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.

A new Telescopic Topic created using the facility at www.classtools.net.

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.

I’ve now added a Leaderboard and a new worksheet to this simulation, which will be the subject of the IGCSE Paper 2 (sourcework) in Summer 2012.

A collapsible online revision list covering all the main aspects of Weimar Germany, a key GCSE/IGCSE topic. A great revision tool.

The overall result was the July Crisis and the outbreak of World War One; in this exercise students learn about the crisis through a decision-making exercise which gets them thinking in terms of who was responsible. The teacher version is important for this lesson.

A collapsible revision list of essential information.

A new and improved version of the Jigsaw-Table exercise.

An ActiveHistory Mystery. The “History Mysteries” lessons are designed as stand-alone projects which each last 3-4 hours. Through engaging historical topics, they teach skills of research, groupwork, structured writing. There is a standard teacher lesson plan and student record sheet / markscheme for each activity.

An end-of unit “Fling the Teacher” challenge with 30 possible questions. All students should start the quiz at the same time, with 10 minutes available. Award 10 points to anyone finishing the quiz successfully within the first minute, 9 points to anyone finishing within the second minute, and so on. I build up a “leaderboard”…

An end-of unit “Fling the Teacher” challenge with 30 possible questions. All students should start the quiz at the same time, with 10 minutes available. Award 10 points to anyone finishing the quiz successfully within the first minute, 9 points to anyone finishing within the second minute, and so on. I build up a “leaderboard”…

An end-of unit “Fling the Teacher” challenge with 30 possible questions. All students should start the quiz at the same time, with 10 minutes available. Award 10 points to anyone finishing the quiz successfully within the first minute, 9 points to anyone finishing within the second minute, and so on. I build up a “leaderboard”…

A student handout highlighting the main periods, people and events so that sources can be placed into their correct historical context as specifically as possible.

In this activity, students analyse 5 separate political cartoons relating to the decline and collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. They are then able to compare their answers to a series of model answers. A useful way of revising the 2010 IGCSE Paper 2 Topic.

An ActiveHistory Mystery. The “History Mysteries” lessons are designed as stand-alone projects which each last 3-4 hours. Through engaging historical topics, they teach skills of research, groupwork, structured writing. There is a standard teacher lesson plan and student record sheet / markscheme for each activity.

In this task students discuss the respective roles of the key individuals and then answer some source work questions about the Solidarity movement.

Students conduct their own research about how each of the countries in the Eastern Bloc broke away from Soviet rule 1989-91 as part of their IGCSE history studies.

Students complete a table which helps them to assess the problems Gorbachev faced, how he chose to deal with them and how appropriate they consider these policies were.

President Ronald Reagan contributed to the decline and fall of the Soviet Union by adopting an aggressive, uncompromising policy towards communism. Students investigate his policies and their impact upon the USSR through a timeline and some source work questions.

Designed to be used as an extension or a homework activity.

Another pressure upon the Soviet Union was the massive cost of keeping up with the United States in terms of nuclear weapons. Students answer questions based around a timeline and as an extension activity conduct some research into the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In this card-sort activity students piece together the causes, course and consequence of the war with Afghanistan, which caused such havoc for the military and the economic position of the Soviet Union.

Students investigate the uprisings in Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia to develop their understanding of the poor socio-economic conditions in the Eastern Bloc.

Some sourcework questions designed to be used as a homework / extension activity.

Students investigate the problems in agriculture, industry and society that plagued the USSR by the 1980s. They look at a number of Soviet jokes from the period and deduce what these tell us about life under Soviet rule.

Students compare and contrast communism and capitalism and produce a written summary outlining the inherent weaknesses of the Soviet system.

Students investigate the “Rule by Geriatrics” – Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko – and how this lack of flexibility led to the tragedy of the Korean Airliner incident of 1983.

Students compare and contrast democracy and dictatorship and produce a written summary outlining the inherent weaknesses of the Soviet system.

The Decline and Collapse of Soviet Control over Eastern Europe is the compulsory sourcework paper for IGCSE History, Summer 2010. This is a new programme of study on the website which can be used to teach this interesting topic.

Students are provided with essential terminology and produce their own account of the events of 1989-91 by comparing and making deductions from two maps of Europe during the period.

A new resource for IGCSE history – Causes of the Vietnam War – Sourcework.

A new resource for IGCSE history – Cuban Missile Crisis Sourcework Exercise.

A worksheet for IGCSE History on the Consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

A new worksheet for IGCSE history.

The Reichstag Fire Roleplay exercise A roleplay exercise designed to take place over a one-hour lesson. Students investigate the evidence and reliability of the main witnesses after dividing into prosecution and defence teams. A separate team of judges prepare “surprise evidence” for each side. This teacher promptsheet is also necessary.

The tensions between the major powers prior to World War One are outlined using the scenario of a shared house in this worksheet.

An introduction to the relevance of the topic.

An extension / homework activity designed to help students understand a little more about the complex personality of Wilhelm II.

The assassination at Sarajevo was merely the flashpoint of a much deeper conflict between Serbia and Austria, as explained here…

A new resource for IGCSE history – Events of the Vietnam War.

The spark which started World War One. What happened?

I have put together a new section on the website covering “The Decline and Collapse of Soviet Control over Eastern Europe”, which is the compulsory sourcework paper for IGCSE History, Summer 2010. I plan to teach this unit to my students at the International School of Toulouse in the New Year as their final topic….

After watching the film, students should watch this Google Earth Tour and list the 10 key personalities shown in it based on what they learned from the film. As the tour progresses, give some clues / anecdotes about each character to maintain interest. Award merits to the best scoring students in the class. A full…

A three-minute video I put together to give students an overview of some of the main events and personalities of the 20th Century. The appropriate point at which to watch this video is made clear in the PowerPoint presentation above. Before students watch the film, warn them that there will be a quick factual test…

A completely overhauled version of the simulation game about the Wall Street Crash. Students are presented with historically accurate details about the events of the 1920s and decide whether to buy or shares at each stage. A great way of analysing the causes and events of the crash; complete with a worksheet.

A new decision-making simulation about Hitler’s Foreign Policy and the Origins of World War Two. By playing this game you will learn about how Hitler’s policies led to World War Two, and consider whether this war could have been prevented. There are three worksheets to go with this activity, which easily fills a full one-hour…

A new League of Nations worksheet for IGCSE to accompany the new decision making game.

A new League of Nations worksheet for IGCSE to accompany the new decision making game.

A new League of Nations worksheet for IGCSE to accompany the new decision making game.

A new League of Nations worksheet for IGCSE to accompany the new decision making game.

A new League of Nations worksheet for IGCSE to accompany the new decision making game.

A new League of Nations worksheet for IGCSE to accompany the new decision making game.

A new League of Nations worksheet for IGCSE to accompany the new decision making game.

A new League of Nations worksheet for IGCSE to accompany the new decision making game.

A new worksheet for IGCSE to accompany the new decision making game.

A new Fling the Teacher Quiz with 30 randomised questions for GCSE History.

Five cartoons, 10 questions: students provide their own answers using the writing framework provided, then they can compare their answers alongside model answers which I have written to help them revise. A great way to develop sourcework skills.

A new sourcework exercise complete with markscheme, to accompany the complete scheme of work designed to accompany the IGCSE compulsory sourcework paper for summer 2009.

A brand new release of this popular decision-making game for GCSE History. In this game you will be a British soldier who joins the army in 1914 to fight the Germans. You will have to make decisions in tough circumstances. At the end you will be given a score. By playing this game you will…

Students consider the purpose of commemoration and then design their own Holocaust memorial after looking at a wide range of examples from around the world.

Although the Causes of World War One will be tested in IGCSE History Paper 2 in Summer 2008, it will also be tested in Paper 1. Reading through this markscheme and the sample answers will be good way to start your history revision process.

This worksheet encourages students to consider how the Arab-Israeli conflict is in large part Hitler’s Third Reich’s most lasting legacy.

This worksheet explains not merely why Hitler hated the Jews, but also why the Jews have been persecuted throughout the ages in countries across Europe. Students connect these factors in a flow diagram and categorise them as religious, racial, economic and social. This worksheet is supported by this antisemitic propaganda for children, and antisemitic propaganda…

Paper 2 Sourcework Focus – Markschemes and Sample Answers Students can read through these sample answers and grade each one. For each question there is a good, average and below average answer. Can they spot which is which and explain why?

After looking at the different versions of the famous Niemoller poem in the powerpoint starter, Students use the main worksheet to compare how different social groups opposed the Nazis, and then use this information to complete one of several suggested tasks after completing a factual test. My own students produced “Hollywood Trailers” which can be…

With the main themes revised, students now have to connect the Causes of the Second World War together meaningfully and summarise three essential points of information about each theme using this flowchart.

Nazi Religious Policies: By means of a venn diagram, students investigate the various ways in which the Nazis tried to control replace and weaken the Catholic and Protestant Churches.

A new set of quizzes on Weimar Germany 1918-21 for GCSE-Level History. Choose from Manic Miner, Wordshoot, Cannonball Fun or Matching Pairs.

A new diamond 9 diagram for GCSE Historians studying the causes of World War Two. Get students to elaborate on each factor and rearrange them in an order that makes sense to them. They can then use it to answer the question “Why did Britain pursue a policy of appeasement?” Click here for full screen…

A one-sided summary sheet for GCSE History Revision.

An end of unit interactive test designed to accompany the IGCSE Sourcework scheme of work unit at www.activehistory.co.uk.

Students are provided with a list of essential points relating to the international consequences of the Spanish Civil War. These are analysed in terms of what Hitler’s objectives were, and what the actual results were – thereby keeping a close focus on the subject of the sourcework paper for 2009 (Germany Involvement in the Spanish…

Students should be provided with this interactive newsfeed covering the main events of the Spanish Civil War and then divide these into “Good news for the Republic” and “Bad news for the Republic”. They then have to use their own knowledge of international events in the 1930s to add a final column in the timeline…

The most notorious example of German involvement in the Spanish Civil War was when the Nazi Condor Legion bombed the Basque city of Guernica. This lesson investigates the event through a detailed analysis of Picasso’s painting provided by Simon Schama’s excellent documentary (available here).

A decision-making exercise. Students are asked a series of questions about how they think Hitler should have organised his help to Franco’s Nationalists. The teacher then tells the students what actually happened in each case so that the class can discuss the merits and drawbacks of each policy. Sourcework questions round the exercise off.

Students analyse a series of written sources – primary and secondary – to develop an understanding of why Germany got involved in the Spanish Civil War. By comparing, contrasting, organising points under key headings and summarising their findings, students will end this lesson with a sound grasp of Germany’s motives. Sourcework questions invite students to…

A series of pictorial and written sources with questions about the causes of the Spanish Civil War designed to familiarise students with the format of the IGCSE Sourcework examination.

In this worksheet, students use this interactive newsfeed to develop an understanding of the main events leading up to the Spanish Civil War, which they then categorise into social, economic, military and political factors. They produce a biased account from either a Republican or a Nationalist perspective, then consolidate their knowledge by producing a learning…

This worksheet outlines why the Spanish Civil War was so important in an international sense. The roles of the major powers are outlined and compared and cartoons relating to the non-intervention committee are analysed.

A complete scheme of work with interactive exercises and worksheets for IGCSE History. Nazi involvement in the Spanish Civil War is the sourcework paper for examinations in 2009!

A thorny subject, but an important one: were the German people “Hitler’s Willing Executioners”? GCSE History Students consider the evidence for both sides to reach their own judgement.

The development of the Final Solution in the Third Reich is examined and students produce their own classroom presentation.

Students consider whether each antisemitic policy in Hitler’s Third Reich was designed to threaten, humiliate or physically weaken the Jewish people. They consider how the international community responded to Nazi policies. They then consider what the law should really be regarding the treatment of immigrants and national minorities.

A new Fling the Teacher Quiz designed for GCSE History Revision.

An analysis of a whole range of Nazi propaganda techniques from Hitler’s Third Reich including sport, posters and cinema. For each, students have to assess evidence of success and failure.

Paper 1 Structured Questions focus – Interactive Cartoon Analysis A large range of cartoons covering the 1919-39 period. For each one, students are asked a sourcework question focusing on the message of the source, and then a three-part Paper 1 style question. When they have written their answer in timed conditions, the computer provides model…

In this worksheet GCSE history students analyse one of Hitler’s speeches to determine how the Third Reich justified the Nazi policy of “Kinder, Kirche, Kuche”. They then categorise his actions according to whether they encouraged women to stay at home or have more babies.

GCSE history students compare the Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens by constructing a dialogue designed to highlight the positive and negative features about each.