A selection of History games, worksheets and lesson plans.
 

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Here is just a small selection of the most popular activities enjoyed by subscribers to ActiveHistory.

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Time Machine Journey to the Middle Ages
A unique game for learning about life in the Medieval Town and Village. Talk to people, trade objects and use your wits to find the missing pieces of the time machine and return home!

The Silk Roads Adventure
An online simulation: students journey around the ancient Silk Roads trying to make their fortune. Complete with a self-contained workpack for students and teacher support materials. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Fame and Fortune: The American West
In this simulation, students take the role of a brave pioneer and seek to make a name for themselves. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

History Display Materials
Dozens of high-resolution educational posters designed specifically to be printed off and put around your history classroom.

Causes of the French Revolution
Could you have prevented the French Revolution from happening? Would you have survived it? Play this decision-making game to find out! Part of a complete scheme of work on the causes and events of the French Revolution available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Interview King Henry VIII
Interview the English King on any subject of your choice, and he will answer through the use of an artificial intelligence channel!

Voyages of Discovery Adventure Game
An online simulation: students traverse the oceans searching for spices and learning about key explorers. Complete with worksheets and teacher support materials. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Life in the Trenches during World War One Simulation
Complete with a live 'leaderboard', this simulation gets each student in role as a British soldier who joins the army in 1914. They have to make decisions in tough circumstances and by playing this game they learn about the conditions which soldiers lived and fought in, and the dangers they faced. The game comes complete with worksheet and follow-up activities. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Drake's circumnavigation - A Google Earth Study Unit
A Google Earth tour of 32 locations, each one with a narrative summary and a link to a primary source account. Six differentiated worksheets are provided to accompany the resource.

Horatio Ramsbottom, Victorian Entrepreneur
Students take a series of decisions about how to run their new business. How should the workers be treated? What transport system should be used? Should they invest in the triangular trade and the Great Exhibition? Complete with a worksheet and follow-up tasks, this activity provides a thorough overview of the main factors affecting the Industrial Revolution. There is also a paper-based factual test that can be used to test how much students have learned., and a markscheme for the follow-up newspaper report task.

The American Civil War Simulation
You will take the role of an advisor to either President Davis, or President Lincoln. You will be given a series of military, economic and political problems to deal with. Your first objective is to choose the course of action which you think your President took in real life (his 'approval rating' of you will then stay high). Your second objective is to correctly answer the factual questions you are given as the game proceeds (your 'factual knowledge' score will then stay high). Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Ottoman Empire Simulation
A unique simulation for learning about the Ottoman Empire in the age of Suleiman the Magnificent. Journey around his empire, meet key people, deal with important issues, and try to survive!

Are you a Lutheran, a Catholic or a Radical?
This interactive simulation guides young students through some seriously thorny theological issues and forms part of the study of The Reformation at ActiveHistory.

The Origins of World War One - You are the Kaiser!
This simulation will help you understand the causes of World War One. You will take the role of Kaiser Wilhelm II, ruler of Germany. You will decide how to react to the problems you face. You can then compare what you did to what really happened and decide for yourself why the war started. At the end of the simulation, you will be given a worksheet. Go through the game a second time to complete it! Complete with a leaderboard, the game also comes in several languages. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Political Ideologies and Voting Systems
This unit is designed to address the issue of political ideologies. It is designed for students at Year 10/11 (aged 14-16). It forms one of the ActiveHistory PSHCE study units following an assembly (also provided here).

The Rise of Stalin: A Sweet Roleplay Exercise!
This interactive exercise forms part of the ActiveHistory unit on Stalin's Rise to Power. Students take the role of five key members of the Politburo at the end of 1922. The respective power of these figures is represented by distributing a large bag of sweets between them. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Black Death Simulation
In this game, students take on the role of a medieval doctor at the time of the Black Death.
Success in the simulation depends upon how well they correctly diagnose and treat different symptoms.
Final scores will then be presented in a certificate that can be recorded by the teacher in the markbook. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

James Spod: Undercover in Nazi Germany
A major decision-making simulation, complete with a worksheet, which provides a thorough investigation of Mussolini's domestic policies. In this simulation students play the role of James Spod, an undercover agent. The mission is to find, and then assassinate, Benito Mussolini: the Fascist dictator whose alliance with the evil Adolf Hitler is throwing the world into chaos. Factual knowledge will be tested as students play the simulation and the scores of the whole class can be viewed on a live leaderboard! A full set of resources is available on the site for teaching Nazi Germany.

Aztecs and Conquistadors: Was Cortes a Hero, or a Villain?
A major simulation complete with multimedia and a leaderboard, designed to take students up to two hours to complete. The accompanying worksheet helps students to build up evidence to decide whether Cortes was a hero, or a villain: Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Stairway to Heaven / Highway to Hell
Are you keen to get into heaven? Not quite sure how to get there? Don't worry! Just answer this two-part questionnaire and we will tell you (a) What beliefs you need to have (b) What actions you need to take! This simulation forms part of our studies into Medieval Religion.

Harvard Citation Generator
Other citation generators need YOU to do most of the hard work - and only look for books. This one searches for books, websites and films. All it needs is a web address or a title / author of a book / film.

A Virtual Tour Around Tsarist Russia
This simulation is designed to teach you all about the strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures of Tsarist Russia on the eve of World War One. It is 1913. You are a Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii [left], a professional photographer in Tsarist Russia. You have just received a letter from your girlfriend, who works as a secretary in the army. She wants you to meet her in Vladivostok for her birthday...

Don't Lose your Head! - An English Civil War Simulation
In 1649 the King of England, Charles I, was beheaded. Since 1642 he had been involved in a bitter Civil War with Parliament. In this game you will take the role of King Charles, and decide how to run your country. After making each decision you will be told what really happened. At the end of the game you will be told how likely it is that your decisions would have plunged England into a bitter Civil War! Forms part of the detailed unit on The Stuarts.

Was the 20th Century a Period of Progress?
This project is designed to allow students to develop a broad but comprehensive overview of the main events of the 20th Century. Each student will research one key event, theme or individual of their choice to produce an attractive display piece. They will compare and contrast their findings with other people in the class to answer the question "Was the 20th Century a period of progress?".

Campaign 1965: Selma - The Simulation
"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 that will help get a Voting Rights Bill through Congress. In this way you will form a judgement about how each character helped or hindered the success of the campaign (deliberately or inadvertently!) and which people were most significant in the struggle". Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Can you survive the Middle Passage?
Your mission is to keep yourself as healthy as possible during your journey across the Atlantic to the Americas - the infamous "Middle Passage" in the "Trade Triangle" between America, Europe and Africa. I use this as part of my studies of "The Slave Trade" in Year 9.

Planning a World War One Battlefields Trip
These resources are designed to help teachers construct or develop their own Battlefields excursion to the Western Front, and a school exhibition / guided tour thereafter.

The Battle for the Throne: 1066
A decision-making simulation as King Harold - will you survive the challenges to your throne? Students should complete this worksheet that accompanies the game. This is a major activity that should keep students busy for at least a couple of lessons (they are even given a certificate with a score at the end that could be recorded in a markbook). As an extension activity, students should complete the Key word list by playing the game a second time; this can later be used as the basis for a factual test or a Fling the Teacher challenge (the first few people to finish the quiz successfully get rewards!). Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Virtual Interview with Adolf Hitler
Interview the dictator of Germany on any subject of your choice, and he will answer through the use of an artificial intelligence system! Complete with lesson plans and worksheets. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Essay Planning Tool: The Origins of World War One
Professor AJP Sailor takes 5 factors and connects them together in endless combinations to help students consider the Origins of World War One and how to link factors in essays. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

The Worst Jobs in History
These are a series of simple and fun stand-alone interactivities that ask students a series of personal questions about their hobbies and personalities and then matches them up to a suitably hideous job from a particular period in history - I use them once a year with each of the three year groups lower down the school.

Decision Making Game: Walking the Mid-Tudor Tightrope!
A decision-making game in which students take on the role of an advisor to King Edward VI. Designed for A-Level / IB, but of potential use for younger students.

The League of Nations in the 1920s
This simulation enables students to assess the strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures of the League of Nations by taking the role of a British Civil servant in the 1920s trying to navigate through the complex problems of the post-war period. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

The Henrician Reformation Simulation
It is 1527. You are Sir Thomas de Tart, an advisor to Henry VIII of England. The King wants to get rid of his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Your job is to give him good advice when he faces difficult decisions. If you do a good job, you will be richly rewarded. If you make bad ones, you will end up in prison or even have your head chopped off! Part of a comprehensive unit on the Henrician Reformation at ActiveHistory.

Marxism through Arm-Wrestling!
This activity for IB History forms one part of a detailed unit of study on Marxism and Capitalism that can also be found on ActiveHistory.

Head2Head Interactive Interview with Josef Stalin
Allocate out a different topic from those listed in the drop-down menu to each student. In a subsequent lesson, each student then does a presentation to the class based on their findings. Best of all is if they choose the three most interesting questions and responses and memorise these. The questions are then given by each student to the teacher. Each student then has to sit in front of the class, and the teacher interviews each "Stalin" whilst the rest of the class takes notes. There are very detailed resources for the Rise of Stalin and the Rule of Stalin available at ActiveHistory.

Who was Jack the Ripper?
This interactive questionnaire gets students to reflect upon the various witness reports, evidence left at the crime scenes and psychological profiles that have been constructed about the Whitechapel Murderer as part of their studies of this topic.

The Soviet Economy Simulator
In this simulation, which forms just part of the detailed unit on Stalin's Russia, you will try to strengthen the Soviet economy in the years leading up to the "Great Patriotic War". You will aim to improve Agriculture, Industry, Social Stability, Military Security and your Marxist Credentials. You will be given a rating at the end of the simulation reflecting how strong the country is in 1941.

Causes of the Spanish Civil War
Rank the problems facing Spain which are most urgent, select which policies you think are the most appropriate response for each, then get told which party most closely matched your own preferences. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Historiography / TOK in History
The following materials have been designed to help deliver Theory of Knowledge (TOK) in History at IB (International Baccalaureate) Level to my students at the International School of Toulouse. I deliver three sessions of one hour each, and round the unit off by setting a relevant TOK essay title from the IB syllabus (these are provided annually in advance). As well as the worksheets and teacher notes available for download here, there is also a series of online lecture notes which can be used.

Hitler's Foreign Policy - Interactive Simulation
In this game you will be an advisor to Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator of Germany. You will have to make decisions in tough circumstances. At the end you will be given a score. 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 worksheets and a leaderboard to accompany the activity. The game forms part of the detailed unit on International Affairs in the 1930s.

Lenin and the USSR
Take on the role of a Politburo heavyweight and see how successfully you help Lenin to rule the USSR between 1917-24. A great simulation for approaching what can be a very complicated topic, complete with a worksheet and factual questions as they go. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Design your own Coat of Arms
Design your own coat of arms by answering a series of detailed questions about your personality and interests. The computer uses the information to design your shield, choose the colour scheme, and recommend the symbols you should use. A great classroom project which turns into a brilliant display of finished projects!

QR Treasure Hunt Generator
Students love these QR Code Hunts - and this tool that I've put together helps you to create your own incredibly easily!

Wall St. Crash Simulation
When will you buy? When will you sell? How much profit can you make? This American history game shows the factors affecting share values and how a stock market crash happens. There's even a 'leaderboard' so that different students can compare their performance as they complete the worksheet as they go along! Alternatively, have it projected onto your whiteboard and get the class to vote and debate on how to proceed at each stage! Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

The Yalta Conference Simulation
Nazi Germany is almost defeated. From the East, Stalin's armies have taken control of Poland and much of Eastern Europe. From the West, allied armies have made rapid gains since D-Day.The "Big 3" (Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt) are meeting at Yalta to discuss the shape of the post-war world...Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Undercover in Imperial Rome
This simulation is designed to provide students with an engaging, enjoyable and rigorous introduction to Imperial Rome. As they journey around the virtual landscape, they will learn about the main personalities and chornology of the Empire. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Weimar Germany Decision-Making Simulation
n this game you will play the role of a politician in the Weimar Government which ran Germany between 1918-1933. This game is designed to develop your understanding of events 1918-21. You will have to take a series of tough decisions about how to run your country, and at the end of the game you will be told how well you did. A complete scheme of work for Weimar Germany is also available on the site.

Liberal England 1906-1914 Simulation
It is 1906. You are an ambitious young MP for Wolverhampton in the newly formed Liberal government. Your mission in this game is to make the right decisions that will help you get promoted into the cabinet!

Which 20th Century Dictator are you?
This is a stand-alone simulation to help students compare and contrast how single-party state rulers maintained power. It guides students through 10 key issues explaining how and why dictatorships are able to survive. Students complete the accompanying self-study workpack to turn their findings into a rigorous essay. It also provides a great way of revising and developing their earlier essay focusing on one dictator.

Medieval Castles: Design and Defence
A game of strategy: Spend your budget on your choice of features, then read a story of how your castle fares when faced with attack!

Time Machine Journey to Renaissance Florence
Learn about the key individuals, places, discoveries and creations of the Renaissance in this innovative decision-making simulation game - complete with four different worksheets and quizzes, younger students find this a very engaging way into the topic or as a revision aid. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

The Coalbrookdale Interactive Census - Numeracy and History
History is all about bringing the past to life. This activity allows you to do this is in an unusual and interesting way. Coalbrookdale, a small town in Shropshire, England, was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution: a place of blast furnaces, roaring forges and busy factories. Its iron bridge – the very first ever made – still attracts visitors from all over the world. Was Coalbrookdale a hell on earth? Or was it an industrial wonderland? You can decide for yourself by interacting with the 1861 Census (government survey). A search engine allows you to ask your own questions, rather than just read through sources in the textbook. What jobs did people have? Were houses overcrowded? Did many children go to school? You're the detective!

ActiveHistory Mysteries
The "History Mysteries" lessons are designed as stand-alone projects which each last 3-4 hours. I deliver a different "Mystery" each year from the age of 11 years so that students have an assessment project each year which build directly on their previous one. Through engaging historical topics, they teach skills of problem formulation, deductive reasoning, independent research, groupwork and structured writing. There is a standard teacher lesson plan and student record sheet / markscheme for each activity.

Undercover in Fascist Italy
A major decision-making simulation, complete with a worksheet, which provides a thorough investigation of Mussolini's domestic policies. In this simulation students play the role of James Spod, an undercover agent. The mission is to find, and then assassinate, Benito Mussolini: the Fascist dictator whose alliance with the evil Adolf Hitler is throwing the world into chaos. Factual knowledge will be tested as students play the simulation and the scores of the whole class can be viewed on a live leaderboard! Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Churchill: Hero or Villain?
This detailed, stand-alone study unit is based around an interactive Head2Head Virtual Interview with Winston Churchill. The unit is designed to be used with Year 9 students (13-14 years) but is easily adaptable to other contexts. The unit develops sourcework and essay-writing skills, and the outcome is a detailed, structured essay answering the key question "Was Winston Churchill a hero, or a villain?".

Design your own Medieval Cathedral
In this activity, part of the Medieval Religion unit, students answer a series of questions asked by King Henry II. Based on the quality of the responses he then decides how likely he is to let them build a cathedral. Complete with a worksheet and a live "leaderboard" to build up a sense of competition!

Who was the Greatest Mughal Emperor?
This simulation provides a detailed overview of the lives and careers of the first six Mughal Emperors. Students give their opinion on how they hope the emperors will react in various circumstances, and form their own judgement on which emperors deserve to be regarded as truly "great". Factual questions are posed throughout the simulation and teachers can view the progress of the class using a 'leaderboard' feature. Part of a complete scheme of work available to ActiveHistory subscribers.

Keyword Checker
I developed this tool to enable me to do a very quick check to determine if students are including the essential factual details in their essays. It's a straightforward tool but very effective!