The Tudor Dynasty: Power, Religion, and Propaganda
This lesson introduces the Tudor Dynasty, beginning with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and covering the reigns of all five monarchs. It focuses on the themes of power, religion, and the transition from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period.
Learning objectives
- Identify the five Tudor monarchs and their chronological order.
- Explain how Henry VII ended the Wars of the Roses and established the Tudor dynasty.
- Compare the religious changes under the different Tudor monarchs (The Reformation).
- Analyse the use of the 'Tudor Rose' as a tool for political propaganda.
Lesson plan (60 minutes)
Introduction · 5 min
Do Now: Display the Red Rose and White Rose. Students guess the houses and what happens when they merge.
Direct Instruction · 10 min
Teacher-led explainer on the Battle of Bosworth and the rise of Henry VII.
Guided Practice · 10 min
Timeline construction: Students plot the five Tudor monarchs and their key religious stances.
Independent Practice · 20 min
Differentiated Worksheets: Students work through Support, Core, or Stretch tasks based on prior attainment.
Discussion · 10 min
Class Debate: 'Was the Tudor period a Golden Age or a Dark Age?'
Plenary · 5 min
8-question Multiple Choice Quiz.
Key vocabulary
- Dynasty
- A sequence of rulers from the same family.
- Propaganda碎激
- Information, especially of a biased nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
- Reformation碎激
- A 16th-century movement for the reform of abuses in the Roman Catholic Church ending in the establishment of the Reformed and Protestant Churches.碎激
- Annulment碎激激
- The act of declaring a marriage to be have been invalid from the beginning (unlike a divorce).碎激
- Dissenter碎激激激
- A Catholic or Protestant Christian who does not follow the practices of the established Church of England.碎激激激
Core worksheet (first questions)
- Why was the Battle of Bosworth a turning point in English history?
- How did Henry VII try to control the powerful nobles?
- Explain two reasons why Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church.碎激
- How did the religion of England change under Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I?碎激
Quiz (sample)
1. In which year did the Tudor dynasty begin?
- A. 1066
- B. 1485
- C. 1509
- D. 1603
2. Who was the first Tudor King?
- A. Henry VIII
- B. Richard III
- C. Henry VII
- D. Edward VI
3. What symbol was created by merging the houses of York and Lancaster?
- A. The Golden Lion
- B. The Tudor Rose
- C. The Silver Lily
- D. The Red Cross
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