This four-hour unit helps students to understand why religion was so important in the Middle Ages. This leads neatly into a study of the Cathars and the Reformation. Students study why the Church was so powerful in the Middle Ages. They conduct a card-sort exercise, have a game of charades, then work in pairs and groups to start design their boardgame (detailed advice is provided on the different types of boardgames that exist).

Students rate Henry VIII according to various criteria and “join the dots” in this diagram to produce a “Wheel of Life”. Space is provided for students to explain their reasoning.

This roleplay exercise divides the class into three teams – prosecution, defence, and judges. The prosecution and the defence gather evidence and prepare their case whilst the judges select some surprise exhibits to use in the trial. The trial itself should be a lively lesson which encourages students to make deductions and question the reliability of their “witnesses”.

Students read transcripts of the trial to consider what they tell us about the King, his prosecutors and the attitude of those present.

This resource can be found within this complete Key Stage 3 History Study Unit on the English Civil War.

A selection of quizzes and activities designed to help Year 8 History students revise the year’s work prior to their summer exams.

The Execution of King Charles I: Film and Primary Source Analysis
How accurately has the event been depicted in films such as Cromwell (1970) and To Kill a King (2002)? The video clips are accessible at YouTube: [Cromwell (1970)] [To Kill a King (2002)]