s foreign policy. They then conduct extra research and reading to answer such questions as: What were the essential features of the Nixon Doctrine? Use quotes from Nixon himself as appropriate. / Complete the following table to provide an…
Nixon’s Foreign Policy: New study unit
A study of Nixon’s foreign policy makes a great deal of sense if students have already studied the Vietnam War and / or the 1973 Chilean Coup (each of which provides a major area of overlap with Nixon). In this compact study unit, students revisit these topics and broaden out to consider not just Nixon’s policies with the USSR…
Anarchism: Bakunin’s Catechism of a Revolutionary
Anarchism: Bakunin’s Catechism of a Revolutionary This text should be copied into a shared Google Doc. It will then be divided between the members of the class (e.g. the first student is responsible for points 1-3, the second for points 4-6 and so on). Each student should delete all but one of the points, keeping…
Summary Sheet: Hegel, Marx and Lenin – compared and contrasted
Summary Sheet: Hegel, Marx and Lenin – compared and contrasted A detailed knowledge organiser that serves as a useful consolidation and revision aid. Part of the new Political Ideologies scheme of work.
Factual Test on the issues covered so far (20 questions)
Factual Test on the issues covered so far (20 questions) | Teacher answers This test makes use of the “How certain are you?” format. For each question, play for 1, 2 or 3 points to reflect your confidence. If you’re correct, you win those points. If not, you lose them down to a minimum of zero points. Part…
To what extent was Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War due to the involvement of foreign powers?
To what extent was Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War due to the involvement of foreign powers? A model essay by RJ Tarr.
Teacher-led online lecture [2]: A brief history of political ideology from the Enlightenment to the modern day!
Teacher-led online lecture [2]: A brief history of political ideology from the Enlightenment to the modern day! Complete with handouts and teacher notes, this is the second part of the teacher lecture. together an online lecture which runs through the development of political ideology. This on starts with the Enlightenment and covers such themes as…
Model Essay: Analyse the successes and failures of President Kennedy’s foreign policies towards Latin America between 1961 and 1963.
Analyse the successes and failures of President Kennedy’s foreign policies towards Latin America between 1961 and 1963. A model essay by RJ Tarr.
Enlightenment Philosophy: Philosophers, Revolutionaries and the Declaration of the Rights of Man
Enlightenment Philosophy: Philosophers, Revolutionaries and the Declaration of the Rights of Man In this exercise we will clarify what the spirit of the French Revolution actually was. It will then be possible, if and when you study the French Revolution in more depth, to decide: How far the early revolutionaries delivered on their promises, whether…
Teacher-led online lecture [1]: A brief history of political ideology from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment!
Teacher-led online lecture [1]: A brief history of political ideology from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment! Complete with handouts and teacher notes, I have put together an online lecture which runs through the development of political ideology. This first presentation brings students up to the Enlightenment and covers such themes as the Great Chain…
Left-wing and Right Wing: Which are you?
Left-wing and Right Wing: Which are you? [online simulation] Students complete the computer questionnaire, which will provide them with some initial suggestions about whether they are Left- or Right-Wing. This can be completed in class, or set as a homework activity. Students are then asked to complete a Triangle Nine Template by completing the following steps: “Step 1:…
Model Essay: Compare and Contrast the Rise of Pinochet and Franco
Model Essay: Compare and Contrast the Rise of Pinochet and Franco Students first have a brainstorm about what are the most frequent causes for the rise of single party state rulers. They then analyse the key methods and conditions which led to the rise of particular individual dictators, then compare and contrast them. In this…
What is Politics? Why are so many people not interested in it and why is this worrying?
Teacher Presentation: What is Politics? Why are so many people not interested in it and why is this worrying? This presentation is given to the entire group and is designed to get them thinking about why politics is so important. It outlines how the study unit will focus on helping students determine whether they are…
Communism and Fascism: What’s the difference?
Communism and Fascism: What’s the difference? Building on directly from the “Left and Right Wing” simulation earlier, students complete a questionnaire about key policy areas to help them identify the essential features of dictatorship and democracy, communism and fascism. They then use what they have learned to outline the differences between (a) Fascism and Communism;…
Design your ‘ideal state’
Design your ‘ideal state’ In this lesson, students take the ideas and principles they are now familiar with and use these to design an ‘ideal state’ by considering such things as the ideal age for voting, the benefits and disadvantages of having a monarchy, and so on. Plenty of room here for group work and…
The Potsdam Conference: When and why did the US policy move from one of co-operation to confrontation?
The Potsdam Conference: When and why did the US policy move from one of co-operation to confrontation? Students consider the extent to which the Potsdam conference was characterised more by conflict that by co-operation. Part of the comprehensive unit on Cold War Origins to 1949.
LBJ and the “Great Society”
A new teaching unit on LBJ and the Great Society. After the 1964 election, the Democrats held two-thirds majorities in both houses of Congress. This gave Johnson the mandate to realize his vision of a “Great Society”. Emboldened by his election by more votes than any president in history, Johnson prepared to inundate the 89th…
Sourcework Exercise: The Sharpeville Massacre – Teacher model answers
Sourcework Exercise: The Sharpeville Massacre | Teacher answers 1) a. According to Source A, why was the campaign in Sharpeville so badly coordinated? [3 marks] 1) b. What is the message conveyed by Source B? [2 marks] 2) With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source C for…
Sourcework Exercise: The Sharpeville Massacre
Sourcework Exercise: The Sharpeville Massacre 1) a. According to Source A, why was the campaign in Sharpeville so badly coordinated? [3 marks] 1) b. What is the message conveyed by Source B? [2 marks] 2) With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source C for a historian studying…
Model answers for sourcework exercise on rise of Apartheid
IB-style source work exercise: Why was apartheid introduced into South Africa in 1948? | Model Answers by RJ Tarr A one-hour source work exercise in the style of the IBDP History Paper 1, complete with model answers to share with students afterwards.
Model Essay – Compare and contrast the role of ideology in causing two 20th-century wars, each chosen from a different region
Compare and contrast the role of ideology in causing two 20th-century wars, each chosen from a different region “Although at face value very different conflicts, the Spanish Civil War and the Vietnam War were strikingly similar in a number of important ways: not least the central role played by ideology in precipitating the outbreak of…
Model Essay – What were the most frequent causes of 20th-century wars?
What were the most frequent causes of 20th-century wars? (model essay) “The 20th Century was defined by two World Wars which brought havoc upon civilization unprecedented in human history, and in the continued instability of the 21st century a study of their causes – and how to avoid them – is an essential method of working…
Vietnam veteran John Kerry’s statement at the Senate hearings of 1971
Vietnam veteran John Kerry’s statement at the Senate hearings of 1971 The class will be divided into pairs, representing 18-year-old US citizens in 1971. Imagine that you and your partner are good friends who have just been drafted into the US army. You are both well educated and have strong opinions about the war: one…
Why, and with what degree of justification, did Nixon refuse to immediately withdraw from Vietnam?
Why, and with what degree of justification, did Nixon refuse to immediately withdraw from Vietnam? A primary source analysis activity. Students use the ‘Silent Majority’ speech to answer the following questions: 1. What is the current situation in Vietnam, and why did America get involved in the first place? 2. Why is Nixon refusing to…
Compare and contrast the policy of Johnson and Nixon with regard to Vietnam
Compare and contrast the policy of Johnson and Nixon with regard to Vietnam Students are provided with a detailed timeline of events covering the Nixon administration and conduct further research of their own. They then consider carefully their completed research to provide an essay plan to the past exam question “Compare and contrast the Vietnam…
Could LBJ have handled the Vietnam War more effectively?
Could LBJ have handled the Vietnam War more effectively? In this decision-making exericse, students imagine they are advisors to President Johnson. As the crisis in Vietnam deepens, their job is to advise him on the best course of action to preserve his administration (How should LBJ respond to accusations that he is being insufficiently honest…
Civil Rights Campaign 1964, Freedom Summer
Campaign 1964: Freedom Summer | Teacher notes “The 1964 Freedom Summer was a 10-week campaign in Mississippi designed to increase the amount of black people registered to vote…Listen to (or read) Fanie Lou Hamer’s “I Question America” speech and make notes on the sorts of injustices she and her people have suffered already and which she uses…
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Legislation 1964: The Civil Rights Act The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is significant because it made the protection of civil rights the responsibility of the federal government, and removed the rights of individual states to make their own exceptions to these…Watch the video clip and make detailed notes on the main provisions of the…
Sourcework Assignment with model answers, The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Sourcework Assignment with model answers: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 [Teacher password required] A complete sourcework paper in the style of the new IB Syllabus, complete with model answers by the author of this website. Part of the complete scheme of work on the civil rights movement 1954-1965 at ActiveHistory
Selma Marches 1965, Online Simulation
Campaign 1965: Selma – The Simulation [interactive] “In this simulation you will learn about key figures involved in the struggle as events unfold step-by-step. For each character you will be invited to step inside their shoes and consider how you should react to the situation you face if your objective is to attract favourable media attention…
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Legislation 1965: The Voting Rights Act “The Voting Rights Act has recently been undermined by the case of Shelby County v. Holder (2013). Conduct some research into this case (including the article from The Guardian entitled ‘Selma leaders lament voting rights losses at congressional award ceremony’) to answer the question “To what extent has the…
Compare and Contrasting the Rise of Dictators in Different Regions
Which 20th Century Dictator are YOU? A simulation to compare and contrast the methods and conditions through which dictators rose to power. Complete with self-study workpack enabling students to turn their findings into a rigorous essay. There is also a class leaderboard where teachers can monitor student performance in the factual test questions. You might also try…
JFK and the Diem Coup: To what extent was Kennedy responsible?
JFK and the Diem Coup: To what extent was Kennedy responsible? In this activity students consider a range of primary source documents to determine how far Kennedy was responsible for coup against President Diem.
Roleplay Exercise – Kennedy and the Berlin Crisis of 1961
Roleplay Exercise – Kennedy and the Berlin Crisis of 1961 | Multimedia teacher-led presentation | Briefing Sheets In this exercise students will take the role of an advisor to President Kennedy. By discussing different courses of action and then comparing them to what Kennedy did, they will form a balanced judgement on his handling of…
Kennedy and Latin America: The Alliance for Progress
Kennedy and Latin America: The Alliance for Progress This worksheet and activity covers Kennedy’s “Alliance for Progress”, which was in essence a Marshall Plan for Latin America. As its name suggests, it proposed a partnership between the USA and Latin American countries keen to engage in political and socio-economic reforms. Signed in Uruguay’s Punta Del…
The 1960 Election Campaign: The TV Debates and the Inaugural Address
The 1960 Election Campaign: The TV Debates and the Inaugural Address The TV Debates: In election year 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon took part in the first televised presidential debate, hosted by legendary newsman Walter Cronkite. This was the beginning of modern media-driven politics: JFK came across as suave, confident…
JFK: Introduction and Overview
JFK: Introduction and Overview Students are provided with a teacher-led lecture based around the following image and make notes in this worksheet. Part of the new study unit on The Foreign Policy of President Kennedy
Model Essay: To what extent were conflicting views about Germany the main cause of the Cold War up to 1949?
Model Essay: To what extent were conflicting views about Germany the main cause of the Cold War up to 1949? (Teacher password required) A model essay written by RJ Tarr (author of www.activehistory.co.uk). Part of the comprehensive Origins of the Cold War Unit.
Cold War Historiography – comparisons and contrasts worksheet
Cold War Historiography “How would each school of historians assess the respective role of military, economic and political factors in causing the Cold War? How would you complete the final columns?” Part of the comprehensive Origins of the Cold War Unit.
A revision summary grid of historiographical terms
A revision summary grid of historiographical terms Observations: Leopold von Ranke’s Historicism movement in the late 19th Century laid the framework for modern historiography. From the scientific methods of source analysis it promoted, historians quickly moved from describing “what” happened and towards a consideration of “why”. In the late 20th Century, however, the postmodernists argued…
Origins of the Cold War: Essay Writing Advice
Essay Writing Phase “Read through the following essay titles. Identify (e.g. by highlighting / dragging-dropping) common themes. These questions will be shared between the class. Produce an essay plan in 10 minutes for your allocated essay. Then feed back to the class with your thoughts and findings. In a lesson next week, one question from…
Schools of History – Historiography and TOK in History
Session 3: Histories [Student worksheet | Teacher notes] It has been said that “all history is contemporary history” (Croce) and “History tells us more about the person who wrote it than about the people being written about” (Carr). In this sense, works of history themselves become sources for later generations of historians! In this session, we will…
Historians and Theory of Knowledge in History
Session 2: Historians [Student worksheet | Teacher notes] Sources are incomplete, untypical and unreliable, as we found out in our last session. Historians therefore need to: Select sources to use, based on what questions need answering; Interpret those sources and make deductions from them; Organise and present their main conclusions to the public. Arguably, this process of…
Model Essay: In what ways, and with what results, did the Cold War influence relations between Latin America with the United States in the period 1945 to 1957?
Model Essay by Russel Tarr: In what ways, and with what results, did the Cold War influence relations between Latin America with the United States in the period 1945 to 1957? (note: teacher password required) An essay written in timed conditions and then shared with my own students.
American Foreign Policy in Latin America, 1945-60: Conclusions
American Foreign Policy in Latin America, 1945-60: Conclusions Students draw some overall conclusions about the how ‘new’ and how ‘successful’ Eisenhower’s policies in Latin America were. They should then be set a timed essay in examination conditions on one of the following themes: Discuss the consequences for the region of Eisenhower’s national security policy. Examine…
Eisenhower’s Policy in Latin America: Do YOU like Ike?! (decision-making exercise)
Eisenhower’s Policy in Latin America: Do YOU like Ike?! (decision-making exercise) “In this exercise you will form your own judgement about how well Eisenhower handled relations with Latin America. Your teacher will guide you through each issue using an online multimedia presentation based at ActiveHistory. After your teacher tells you about the first issue (and you have…
Truman’s Policy in Latin America
Truman’s Policy in Latin America Using the information provided, and a range of recommended weblinks for extra research, students answer the following questions: 1. What were the main features of Truman’s policy towards in Latin America? 2. To what extent was Truman’s policy in Latin America the same as his policy elsewhere in the world?…
Eisenhower and the “New Look”: Video Worksheet
Eisenhower and the “New Look”: Video Worksheet “Complete this worksheet as you watch the 48-minute online video. Decide whether you wish to adjust your positionining of the key policies we have so far considered, or add further ones (e.g. about the meetings with Khrushchev)”.
Theory of Knowledge in History: The Challenge of Source Material
Session 1: Sources [student worksheet | teacher notes] Introduction: Why and How is History Produced? “History” is not “What happened in the past” or even “The surviving evidence of what happened in the past”. It means “What historians choose to interpret from the surviving evidence of the past” To reduce this to a formula, we might say:…
The Suez Crisis and the Middle East from Eisenhower’s Perspective – Conclusions
The Suez Crisis and the Middle East from Eisenhower’s Perspective – Conclusions NOTE: Comprehensive resources and activities relating to the Suez Crisis are provided in a dedicated section of ActiveHistory here. This document should merely be used to conclude this topic of study.
To what extent do you agree that Eisenhower’s foreign policy was neither new nor successful?
Investigation: To what extent do you agree that Eisenhower’s foreign policy was neither new nor successful? Contained in this document are seven key policy areas. Your teacher will divide the class into two teams. a. Working alone, read through the first policy area carefully then decide how ‘new’ and ‘successful’ it was. Explain your answer…
Introduction to Eisenhower and the “New Look” National Security Policy
Introduction to Eisenhower and the “New Look” National Security Policy “Using the information provided here, and your existing knowledge of Truman’s foreign policy, to answer this question: In what ways did Eisenhower’s ‘New Look’ differ from the foreign policy of President Truman?”
IB History Internal Assessment 2017 – Marksheet and Guidance
I have updated the materials I have designed to support the IB History Internal Assessment based on the new specifications of the 2017 syllabus. In particular I have designed a new mark sheet and rubric to guide students through the process. Exemplar studies will follow in due course after the first cycle of examinations next…
Model Essay: How did the early years of the Cold War (1946 to 1956) affect the political and social life of the United States?
Model Essay: How did the early years of the Cold War (1946 to 1956) affect the political and social life of the United States? [teacher password required] Here’s a model essay I wrote on the key question in timed conditions, and which students could be given after completing their own.
Keyword Checker – How did the early years of the Cold War (1946 to 1956) affect the political and social life of the United States?
Keyword Checker – How did the early years of the Cold War (1946 to 1956) affect the political and social life of the United States? When students have completed their essays on this question, they should put them into this key word checker to determine how many key terms they have successfully incorporated.
McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare: Video Documentary and Worksheet
Pre-class preparation: Video Documentary and Worksheet Prior to the first lesson on this topic, students should complete this worksheet which provides them with a thorough overview of the main events, themes and personalities.
IB History sourcework exercise: The Sophiatown Removals
One-hour sourcework exercise: The Sophiatown Removals | Model answers written by RJ Tarr A full sourcework exercise, complete with teacher model answers, based around the following questions: 1. a) According to Source C, why was was there so little resistance to the Sophiatown evictions? [3 marks] 1. b) What message is conveyed by Source B? [2 marks] 2. With reference to…
Infographic challenge: Apartheid in statistics
Infographic challenge: Apartheid in statistics “The impact of apartheid on black South Africans is difficult to comprehend. Your task is to take these essential statistics about apartheid and then convert them into an “info graphic” (for example, using a tool like Piktochart, Canva, Infogr.am or similar.” Part of the complete scheme of work to support…
IB History sourcework practice – in the style of question [1/2/3]
IB sourcework practice – in the style of question [1] IB sourcework practice – in the style of question [2/3] Two sourcework exercies based around conditions under the Apartheid regime. Part of the complete scheme of work to support the IBDP History “Rights and Protest” unit on Apartheid South Africa.
Speech-writing task: a reply to the defenders of Apartheid
Speech-writing task: a reply to the defenders of Apartheid “Watch the following three interviews with people defending the policy of apartheid. For each one, make notes on their essential arguments. Then, use these to help you produce a speech which will (a) summarise the arguments that have been put forward to defend apartheid by its…
Factual Test: The anti-apartheid resistance movement | Teacher answer sheet
Factual Test: The anti-apartheid resistance movement | Teacher answer sheet A detailed factual test in the form of a ‘fill the gaps’ exercise. When completed and corrected, it forms a useful revision aid in itself. Part of the complete scheme of work to support the IBDP History “Rights and Protest” unit on Apartheid South Africa.
IB History – The development of the anti-Apartheid resistance movement
The development of the anti-Apartheid resistance movement The tasks in this worksheet accompany the teacher led multimedia lecture and decision-making exercise at ActiveHistory (above). Both the lecture, and this worksheet, will take up substantially more than one lesson. Therefore, a good strategy is to (a) Complete Task 1 before the start of the lecture; (b)…
Apartheid – Multimedia Teacher-led lecture and decision-making exercise
Multimedia Teacher-led lecture and decision-making exercise This detailed multimedia presentation guides students through the development of the anti-Apartheid resistance movement. Through a series of stimulus images, written sources and video clips, students are guided through a series of decision points which reflect the issues which split the resistance movement into different groups and factions including…
IB/A-Level: Christmas in Stalin’s Russia
IB/A-Level: Christmas in Stalin’s Russia | Teacher Answer Sheet This lesson gets starts with a team-based quiz challenge, and then moves on to look at how Stalin unexpectedly revivied Christmas for his own propagandistic ends. It forms a useful addition to students’ understanding of Stalin’s use of propaganda, and his policies towards religion, and as such is…
The Sophiatown removals: podcast note-taking task
The Sophiatown removals: podcast note-taking task Students use the BBC Witness Podcast (10 minutes) to answer a series of structured questions, including: Why were the black residents evicted from Sophiatown? How long did the process take, and how many people were affected? How did the Sophiatown get its name? How did this non-white community manage…
Factual Test: the Apartheid laws
Factual Test: the Apartheid laws | Teacher answer sheet A detailed factual test in the form of a ‘fill the gaps’ exercise. When completed and corrected, it forms a useful revision aid in itself. Part of the complete scheme of work to support the IBDP History “Rights and Protest” unit on Apartheid South Africa.
Creative writing task: the experience of Apartheid
Creative writing task: the experience of Apartheid Students are provided with THREE possible approache to this task, one of which is to “Produce a fictional first-person account written by a black South African looking back on their life under apartheid. The account should tell a story which allows you to illustrate the impact of the…
The Apartheid Laws: research, categorisation and prioritisation
The Apartheid Laws: research, categorisation and prioritisation | Completed teacher copy “1. Read the details about each Act and use these to complete the second column with the correct titles from this list: Population Registration Act | Bantu Self-Government / Authorities Acts | Group Areas Act | Bantu Education Act | Separate Amenities Act | Public Safety…
IB-style source work exercise: Why was apartheid introduced into South Africa in 1948?
IB-style source work exercise: Why was apartheid introduced into South Africa in 1948? A one-hour source work exercise in the style of the IBDP History Paper 1. Part of the complete scheme of work to support the IBDP History “Rights and Protest” unit on Apartheid South Africa.
South Africa – Discriminatory laws passed before 1948
Discriminatory laws passed before 1948 “Using any sources available to you, research the provisions of each of the following TEN laws passed before 1948.When you have notes on each, colour code the laws using a scheme of your choice and provide a key to make it clear how you have categorised them” Part of the…
South Africa before 1948 – factual test
Factual Test | Teacher Answer Sheet This 20 question, paper-based test is provided in the form of a ‘fill the gaps’ exercise. When completed and corrected, it forms a useful revision aid in itself. Part of the complete scheme of work to support the IBDP History “Rights and Protest” unit on Apartheid South Africa.
Empathy exercise: Understanding the Broderbund and the ANC
Empathy exercise: Understanding the Broderbund and the ANC Supporting material: 1944 ANC Youth League Manifesto | 1948 National Party Platform “In 1912 the Afrikaner Broderbund was established to protect the rights of White Boers. In 1918 the ANC was established to protect the rights of Black South Africans. Produce a press statement from each organisation dated 1944 which…
Overview of South Africa to 1948
Timeline of events to 1948 Students are provided with a detailed timeline of events which enable them to answer key questions about the development of South Africa before the formal establishment of apartheid in 1948. Part of the complete scheme of work to support the IBDP History “Rights and Protest” unit on Apartheid South Africa.
Simulation: Which 20th Century Dictator are YOU?
A stand-alone simulation to help students compare and contrast how single-party state rulers maintained power. Complete with accompanying self-study workpack to enable students to turn their findings into a rigorous essay. “You will be asked 10 key questions about how you would choose to run your imaginary dictatorship. As you proceed you will be given detail about…
The Rise and Rule of Fidel Castro
A new study unit. The rise of Castro is best studied following completion of the ActiveHistory study unit “What are the most common methods and conditions that explain the rise of dictatorships?“, since that unit allows students to build up an overall theory about the nature of dictatorships that can then be tested against this…
Rule of 20th Century Dictators Compared
The IB History examination encourages students to analyse not just the rule of individual dictators, but to compare them across different regions. THIS UNIT provides a rigorous, engaging and efficient way of doing so – firstly by considering one ruler, then comparing him to a second. It is designed to accompany the comparative study unit on the…
How to Establish a Whole-School Induction Project for Year 12
“Was World War Two a Period of Progress and Development?” For the past five years I have co-ordinated an intensive IB Induction project at my school here Toulouse. I am currently in the process of discussing how this can be developed and improved further with input and inspiration from my colleagues, and to help them…
Podcast Research Project
The following task is one that I set for my IB students during the first half term break. Although it can be set at any point, it’s a great way to get them thinking about possible Internal Assessment topics early on in the course. It also requires each student to deliver a classroom presentation.
