Author: Russel Tarr

Nazi Treatment of Jews

A new Fling the Teacher Quiz, designed to test factual knowledge of this GCSE Modern World History topic.

Nazi Religious Policies

A new Fling the Teacher Quiz, designed to test factual knowledge of this GCSE Modern World History topic.

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Korean War 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…

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Truman’s Dismissal of MacArthur

A new worksheet on the Cold War section of the website. Was Truman right to limit his policy of “rollback” in Korea, or should he have followed MacArthur’s advice to escalate the war at the risk of conflict with China and the USSR?

The Rise of Rasputin

For IB / A-Level historians. This worksheet develops student understanding of the personal weaknesses of the Tsar and the Tsarina but focuses most heavily on the damage done to the reputation of the regime by Gregory Rasputin, the “mad monk”.

The Korean War – Escalation

The Korean War – Escalation After a successful invasion at Inchon led by MacArther, should the USA settle with “Containment” of communism, or pursue “Rollback” of the communist threat? Students examine the sources and reach their judgements.

The Korean War – Background and Significance

The Korean War – Background and Significance In this activity, students consider the early events in the war, assess why the Korean War is historically significant, and reflect on the arguments for and against the involvement of the US and the UN.

Interactive Newsfeed – The Korean War

A new activity for IGCSE History (The Korean War). Students complete a timeline of events by furiously jotting down events presented to them in an interactive newsfeed.

The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid

A new worksheet which introduces students to the concept of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid, and then encourages them to compare various cartoons to reach their own judgements.

Agricultural Reform under Peter Stolypin

For IB / A-Level historians. Agricultural Reform under Peter Stolypin: In a similar exercise to that relating to Witte’s policies for industry, students consider what has caused each problem that is listed, they then suggest what should be done to solve it, then compare this to what Stolypin actually did to form an overall asessment….

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Wall St. Crash Simulation

A completely new version of this popular interactive simulation, which now focuses much more heavily on the historical events of 1929 for GCSE Modern World History students. A new history worksheet is also provided with the game.

Interactive Newsfeed – Cold War Origins

Students use this interactive newsfeed activity to record the main events of the origins of the Cold War. They then produce a “chat show” dialogue between a communist and a capitalist using the events in a timeline that is provided; each speaker will have a biased interpretation. As an extension, students produce a “living graph”…

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Interactive Quizzes – Roots of the Cold War, 1914-45

End of Unit Test: The Roots of the Cold War, 1917-45 A 20-Question “Fill the Gaps” exercise which gives a handy one-sided summary of the main events up to 1945. Students should be encouraged to play one of the following games prior to completing the test – either as a homework exercise, or as “last…

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Korean War – IGCSE Cartoon Analysis

Analyse a series of IGCSE History level 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 ready for the IGCSE History Examination!

Kolb Learning Cycle Generator

Using this template, Teachers are increasingly using accelerated learning, an approach to learning which builds on a range of learning styles. This template will help you plan lessons which address the issue of multiple intelligences. Kolb’s Learning Cycle: The learning cycle model, developed by David Kolb, identifies four stages in learning. Peter Honey and Alan…

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Living Graph Generator

This “Living Graph” template encourages students not only to select the most important events within a topic, but also to rate them against criteria such as success and failure, strength and weakness and so on.

Timeline Generator

This timeline generator is a great way of getting students to select and summarise key events across a defined period. This activity allows them to do this simply and effectively, and to colour-code the events if they choose to do so. They can also add a background image before printing off their work and /…

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The Significance of the 1905 Revolution

For IB / A-Level historians. What was the significance of the 1905 Revolution? Why did it fail? These are important questions to consider, especially given the tendency of examiners to ask why the 1917 Revolutions succeeded when the 1905 Revolution failed.

The Yalta Conference: Online Simulation!

An artificial intelligence simulation, complete with a worksheet: students choose whether to play as Churchill, Roosevelt or Stalin at the Yalta Conference of 1945, and then pit their wits against their opponents to achieve their objectives. Complete with a worksheet, this computer lesson runs itself and is a great way of learning about the personalities,…

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Stalin’s Foreign Policy

This worksheet covers the period 1917-39. Students use a detailed timeline to produce a biased account from firstly a communist, then a capitalist perspective.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

In this lesson, students consider the ethical implications behind the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by reconstructing a scientific debate chaired by Farrington Daniels in 1945. Some excellent multimedia materials are available at the Atomic Archive.

Nicholas II: Industrial Developments

For IB / A-Level historians. A PowerPoint presentation with an accompanying worksheet. Teachers may wish to use this if they are pressed for time and so prefer to simply deliver a lecture with students taking notes. It’s less fun that the “Witte’s Dilemma” worksheet above, though!

Video Worksheet [2]: Who were the top suspects?

This worksheet accompanies the final 20 minutes of the video available from Amazon. In this part of the documentary, the top suspects are suggested and the video narrator offers his own view on who the murderer was. This is a stimulating way of following the classroom debate and usually provides some lively discussion.

Yalta and Potsam: How similar were they?

Students answer the key question, then the class is divided into groups representing USA, USSR, UK, Germany and Poland. Each person in the group needs to produce a biased news report about the outcomes of the two conferences.

Overview of the Reign of Tsar Nicholas II, 1894-1917

For IB / A-Level historians. Students now spend a lesson researching different aspects of the reign of Tsar Nicholas II. Each topic area has a brief introduction, and individual students take responsibility for reporting back to the class with their findings. This helps to break the topic up nicely before they start to look at…

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Yalta and Potsdam: What really happened?

In this exercise, students learn about what really happened at Yalta and decide who got the most out of the conference; they then compare this to the results of the Potsdam Conference.

The Yalta Conference: Classroom Role Play!

The class re-enacts the debates at Yalta by dividing into three groups and campaigning to get their voices heard on key issues. A great way of familiarising students with the differences of opinion between the Big 3.

The Yalta Conference: Photographs as evidence

Students compare several photographs of the Big Three at Yalta, and produce a newspaper headline to accompany each one highlighting how different pictures can create sharply differing impressions.

Roots of the Cold War: Events (Historical Differences)

Students produce a “chat show” dialogue between a communist and a capitalist using the events in a timeline that is provided; each speaker will have a biased interpretation. As an extension, students produce a “living graph” using www.classtools.net.

Cold War Timeline

Students start the topic with an introduction to what the Cold War was, and then they conduct their own research to produce an illustrated timeline of the main events using this cold war work sheet.

Why Appeasement?

A worksheet to accompany the classic history documentary from the BBC.

Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram

A fishbone template is an essay planning tool. Whereas the burger diagram encourages students to think in terms of introduction, three main sections and a conclusion, the fishbone approach involves selecting four main factors, then providing three key pieces of detail about each.

When, Why, How Should We Oppose?

Originally designed as a PSHE lesson for Year 11, this worksheet would also fit well into studies of opposition within Nazi Germany.

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…

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The Causes of World War Two – GCSE History

A revamped and relaunched version of this popular interactive investigation for GCSE / IGCSE History. The investigation focuses on getting students to think about how factors link together, and the work sheet helps them to structure an essay.

GCSE / IGCSE History Exam Skills: Causes of World War One

After marking my students’ IGCSE History mock exam answers, I put together this feedback session which I think they got a lot out of – basically, I wrote a whole raft of responses based around the describe / explain / assess format, and then students had to mark each response using a generic markscheme. It…

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Stalin’s Economic Policies: Online Simulator!

I’ve been working over the Christmas holidays on a brand new simulation designed to teach students about Stalin’s Economic Policies: Soviet Economy Simulator I don’t know if you teach this subject, but with revision period coming up soon I thought you might find it useful – especially as it comes complete with a range of…

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Stalin’s Henchmen

An updated version of the popular history quiz, complete with a brand new lesson plan and worksheet.

1066 and the Battle of Hastings: Quiz

New History quizzes covering the events of 1066 and all that – Wordshoot, Manic Miner and CannonBall Fun all available, great for an end of unit factual test!

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…

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The Norman Conquest of 1066 – Key Places

A worksheet to accompany the Battle of Hastings Online Adventure. This activity focuses on the main places of 1066. You will have to label key countries on a map, and explain the significance of other places already labelled on the map.

Main Events of 1066 – Worksheet!

A new worksheet to accompany the interactive decision making adventure on the Battle of Hastings for Year 7 History students. This activity, based around the Bayeux Tapestry, helps you understand the main events of 1066. You are given a series of pictures from the Tapestry, and you explain them using the Flash animations in the…

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Battle of Hastings Simulation: New 1066 Game!

This very popular Battle of Hastings Simulation for Year 7 History has been completely updated with new decision points, new Flash animations and three new worksheets! Students take on the role of King Harold and take a series of decisions which will determine whether they keep their throne or die a horrible death by the…

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The Spread of the Black Death

A history worksheet to accompany the Flash Animation on the site. Students produce a written account about the Black Death, then a graph charting the progress of the Black Death, then produce a full written assignment about the Black Death as a homework.

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,…

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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?”. Students turn their sheets back over, and a merit is awarded for the person who first…

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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”…

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Create your own “Dustbin” Game!

This interactive quiz generator allows you to create interactive “Dustbin” games. Students or teachers can create up to four categories of factors. The game created by ClassTools.net then involves students dragging and dropping each factor into its correct category as quickly as possible in a “race against the clock”!

Coalbrookdale Interactive Census

I spent some time over half term completely rewriting the activities based around the Coalbrookdale Interactive Census of 1861. There is now a complete history lesson pack to accompany the searchable database, which I’ll be trialling with my own Year 9 students over the next two or three weeks. Hope you like it!

Key Themes of the 16th Century

A worksheet and history lesson plan designed to get students thinking about key terminology and linking their ideas together meaningfully.