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 Battle of the Somme

Here is a powerpoint on the Battle of the Somme that took place during the First World War. It looks at the plans for the battle and what went wrong:

The Battle of the Somme

View more presentations from russeltarr.

You can find some interesting background information on Haig on the History Learning site and on the excellent firstworldwar.com

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.

First World War propaganda posters

All participants in the First World War made use of propaganda posters to encourage recruitment to the armed forces, boost morale and attack their opponents.

At First World War.com they have a great collection of posters from many of the countries that were involved.

Medieval Towns

To get a good idea of what a Medieval town looked like and how it was laid out, take a look at this site, while if you want to understand how the sites for new towns were chosen, try this page.

The Peasants' Revolt

Almost half a century after the Black Death, the Peasants' Revolt took place. There are arguments about what precisely happened, but the History Learning Site gives a clear outline of the main events.

And here is a description, from a chronicle of the time, of the final meeting between king Richard II and the leader of the Revolt, Wat Tyler.

World War One - The Schlieffen Plan

As all you Year 9 students should know by now, the Schlieffen Plan - designed by General Von Schlieffen in 1905 - formed the basis of German military plans at the start of the First World War. The School History site gives a concise overview of the plan.

The Spartacus Web and the History Learning site have similar information on its site and here is a handy revision quiz to test your understanding.

Here is a video on the reality of the plan when it was put into action at the start of the First World War.

The Black Death

The Black Death killed between a third and a half of the population of Europe in the 14th century. This website provides a host of information on the Black Death including the low-down on the oriental flea that transmitted the deadly disease.

The Eyewitness to History site has a nice summary of the disease, as has this general site on the Middle Ages, while the BBC site has got plenty of in-depth information including a nice section on the impact.

The History Learning web has got good links with other aspects of Medieval life and a handy section on treatments used at the time. You can also find some really good background on Medieval medicine on the same site.

For an entertaining take on Plague cures have a look at the Terry Deary (of Horrible History fame) video below:

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.