Edexcel GCSE 2009 History B (Schools History Project)

Option 2C: Life in Germany c1919–c1945

Practical support to help you deliver this Edexcel specification

Scheme of work

This scheme of work has been produced to help you implement this Edexcel specification. It is offered as an example of one possible model that you should feel free to adapt to meet your needs and is not intended to be in any way prescriptive. It is in editable word format to make adaptation as easy as possible.

Other course planning support

You will find other support for planning the course in the Teacher’s Guide. This is a free downloadable resource that you can access at

Teaching resource exemplars

The scheme of work contains suggestions for resources that you can use to support your teaching. These are suggestions only of material you may find useful and you are encouraged to use a wide range of resources that suit the needs of your students.

Other Edexcel teaching resources

Pearson Education produce a wide range their own teaching resources including:

  • Student books — full colour textbooks matched to the specification
  • ActiveTeach — digital teaching resources on one easy to use CDROM
  • Exam Wizard — instant access to banks of GCSE and GCE questions from past papers

You’ll find details of all of these at

We are also working with a range of publishers to support you; textbooks have been produced to support this subject by Hodder Education.

Edexcel Subject Advisors

Edexcel has a team of specialist subject advisors available to help you with implementation of this specification. You can contact them by email or phone.

Email:

Phone:0844 576 0034

Edexcel additional support

  • Ask the Expert — puts you in direct email contact with over 200 of our senior subject experts
  • Edexcel’s community — these message boards are designed to enable you to access peer-to-peer support from fellow Edexcel teaching and delivery staff in schools and colleges.

Edexcel GCSE History B (SHP): Option 2C: Life in Germany c1919–c1945

Scheme of work

Week / Content coverage/
key questions / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
1 / The early years of the Weimar Republic, the new constitution and socio-economic problems/What was the impact of the First World War on Germany? /
  • To identify the main problems that Germany faced in 1919 as a result of the First World War: serious food and fuel shortages, disease, inflation, war dead and injured, communist uprisings (the Raterepublik in Munich), the flight of the Kaiser.
  • To identify potential weaknesses in the constitution of the Weimar Government.
/
  • Students list the main problems that a new German government would have to face due as a result of the legacy of the First World War.
  • Students draw a diagram which summarises the power of each of the key elements of the Weimar Constitution: President, Chancellor, Reichstag and the people.
  • Students complete a table to show the strengths/the potential weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution.
/
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on the Weimar Constitution in Chapter 1.1.
  • Video extract from the BBC: The Nazis: a warning from history, Episode 1 Helped into Power, focuses on the legacy of the First World War (5 minutes).

The early years of the Weimar Republic, the Treaty of Versailles/Why was there so much opposition to the Treaty of Versailles in Germany? /
  • To understand the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
  • To explain German reactions to the Treaty of Versailles.
/
  • Students summarise the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Students use primary sources to work out German reactions to the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Students draw a pair of scales and annotate with evidence to show the arguments as to whether German opposition to the Treaty of Versailles was justified or not.
/
  • The National Archives site provides primary sources and structured questions relating to the German reactions to the Treaty of Versailles, available at:
    greatwar/g5/cs2/g5cs2s1a.htm
  • The National Archives site also provides information about the terms and reactions to the Treaty across Europe, including historians assessments which will help students to reach a judgement about whether German opposition to the Treaty was justified, available at:
    greatwar/g5/cs2/background.htm
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on the Treaty of Versailles in Chapter 1.1.

Week / Content coverage/
key questions / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
2 / The early years of the Weimar Republic, opposition: the Spartacist Uprising and the Kapp Putsch/How serious was early opposition to the Weimar Government? /
  • To understand what happened during the Spartacist Uprising and Kapp Putsch and who was involved.
  • To evaluate how serious a threat was posed to the Weimar Government by these opposition groups.
/
  • Students draw a flow diagram to show the course of the Spartacist Uprising.
  • Students complete a table to record similarities and differences between the Spartacist Uprising and the Kapp Putsch over issues such as: aims, participants, reasons for failure.
  • Students evaluate which was a more serious threat to the Weimar Government, in the short term and in the longer term.
/
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on the Spartacist Uprising and Kapp Putsch in Chapter 1.1.

The early Nazi Party/What attracted some people to support the Nazi Party in the early 1920s? /
  • To identify key aspects of the message of the Nazi Party in the early 1920s.
  • To explain how Hitler became leader of the Nazi Party by 1921.
  • To identify the main features of the early Nazi Party, image, SA.
/
  • Students read the Programme of the German Workers’ Party of 1920 and identify which groups of the German population each clause might appeal to, and why.
  • Students write a profile of Adolf Hitler detailing information from his early life and explain why he joined the Nazi Party in 1919 and how he became its leader by 1921.
  • Students write definitions of the swastika and the SA and explain the intention behind each.
/
  • The Avalon project provides a full translation of the Programme of the German Workers’ Party, available at:
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on Hitler and the early Nazi Party in Chapter1.1.
  • Video extract from the BBC: The Nazis: a warning from history, Episode 1 Helped into Power, focuses on the early Nazi Party and how Hitler became leader by 1921 (5 minutes).

Week / Content coverage/
key questions / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
3 / Economic crisis in the Weimar Republic in 1923, invasion of the Ruhr and hyperinflation/Why did the Weimar Government face economic crisis in 1923? /
  • To identify how Germans were affected by the economic crisis of 1923.
  • To identify the reasons for the economic crisis: reparations payments, invasion of the Ruhr, passive resistance in the Ruhr, hyperinflation.
/
  • Students use primary sources, images and personal recollections, to list the main effects of the economic crisis of 1923.
  • Students write profiles of a businessman, farmer, housewife, ex-soldier, and retired man to show how each was affected by the economic crisis and who they blamed and why.
/
  • Primary documents, including images and personal recollections, relating to the 1923 economic crisis are available at:
    howtousethissite? And: OpenFrameSet
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides useful information on the economic crisis of 1923 and the causes in Chapter 1.2.

The Munich Putsch of 1923/Was the Munich Putsch a total disaster for the Nazi Party? /
  • To identify the main reasons for the Nazis attempting a putsch in Munich in 1923.
  • To explain the key stages of the Putsch and the reasons for failure.
  • To evaluate whether the Munich Putsch was a total disaster, involving a consideration of the consequences of the putsch.
/
  • Students categorise the reasons for the Nazis attempting the Munich Putsch on 9th November 1923, for example: discontent with the Weimar Government, optimism about support from the Bavarian government etc.
  • Students draw a storyboard or flow diagram showing the main events of the Munich Putsch and reasons for its failure.
  • Students complete a table to show ways in which the Munich Putsch was a complete disaster/was useful to the Nazi Party.
/
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on the Munich Putsch in Chapter 1.2.
  • Video extract from the BBC: The Nazis: a warning from history, Episode 1 Helped into Power, focuses on the Munich Putsch and its consequences (5 minutes).
  • Nazi art commemorating the Munich Putsch is available from the German Propaganda Archive at:

Week / Content coverage/
key questions / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
4 / The Weimar Republic, economic recovery/How far did the Weimar Republic recover economically between 1924-28? /
  • To identify the main reasons for the revival of the German economy 1924-28.
  • To evaluate how far this recovery was superficial or genuine?
/
  • Students draw a graph with the x axisrepresenting the years 1919-1928 and the y axisrepresenting stability/recovery, and plot onto the graph the key events to create a line graph showing the extent to which the Weimar Republic recovered.
  • Students use the graph to evaluate key causes for the increased stability of Weimar Germany, eg the Dawes Plan.
  • Students prepare for a debate: the recovery of Weimar Germany in the 1920s was only superficial and masked fatal weaknesses.
/
  • Video extract from the BBC: The Nazis: a warning from history, Episode 1 Helped into Power, focuses on the golden years of the Weimar Republic and the political extremism that continued to exist beneath the surface of recovery (3 minutes).
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on the Weimar Republic 1924-28 in Chapter1.2.

The Nazi Party 1924-28/How did the Nazi Party develop in the 1920s and was it popular with Germans? /
  • To identify the main ways that the Nazi Party developed in the 1920s: re-organisation, publicity and propaganda increased, focus on the personality of Hitler as leader, strengthening of the SA.
  • To recognise the limited amount of support the Nazi Party attracted (gained only 2.6% of the vote in the 1928 election).
/
  • Students summarise the key features of the Nazi Party in the 1920s and explain how they might have strengthened the Party.
  • Students use primary documents, text and posters, to identify the key messages presented by the Nazis in the 1920s and work out to what groups these might have appealed?
  • Students explain why the Nazis only had limited popular support, by recognising the importance of other factors like the good leadership of Stresemann.
/
  • Video extract from the BBC: The Nazis: a warning from history, Episode 1 Helped into Power, focuses on the Nazi Party between 1924-28 (5 minutes).
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on the Nazi Party 1924-28 in Chapter 1.3.
  • A collection of Nazi Party posters, including posters from the
    1924-28 period are available at:
    academic/cas/gpa/posters1.htm
  • Examples of Nazi propaganda, some relating to the period 1924-28 are available at:
    gpa/pre1933.htm

Week / Content coverage/
key questions / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
5 / The political and economic consequences of the Great Depression/What was the impact of the Great Depression in Germany? /
  • To identify the main socio-economic consequences of the Great Depression in Germany: unemployment, homelessness.
  • To identify the main political consequences of the Great Depression in Germany: rise of extremism, the collapse of Weimar democracy due to rule by presidential decree through Article 48.
/
  • Students use primary sources to identify the main socio-economic consequences of the Great Depression in Germany.
  • Students rate the wisdom of the actions of successive Weimar Presidents in trying to revive the economy, and justify their opinions.
  • Students explain how the Great Depression contributed to the breakdown of democracy in Germany by 1930, perhaps by drawing a flow diagram.
/
  • Images of the impact of the Great Depression in Germany are available at:
    weimar.nsf/howtousethissite? And: OpenFrameSet
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on the impact of the Great Depression and the political consequences in Chapter 1.3.

The increasing popularity of the Nazi Party after 1929/Why did so many people vote for the Nazis after 1929? /
  • To identify the importance of the economic and political situation in creating a receptive audience for Nazism.
  • To identify what aspects of the Nazi message increasingly appealed to which groups within Germany.
/
  • Students use a selection of Nazi propaganda posters and leaflets to list the main message presented by the Nazis in the period 1929-1933.
  • Students identify which aspects of the Nazi message were designed to appeal to the following groups: middle classes, upper classes, working classes, farmers, women, young and unemployed, and why.
  • Students write a profile for a character explaining why they voted for the Nazis in the 1932 elections.
/
  • A collection of Nazi Party posters, including many posters from the 1929-3 period are available at:
    cas/gpa/posters1.htm
  • Examples of Nazi propaganda, including many articles relating to the 1929-33 period are available at:
    academic/cas/gpa/pre1933.htm
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on who voted for the Nazis and why in
    1929-33 in Chapter 1.3.
  • Video extract from the BBC: The Nazis: a warning from history, Episode 1 Helped into Power, focuses on impact of the Great Depression on Germany and why the Nazis became increasingly popular with the electorate after 1929, including the importance of Hitler’s speeches (10 minutes).

Week / Content coverage/
key questions / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
6 / How Hitler was able to become Chancellor/Why was Hitler made Chancellor of Germany in 1933? /
  • To identify the role of various factors in causing Hitler to become Chancellor: the mistakes of Weimar presidents, the actions of Hindenburg, the popularity of the Nazis in the elections, the Constitution of the Weimar Republic, Hitler’s actions.
/
  • Students make a copy of a timeline of the main events leading to the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor and underline information which relates to each of the following categories: the mistakes of Weimar presidents, the actions of Hindenburg, the popularity of the Nazis in the elections, the Constitution of the Weimar Republic, Hitler’s actions.
  • Students evaluate the relative importance of each factor in bringing Hitler to power.
/
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides a good timeline of the main events in the rise of Hitler to position of Chancellor in Chapter 2.4.
  • Video extract from the BBC: The Nazis: a warning from history, Episode 1 Helped into Power, focuses on how Hitler became Chancellor (5 minutes).

How Hitler was able to gain total power in Germany/Did the Nazis start the Reichstag Fire? /
  • To identify the important consequences of the Reichstag Fire for the Nazis: the passing of the Emergency Decrees, the arrest of many Communists.
  • To evaluate the likelihood of the Nazis having started the fire themselves to strengthen their power.
/
  • Students summarise the main consequences of the Reichstag Fire for the Nazis: the passing of the Emergency Decrees and the arrest of communists.
  • Students use primary sources to evaluate the likelihood of the Nazis having started the Reichstag Fire themselves.
/
  • Primary sources relating to the Reichstag Fire and structured questions are available here.
  • Primary source images relating to the Reichstag Fire are available at:
    sub_imglist.cfm?startrow=1&sub_id=191&section_id=13
  • Primary source documents relating to the Reichstag Fire are available at:
    sub_doclist.cfm?sub_id=169&section_id=13

Week / Content coverage/
key questions / Learning outcomes / Exemplar activities / Exemplar resources
7 / How Hitler was able to gain total power in Germany, Enabling Act/What did the Enabling Act show about what Hitler’s rule was going to be like? /
  • To identify the main provisions of the Enabling Act and explain why these were important in strengthening Hitler’s control.
  • To explain what the Enabling Act, and the circumstances in which it was passed, showed about the nature of Hitler’s rule.
/
  • Students summarise the main terms of the Enabling Act.
  • Students provide evidence from the period 1933-34 to support these categorisations of the nature of Hitler’s rule: reliant on force and intimidation, dictatorial, offering solutions to people’s problems or fears.
/
  • Video extract from the BBC: The Nazis: a warning from history, Episode 2 Chaos and consent, includes information on how Hitler gained control of Germany 1933-34 (5 minutes).
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on the Enabling Act in Chapter 2.4.
  • Primary source documents relating to the Enabling Act are available at:
    ghi-dc.org/sub_doclist.cfm?sub_id=169&section_id=13
  • Primary source images relating to Hitler’s consolidation of power are available at:
    sub_imglist.cfm?startrow=1&sub_id=191&section_id=13

How Hitler was able to gain total power in Germany, Night of the Long Knives/Why did Hitler turn on the SA in the Night of the Long Knives? /
  • To identify the main reasons why Hitler launched the Night of the Long Knives.
  • To understand the main consequences of the event in helping Hitler achieve total power.
/
  • Students annotate David Low’s cartoon They salute with both hands now to show the message of the cartoon.
  • Students categorise the reasons why Hitler might have launched the Night of the Long Knives, for example: fear that the SA posed a threat to him, desire to win the support of the army, desire to send out a message of total control.
  • Students explain why some people were less likely to oppose the Nazis after the Night of the Long Knives.
/
  • David Low’s cartoon They salute with both hands now on the Night of the Long Knives is available here.
  • The Edexcel GCSE History (SHP) Life in Germany Student Book provides information on the Night of the Long Knives in Chapter2.4.
  • History Channel: The Night of the Long Knives: Hitler’s murderous coup.