Year 8: Making of the United Kingdom

Year 8: Making of the United Kingdom.

Duration of Module: 2 Terms.

Module overview.

Unit 1: Britain in 1485. 2 Weeks

Unit 2: Religious Changes 1485-1700 4 Weeks

Unit 3: Conflicts and Expansion 6 Weeks

Unit 4: Civil War 6 Weeks

Unit 5: People and Society 6 Weeks

Teaching Guide.

Each lesson in this module is numbered. The number represents a SINGLE lesson. In order for the module to be fully completed it is important that teachers do not allow classes to spend a double lesson on one task should the group be taught in double lessons: Some of the content of this module is compulsory Under the NC for History, you cannot miss any of these lessons out unless otherwise stated within this module.

Note: For Special needs, foundation and lower core groups there is a likelihood that the subject matter will have to be taught using Literacy techniques. This module has been re-written to take this into account BUT resources have not been prepared for ‘Literacy’ type tasks yet.

It is quite likely that there will be a need for all members of the subject team to develop resources for the teaching of Literacy through History. (I don’t have the time to do all of it). When planning your lessons please bear in mind that the tasks may need to focus on reading and writing skills more than on the historical content and, as with all resources created, please assist others in the department to plan in advance by storing all resources that you create in T:-DM-History/Resources/Year8/Making of the UK.

Unit 1: Britain in 1485. (2 weeks)

All Students.

(1) Read through page 4 of Heinemann, Making of the United Kingdom. Discuss the idea of Unity and wealth. Complete tasks on page 4.

All Students.

(2) Read through page 5 Heinemann. Provide students with cut outs of the different groups of people within society. The students need to place these into a pyramid of power. More able students should then write a paragraph explaining the role of each group within society. Less able students should discuss these roles and have descriptions formed as a class.

Then move on to the differentiated tasks outlined below.

Special Needs and foundation classes.

(1) Read through/ look at the source material on pages 6/7 of Heinemann. Discuss as a class what each source means. Complete a chart that identifies the meanings of each of these sources (Do this as a class). Ask the class to identify any themes that run throughout the source material what do the sources agree on?

Students answer questions 1a-c after teaching input on what these answers require.

(2) Discuss the pictures shown in Sources A and D. Ask students to identify the people within the pictures in order of power held. (i.e. most powerful first) How do the students know that these people are the most powerful? (Dress motions being made and location within the picture). Ask what is happening in Source D. Why would this type of punishment be used? Why was it done in public? Make a note of these on the board for students to refer to when answering questions. It would be of benefit to the students if guided writing groups were utilised for these tasks.

Students then answer questions 2-5 independently.

Core Students.

(1) Look at the source material on pages 6/7. Discuss the reliability of these sources and double check understanding of key terms. Look at the questions and answer 1a-c independently.

More able students (including Gifted and Talented)

(1) Read through and discuss pages 4&5 of the Spartacus Book. Discuss the role of women in Tudor England: What are the similarities and differences between the role of women then and now? Were the Tudors fair to women? What evidence is there in the sources to suggest this and is the evidence within these sources reliable?

Students answer questions 1-4 independently.

(2) Read through sources D and E. Identify the point of view that each of the writers is trying to put across. What do the two sources both state? (Nothing, but they both infer that they are punished for stealing). What are the facts within both sources? What are the opinions within both sources? Discuss the meaning s of key phrases and words to clarify understanding.

Answer question 5&6 independently. Provide students with a planning sheet for question 7. (Question 7 must be completed. This may be set as a homework task)

Unit 2: Religious Changes 1485-1700 (4 Weeks)

Special Needs and Foundation Groups.

(1) Read through Unit 1.3 of Heinemann. Establish the meanings of the highlighted words and ask students to define these.

Ask class to copy the diagram showing the hierarchy of the church into their books. This should be done as neatly as possible and coloured in. For students who complete this task ask them to write a sentence explaining what the role of the Pope, the Bishops and the Priests were in Tudor times. (And question 2 could be completed)

(2) Look closely at the sources on pages 8/9. Make a list on the board of all the things that suggest that people believed in witches and sorcerers. Ask if this list proves that people believed in witches and sorcerers in Tudor times. (Use examples of modern stories to show that the depiction of witches does not necessarily mean that people believe in them). Use shared writing technique to answer question 3a. Students should then answer question 3b independently (with some students being supported through use of guided writing).

(3) Explain to class that religion has often been used by people as an excuse to persecute their enemies. Discuss, briefly, with class the moral issues behind this (i.e. Is it right to persecute people because of their religion?). Tell the class that in Tudor Times there were many laws passed about religion. These were passed by Kings and queens who wanted to make people follow the same religion that they did. To demonstrate the number of religious changes this would entail the class are to complete a timeline (Activity 1, Unit 2.1 Heinemann). Add the monarchs religion to the timeline.

NB: All timelines must take up one full page. The title goes on the top line. The line itself must go down the margin and take up 20 lines. Students have to work out the scale themselves (they may require assistance with this if they have not done it for a while). For this timeline the scale would be calculated on the basis of: 1485- 1603 is 118 years. This would be rounded off to 1450-1650 to make the timeline easier to construct and for purposes of presentation. 200 years into 20 lines gives them the scale, which must be labelled every other line done the page. (i.e. top line 1450 miss a line 1470 and so on). All writing goes to the right of the timeline.

(4) Discuss the impression that Source A, page 10 Heinemann, gives of Henry VIII. Complete question 2a and b.

Identify as a class a list of 3 reasons why Henry made himself the head f the church of England. Put these in note form on the board and ask students to write a paragraph using this information to answer question 3 (page 10). Students here should be assisted through guided writing groups.

(5) Use the Information in Unit 2.2 to draw comparisons between Edward and Mary’s reign. Students could complete a chart asking them to identify similarities and differences between them: focus should be on religion, problems faced and the manner in which they dealt with these problems.

(6) Brainstorm with the class potential problems that would be faced by Mary’s successor. Read through the third paragraph of page 14, Heinemann. Discuss with class the reasons that Elizabeth had for being protestant. Were these good reasons? How would Elizabeth be able to deal with the Catholics within England? Work through as a class the response to question 6a. (Use shared writing). Students then work in pairs to construct answers to questions 6b/c.

(7) Read through unit 4.1 ‘The Gunpowder plot’. Ask students to explain why Fawkes and the other Plotters had tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament. They should answer this question in their books.

Read through the two theories suggested in the text and explain them to the class. Work through the responses to question 1. a-c should be done as a class with students moving on to d-f as independent work: which would be ideal for paired tasks and/ guided reading opportunities.

(8) Provide students with a prepared timeline covering the period 1485-1625. The students should then add the names and dates of each monarchs reign, one major event from each reign and at least one political problem caused by religion per monarch.

Example (This could be in a number of different ways)

Monarch / Dates of reign / Monarchs religion / Problems caused by religion / Other major event
Henry VII / 1485-1509 / Roman Catholic / No major problems / Battle of Bosworth Field
Henry VIII

Core groups

Lesson 1-3 as stated for Foundation groups.

(4) Show students pictures of a variety of Monasteries from around the region. Then tell them that Henry VIII destroyed them all, quite deliberately. Their task is to use the information in Unit 2.1 to establish a) Why Henry VIII did this and b) What the reaction of the people was to the ‘dissolution of the monasteries’.

A Writing frame would be of benefit to many students for these tasks. For weaker students it may also be of benefit to use guided writing or allow paired writing.

(5) Read through and discuss Unit 2.2. Answer question 2.

(6) As foundation groups.

(7) Explain to the class that the work that they are doing in these lessons is a little more demanding than the tasks that they have previously been doing. The reason for this is to see whether or not any of the class can be progressed onto the extended tasks more regularly.

Read through pages 32-33 of Spartacus. Work through possible responses to questions 15.1 and 15.2 with the class. Students then answer these independently.

(8) Read sources A and D from page 32 again. Ask the class to identify any similarities and differences between the two sources. As a class write a response to the question: Which of the two sources is the most useful to historians?

Students should then answer questions 15.3-15.5 independently, again some of the weaker students will benefit from guided writing here.

Extension groups

(1) Complete tasks in Unit 1.3 of Heinemann.

(2-8) Students are to use the text books and any other available resources to produce a booklet outlining the following: The Dissolution of the Monasteries, the Spilt with Rome, The persecution of Catholics and Protestants in the reigns of Mary and Elizabeth, The reasons for the Gunpowder Plot, The protestant Reformation and Puritanism.

The booklet should contain: a brief biography of Martin Luther, a glossary of terms used, a minimum of 5 primary sources to support the students theories. Students should be encouraged to explain the reasons for each of the events rather than writing narrative descriptions of events. This can be done through direct teaching or through prompts to students.

At least one of the lessons in this sequence should make use of ICT to allow students to access further information from Grolier or the Internet (if available).

Much of this work should be completed at home and additional research by the students in their own time will be required in order to produce a quality booklet.

Unit 3: Conflicts and Expansion (6 Weeks)

Foundation and Core Groups.

(1&2) Define the word conflict. Read through Unit 2.4 (Heinemann). Define each of the key words. Ask class to identify reasons why Mary and Elizabeth did not like each other. Put these on the board. Ask then what the consequences of these reasons were. Students should make a link between the religious differences and plots to overthrow Elizabeth. Ask students to write down a list of causes and consequences for each of the plots shown in the box on page 16.

These tasks would be best completed through use of guided writing and reading groups if support staff are present in the room.

(3) Test students recall of knowledge skills by asking the class to state the official religion of England under Elizabeth I. Can they remember the religion of Spain? Which countries had tried to help Mary Queen of Scots and why had they done this?

Read through Catholics and Protestants and ‘The Sea Dogs’ with class (in small groups if possible). Ask them to identify as many things that annoyed the Spanish as possible. Make a list of these, they are all causes of the Spanish Armada. Can the class think of any other, longer term causes of the invasion?

Write down each cause and add a sentence saying why it provoked a Spanish attack. Students could add whether it was a long or short term cause of the invasion.

(4) Read through ‘The Spanish Armada’ page 19 Heinemann. Interrogate source A thoroughly as a class. Answer questions 3 and 4 1-d in exercise books.

(5&6) explain to the class that religious changes led to many problems in England and that one consequence of this was King James II being ‘thrown off’ the throne in 1689.