The History Revision Menu

1. Flashcards

2. Revision Guides

3. Mindmaps

4. PEEL paragraph

5. Storyboards

6. Self quizzing

7. Timelines

8. Revision taboo
⬅ Menu
1 Flashcards
What:
● Create a set of flashcards to revise 10-20 key terms/ answers to key questions.
● Ask someone at home or a friend during lunchtime to test you using these flashcards.

Why:
● Allows you to actively interact with the information in a way that makes it easier for you to remember.
Allows for spaced repetition.

Success criteria:
● 10 or more cards.
● Must be neatly presented and words/ information written clearly.
● Key terms on one side and the definition on the other. Key question on one side and the answer (in
detail) on the other.
● 1 key term/question per flashcard.
● Use your key knowledge takeaway to help you identify important terms/ information.
 ⬅ Menu
2 Revision Guides
What: Create a A5 booklet that covers the key terms and information from the
unit. You need to look at your key knowledge takeaway for the important
information/ headings.
Why:
● In writing / rewriting you create ‘muscle memory’.
● Rewriting only essential information means you get rid of the non-essential info in your book
and you start to see what is ‘priority knowledge’.
● Reorganising the layout of the information helps you remember it better.
● Colour-coding and use of images stimulates your visual memory and helps you remember it better.
● Retrieval practice is so much easier from your new resource, and so much clearer.

Success criteria:

● A5 page booklet - beautifully presented

● Colourful with pictures
● Always include only relevant information
⬅ Menu
3 Mind Maps
What: Create a mind map using the headings and information on your key
knowledge takeaway.

Why:
● Mind maps are visually appealing, and therefore help you remember
the information better.
● They allow you to make connections between words and concepts to
solidify understanding.

Success criteria:
● Use one whole page in your exercise book.
● You can either use the lined page itself, or a separate piece of paper
which you have then glued in.
● Use colour and a combination of text/image.
● Draw lines (straight or jazzy) between related words/ideas.
⬅ Menu
4 PEEL paragraph
What:
● Practice writing a PEEL paragraph
by answering your MUA/ EUA Your paragraph should follow PEEL structure:
question or another key question
to do with your unit. Point- Make your point.
Why: This is ideal practice for a skill you Evidence- Back your point up with supporting
will be using all the way until the end of evidence and examples (e.g. For example… For
Year 11. By practicing to structure your instance… ). This should follow SPEND.
answer correctly, this will help you
form a clear and concise argument. Explanation- Explain and elaborate how the
evidence supports your point (e.g. This meant
Success criteria: that…This led to…As a result…Consequently…
● Two paragraphs. This was important because… )
● Each paragraph follows the PEEL
structure (right). Link- Link it back to the question and sum up the
● Use the sentence starters that paragraph (e.g. Therefore, …as…. )
are provided in blue.
 ⬅ Menu
5 Storyboards
What:
● Create a storyboard of what happens in a particular
important event from a unit.
● Ensure you have a mixture of diagrams and words to help
you remember each stage properly.
● Then practise remembering the event in full with another
student or someone at home.

Why:
● Storyboards are a different way of remembering
information, especially with a mixture of visual and
written cues.

Success criteria:
● Neat presentation.
● Use a full page in your book, or complete on a separate
sheet and stick in.
● 10 or more stages to your storyboard.
 ⬅ Menu
6 Self quizzing
What:
● Write one question and its answer on a blank sheet of paper.
● Remember the answer as accurately as possible.
● Cover the answer to the question with a separate sheet of paper.
● Rewrite the answer to the original question in a full sentence.
● Look at the original question its answer. In green pen add
anything you struggled to remember or forgot to write.

Why: You will be able to easily identify in another colour the pieces of
information you are currently struggling to remember. Therefore, you
can focus on ways to help you remember this information.

Success criteria:
● Your piece of paper is formatted in the following order:
A.Question
B.Answer
C.Your answer without looking (amended in green pen if required)
● Questions are relevant to the MUA or EUA you are preparing for.
● Minimum of 10 different questions.
⬅ Menu
7 Timelines
What: Create a timeline covering the key parts of a historical
event.

Why: Help students organise information about a specific event

in a chronological sequence so they can better understand it.

Success criteria:
● Page orientation: Landscape
● Must have a title (e.g. A timeline showing…)
● A straight line in the middle of the page drawn with a
pencil and ruler.
● At least six different sections on the timeline.
TOP TIP: to maximise space on your page, do one event
ABOVE your line and another BELOW the line.
● Each section has historical information that is specific.
This must start with a specific date and is then followed by
statistics, places, events or names.
⬅ Menu
8 Revision taboo
What:
● Must be done in pairs. HARRYING OF
● Create a minimum of 10 revision taboo cards each (see A ROLD N THE NORTH
H O
examples). W INS
D
● The first person holds up one of their partners cards on their GO
forehead. The information must be facing towards their
Revenge, murder,
partner.
, 1069, burn
● Their partner must describe the key term that is on the card. eye
g,
They must not use the key term or the other important words on , kin gs
listed on the card that are associated with that key term. Sax Hastin
● The person has 30 seconds to guess the key term on the card. BATTLE OF
HASTINGS

Why: This task can help you practise explanation of the past and
making connections between people, places and events.

Success criteria: 1066, Normans,

● A minimum of 10 taboo cards. William, Harold
● Each taboo card has a key term and FOUR associated words
with it. You may include a picture if this helps.
Useful websites/ links
BBC Teach KS3 History
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ks3-history/zhbdpg8

BBC Bitesize
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zk26n39

Spartacus Educational
https://spartacus-educational.com/