Lesson 6: What was a monarch in the past?

Learning objective

To suggest what a monarch was like in the past.

Success criteria

I can describe what kind of monarch William the Conqueror was.
I can compare the monarchy in the past to the monarchy today.
I can recognise that the monarchy has changed.

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.
Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.

Pupils should be taught about:

Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries].

See National curriculum – History – Key stages 1 and 2.

Cross-curricular links

Art and design

Pupils should be taught:

To use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas, experiences and imagination.

See National curriculum – Art – Key stages 1 and 2.

Before the lesson

Presentation: What was a monarch in the past?
A4 white paper (one each).
Scissors (one between two).
Link: Assessment – History Y2: What is a monarch? (optional – see Wrapping up).
Link: Bayeux museum - Bayeux Tapestry – this is an external website and we do not have control over its content – please check before showing it to the children.

Prepare this lesson in presentation mode

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Lesson plan

1: Recap and recall

Question

What is an absolute monarchy? (A king or queen with all the power to make decisions.)
What is a coronation? (A special religious ceremony where a new king or queen is crowned.)

2: Attention grabber

Display the image on slide 1 of the Presentation: What was a monarch in the past?

Presentation: What was a monarch in the past?

Questions

Who is in the image? (William the Conqueror.)
What is happening in the image? (It is his coronation.)
Which part of the coronation is it? (The crowning, when a crown is placed on a new king or queen’s head.)

Explain that William the Conqueror’s Coronation took place on Christmas Day in 1066 at Westminster Abbey.

3: Main event

Remind the children what kind of monarch William the Conqueror was – he had all the power to make important decisions without others. He introduced new rules that people had to follow and made people pay taxes (money) to keep their land.

Hand out the Activity: Zone of relevance (one between two) and scissors (one between two) and display slide 2 of the presentation, which shows the activity sheet. Children should cut out the words at the side of the sheet.

Ask the children to discuss which words they think best describe William the Conqueror in their pair. Then prompt the children to sort the words onto the zones diagram, with the most relevant words in the centre zone, relevant words in the middle zone, and irrelevant words on the outer zone of the circle.

Questions

Which words best describe William the Conqueror? (Answers may include: greedy, selfish, brave, powerful and strong.)
Which words do not describe William the Conqueror? (Answers may include: kind, friendly, cheerful and helpful.)

Ask the children to share their ideas and add these to slide 2. Remind the children that William the Conqueror is an example of an absolute monarchy (a king or queen with all the power to make decisions).

Display the last part of the Bayeux Tapestry (which shows Harold had been killed) using the link: Bayeux museum - Bayeux Tapestry.

Question

What do you think would be on the next part of the tapestry? (Children may suggest: William the Conqueror’s Coronation.)

Hand out a sheet of A4 white paper (one each). Ask the children to draw the next part of the Bayeux Tapestry (they may choose to draw William the Conqueror’s Coronation) and add labels to describe what type of monarch they think William the Conqueror was. They then need to add speech or thought bubbles.

Ask the children to share their Bayeux Tapestry designs.

4: Wrapping up

Show the images of William the Conqueror’s Coronation in 1066 and King Charles III’s Coronation in 2023 on slide 3 of the Presentation: What was a monarch in the past?.

Ask the children:

What is a monarch? (A king or queen.)
How have monarchs changed? (In the past there was an absolute monarchy meaning that the king or queen had all the power to make decisions. Now, we have a constitutional monarchy, which includes the House of Commons, House of Lords and Parliament who make the decisions.)
What has continued over time (continuity)? (Answers may include: we still have a king or queen and they have a coronation.)

Optional – provide each child with the Quiz – pupil answer sheet and display the Unit quiz (see link: Assessment – History Y2: What is a monarch?). Read each question aloud and allow the children time to answer. Reveal the answers and ask them to self/peer mark their answer sheets.

If pupils completed the Skills catcher in Lesson 1, they can revisit them and add new information in a different colour.

To suggest what a monarch was like in the past.

I can describe what kind of monarch William the Conqueror was.
I can compare the monarchy in the past to the monarchy today.
I can recognise that the monarchy has changed.

absolute monarchy
Bayeux Tapestry
constitutional monarchy
coronation
monarch
power

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Adaptive teaching

Pupils needing extra support

Could use the images on the Presentation: The coronation from Lesson 2 when designing the next part of the Bayeux tapestry.

Pupils working at greater depth

Should add their own words to the zone of relevance; could design a Bayeux Tapestry for today’s monarch (this could be King Charles III’s Coronation) and add labels to describe today’s monarchy.

Assessing progress and understanding

Pupils with a secure understanding indicated by: describing characteristics of the monarchy in the past; identifying that the monarchy has changed over time; making comparisons between past and present monarchy.

Pupils working at greater depth indicated by: considering why the monarchy today rules differently from the monarchy in the past; identifying similarities and differences.

Vocabulary definitions

absolute monarchy

A king or queen who has all the power to make decisions.
Bayeux Tapestry

An embroidery (decorated fabric using threads) that tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
constitutional monarchy

A monarchy in which parliament make the important decisions.
coronation

A special religious ceremony where a new king or queen is crowned.
monarch

A king or queen.
power

The ability to make important decisions.

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In this unit

Assessment - History Y2: What is a monarch?

Lesson 1: What is a monarch?