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The Tudor Age
Activities
Before viewing
Place the period in context, linking it to times previously studied. You may find it helpful to go over some of the key events of the period, including the Battle of Bosworth, the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the Spanish Armada. This will help students to put the evidence shown in the programme into context.
Ask them to list what they already know about the Tudors. Stick to ten key facts or ideas. Which of them are mentioned in the programme? They could tick off, or tally, those that receive a mention. This activity helps them to draw on previous information to support their learning.
Look at a map of Europe to find out who England's enemies were (France, Spain, Scotland and Ireland) and which areas most needed defences.
Viewing activity
Watch and make a note of:
- Different kinds of buildings
- The ways in which houses changed and reasons for the changes
- Defences against enemy attack
Keywords
Tudors, symmetrical, Dissolution of the Monasteries, fortified house, Armada, beacon, maze
After viewing
Re-cap and consolidation:
- How did houses change in Tudor times and why?
- How did the Tudors defend themselves against enemy attack?
- How useful is the programme as a source of information about Tudor Britain? Which aspects have been left out?
Follow-up work
Historical knowledge and understanding: Change in Tudor times Use the programme and other information from textbooks to make a list of changes that took place in Tudor times.
Organise them under headings: political, religious, economic and social change.
The changes affected people differently. Fill in the chart below, explaining how these changes would affect each of the people listed.
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A nobleman |
A farm worker |
A monk |
A merchant |
A woman |
A beggar |
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Political change:
Death of Henry VIII
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Religious change:
Closing the monasteries
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Economic change:
Discovery of the New World
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Social change:
Castles gave way to grand houses
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Interpretations of history: The Globe (Internet activity)
Locate the following website:
Shakespeare's Globe
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/ Using the site, find at least two sixteenth-century pictures of the Globe. Print both out and compare them, looking for points of similarity and difference. Make a note of the date and provenance of each picture and use this to reach a decision about the reliability of each as a source. Then compare them with a picture of the Globe today, available on the same site.
Historical information: Elizabethan London
This is an extract from a map made in 1560 by Ralph Agas. The original covers the whole of London and is a reliable guide to the capital in early Elizabethan times. Look carefully at the map and then reproduce it, labelling these features:
the River Thames, the main road, parkland, a palace, town gates, a bridge, a church, a cross
Then label these important buildings:
Westminster Abbey (bottom left-hand corner of the picture)
New Palace (middle of left-hand bank by the 'Prevy' (Privy) Bridge)
Lambeth Palace (bottom right-hand corner)
Organisation and communication: Britain and the Armada
You are a Spanish spy. Your task is to find out about British defences against the Armada. To help you, use:
This sketch map
Information from the television programme
Information in books
You must find the answer to these questions:
Where are the forts?
Is there any warning system to alert the country when the Armada approaches?
Is there a land army? If so, how big is it and how are they armed?
What's the English Navy like? How big is it? What kind of ships does it have? Who's leading it?
Write your report to King Philip of Spain, describing the British strengths and weaknesses.
Your report must be:
Detailed
Clear
Respectfully written
© 2000 Channel Four Television Corporation | 