A series of images and short textual points designed to generate student interest. What was the Civil War? Why is it important to study? This resource can be found within this complete Key Stage 3 History Study Unit on the English Civil War.
Category: Year 8 History
Year 8 Civil War Projects
As part of their studies of the Causes of the English Civil War, Year 8 historians produced a project in the format of their choice. Here is Mark’s outstanding effort, which earned him a commendation. Here are some other examples of great projects in the form of “Chatshow Debates” created using Xtranormal: Warren | Lucy
Head2Head Worksheets
I have uploaded two worksheets to accompany the Head2Head Virtual Interviews. These are designed to work “off the shelf” and provide focus and direction to students conducting their virutal interviews with Hitler, Henry VIII, Martin Luther King, Dr. Fox and Stalin. 1. Newspaper Interview Task 2. Truth or Fiction Task
The Renaissance – End of Unit Test / Assessment
Following directly on from the classroom debate, students then write an essay. This worksheet contains detailed instructions on how to link the characters together rather than simply focusing on what each one individually contributed. A clear markscheme is also provided; I get each student to mark 4 different essays, then we collate all the marks…
The Renaissance – Who was the most important person of the Renaissance?
A detailed lesson plan for year 8 history students. A class list is put into the Fruit Machine Name Picker at www.classtools.net to choose the Renaissance character each student should produce a research project on. This Renaissance project will be written in the first person to ensure that the student reads the information, under three…
1453 Siege of Constantinople
An introductory worksheet. Perhaps the main reason why the Renaissance took off in Italy – this activity gets the narrative across in an engaging way. Students are given an interactive “news feed” of events, then can choose to produce EITHER a biased news report in Publisher OR a radio broadcast using their microphone OR a…
Cathars – Quiz
A new quiz for Year 8 history students.
History Shop
It’s with a great sense of relief that I’ve finally launched the ActiveHistory History Store – a massive repository of history books, history CDs and history DVDs available from Amazon, organised by date period and by genre (historical fiction, popular history, history study books, history dvds). There are hundreds of resources available here which I…
The Renaissance – Quiz
A new Keyword Challenge Quiz for Year 8 history students.
The Reformation – Quiz
A new quiz for Year 8 history students.
Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe – Sourcework Test
An updated version of the end-of-unit sourcework assignment, with an improved markscheme. Designed for Year 8 History students.
The Tudors – Keyword Challenge
A new quiz for Year 8 history students.
Witchcraft Trial – Updated Activity Worksheet
I have updated the popular witchcraft trial lesson plan and trial worksheet to include follow up questions designed to get students thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of both the adversarial justice system, and also of jury trials. This ensures that the trial itself is rounded off with some reflective questions rather than just a…
“Bloody” Mary Tudor?
A worksheet based around the short clip from the feature film “Elizabeth” which shows the execution of Latimer and Ridley. Type in “latimer ridley” into www.youtube.com to find the clip!
KS3 History Games for Kids
A selection of KS3 History Games for Kids – try them out!
The Sack of Rome
A new worksheet for the Year 8 Renaissance Unit
The Renaissance: Optical Illusions
A new worksheet for Year 8
The Renaissance: Anamorphism
A new worksheet for Year 8 History.
The Renaissance for Year 8: Optics and Perspective
A new worksheet for Year 8 History.
Life of Martin Luther – Hollywood Style!
The life of Martin Luther: Not strictly necessary, but it’s a great story – and in this activity, students use a timeline to produce a Hollywood Film Poster advertising a new blockbuster about the life of the Reformation giant. Focusing on the cast list, the film title and the key events of his life, it…
Early Modern Witch Trials
A PowerPoint Show about Witchcraft Trials suitable for a history lesson starter.
Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General
In this history lesson plan and worksheet, students read through the 14 questions posed in Mathew Hopkins’ “The Discovery of Witches”, choose the 5 questions the think will put the Witchfinder General in the tightest spot, then the teacher provides the answers which were originally given by Hopkins. Follow-up questions (and the suggestion that the…
Witchcraft for Year 8 History – Source Work Exercise
As the assessed piece of work on the Witchcraft Topic in Year 8, students complete this history source work exercise.
A Classroom Witch Trial
This Witch Trial and accompanying record sheet is always one of the highlights of the Year 8 course! With some students taking on the role of women accused of witchcraft, others acting as defence counsel, and others as prosecution lawyers, this is a lively unit which really helps students to understand the difference between facts,…
Witchcraft: 1. Introduction: Religion, Superstition and Witchcraft.
Students start with Task 1, followed by a classroom discussion, just to get them thinking. Then, they place their worksheet face down on the table and I write this question on the board: “When was the last witch executed?â€. Students turn their sheets back over, and a merit is awarded for the person who first…
Portraits as Propaganda: Elizabeth I
This history lesson builds on well from The Ambassadors and the Tudor Portrait Mystery Exercises. Students consider the tools used by artists to represent different policies, emotions and personality traits in individuals, using the famous “Armada Portrait” as a starting point. They then use what they have learned to produce their own colourful “Royal Portrait”…
Early Events of the Albigensian Crusade: The Campaigns of Simon de Montfort
A decision-making exercise: Would you have taken the same decisions as de Montfort?
The Cathars – A complete Scheme of Work with Resources
This brand new section of the website has now been launched.
The Siege of Montsegur: Interactive Running Dictation Exercise
Students watch the events unfold through a series of “news feeds” in this interactive history exercise and should then be asked to write a biased newspaper report about the event from either a Catholic or a Cathar perspective.
The Siege Stone at Carcassonne: Flash Animation
An animation designed to accompany the Cathars unit designed for Year 7 / Year 8 History.
The Siege Stone at Carcassonne: PostIt Activity
An interactive exercise based at ClassTools.net Interactive Whiteboard Resources, with an accompanying worksheet.
The Siege of Toulouse: Living Graph Activity
An interactive exercise based at ClassTools.net Interactive Whiteboard Resources, with an accompanying worksheet.
Why did the Pope launch the Albigensian Crusade? (a) Other Reasons
As part of the unit on the Cathars, an interactive Diamond 9 Exercise based at ClassTools.net Interactive Whiteboard Resources.
The Cathars – Why did the Pope launch the Albigensian Crusade? (a) Religious Reasons
Students compare Cathar viewpoints to those of Catholics, and form their own judgement as to which they have most sympathy with in this worksheet designed for Year 7 / Year 8 History.
The Cathars – Introduction: The Court of Raymond of Toulouse
Part of a brand new unit on the Cathars for Year 7 / 8. This first worksheet is designed to give students a romantic impression of what Medieval Languedoc was like.
Living Graph: The Life of Henry VIII
A “Living Graph” exercise based at www.classtools.net, designed in Flash for Year 8 students.
Manic Miner, Wordshoot and CannonBall now on the Big Screen!
The popular educational arcade games Manic Miner, Wordshoot and Cannonball Fun have now been amended so that the games fill your screen, whatever its size / resolution!
Drake’s Circumnavigation: Google Earth Flyover
I have just put the finishing touches to a Google Earth Flyover of Sir Francis Drake’s Circumnavigation of the Globe. The activity comes complete with 6 worksheets which you can pick and choose from to use with your classes: 1. Structured Questions about Drake’s Circumnavigation Students answer a series of questions based around a viewing…
Running Dictation Exericse: The Siege of Constantinople, 1453
Perhaps the defining reason why the Renaissance took off in Italy, the Siege of Constantinople is also a great story. This activity gets the narrative across in a suitably exciting way. Complete with suggested classroom / homework activities.
Key Stage 3 History Skills – PowerPoints
Two excellent PowerPoint Presentations for use in the history classroom generously donated to ACTIVEHISTORY by Mr. Richard Fitzsimmons: Communication at KS3 What is Chronology?
Head2Head with Henry VIII – Major update
The Head2Head Interview with King Henry VIII has now been updated with a custom-made 3D face. Many thanks to subscribers for enabling me to pay OddCast, the American software corporation, to design this great new addition to the site. I hope the kids enjoy it!
SPLAT the Tudor!
A brand new version of the popular game, now with a high score board – can you get onto the Hall of Fame with your historical knowledge?
The Princes in the Tower: Interactive Investigation
What happened to the Princes in the Tower?
Witchcraft in Tudor Times
Witchcraft PowerPoint Presentation uploaded to accompany the A classroom witch trial!
The Tudor Portrait Mystery
Added Flash elements to the Tudor Portrait Mystery – a ‘zoomable’ image is now featured.
Play Your Dates Right: Dating Game
Play Your Dates Right Code updated do that all the timelines can be printed off for revision prior to taking the quizzes.
Time Machine Journey to Renaissance Florence
;Decision-Making Game: Time Machine Journey to Renaissance Florence A major new decision-making game: journey around the landscape of Renaissance Florence learning about the key events, characters and concepts of the period. Complete with a choice of four differentiated worksheets and a follow-up wordshoot quiz.
The Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada Running Dictation Exercise
