Why Appeasement? Diamond9 Quiz

Why Appeasement? Diamond9 Quiz A 15-question factual test designed to be used after students have watched the classic documentary “Why Appeasement?“. Part of the unit: GCSE/IB History: International Relations, 1929-39

League of Nations Simulation – update

I have updated the first part of the League of Nations simulation with more detailed information and a new worksheet for IGCSE students. The topic page for the League can be found here.  

Adolf Hitler: Head2Head Virtual Interview Relaunch

Over the Xmas holidays I completely re-coded and relaunched the popular “Head2Head Interview with Adolf Hitler” which can be found here. The new version has an improved artificial intelligence engine and a modernised layout so that students appear to be having a text chat with the character on their mobile device.

Martin Luther King, Jr: Head2Head Virtual Interview Relaunch

Over the Xmas holidays I completely re-coded and relaunched the popular “Head2Head Interview with MLK” which can be found here. The new version has an improved artificial intelligence engine and a modernised layout so that students appear to be having a text chat with the character on their mobile device.  

Josef Stalin: Head2Head Virtual Interview Relaunch

Over the Xmas holidays I completely re-coded and relaunched the popular “Head2Head Interview with Josef Stalin” which can be found here. The new version has an improved artificial intelligence engine and a modernised layout so that students appear to be having a text chat with the character on their mobile device.

25-Question Factual Test – the Korean War

25-Question Factual Test To test knowledge and understanding at the end of the unit (teacher password required). Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on the Korean War.

The Korean War: Collapsible Revision Notes

The Korean War: Collapsible Revision Notes Interactive notes which can be collapsed or expanded to various levels of detail for revision purposes. Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on the Korean War.

The Korean War: Interactive Cartoon analysis

The Korean War: Interactive Cartoon analysis Analyse a series of cartoons by hovering over details and answering exam-style questions. When you have finished, the computer will provide you with a printout comparing your answer to a model answer. A great way to revise and develop sourcework skills. Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on…

Korean War Fling the Teacher Quiz

Korean War Fling the Teacher Quiz 75 possible questions: I like to get all the students playing it simultaneously, and award 25 points for the first person to finish, 24 for the next, and so on; over the course of a few weeks you can build up a “Fling the Teacher Leaderboard” if you play…

Cartoon story analysis – The Korean War

Consolidation activity [3]: Cartoon story analysis Students take a cartoon story about the war and analyse it for partiality and omissions. Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on the Korean War.

Mapwork – The Korean War

Consolidation activity [2]: Mapwork Students have to match a range of maps to key moments in the war to consolidate their understanding. Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on the Korean War.

Korean War – Mini-Debates

Mini-Debates Students are placed into prosecution and defence teams to analyse Truman’s handling of the Korean War. There are some completed teacher notes available for this exercise. Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on the Korean War.

Truman makes his decision about MacArthur

Truman makes his decision about MacArthur “Read the following sources, then use them to answer the following question: In your view, do you think that Truman was right to fire General MacArthur? Explain your answer by considering both sides.” Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on the Korean War.

Should Truman tolerate or fire MacArthur for his criticisms?

Should Truman tolerate or fire MacArthur for his criticisms? MacArthur asks Truman to threaten atomic attacks on China if they refuse to withdraw from Korea. Rejecting MacArthur’s advice, Truman refuses to threaten retaliation against China, fearing that this could lead to a Third World War. As a result, MacArthur starts openly criticizing Truman’s policies in…

Should Truman support MacArthur and commit the USA to a ‘total war’ in Korea?

Should Truman support MacArthur and commit the USA to a ‘total war’ in Korea? Using a variety of sources within a timeline, students decide whether Truman should follow MacArthur’s advice and threated retaliation against China unless they withdraw from Korea. Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on the Korean War.

Korean War – Interactive Newsfeed Exercise

Korean War – Interactive Newsfeed Exercise Students are presented with a series of “newsfeeds” about the Korean War, which they use to complete this worksheet, and then answer a series of questions. Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on the Korean War.

Primary source analysis – causes of the Korean War

Who was responsible for the outbreak of the Korean War? Was Truman right to commit troops to the conflict? Partway through the presentation students will be required to evaluate a series of primary source documents regarding these issues. An additional optional source is extracts from NSC-68. Part of the new ActiveHistory study unit on the…

Guidance for writing the coursework essay for students

This document – guidance for writing the coursework essay for students – outlines how to write an introduction, a conclusion, and provides a range of key words and phrases to help them analyse significance. It also makes use of the ClassTools “Essay Writing Bookmark” which I have made freely available for download here.

October Revolution: Historiography and Primary Sources

C. Was the October Revolution a coup d’etat or a popular uprising? Primary / Secondary Source Material As the next phase of the investigation, students read through a series of selected primary and secondary accounts of the events of October 1917 and decide where each can be used, and which quotes are best to include….

How stable was the Tsarist regime on the eve of World War One?

How stable was the Tsarist regime on the eve of World War One? Politically, one of the major events that occurred in Russia during World War One was the overthrow of the Tsarist regime. Assessing the significance of World War One in this context requires us to consider whether the war CAUSED or merely ACCELERATED…

Significance of WW1 for Russia: Study Guide

Overview and study guide During the Cold War, the debate about the nature and origins of the 1917 Communist Revolution was particularly heated. The Capitalist West was eager to discredit the origins of the USSR, and the USSR was equally determined to romanticise them. Since the end of the Cold War, the debate has continued…

The Rise of Hitler: Essay Planning Generator

This new essay-planning generator helps students consider how five key factors which caused the Rise of Hitler can be linked in various ways. The computer shuffles the various factors as a pack. It then deals out the first two and connects them using a database of possible links. It then takes the third factor and…

Origins of World War One: Essay-Planning Generator

This new essay-planning generator helps students consider how five key factors which caused the First World War can be linked in various ways. The computer shuffles the various factors as a pack. It then deals out the first two and connects them using a database of possible links. It then takes the third factor and…

Berlin Residential Trip: Maps, Multimedia, Itineraries and Workpacks

In 2018 I took history students to Berlin on a residential trip for the first time after they completed this preparatory task based on selected video clips. The Google maps and work packs on this page illustrate the division of Berlin during the Cold War, and the clear outline of the Berlin Wall (with inner/outer…

History of Berlin: Multimedia note-taking task

In 2018 I took history students to Berlin on a residential trip for the first time after they completed this preparatory task based on selected video clips. The following Google maps illustrate the division of Berlin during the Cold War, and the clear outline of the Berlin Wall (with inner/outer walls marked, and the death…

From Yalta to Potsdam – the wartime alliance starts breaking down

From Yalta to Potsdam Through a focus on primary source analysis, students investigate how far Truman’s bellicosity towards the Soviet Union was apparent from the outset, or was merely a position he adopted once he was in possession of the atomic bomb. Part of the comprehensive unit on Cold War Origins to 1949.

How similar were the Manchurian and Abyssinian Crises?

Conclusions: How similar were the Manchurian and Abyssinian Crises? | Teacher Model Answers Students are provided with a writing frame which helps them compare and contrast the causes, course and consequences of the two crises.  

The Abyssinian Crisis

The Abyssinian Crisis Students are presented with a detailed breakdown of the crisis and watch several video clips to help them form judgements. A cartoon analysis exercise then follows.

Roleplay: The Manchurian Crisis | Rolecards

Roleplay: The Manchurian Crisis | Rolecards This roleplay exercise is a great way to get students thinking about the possible courses of action open to the League. Students are given an essential briefing about the Manchurian Dispute, and are then organised into five groups representing different countries. Each country is given a role card outlining…

*NEW* Simulation: Can you survive life in the trenches in World War One?

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…

The Rise of Hitler – Images

The Rise of Hitler – Images This double-sided sheet of selected images relating to the rise of Hitler can be used to develop the hexagons display piece still further, or as the basis for a visual essay writing exercise.

The Treaty of Sevres [1]: The Middle East

The Treaty of Sevres [1]: The Middle East | teacher answer sheet Students learn about the conflicting promises made by the British in the Middle East during World War One, and then tackle this: “It is now 1919. You are Prime Minister David Lloyd George, about to head off for the Paris Peace Conference. Complete this official…

IGCSE History Revision 2017

Completely updated and relaunched, this section of the website provides comprehensive revision materials for Cambridge IGCSE Modern World History.

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…

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…

SOLO Hexagons: The Rise of Hitler

SOLO Hexagons: The Rise of Hitler 40+ factors are provided to students to organise into meaningful and connected categories as part of the essay-planning process. Full details of the hexagons approach can be found at Tarr’s Toolbox.

How successfully did Elizabeth deal with the problems of her reign?

Part of the new materials to support a study of Elizabethan England, for example: Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88 (Edexcel) Elizabethan England, c1568-1603 (AQA) How successfully did Elizabeth deal with the problems of her reign? In this exercise, students will reach a final judgement about Elizabeth I by writing an essay. In this way, they will:…

Elizabeth’s refusal to marry, conclusions and sourcework

Part of the new materials to support a study of Elizabethan England, for example: Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88 (Edexcel) Elizabethan England, c1568-1603 (AQA) Why did the Spanish decide to invade England in 1588? > Elizabeth’s refusal to marry Conclusion: Elizabeth’s Refusal to Marry Students are provided with a list of factors explaining Elizabeth’s decision not…

Elizabethan England: Why did Elizabeth refuse to marry?

Part of the new materials to support a study of Elizabethan England, for example: Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88 (Edexcel) Elizabethan England, c1568-1603 (AQA) Why did the Spanish decide to invade England in 1588? > Factor 1. Elizabeth’s Refusal to Marry | Teacher Presentation | Teacher Notes

The Gulf War Fling the Teacher Quiz

This Fling the Teacher Quiz: The Gulf War is part of the complete scheme of work “Why did Events in the Gulf Matter, 1970-2003?”, designed for IGCSE History.

Rule of Saddam Hussein Fling the Teacher Quiz

This Fling the Teacher Quiz: The Rule of Saddam Hussein is part of the complete scheme of work “Why did Events in the Gulf Matter, 1970-2003?“, designed for IGCSE History. There is also a 75-question Fling the Teacher Quiz on Events in the Gulf. If you like this resource you might also enjoy the “Which 20th…

The Iran-Iraq War Fling the Teacher Quiz

This Fling the Teacher Quiz: The Iran-Iraq War is part of the complete scheme of work “Why did Events in the Gulf Matter, 1970-2003?”, designed for IGCSE History.

Why did Events in the Gulf Matter? Revising the Five Big Questions

Part of the complete scheme of work on “Why did Events in the Gulf Matter?“ “Revising the Five Big Questions” “The class will be divided into four team (1, 2, 4, 5). For each of the following key questions, work individually, to complete one of the incomplete rows of this table. The row on Saddam’s…

What were the consequences of the First Gulf War?

Part of the IGCSE Paper 2 Study Topic: “Why did Events in the Gulf Matter?” What were the consequences of the First Gulf War? Students use the information provided to provide an infographic about the impact of the First Gulf War, then complete two sourcework questions (“To what extent does Source A prove that the…

Why did the First Gulf War take place?

Part of the IGCSE Paper 2 Study Topic: “Why did Events in the Gulf Matter?” Why did the First Gulf War take place? Focus Point 1: Why did Saddam invade Kuwait? “Listed below are various factors relating to the decision to go to war. Use these to produce TWO brief speeches in role as Saddam:…

Why did the Iran-Iraq War last for so long?

Part of the IGCSE Paper 2 Study Topic: “Why did Events in the Gulf Matter?” Why did the Iran-Iraq War last for so long? Before reading the additional information in the worksheet, students should have made notes from the two short video clips [clip 1 | clip 2], focusing on the question “Why did the Iran-Iraq War…

Sourcework Practice: Causes of the Iran-Iraq War

Part of the IGCSE Paper 2 Study Topic: “Why did Events in the Gulf Matter?” Sourcework Practice: Causes of the Iran-Iraq War 1. According to Source A, why did Saddam Hussein decide to invade Iran in September 1980? TIP: as with any ‘why’ question, provide several reasons, substantiated with quotes from the sources. 2. How reliable is Source B…

What were the causes and consequences of the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-88?

Part of the IGCSE Paper 2 Study Topic: “Why did Events in the Gulf Matter?” What were the causes and consequences of the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-88? Task: A biased government speech explaining the causes of the war On the 22nd September 1980, the longest conventional war of the 20th Century began when Iraq launched an…

Saddamarama: Propaganda Images from Saddam’s Iraq

Saddamarama: Propaganda Images from Saddam’s Iraq “You will be divided into teams. One person from each team will come to the front and collect a propaganda image. Without showing it to the rest of the team, this person should describe what they see, who it appears aimed at, and what it is trying to say…

Saddam’s Rule of Iraq. Overview: Terror, Achievements, Propaganda

Overview: Terror, Achievements, Propaganda “Using your findings from this resource, produce a written response to the following question: ‘Was Saddam’s rule of Iraq was based on fear, propaganda or genuine achievements?’ Explain your answer by connecting all three factors.”

McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare: Design a school exhibition!

Design a school exhibition! The Impact of McCarthyism in the USA in the 1950s is such a rich topic of study that it is difficult to know what to focus on, so I let each student choose their own area of interest (music, film, politics, science….) and then gave them their own exhibition space to…

The Yalta Conference – activity and follow-up

The Yalta Conference: Interactive Computer Simulation! [Interactive] An artificial intelligence simulation, complete with a worksheet: students choose whether to play as Churchill, Roosevelt or Stalin, and then pit their wits against their opponents to achieve their objectives. This computer lesson runs itself and is a great way of learning about the personalities, issues and results…

Individual Research Task: Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt

Individual Research Task: Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt The class is divided into three teams, each representing the press officer for one of the Big Three. a. Using your own knowledge and other research, provide THREE key points suggesting your man will work well with the others. Write these into the left hand column. b. Then…

The Grand Alliance, 1941-44

The Grand Alliance, 1941-44 | Teacher Notes Students conduct independent research on eight key wartime events, focusing specifically on how each one raised tensions, and between whom. There are links to appropriate video clips which can be used by the students as part of their research, or watched together as a class. Part of the…

Causes of the Iranian Revolution, 1979 – Introductory Slideshow for IGCSE

Introductory Slideshow In this teacher-led presentation (during which students should take notes), the class is presented with some of the key questions, images and personalities relating to the 1979 Revolution. In particular, the presentation encourages students to see Iran in its long-term context and to consider how today it appears to again be going through…

Cold War – Historical Context, 1917-39

Historical Context, 1917-39 Students are presented with a detailed, interactive timeline of events and two key questions for consideration: 1: Was the Nazi-Soviet Pact proof that the West were right to distrust Stalin all along, or was it the direct and unfortunate result of that distrust? 2: Based on Question 1, who was therefore more…

Gifts and Christmas Cards of World War One

In this new stand-alone lesson, the teacher will start by delivering this ActiveHistory Teacher Presentation (which comes complete with a useful video clip) to outline some of the gifts that were marketed to soldiers in World War One. The main task involves deciding how to categorise these 30 Xmas cards from World War One. Students should cut them…

Weimar Germany Decision Making Simulation – 1921-29

Weimar Germany Decision Making Game – Part 2: 1921-29  This comprehensive decision-making simulation is now complete with follow-up factual test, the answers for which can be shared with students using this online presentation. This simulation is a great way of introducing or revising the issues surrounding Weimar Germany in the years 1921-29. Each of the 7 key decision points…

Why did Events in the Gulf Matter?

Why did Events in the Gulf Matter, c.1970-2000? This page is currently a work in progress. This is the compulsory 20th Century Option for the iGCSE sourcework paper for students taking the examination in Summer 2016. I will be teaching this topic to my own students in Year 11. By then, this page will consist…

Origins of World War One Sourcework Assignment Pack

Sourcework Assignment Pack 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. This forms part of the newly updated ActiveHistory Scheme of Work on the Origins of World War One.

Origins of World War One: Model answers and exam questions

End of unit exam-style structured question (there are also some model answers available in the teacher area – model answers[1] | model answers [2]) “Your teacher will choose one (a), one (b) and one (c) question from this extensive list of past questions for this test, which will take place in timed conditions next lesson. As homework, you should…

Mr. Men History: The Origins of World War One

Mr. Men History: The Origins of World War One “In this task we will convert the story of the outbreak of the war into a fairy tale. The background will be provided to you. Your job will be to tell the story of how events unfolded using your knowledge of key events”. This forms part…

Historiography: Quotes about the Origins of World War One

Historiography: Quotes about the Origins of World War One “A. For each quote, decide which theme it relates to: 1. Nationalism and Imperialism | 2. Alliance System | 3. Arms Race | 4. Colonial Rivalry | 5. July Crisis B. Circle off the best quote for each theme. Incorporate this into your summary sheet /…

Classroom Trial: Who was to blame for World War One?

Classroom Trial: Who was to blame for World War One? (there is also a completed version for stimulus material in the teacher area). Each person in the class will be given a number (1-6). Each student’s task is as follows: 1. To frame TWO prosecution questions against ONE particular country, in this order: Examples (in this case, against…