Learning objective
- To explain why coronations take place.
Success criteria
- I can identify steps in the coronation ceremony.
- I can explain the use of special objects in a coronation.
National curriculum
History
The National curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
- Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’.
- Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.
Pupils should be taught about:
- Changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life.
Cross-curricular links
English
Spoken language
Pupils should be taught to:
- Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play/improvisations and debates.
See National curriculum – English - Key stages 1 and 2.
British values
- Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
See Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools (non-statutory advice).
Before the lesson
- Presentation: The coronation.
- Four sheets of A4 white paper (one set between two).
- Link: Kapow Primary timeline.
- Link: BBC – King Charles III's Coronation – this is an external website and we do not have control over its content – please check before showing it to the children.
- Charles will not become King when he is crowned, as he became the monarch on 8 September 2022 when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II died.
- Charles was proclaimed King through the ceremony of Accession, which took place on 10 September 2022.
- The coronation is a religious ceremony.
- King Charles III’s Coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today.
Lesson plan
1: Recap and recall
Question
- What is a monarch? (A king or queen.)
2: Attention grabber
Select ‘King Charles III’ (slide 1) from the Presentation: The coronation.
Presentation: The coronation
Explain that King Charles III is the 62nd British monarch to serve over the past 1,200 years. He became King on 8 September 2022 when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died. Show this using the link: Kapow Primary timeline and selecting ‘Within living memory’ from the ‘All periods’ table and selecting the filters ‘monarchs’ and ‘King Charles III’.
Question
- Who is our monarch? (King Charles III.)
- Do you remember when Queen Elizabeth II died? (The children may recall seeing the funeral coverage on television.)
- What changes do we see with a new monarch? (Some of the changes include: new coins, notes and updated postage stamps will feature the monarch’s image and the words in the British National Anthem will change from ‘God save the Queen’ to ‘God save the King’. The royal cypher – intials on new post boxes will also change.)
Select four volunteers and arrange them into a line in order of their age. Explain that in the past, if they were the king or queen’s children, the eldest boy would be the next king; however, monarchs can now be female if the king or queen does not have a son. Queen Elizabeth had no older brothers, so she became the next monarch. King Charles was her eldest son, so he is the monarch now.
3: Main event
Select ‘What can you see’ (slide 2) from the Presentation: The coronation.
Ask the children:
- What is happening in the photograph? (A crown is being placed on the Queen’s head.)
Point out that these are images of coronations – a special religious ceremony where a new king or queen is crowned in front of many people.
Question
- Have you been to any special ceremonies before? (The children may suggest other ceremonies with a religious element, such as a wedding or baptism.)
Explain that Elizabeth became Queen in 1952 when she was 25 years old. She was crowned in 1953 at her coronation in Westminster Abbey. Highlight that Elizabeth is the longest-reigning monarch Britain has ever had. Show this using the link: Kapow Primary timeline and selecting ‘Within living memory’ from the ‘All periods’ tab.
Display ‘Westminster Abbey’ (slide 3), which shows images of Westminster Abbey. Explain that King Charles III’s Coronation was on 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey. Show this using the link: Kapow Primary timeline and selecting ‘Within living memory’ from the ‘All periods’ tab.
Share the information about each part of the ceremony (the oath, the anointing, the investing, the crowning and the procession) using slides 4–8.
Watch the video clip of King Charles III’s Coronation using the link: BBC – King Charles III's Coronation.
Ask the children:
- What is a coronation? (A special religious ceremony where a new king or queen is crowned.)
- Where do coronations take place? (Westminster Abbey.)
- Why did King Charles III need a coronation? (It is a religious ceremony to show that he is King and Head of the Church.)
Arrange the children into pairs and hand out four sheets of A4 white paper per pair. Ask the children to write the name of one of the four parts of the ceremony (the oath, the anointing, the investing, the crowning) on each sheet of paper with a drawing to remind them what happens during each part of the ceremony (e.g. a crown for the crowning).
In pairs, ask the children to act out a coronation – one in the role of the King and the other as the Archbishop of Canterbury. They will need to think of actions for each part of the ceremony.
4: Wrapping up
Ask the children to perform the coronation for the rest of the class. As they watch, the children in the audience must hold up the A4 sheet which matches that part of the coronation ceremony.
Discuss the differences with King Charles III’s Coronation to reflect the monarch’s role today:
- It will be shorter with less content.
- There will be a congregation with representatives from all faiths.
Adaptive teaching
Pupils needing extra support
Could be given one part of the ceremony to act out.
Pupils working at greater depth
Could be tapped on their shoulders to instruct them to explain how their character feels when acting out the coronation.
Assessing progress and understanding
Pupils with a secure understanding indicated by: explaining that a king or queen is crowned in a special ceremony called a coronation; naming some of the main steps in the coronation ceremony; explaining the use of special objects in the coronation.
Pupils working at greater depth indicated by: describing some of the main steps in the coronation ceremony; explaining how a king or queen might feel during the coronation.
Vocabulary definitions
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anointing
Oil put on the forehead, hands and heart in the sign of a cross, to show that the person has been blessed by God.
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Archbishop of Canterbury
A spiritual leader of the Church of England.
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ceremony
An important event.
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coronation
A special religious ceremony where a new king or queen is crowned.
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crowning
A crown is placed on a new king or queen’s head.
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investing
Holding special objects to provide visible symbols of a role.
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oath
A special promise.
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orb
A special object, part of the crown jewels.
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procession
A number of people or vehicles moving forward as part of a ceremony.
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sceptre
A special object, part of the crown jewels.
In this unit
Maintained by: Kapow Primary team
Last update: 26th February, 2024
