The English Civil War

The English Civil War between King Charles I and Parliament, which broke out in 1642, played a pivotal role in shaping the subsequent development of the British Isles. For a brief introduction into this complex conflict take a look at this Timelines TV video clip. If you want a look at what happened after Charles' execution and during the Cromwellian era, then the next video in the series will give you a preview.

The Reformation

The Reformation was to have momentous consequences for the History of Europe, dividing the Christian church into two rival camps made up of Catholics and Protestants. In England, the Reformation received its first major boost when Henry VIII broke with Rome but its roots went much deeper. Have a look at these two Timelines TV videos: The first on Henry VIII's split from Rome and the second on some of the background to the Reformation. The BBC also gives a valuable outline of this relgious revolution.

The English Civil War

Take a look at this great Prezi produced by one of our Year 8 students. It gives a very nice summary of the events of the English Civil War.

History: The English Civil War on Prezi

The Tudors

A good introduction to the religious changes that took place during Tudor times can be found on the website for the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. You will also find plenty of other interesting information on the Tudor period on this site. As usual the Woodlands School website has a lot of good resources on this topic. Look at their section on the Dissolution of the Monasteries to help out.

This video also acts as a brief introduction, while the one below that gives some detail on the religious changes that took place during the brief reign of Edward VI.

Remembrance Day

The First World War came to an end 91 years ago. Traditionally the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of each year is the time we remember all those who died in wars. Have a look at this video in memory of the soldiers who died in the conflict. it is accompanied by the Last Post.



For more information look at these links to previous posts on the Blog and a new article on the BBC.
Remembrance Day
Harry Patch
Special Remembrance Day Service

Life in Tudor England

To find out about life in Tudor England why not begin with a look at Woodland’s Junior School’s outstanding website on the Tudors. Use the menu on their home page to find out about Tudor houses, children, clothes, entertainment and daily life.

Nettlesworth school also has some interesting information on life in Tudor times, while this interactive site even gives you a chance to listen to some Tudor-style music. The History Learning site has a good page about Tudor entertainments, while if you want to go into more depth try the activities on the National Archives webpage.

If you fancy testing out your knowledge of Tudor England try this quiz on the Channel Four website.

Elizabeth I

For some biographical information on Elizabeth I for your obituary, try out the BBC website and the History Learning site.

The Spanish Armada

The Spanish Armada remains one of the most dramatic and memorable events in British history, but how much truth is there in the traditional English version that sees it as a victory for the heroic underdogs. Take a look at the Channel 4 website for some of the latest research and check back on the blog to see an earlier post on the subject which might help you make up your own mind.

Elizabethan Portraits

As you know we are looking at how Elizabeth I used portraits as a means of propaganda. Here is a challenging and informative online lesson which you will be asked to do for homework. You will need to do some research to do the first section.

The Trial of Charles I

Charles I was the first English king to put on trial. He was accused of being a
"tyrant, traitor and murderer to the Commonwealth." Here is a link to one of the original documents from the trial. You can also find a concise biography of Charles I on the BBC History site, while the History on the Net has a useful timeline of events in the Civil War.

The Tudor and Stuart Family trees

As you know in Year 8 we are studying the 16th and 17th centuries. A quick look at the Tudor and Stuart Family trees might help you get a clear idea of who's who during this period.

The Spanish Armada

Was it, as old-fashioned British textbooks would have you believe, the story of heroism against the odds as the plucky English underdogs beat off the mighty Spanish thanks to their superior sailing skills and daring tactics? Was it, as many Spanish textbooks - and King Philip II - claimed, merely a question of some freakish weather coming to the aid of the fortunate English? Or was the failure of the Armada due to a more complicated combination of military, climatological and political factors?

Try and shake off your national bias and take a look at some of the following websites so that you can make up your own mind.

The History Learning Site offers a pretty objective analysis of events. Spot the interesting differences in the versions given on the Spanish and English versions of Wikipedia. Or take a look at this very detailed webpage and its sister site that attempt to destroy some of the myths surrounding one of the most famous events in English and Spanish history.

Take a look at this David Starkey video for his take on events and decide if you think it gives a fair verdict. Use your own research to decide if Spain really was weakened by the defeat of the Armada.

Elizabeth I portraits

In Year 8 we will be looking at some portraits of Elizabeth I. Here is a short presentation showing some of the most famous representations of the Tudor monarch.

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I reigned for 45 years between 1558 and 1603, becoming one of the most famous of all British monarchs. She is renowned for her moderate religious policy, her refusal to marry, her carefully measured foreign policy, her order to execute her cousin and rival Mary Queen of Scots and for rallying her troops in the face of the threat of Spanish invasion at the time of the Armada.

She was also an expert at propaganda and carefully cultivated her image as the "virgin queen" prepared to sacrifice everything for the good of her country. Look at this website for a comprehensive selection of portraits of Elizabeth and check out this video which has a slide show of some of the most famous ones.

For an explanation of the reasons behind her refusal to marry take a look at this short extract from a documentary series on the Tudors.

For a re-enactment of her famous speech to the troops at Tilbury at the time of the Spanish Armada watch this video:



For more on the Armada take a look at the BBC website and this section on the British Library website.

"I'm Henry VIII, I am"

A humorous introduction to Henry VIII with great musical accompaniment from classic British 1960s group Herman's Hermits.



On a more serious note, here is a excellent site which will fill you in about life during Tudor times. You can see real documents and objects from the times and you can play a series of games related to the period.

The Tudors

Woodland Junior School has got a great website with some invaluable information on the Tudors. Check it out and learn all about Tudor kings and queens, the way people lived and what they believed.

The Terrible Tudors

Every wanted to find out some foul facts about the Terrible Tudors? Have a look at this site.
Terrible Tudors

History Words

Chronology: putting people, periods and events in the order in which they happened. You could do this as a timeline for example.

A period of History – a chunk or section of the past, e.g The Medieval period lasted from approximately 1066 to 1500.

BC – “Before Christ” – the time in the past before Jesus Christ is estimated to have been born.

AD – “Anno Domini” (“The Year of Our Lord”). The years after the birth of Christ.

A decade – a period of 10 years.

A century – a period of 100 years. We often refer to events as taking place in a certain century, for example Henry VIII was King of England between 1509 and 1547, but we often say he reigned in the 16th century. Remember that the first century started in the year 1.

A millennium – a period of 1000 years.

An anachronism is something that is out of place. It is in the wrong place or period.

Sources are the things that are left over from the past. Historians use sources to find evidence about the past.

A primary source is one that comes from the time a historian is studying.

A secondary source is one that comes from after the time a historian is studying.

A fact is something we know happened for sure, for example that the first man walked on the moon in 1969.

An opinion is someone’s view about something, eg that Henry VIII was a bad king.

Bias is when something is one-sided. The verb is “to be biased”. Biased sources can still be very useful to historians because they tell us about people’s opinions.

Hypothesis – a possible explanation of something that happened.

Interpretation – A particular version of explaining what happened in the past.