Thursday, 4 September 2014

Remember, remember...

















Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot....

What really happened in November 1605?
Was there really a Catholic plot to blow up Parliament and kill the king?
Why did it go wrong? Was it badly planned? Were the plotters unlucky?

In the GCSE exam you might get questions like this:
Why did the authorities punish treason so savagely in the Tudor and Stuart periods?
Why was it difficult for the authorities to prevent terrorist attacks?

Some historians think the whole thing was a government set-up: are they right?

We will probably never know for sure but your task is to look carefully and critically at the evidence. You are doing this in class: if you want to go deeper here are some sites to explore. They will help you look closely at the layout of the Palace of Westminster, see what the plotters said after they were arrested and tortured, even think about what would have happened if they succeeded.



Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Smugglers!





In the 18th century smuggling was a very big problem for the authorities. What was smuggled? Why was it smuggled? Why was it so hard to control?
You are customs officers preparing a report for the government with advice on how to deal with smuggling. Your report must

(a) explain the situation as clearly and correctly as possible

(b) make recommendations

Find out as much information as you can to help you decide.

Use these links and others:

Friday, 2 May 2014

The city of dreadful night.


In August 1888 the first of a series of murders was committed by a killer who became known as Jack the Ripper. To this day the identity of the killer remains a mystery. Five women were brutally killed in the East End of London, by a maniac who appeared to kill without warning and with no remorse.

Why was the Ripper able to get away with his murders? Why were the police powerless to stop him?
Who was the most likely suspect and why?










Links
The events
Casebook - a full and very detailed Jack the Ripper site.
Victims
The victims

Evidence
Witnesses
Letters
Personality of the killer
Suspects
Suspects

Map
Metropolitan Police website
Channel 5 documentary Part 1
Channel 5 documentary Part 2
James Mason visits the site of Annie Chapman's murder

Tuesday, 28 May 2013

The struggle for racial justice in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s




ENQUIRY 1







What was it like being Black and American in the 1950s and 1960s?


Links to websites that may help you with TASK C. These sites may be reliable but be careful. When using a site ask yourself:




  • Will I understand this?


  • Is it relevant?


  • Can I trust it?


LINKS


Learnhistory -created by a British teacher


Encyclopaedia Britannica on lynching


Encyclopaedia Britannica on the Ku Klux Klan


Spartacus - created by a British teacher and recommended by the exam board


History Learning Site - created by a British teacher


Yale New Haven Teachers Institute - created by teachers in the USA


ThinkQuest - created by students