Classroom and Homework Activities for A Level AQA History

Engaging activities enable students to get to grips with the important events discussed in each unit, while developing an understanding of the key questions and themes to be tackled in order to succeed in the exam.

Great for students…
  • Engaging, interesting activities build knowledge both in depth and synoptically
  • Logical structure considers the overview of each topic before zoning in on the most important themes and events
  • ‘Extension’ thinking activities challenge your most-able students – and are also the basis for useful essay practice
Great for teachers…
  • Every activity matched to a spec topic and an AO
  • Ultimate flexibility! Varied tasks of different lengths can be used for homework, classwork and even cover lessons.
  • All resources included for an easy, pick-up-and-teach resource – with indicative content for all activities

Plus handy overview grid with key activity information, including timings, group size and assessment objective coverage – great for quick and easy planning!

What do teachers say about this resource? (12550)

I liked this resource. There was a good variety of activities from self-contained to research... The activity plan was very thorough... I found the essay practice beneficial... I especially liked the extension activities for the more able/hard working... This resource would enhance learning by providing alternative routes to accessing material/the period, which many students find daunting. It also has educational value in consolidating knowledge. I will certainly be using it for upcoming revision... It matches the specification very well, adopting a clear chronological approach and interprets it adequately... The most impressive section was the answers.

L Ashley, Head of History & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (12094)

A good resource for teachers to be able to pick up if in a tight spot for an activity... It gives ideas for differing activities to stretch the knowledge of the students in what was a very busy period of modern British history... I like the activities which require students to think about the most important events and why - these can be used to determine how events link together... There is a good amount of activities available for the students which are varied in their nature... The time period is covered well... The answers are good and, again can help new Teachers to the course who can have something to refer to for activities... It draws on various skills such as knowledge retrieval and retention, analytical work, evaluative work and comprehension. With the varied activities, it has a good educational value given that students will need to deploy various skills throughout the resource as part of their understanding and knowledge work... It matches the specification perfectly in that it follows clearly what is expected to be covered.

D Taborda, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

I liked this... Thorough coverage of the specification... The activity plan sets the scene well... Extension activities for the more able are welcome... I particularly liked the use of quotations and photographs of leading politicians to make it more user friendly... It enhances learning by making the students feel more confident when they successfully complete an activity thus giving them ownership of their knowledge... Allows the teacher to focus on more crucial points and relieving the necessity of having to constantly reinvent the wheel. Particularly helpful [for students] if lessons have been missed, or when revising... I liked the presentation/layout... I appreciate the emphasis on chronology and the opportunity for both individual and group work.

L Ashley, HoD & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (11617)

I liked this resource... The summary of activities was excellently detailed... The topics were sensibly grouped together both thematically and chronologically... There are many extension activities for the more able... Its educational value is to avoid students getting bored, particularly when revising... The layout was also diverse... Matches the specification excellently... I would buy this for the sheer wealth of material and teacher time saved.

L Ashley, HoD & Peer Reviewer

An excellent resource for the AQA Change and Transformation component. It is rigorous, comprehensive and stimulating. It is easily the best resource I have reviewed for you so far... The exercises of the key terms will be very welcomed by Ofsted, and they will enable students to build their knowledge and understanding around them. Also, the numerous exercises on “ideologies” such as Gladstonian Liberalism and Disraelian Conservatism help to clarify important areas, but in a stimulating way. I also liked the explanations of “Why this exercise is important” which links them to the specification and the ultimate outcome of the exam... The exercises on economics are of broad value and demystify the field; the exercises encourage critical thinking as SS are required to link ideas and concepts to definitions. Further, the exercises encourage core historical skills to be developed as well as simply knowledge and understanding; such as change and continuity, and cause and consequence. Also, the selection is particularly good on Ireland and women’s suffrage, both of which have direct contemporary relevance and are thus educationally of great use... The key questions and the indicative content are followed through clearly throughout and the especially major areas are covered with varied activities. The extensive work on essay writing skills is vitally done... This is an exemplary resource for every teacher of this AQA specification. They will find it to be of huge value to their students and to themselves in terms of assisting with preparation. Simply excellent.

K White, Head of History & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (10448)

It is really distinctive from other Packs in this area because of its clarity and it being likely to stimulate students who will easily understand it in preparation for the deeper thinking of Advanced Level.

This is completely compelling and easily likely to spark interest. It is accessible at all levels but it is particularly suitable for slightly weaker students who will have their learning most enhanced, and also as a very good foundation for knowledge of the specification.

It enhances learning because it is rigorous while being very student centred with plenty of pairwork and groupwork, but the exercises are not wishy washy; they are substantive.

They are also varied and comprehensive giving a fine introduction to knowledge of this topic but also to historical skills. I think it would also help in bridging the gap towards more sophisticated skills such as analysis and evaluation, so crucial at A Level.

It interprets this specification effectively, building up exercises around key aspects of the content.

It builds up to two practice essay questions, on whether the English Revolution was "inevitable" and on whether the Glorious Revolution was "revolutionary." These would really help students in a structured way to start to get the hang of essay writing.

I should have loved this when I taught this area, and when I teach it again I should certainly hope to employ it. It is clear that the creator knows how to get students enthused by History, and this really comes over in the Resource Pack. I highly recommend it.

K White, Head of History & Peer Reviewer

Thought this was a useful resource,especially as there is only 1 revision guide available - my revision notes.
Particularly liked the good variety of activities eg timelines, table fills, comparison tables, research, diagrams, before and after, debate and grid fill.
It enhances learning by splitting the syllabus into manageable sized chunks, reassuring especially to the less able. Its educational value is that it sticks closely to the specification and there is a good balance between As/A content/questions. It also has extension work for the more able.
Presentation and layout are clear - not too crowded.
It matches/interprets the spec sensibly e.g. the chronological approach.
Liked the way the answer question was separated from the questions-more teacher friendly.

L Ashley, HoD & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (10308)

The teacher’s introduction was clear and the plan of activities thorough... There were extension activities for the more able and a great variety of approaches... I particularly liked the diversity of activities... It enhances learning by providing more fun ways of approaching what can seem like a mountain of material... Its educational value is to give such students reassurance and clarify gaps in their knowledge. It could also provide much needed consolidation at the end of the course... The presentation/layout was clear... It matches the specification well.

L Ashley, HoD & Peer Reviewer

A pretty nice resource with ideas for lesson or homework activities for when you are lacking in inspiration. It is in chronological order so activities are easy to find. Everything is there and ready to simply print and use alongside a presentation, books or notes. It is easy to dip into when required. Some good tasks to help students grasp the fundamental building blocks of history as well as cement their knowledge of the topics. Great for flexing the history muscles of cause and consequence, significance, change / continuity etc with simple tasks which work. The activities can speed up planning and are easy to slot into a lesson. Some tasks are nice and concise so would work well as starters and plenaries whilst others involve independent research or synthesizing from notes or books. This promotes resourcefulness and independence. Great for any study of Weimar and Nazi Germany. Translates really well to other specifications due to the nature of the activities. Covers all of the main topics so you could use at least one activity from this resource in every lesson. Well worth investigating if you teach this period of history.

J King, Lecturer & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (11981)

I quite liked this resource... The activity plan was also a good idea... I particularly liked the extension parts of activities to stretch the more able... It enhances learning by providing reassurance on a topic which is not widely covered by other publishers... Its educational value is to make the students take ownership of their work by providing such a variety of activities for them to complete. It also has value for the hard pressed teacher, particularly an NQT by consolidating the basics, while saving time which could more fruitfully be spent on other work e.g. background reading... It matches the spec very well.

L Ashley, HoD & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (11293)

A Rolls Royce among Activity Packs! It is a labour of love. It will give students such a great foundation that will help them achieve very well.

The material on women and on the Schmalkaldic League is excellent.

The activities seem to specialise in getting to grips with the theological debates. I have never seen this done so well in a History resource. This shows appropriate rigour and differentiates this from other resources.

The answers, which are exceptionally detailed, on their own would represent a fabulous revision guide.

The exercises and stimulating and will encourage a prop disciplined approach to a tough subject. Its strength is its tough content learning demands, but it also, in teaching the content so effectively, encourages skills work of the highest order.

It fills in the parts that the modern-day textbook does not do because it demands a high level of theological grasp, which would be missing from many History books. But this is how to teach this subject. It makes the students imagine the past and go back and actually see why these issues actually mattered. This is a precious “skill” to develop and it is one that History does best. Students who do these exercises will simply be enriched.

[This resource] is obviously the culmination of years of work by a very accomplished teacher.

K White, Head of History & Peer Reviewer