1900-2000 (GCSE History) – Page 10

Nazi Youth Policies: [1] Schools in the Third Reich

Youth Policies: [1] Schools Students match entries from Nazi School Textbooks to the subjects they describe, then each student in the class has a “Napola” school report written for them by several people in the class.

Nazi Germany – Social Policies [3]: The Moral Maze

Social Policies [3]: The Moral Maze: Students are presented with a logical defence of the principles of Eugenics and Social Darwinism as they existed in the Third Reich. They are then asked how they would nevertheless challenge some of its assertions both on rational and on moral grounds. One to get them thinking and debating!

Nazi Social Policies [2]: The European Dimension of Social Darwinism

A stimulating worksheet in which students are shown how many of Hitler’s ideas stemmed from social darwinism theories and practices in Europe and America which were popular at the time (and since). A crucial worksheet which helps students get away from the idea that Hitler was a peculiarly “German” problem.

GCSE History – Nazi Germany Social Policies: Overview

Students are divided into groups to investigate Nazi social policies towards undesirables and untermenschen. They are instructed how to organise a PowerPoint show to give to the rest of the class and the findings are recorded in a grid.

The Kronstadt Uprising, 1921: Lenin’s Year of Crisis

A new interactive exercise for A-Level / IB History students in which students are presented with a series of news feeds about the Kronstadt Rebellion of 1921 which spelt the end of War Communism and the introduction of the New Economic Policy (NEP).

Causes of World War Two

Causes of World War Two: Past Exam Questions and Research Task This GCSE History handout outlines the main causes of World War Two: The Peace Treaties, the Weaknesses of the League, the Depression, Hitler’s Foreign Policy, Manchuria and Abyssinia, Appeasement, the Nazi-Soviet Pact. It also provides a list of past history examination questions. Students have…

GCSE History Source Work

Sourcework Exercise: The Causes of World War One Six important sources, each one looking at a different cause of the World War One, with GCSE History questions and suggested approaches.

Causes of World War One: History Revision

Causes of World War One: Connecting the Factors: A diagram which helps students to connect the various causes together rather than simply list them.

Hegel, Marx and Dialectics

For IB / A-Level historians. An accessible introduction to the concepts of Hegelian and Marxist Dialectic which will stand students in good stead for 20th Century Soviet history.

Causes of the First World War

This handout provides a breakdown of the most recent questions from the IGCSE History examination focusing on the Causes of the First World War. It then provides advice about how to prepare history revision notes for each area using this template.

Causes of the Spanish Civil War Simulation

A brand new history game for students of the Spanish Civil War. After reading about each of the problems facing Spain on the eve of the civil war, students rank them according to urgency and then have to decide which policy seems the most appropriate response to each problem. At the end of the simulation…

Social Conditions in the Countryside in Tsarist Russia

For IB / A-Level historians. A series of sources and questions outlining the state of agriculture at the time that Peter Stolypin became prime minister.

Historiography of the October Revolution of 1917

Students consider the main questions which divide historians and form their own judgement on which answers they find the most convincing.

The Reign of Nicholas II (to 1905) [interactive]

For IB / A-Level historians. A “Fling the Teacher” quiz designed to test how much students have learned. Give 10 marks for the first person to finish, 9 for second place, and so on.

Historiography of the February Revolution of 1917

Students consider the main questions which divide historians and form their own judgement on which answers they find the most convincing.

The Events of 1904-1905: The Russo-Japanese War, Bloody Sunday and the 1905 Revolution [computer activity]

For IB / A-Level historians. In this exercise, students are presented with a wide range of primary source material which “tells the story” of 1904-1905 from a variety of perspectives covering the main topics. Students “cut and paste” the information into the appropriate cells of a table which breaks each event into its causes, events…

Why did Germany lose World War One?

Essay Project: Interactive Essay-Planning Tool [interactive] 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…

Social Effects of Industrialisation in Tsarist Russia

For IB / A-Level historians. The success or failure of the industrialisation programme can be measured in social as well as in economic terms. This worksheet contains a series of primary sources relating to the living conditions in the towns which allow students to decide whether the economic benefits outweighed the social disadvantages.

Economic Effects of Industrialisation in Tsarist Russia

For IB / A-Level historians. Students are provided with some raw economic data relating to the results of industrialisation in Imperial Russia. They have to draw conclusions regarding success and failure, and try to guess what missing figures in the tables would have been (this is a great way to get students spotting trends in…

GCSE History Revision

A newly updated section, designed for my KS4 IGCSE history class. Complete with history games, worksheets and lesson plans, these history revision pages will keep students engaged in the run-up to the summer history exams.

The Personality of Tsar Nicholas II

For IB / A-Level historians. Students should have a good understanding of the main issues and personalities relevant to the topic. This worksheet pushes things forward by considering the particular contribution of Tsar Nicholas II’s personality to the situation by looking at some primary source accounts and inviting students to form their own judgement.

The Geography of Imperial Russia [interactive]

For IB / A-Level historians. This task, which is best set as a homework exercise, involves getting students producing a map of Imperial Russia which highlights the range and location of nationalities, climates, time zones and natural resources. In this way they can reflect on the idea that maybe the problems of Imperial Russia were…

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…

An Overview of the Issues Facing Nicholas II in 1894

For IB / A-Level historians. This pack can be used by students following their completion of the simulation to produce a mindmap and / or a powerpoint presentation about the state of Russia when Tsar Nicholas II came to the throne.

Study Guide: Tsarist and Revolutionary Russia, c.1890-1917

Why is this period so important to know about? A brief introductory handout outlining the historical significance of the topic and the main questions for investigation.

Nazi Economic Policies

Students use the Head2Head Interview with Adolf Hitler to organise information about Hitler’s economic policies for Big Business, Small Business, Agriculture and the working classes under key headings in this worksheet.

Hitler’s Consolidation of Power – Quiz

A paper test of 20 questions based on the information in the preceeding worksheets. Students should be given the opportunity to revise for the test by playing this interactive quiz.

Stalin’s Five Year Plans – Keyword Challenge

A new interactive quiz for history students at A-Level / IB Level. Rules of the game can be found here.

The Court of the Red Tsar: Simon Montefiore – Worksheet

A grid which summarises the main themes covered in the “Court of the Red Tsar” audiobook to help teachers and students decide which parts can be made use of within class. The audiobook can be purchased from Amazon here.

Hitler: The Rise of Evil [2003] – Worksheet

Hitler: The Rise of Evil – Worksheet to accompany the drama documentary. A complete breakdown of the themes covered across the two episodes starring Robert Carlyle, designed to help teachers decide which bits should be shown in class and to help students structure their notes. The DVD can be purchased through Amazon here.

Origins of World War One – Keyword Challenge

A new keyword challenge on the Causes of World War One. Rules of the game can be found here.

Stalin’s Five Year Plans: Factual Test

A 20 Question factual test designed to test student knowledge of Stalin’s Five Year Plans for industry.

Causes of World War One – Factual Test

A new factual test on the origins of World War One containing 33 questions. Answers for teachers provided.

The Rise of Hitler – End of Unit Factual Test

To evaluate factual recall, students can then be set this test (30 questions) as a classroom exercise. Personally, I like to get them all playing this Fling the Teacher Quiz for the first 15 minutes of the lesson as “last minute revision”. The first person to finish this game successfully gets 10/10, the second person…

Why did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany? – 3. Display Task

The final part of the exercise involves students approaching the question from a completely fresh perspective. Six – rather than three – factors are provided in the form of cards, each one of which contains essential pieces of factual information. Students have to arrange these on sugar paper, establish links between the factors by connecting…

Stalin’s Rise to Power – Divisions in the Bolshevik party before 1924

A worksheet for A-Level / IB History providing long-term policy factors explaining Stalin’s rise to power.

Why did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany? – 2. Thinking Skills Exercise

Students turn their essay into a flowchart highlighting the essential links between the factors and the most important factual information that can be used to substantiate each factor.

Why did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany? – 1. Skeleton Essay Exercise

In this exercise, students are given three “skeleton essays”, each one of which puts forward a different interpretation of Hitler’s rise to power. Students read through each interpretation, choose the one they agree with most, and then elaborate on each section using their classroom notes. It provides an accessible way of showing students how the…

Tsarist Russia Game – GE Tour / New Worksheet

I have updated the popular “Virtual Tour around Tsarist Russia” with a new worksheet and an improved Google Earth Tour.

Stalin’s Five Year Plans – Test

A 20-question factual test designed to accompany the interactive simulation for IB / A2 History students investigating Stalin’s Five-Year-Plans

The Fatal Attraction of Adolf Hitler: Worksheet

After studying the Weimar Republic on its own terms, students should turn their attention in more detail to the activities of Adolf Hitler during the Weimar period. This worksheet is designed to accompany the first part of the excellent video documentary “The Fatal Attraction of Adolf Hitler (1989)” (30 mins). Sadly I don’t think it’s…

Causes of World War One Quiz

A new quiz for GCSE / IGCSE History.

The Culture of the Weimar Republic

The positive achievements of the Weimar Republic are easily overlooked. This project encourages students to investigate the cultural vibrancy of the Republic by producing a “virtual tour” around the Berlin of the 1920s.

Stalin’s Henchmen – Kaganovich, Mikoyan, Molotov, Kirov, Yagoda, Sergo, Vorishilov

A short factual test to follow on from the more detailed worksheet earlier on in this unit.

Hitler’s Consolidation of Power: Introduction

An overview of the main themes and historical questions to generate student interest. Covers the Reichstag Fire, the Night of the Long Knives.

Stalin’s Henchmen

Stalin’s Henchmen – A worksheet which gives students the opportunity to investigate the key characters at the Court of the Red Tsar: Mikoyan, Kaganovich, Kirov, Yagoda, Molotov, Voroshilov, Sergo.

Factual Test: The Weimar Republic 1918-33

After students have completed both parts of the ActiveHistory computer simulation, their factual recall can be measured using this 25-question test.

Why did Stalin become leader of the USSR?

Essay Assignment: Why did Stalin become leader of the USSR? – Students are given a long list of factors which they have to categorise and then turn into a written piece to consolidate their understanding of Stalin’s rise to power.

Stalin’s Rise to Power – The struggle for succession, 1924-29

The struggle for succession, 1924-29 – A worksheet which outlines the way in which Stalin rose to power by playing off various factions within the party against each other.

The Night of the Long Knives

Information, sources and tasks outlining how and why Hitler crushed the Ernst Rohm and the SA in June 1934.

Political Parties in Weimar Germany

Display Task: Useful as an extension or as a homework activity. Students are provided with a diagram of the main political parties in Weimar Germany. They use this as the basis for some propaganda posters for classroom display.

Stalin’s Rise to Power – Who should succeed Lenin?

A worksheet in which history students research each of the key characters and conduct a classroom debate comparing their respective merits.

The Reichstag Fire

A paper version of an online interactive unit (coming soon!), developed in conjunction with John D. Clare. Students use information about the key characters involved to create a “courtroom drama” seeking to determine who was responsible for the Reichstag Fire.

Stalin’s Rise to Power – Lenin’s Testament

Lenin’s Testament – A worksheet which introduces the strengths and weaknesses of the Lenin’s possible successors. Designed to be used in conjunction with this primary source extract from Lenin’s Testament.

Stalin and the USSR: Study Guide

A printable study guide designed for A-Level / IB History students, designed to engage student interest by outlining the historical significance of Stalin’s rule of the USSR.

The Berlin Wall – Quiz

A new quiz, playable in Manic Miner, Wordshoot, CannonBall Fun or Matching Pairs Format

Korean War – Collapsible Notes

A summary of the main causes, events and consequences of the Korean War, which can be “collapsed” or “expanded” for levels of detail. Useful for revision.

Nazi Germany Simulation: Undercover in the Third Reich!

I have just launched a brand new simulation for students of Nazi Germany. This game is a brand new version of an activity which has been one of the most popular features of the site for a number of years. It has over three times as many locations, each of which highlights a different aspect…

Lenin’s Russia – KeyWord Challenge

A new quiz for Year 12 History students.

IB History – Causes of World War One

A new Fling the Teacher Quiz for IB / A-Level History Students

USSR Under Lenin – Quiz

A new Fling the Teacher Quiz with 45 possible questions