USA/USSR: Reagan and “Star Wars”

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.

Historical Anniversaries for April 2010

• The following list provides important anniversaries that could be commemorated in 2010. • It can be used by teachers preparing assemblies, extension tasks and one-off lessons. • I am limiting the list to multiples of 50 years (1960 (50 years ago today), 1910 (100 years ago today), 1860 (150 years ago today) etc). •…

USA/USSR: The Nuclear Arms Race

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.

Problems for the USSR: Afghanistan 1979-89

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.

2010 | Who should you vote for in the UK general election?

CLICK HERE for an interactive simulation to help you decide which party to vote for in the 2010 UK General Election. Rank 10 key issues by order of preference, then decide which party most closely reflects your own views on those issues. You will then be given a profile based on your feedback which suggests…

Worst Jobs in History: Middle Ages

The Middle Ages Worst Jobs in History simulation can be used as a stand-alone lesson, homework assignment or as part of a broader unit on “Was life Good or Bad during this particular period?”. The worksheet has basic activities for a 30 minute lesson, and extension tasks that could be followed up later.

Eastern Europe: Rebellions 1956-68

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

History Mystery: The Franklin Expedition

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.

IB History Curriculum Map

I’ve just made some substantial changes and additions to my IB History curriculum map which is now packed full of useful resources and links.

100 Years Ago Today: Douglas Bader, WW2 Fighter Ace, is born

Born 21st Feb. 1910. In 1928, Bader joined the RAF, but, on 14 December 1931 at Woodley airfield near Reading, lost both of his legs in an aircraft crash attempting a slow roll at very low level following jibes about his not wanting to perform aerobatics that day. Bader recovered, undertook refresher training, passed his…

100 Years Ago Today: Old Trafford hosted its first football match

Old Trafford, Manchester United football ground, opened (100 years ago today). The stadium hosted its inaugural game on 19 February 1910, with United playing host to Liverpool. However, the home side were unable to provide their fans with a win to mark the occasion, as Liverpool won 4–3. A journalist at the game reported the…

Historical Anniversaries for March 2010

• The following list provides important anniversaries that could be commemorated in 2010. • It can be used by teachers preparing assemblies, extension tasks and one-off lessons. • I am limiting the list to multiples of 50 years (1960 (50 years ago today), 1910 (100 years ago today), 1860 (150 years ago today) etc). •…

300 Years Ago Today: Louis XV, King of France, was born

Louis XV, the penultimate King of France, was born: 15th Feb. 1710 (300 years ago today) “Popular legend holds that Louis said, “After me, the flood” (“Après moi, le déluge”). In fact this quotation is more precisely attributed to Madame de Pompadour, although it is not certain that even she ever said it. The remark…

100 Years Ago Today: Winston Churchill becomes Home Secretary

Winston Churchill becomes Home Secretary in Asquith’s Liberal Government: 14th Feb. 1910 (100 years ago today). In this role he notoriously used troops to put down striking miners in South Wales and to assist police during a house siege in Sidney Street in East London in January 1911.

Overview: Eastern Europe in 1989

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.

Why was the Medieval Church so powerful? – Boardgames project

This four-hour unit helps students to understand why religion was so important in the Middle Ages. This leads neatly into a study of the Cathars and the Reformation. Students study why the Church was so powerful in the Middle Ages. They conduct a card-sort exercise, have a game of charades, then work in pairs and…

100 Years Ago Today: The Dreadnought Hoax

100 Years Ago Today: Prince Makalin of Abyssinia and five other members of royalty were welcomed aboard the British battleship HMS Dreadnought. The prince turned out to be prankster Horace de Vere Cole, and the group included Virginia Woolf: 10th Feb 1910. Wikipedia Link

Worst Jobs in History: Victorian

This Victorian Worst Jobs in History simulation can be used as a stand-alone lesson, homework assignment or as part of a broader unit on “Was life Good or Bad during this particular period?”. The worksheet has basic activities for a 30 minute lesson, and extension tasks that could be followed up later.

Historiography

I’ve produced this Historiographical Terms Handout for my IB students, just to give them some useful points of reference. Feel free to use it in class – and if you think there’s something obvious I could add / amend / correct please let me know! It covers such themes as intentionalism, structuralism, annales school and…

Key Terminology for Historians

Classroom Posters: 24 Key Terms for Historians Two dozen defined terms, designed to be laminated and placed around the classroom for older students.

Historical Anniversaries for February 2010

• Here are the major events to commemorate in lessons, assemblies and extension tasks in February 2010. • It can be used by teachers preparing assemblies, extension tasks and one-off lessons. • I am limiting the list to multiples of 50 years (1960 (50 years ago today), 1910 (100 years ago today), 1860 (150 years…

Historical Anniversary – 75 Years ago today…

The Saar Plebiscite: The Saar, which had been given to France for 15 years by the Treaty of Versailles after World War One, voted overwhelmingly to return to Germany. One of Hitler’s earliest foreign policy successes, this event returned territory to Germany whose raw materials were immensely important for Hitler’s re-armament plans.

Why did Germany Lose World War One?

Students then use this interactive essay planning tool to submit a suggested way of linking the four factors, and get – at the simple click of a button – a very detailed model essay plan suggesting not only the content of each paragraph but also – crucially – how they should be linked together. In…

Henry VIII Wheel of Life

Students rate Henry VIII according to various criteria and “join the dots” in this diagram to produce a “Wheel of Life”. Space is provided for students to explain their reasoning.

King Henry VIII: Classroom Roleplay Lesson

This roleplay exercise divides the class into three teams – prosecution, defence, and judges. The prosecution and the defence gather evidence and prepare their case whilst the judges select some surprise exhibits to use in the trial. The trial itself should be a lively lesson which encourages students to make deductions and question the reliability…

For those of you who use Twitter

I’ve just created this page which provides a list of the various Twitter accounts I use to share information about Activehistory, Classtools, History in the Headlines and Education Technology in the classroom. If you’re a Twitter user, feel free to follow any or all of them!

ActiveHistory on Facebook

I’ve just set up this Facebook page for ActiveHistory.co.uk to provide its users with another way of keeping on top of what’s being added to the site. At the moment it’s just pulling in updates from the site blog, but I’m interested to see if the ability to comment on posts / start discussions turns…

The Trial of King Louis XVI: Roleplay Exercise

Classroom Roleplay: The Trial of King Louis XVI A one-hour lesson. The class is organised into prosecution, defence and judges and each one has a specific task to prepare for the trial. The roleplay itself is a lively activity which forces the students to think on their feet and critically evaluate the evidence prior to…

Top 10 History Films in my school library, 2009

At the International School of Toulouse, we’ve got a library of 150 or so feature films related to historical themes. The most frequently borrowed by students this year were as follows: Most Frequently Borrowed A Knight’s Tale (Medieval Warfare, Chivalry) Marie-Antoinette (French Revolution) Land and Freedom (Spanish Civil War) Cinderella Man (The Great Depression) The…

The Reichstag Fire: Roleplay Lesson

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.

Anniversaries for January 2010

• Here are the major events to commemorate in lessons, assemblies and extension tasks in January 2010. • To receive each month’s anniversaries a couple of weeks in advance, follow the ActiveHistory Anniversaries RSS feed. • To add to this list for this or other months, please contact me with your suggestion or send a…

Events of the French Revolution: Decision-Making Simulation

Part 2 of the French Revolution simulation. It is 1789. You are the French aristocrat, the Count of Camembert. You are an advisor to King Louis XVI of France. Your job is to give him good advice when he faces difficult decisions. The game is complete with sound effects and a worksheet.

Causes of the French Revolution: Decision-Making Simulation

A major update to this popular simulation, which now includes sound effects and improved playability. Students journey around pre-revolutionary France and provide advice to the King in the hope of saving his dynasty. Worksheets provided.

Origins of World War One: Essay Planning Tool

A new activity – CLICK HERE! How can I use this tool in class? a. Students should each spend 10-15 minutes reading through various essay plans. Particularly convincing essay plans should be COPIED and PASTED into a Word Processor. b. Then, students spend a further 5 minutes settling upon their favourite essay plan. The others…

Anniversaries

I’m just setting up a new facility on the site whereby every month you will be presented with a list of important anniversaries that could be commemorated in 2010. • It can be used by teachers preparing assemblies, extension tasks and one-off lessons. • I am limiting the list to multiples of 50 years (1960…

The Decline and Collapse of Soviet Control over Eastern Europe

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….

Heraldry: Design your own Coat of Arms Online

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!

Origin of Surnames Worksheet

An updated version of the Year 7 History Worksheet; now included is a template map of the UK (for students to plot names relating to places) and a diamond9 diagram for students to plot profession-based surnames in rank order of status.

How to Create a Family Tree

Year 7 History students create their own family tree after analysing that of The Simpsons cartoon characters using this worksheet.

History Essay Planning Tool

History Essay Planner This tool from ActiveHistory helps you to plan History essays! Simply COPY and PASTE your essay questions into this box and press “submit” (if you submit more than one, each should start on a new line). The computer will then provide you with an essay plan for each question! Lesson idea: BEFORE…

The Trial of King Charles I: Primary Source Analysis

Students read transcripts of the trial to consider what they tell us about the King, his prosecutors and the attitude of those present. This resource can be found within this complete Key Stage 3 History Study Unit on the English Civil War.

History in the Headlines

The latest “History in the Headlines“! This newsfeed is updated (almost!) daily. It provides a hand-selected digest of the automated newsfeed at ClassPress.net. This provides a great way of adding contemporary relevance to your classroom studies. Why not print some of the articles out and stick them on a news board? Or get your students…

Year 8 History Revision Quizzes

A selection of quizzes and activities designed to help Year 8 History students revise the year’s work prior to their summer exams.

Medieval Realms Revision Activities

In this exercise students organise slips of information into appropriate categories, reduce them down to just 15, and use them to answer the question “Was Life Good or Bad in the Middle Ages?”. They work in teams of two or three, and at various points during the exercise the teacher will test each team with…

The Execution of King Charles I, 1649

The Execution of King Charles I: Film and Primary Source Analysis How accurately has the event been depicted in films such as Cromwell (1970) and To Kill a King (2002)? The video clips are accessible at YouTube: [Cromwell (1970)] [To Kill a King (2002)]

Year 9 History Revision

A selection of quizzes and activities designed to help Year 9 History students revise the year’s work prior to their summer exams.

History Essay Marker

This tool from ActiveHistory helps to mark your history essays! Simply COPY and PASTE your essay question and your essay into the boxes below. The computer will then provide you with detailed feedback about your essay!

Create your own interactive newsfeed!

The interactive newsfeeds on ActiveHistory are an effective way of getting the narrative of important events across to students in an engaging manner. I have now launched an interface which allows you to create your own – try it out here!

Introduction to the Spanish Civil War

“Introduction: The Outcome of the Spanish Civil War was by no means a foregone conclusion” This worksheet will later be used as the basis for the introduction to the main essay “Why did Franco win the Spanish Civil War?”

The Trial of King Charles I: Film Analysis

How accurately has the event been depicted in films such as Cromwell (1970) and To Kill a King (2002)? The lesson can be accompanied by the second part of the Prezi Presentation.The video clips are embedded within it, but they are also accessible at YouTube: [Cromwell (1970)] [To Kill a King (2002)]. This resource can…

Using Twitter in Education: Tweetclubs.net

I’ve just finished work on a new Twitter Application called TweetClubs.net. It searches Twitter for particular words / hashtags being used in Twitter posts. HOWEVER – Unlike the standard Twitter Search function, it then organises them so you can see at a glance who has been tweeting about a particular topic, how frequently, and view…

The Events of the English Civil War

An overview of the main events of the English Civil War is provided, and a discussion takes place as to whether the King should be put on trial. The lesson can be accompanied by the first part of a Prezi Presentation. This resource can be found within this complete Key Stage 3 History Study Unit…

King Charles I: Venn Diagram

A thematic analysis of the problems leading up to the outbreak of the English Civil War. This resource can be found within this complete Key Stage 3 History Study Unit on the English Civil War.

King Charles I: Timeline Analysis

A chronological analysis of the problems leading up to the outbreak of the English Civil War. This resource can be found within this complete Key Stage 3 History Study Unit on the English Civil War.

King Charles I: Overview Decision Making Game

Students play as King Charles I and try to avoid taking the country into a Civil War. Comes complete with a worksheet and follow-up activities. This resource can be found within this complete Key Stage 3 History Study Unit on the English Civil War.

Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot

An in-depth investigation into the Gunpowder plot making use of primary source materials to help students decide whether the Catholics were “framed”. There is a PowerPoint Slide could be used as a starter to the lesson, and there a Fling the Teacher Quiz which can be used as a factual test. This resource can be…

King James I: An Overview

Students consider the personality and policies of King James I as a long-term explanation for the outbreak of the Civil War. This resource can be found within this complete Key Stage 3 History Study Unit on the English Civil War.

Causes of the English Civil War: Powerpoint lesson starter

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.

Classroom Posters – the 20th Century

From the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, through to Boris Yeltsin making a fool of himself after too much vodka: 27 posters highlighting key events caught on the camera in the 20th Century. A full set of poster resources can be found on this page.