Tuesday, 7 June 2016
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Year 7 starting points
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Romans resources
USE THE BLOG TAG 'ROMANS' TO FIND MORE, SUCH AS THE MONTY PYTHON what did the Romans ever do for us sketch......
WHERE DID THEY CONQUER?
SOME KEY TERMS
Romans key words from DB3igs
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INTRODUCTION
...
...
1. timeline sheet from DB3igs
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2: ARMY
Monday, 9 May 2016
American Civil War and Abolition of Slavery
Who were the key individuals who:
- campaigned to abolish slavery
- campaigned against the North abolishing slavery in the South
What were the key arguments?
Who were the key individuals on either side of the civil war?
What were the key events leading up to and during the civil war?
Why do you think the South was defeated and the Confederates forced to agree to federal law?
What role did black people play in the civil war?
How did life change for black people after the war?
PPT8 on the Civil War
Analysis of why the war took place.
Uses abbreviations like:
w/o - without
Br - British
S. - South
...
PPT9 Civil War Timeline
Key individuals, key events...
JIM CROW LAWS
What were these?
Give examples!
How did they come about, and over what time period?
Were they used across the entire USA?
What link do they have to the civil rights movement of the 1950s-70s?
In your own words, to what extent did these contradict the legal changes that abolition brought?
PPT10 Jim Crow Laws
Slavery was abolished ... but in some ways crept back in through customs that became laws, creating the conditio0ns that would eventually spark the 1950s-70s civil rights movement.
PPT10b The Rise of Jim Crow Laws
...
Monday, 2 May 2016
American civil rights movement
TWO CONTRASTING APPROACHES
Two figures, both religious ministers, dominated the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s: Rev. Martin Luther King and (Minister) Malcolm X. They had very different views on how to achieve their goals.
King believed in peaceful protest, such as the huge (200,000!) march on Washington in 1963 where he delivered his 'I have a dream...' speech, and civil disobedience, refusing to obey the segregation in place.
Malcolm X felt this wasn't enough; he called for 'black power' ... "by any means necessary", including violence.
read more:
COMPARISON OF MARTIN AND MALCOLM
BBC: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
BBC: MALCOLM X AND BLACK POWER
GOOGLE RESULTS ON MALCOLM X AND COMPARISON WITH KING
VIDEO COMPARING KING AND X
Slavery has been abolished...
This has notably been expressed through controversial early rap artists such as Public Enemy and Ice-T (I've picked out examples free from strong language; much of their material is not suitable for KS3).
Fight the Power (play only until 4mins; strong language follows) is a strong example of the direct link to, and often critique of, the civil rights movement with modern conditions.
A feminist might note that, notwithstanding Rosa Parks, this is an historic issue largely viewed through the actions and speech of men - and to some extent continues to be today.
Two men defined very different approaches to the issue: Malcolm X (radical convert to Islam and figurehead of the Nation of Islam and the Black Power movement, which also spawned the Black Panther Party) and Rev. Martin Luther King (Christian minister who preached a non-violent form of protest, and has eventually received mainstream recognition as a key figure in American history).
As you create your account of the Civil Rights movement in 1950s/60s America you need to come to some judgement on these two central figures. You also need to reflect on and include:
There are MANY short and feature-length documentaries viewable through YouTube - this search will help you find some.
This example focuses on the STILL controversial issue of schooling...
...
Here we get a student-made overview of the JIM CROW LAWS...
...
Here's a flavour of Malcolm X's radical views... You'll find many more in the sidebar here.
...
Contrast with this Martin Luther King interview (find more here)...
...
Two figures, both religious ministers, dominated the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s: Rev. Martin Luther King and (Minister) Malcolm X. They had very different views on how to achieve their goals.
King believed in peaceful protest, such as the huge (200,000!) march on Washington in 1963 where he delivered his 'I have a dream...' speech, and civil disobedience, refusing to obey the segregation in place.
Malcolm X felt this wasn't enough; he called for 'black power' ... "by any means necessary", including violence.
read more:
COMPARISON OF MARTIN AND MALCOLM
BBC: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
BBC: MALCOLM X AND BLACK POWER
GOOGLE RESULTS ON MALCOLM X AND COMPARISON WITH KING
VIDEO COMPARING KING AND X
Slavery has been abolished...
They say slavery has been abolished except for the convicted felonY'all need to think about that- Ice-T Ya Shoulda Killed Me Last Year (from O.G. Original Gangster, 1991)
 |
| The historic issues of slavery and civil rights for African-Americans continue to be viewed as contemporary open issues by some in America |
Fight the Power (play only until 4mins; strong language follows) is a strong example of the direct link to, and often critique of, the civil rights movement with modern conditions.
A feminist might note that, notwithstanding Rosa Parks, this is an historic issue largely viewed through the actions and speech of men - and to some extent continues to be today.
Two men defined very different approaches to the issue: Malcolm X (radical convert to Islam and figurehead of the Nation of Islam and the Black Power movement, which also spawned the Black Panther Party) and Rev. Martin Luther King (Christian minister who preached a non-violent form of protest, and has eventually received mainstream recognition as a key figure in American history).
As you create your account of the Civil Rights movement in 1950s/60s America you need to come to some judgement on these two central figures. You also need to reflect on and include:
- the source for ANY/ALL information you find
- make it clear when you're quoting
- a brief summary of sources: did you find any you didn't think you can trust as accurate? why? a good historian pays close attention to sources (was the Bayeau Tapestry fair and accurate?!)
- what were the causes of the civil rights movement - you need to include slavery, the economic growth of the US in the 1940s/50s, constitutional issues and the right to vote, Jim Crow Laws, the continuing North-South divide on race, segregation...
- what were the key events and people who sparked the movement (court cases and rulings, Rosa Parks, Malcolm/Martin, Black Panthers, Olympics and black power salute, Mohammed Ali, global atmosphere of revolution and rebellion in the 1960s - were there comparable movements in France, Britain etc? ...)
- what were the strategies used by the movement?
- what are the theories around Malcolm/Martin's deaths?
- why is there no Malcolm X Day?
- do many of the sources you accessed make much reference to Malcolm X, or does King dominate
- what were the outcomes of the movement?
- in your view, using quotes to support your argument, did the movement succeed? Are there any signs from presidential elections (current and recent) or wider issues around policing that might suggest not? Has segregation ended; has bussing succeeded?
- you could attempt to make contact with African-American schoolchildren of your age for more views
- be careful with how you use terms to describe race and ethnicity
There are MANY short and feature-length documentaries viewable through YouTube - this search will help you find some.
This example focuses on the STILL controversial issue of schooling...
...
Here we get a student-made overview of the JIM CROW LAWS...
...
Here's a flavour of Malcolm X's radical views... You'll find many more in the sidebar here.
...
Contrast with this Martin Luther King interview (find more here)...
...
Tuesday, 22 March 2016
SLAVERY life in the plantation
A short task...
Life as a house slave
Life for women wasn't what you might think ...
Resistance eventually grew...
Life as a house slave
Life for women wasn't what you might think ...
Resistance eventually grew...
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
King John
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| Headline from 2015 Daily Telegraph article [quality/broadsheet UK newspaper] |
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| His greatest achievement was arguably also his greatest defeat! |
KING JOHN: MISUNDERSTOOD MAGNA CARTA MAN OR MONARCH FROM HELL?
We will be exploring one of the major figures of the last 1,000 years of history on the British Isles (and beyond?), King John.
What impression does the Horrible History video clip below give you of this king - was he a wise, popular ruler, revered by his subjects?
CLICK READ MORE TO ACCESS RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH/FURTHER READING
Monday, 7 March 2016
Slave Trade: Middle passage and auctions
LESSON: TUESDAY 8TH MARCH
TASK: In pairs or threes, read each other's memoir (like a diary written when you are older looking back at your life) entry on the middle passage.
Sum up what you have learnt from this, and identify anything else you think should be covered in the memoir.
Comment on how convincing you think the memoir entry is: does it read like it is written by a desparate, terrified, confused young boy/girl who has been grabbed from their village, marched in chains to the dock and thrown on a boat, crammed in amongst 100s of others, with little food or water, no toilet, and people dying around them ... all while not really knowing where they are going?
Take notes on the feedback you receive; you will be re-drafting your memoir entry.
Use the remaining time to take notes from the resources below, some of which we will use in the next lesson. Note points which you can use to make your memoir more convincing and detailed.
THE MEMOIR
This topic is assessed through a memoir you write as we go along. Your entries need to reflect what you've learned, and can include quotes from specific sources that you (as the slave) may have encountered. As it is a memoir, you could also reflect on events or opinions that occur a little later than each stage, as you are looking back on your life in 1865...
POWERPOINTS
CLICK READ MORE BELOW TO ACCESS THESE!
TASK: In pairs or threes, read each other's memoir (like a diary written when you are older looking back at your life) entry on the middle passage.
Sum up what you have learnt from this, and identify anything else you think should be covered in the memoir.
Comment on how convincing you think the memoir entry is: does it read like it is written by a desparate, terrified, confused young boy/girl who has been grabbed from their village, marched in chains to the dock and thrown on a boat, crammed in amongst 100s of others, with little food or water, no toilet, and people dying around them ... all while not really knowing where they are going?
Take notes on the feedback you receive; you will be re-drafting your memoir entry.
Use the remaining time to take notes from the resources below, some of which we will use in the next lesson. Note points which you can use to make your memoir more convincing and detailed.
THE MEMOIR
This topic is assessed through a memoir you write as we go along. Your entries need to reflect what you've learned, and can include quotes from specific sources that you (as the slave) may have encountered. As it is a memoir, you could also reflect on events or opinions that occur a little later than each stage, as you are looking back on your life in 1865...
POWERPOINTS
CLICK READ MORE BELOW TO ACCESS THESE!
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
The Black Death
LESSON TUESDAY 8TH MARCH
TASK: Using the resources below but not the videos (you should have notes on these) write up a report on the Black Death, including:
TASK: Using the resources below but not the videos (you should have notes on these) write up a report on the Black Death, including:
- Where did it come from?
- How did it spread (detail the time period and countries effected; if typing this, include a map)?
- What statistics are available to illustrate the impact of the Black Death (a) across Europe and (b) in England?
- Scotland wasn't effected at first - how did the plague spread over Hadrian's Wall?
- What were its symptoms?
- What were some of the cures people of the time believed in? Comment if you can on what this tells you about medieval society.
- What impact did the Black Death have on England? Specifically, why did some poor people actually benefit?
The Black Death from DB3igs
CLICK READ MORE BELOW TO ACCESS MORE RESOURCES
Tuesday, 23 February 2016
WILLIAM, Harold, 1066 and the Tapestry: documentary
A 59-min BBC documentary
A History of Britain - Episode 2 - Conquest from antonio duailibe on Vimeo.
...
A History of Britain - Episode 2 - Conquest from antonio duailibe on Vimeo.
...
Tuesday, 16 February 2016
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR The Domesday Book
COMMISSIONED IN 1085
PARTIALLY COMPLETED IN 1086
WILLIAM DIED IN 1087
William used the introduction of the Norman feudal system to punish Saxon rebels, seize their land and property ... and give it out to loyal Normans (and Saxons who would pledge loyalty). Even the great rebel Hereward the Wake eventually became a loyal subject ... AFTER he regained land and property that had been seized from his family. The Domesday Book ensured William had a detailed record of who had wealth, land, property, livestock and so could tax it.
MrHistoryHelp's 3 min guide to the Domesday book
A Commisioner speaks out on behalf of his king...  The Domesday Book is a great land survey from 1086, commissioned
by William the Conqueror to assess the extent of the land and resources
being owned in England at the time, and the extent of the taxes he could
raise. The information collected was recorded by hand in two huge
books, in the space of around a year. William died before it was fully
completed.
  It was written by an observer of the survey that "there was no single hide nor a yard of land, nor indeed one ox nor one cow nor one pig which was left out". The grand and comprehensive scale on which the Domesday survey took place (see How it was compiled),
and the irreversible nature of the information collected led people to
compare it to the Last Judgement, or 'Doomsday', described in the Bible,
when the deeds of Christians written in the Book of Life were to be
placed before God for judgement. This name was not adopted until the
late 12th Century. (domesdaybook.co.uk) |
It was an exercise unparalleled in contemporary Europe, and was not matched in its comprehensive coverage of the country until the population censuses of the 19th century - although Domesday itself is not a full population census, and the names that appear in it are mainly only those of people who owned land.
Providing definitive proof of rights to land and obligations to tax and military service, its 913 pages and two million Latin words describe more than 13,000 places in England and parts of Wales. Nicknamed the 'Domesday' Book by the native English, after God's final Day of Judgement, when every soul would be assessed and against which there could be no appeal ...
(BBC)
In 1066 William Duke of Normandy defeated the Anglo-Saxon King, Harold II, at the Battle of Hastings and became King of England. In 1085 England was again threatened with invasion, this time from Denmark. William had to pay for the mercenary army he hired to defend his kingdom. To do this he needed to know what financial and military resources were available to him.
At Christmas 1085 he commissioned a survey to discover the resources and taxable values of all the boroughs and manors in England. He wanted to discover who owned what, how much it was worth and how much was owed to him as King in tax, rents, and military service. A reassessment of the tax known as the geld took place at about the same time as Domesday and still survives for the south west. But Domesday is much more than just a tax record. It also records which manors belonged to which estates and gives the identities of the King’s tenants-in-chief who owed him military service in the form of knights to fight in his army. The King was essentially interested in tracing, recording and recovering his royal rights and revenues which he wished to maximise. It was also in the interests of his chief barons to co-operate in the survey since it set on permanent record the tenurial gains they had made since 1066. (nationalarchives)
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR Castles
I'm sure you'll watch this and get inspired...
Video guide:
Read more: http://www.britainexpress.com/articles/Castles/william.htm; http://www.ancientfortresses.org/motte-and-bailey-castles.htm; http://www.britainexpress.com/articles/Castles/william.htm; http://www.timeref.com/castles/castwill.htm;
WIKI ON MOTTE-AND-BAILEY CASTLES:CLICK image TO ENLARGE
A motte-and-bailey castle is a fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to build with unskilled, often forced, labour, but still militarily formidable, these castles were built across northern Europe from the 10th century onwards, spreading from Normandy and Anjou in France, into the Holy Roman Empire in the 11th century. The Normans introduced the design into England and Wales following their invasion in 1066. Motte-and-bailey castles were adopted in Scotland, Ireland, the Low Countries and Denmark in the 12th and 13th centuries. By the end of the 13th century, the design was largely superseded by alternative forms of fortification, but the earthworks remain a prominent feature in many countries.
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EXCERPTS FROM THIS KS2 GUIDE:
What were the first castles like?
The first proper castles built in England were the Motte and Bailey castles.
The term motte and bailey castle comes from Norman French words for mound and enclosed land.
Motte - mound or 'clod of earth'
Bailey - enclosure.
Bailey - enclosure.
Who introduced the Motte and Bailey Castles to England?
The Normans from France, introduced the Motte and Bailey castle to England, when they invaded the country in 1066. It is believed that as many as 1000 Motte and Bailey Castles were built in England by the Normans.
How were Motte and Bailey Castles built?
The most important part of the Motte and Bailey castle was the Keep. It was built on a huge mound (the motte). Mottes ranged from 25 feet (8 metres) to over 80 feet (24 metres) in height
The sides of the motte were so steep that it would have been impossible to run up them in one go For added potection, a deep ditch was dug around the bottom of the motte.
At the bottom of the motte was the bailey. The bailey varied in size from one to three acres.
Inside the bailey, lived the followers of the Lord who ran the castle. There were many buildings inside the bailey including stables, storehouses, bakeries, kitchens, houses, and quarters for soldiers.
A strong wooden fence (palisade) surrounded the buildings.
The bailey was surrounded by a ditch, called a fosse.
What were the advantages of motte and bailey castles?
Motte and bailey castles were quick and cheap to erect - - some only took a couple of weeks!
The huge motte with its timber tower on top gave the defenders an advantage.
The bailey was designed so that any point on its circumference (outer edge) would be within bowshot of the tower.
What were the disadvantages of motte and bailey castles?
How and why did Norman castle building material change?
How and why did Norman castle building material change?
Wooden castles were not very strong.
The wooden structures caught fire easily.
Stone was much stronger
From around 1100 onwards, people began to build castles in stone.
.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval-england/motte-and-bailey-castles/
The first record of a motte and bailey castle in France appeared at the start of the 11th Century. The first recorded motte in England was in 1051 when French castle builders were building one for the English king in Hereford. However, the French were unpopular with the local population and the French builders left without anything substantial being built.
After his victory at Hastings in 1066, William moved around the south coast to Dover. Here he built his third English castle after Pevensey and Hastings. The motte and bailey castle at Dover took just eight days to build – according to William of Poitiers who was William’s chaplain. Was such a feat possible?
Building castles then was very labour intensive. William and his men were invaders and his army would have had to be on a constant guard especially in the immediate days after Hastings. Research on one of William’s motte and bailey castles at Hampstead Marshall shows that the motte contains 22,000 tons of soil. This motte took fifty men eighty days to build. Using this as a guide, the motte at Dover would have needed 500 men to complete in eight days. It is possible that local towns people were coerced into working extremely hard to complete the task. However, building a motte was a skilled achievement. The mottes were built layer upon layer. There would be a layer of soil that was capped with a layer of stones that was capped with a layer of soil and so on. The stone layers were needed to strengthen the motte and to assist drainage.
William accepted the surrender of the Anglo-Saxon nobles at Berkhamsted Castle, north-west of London – arguably his finest motte and bailey castle. This meant that he did not have to fight for London – and the people of London were spared their city being torched.
William started his reign as king of England with uncharacteristic diplomacy. He allowed the Saxon nobles to keep their land and he tried to learn English. However, for two years up to 1068, he was faced with rebellions throughout his new kingdom. William responded by marching his feared army to a trouble spot and re-asserting his authority. He then had a castle built there – a very visible sign of the Norman’s power. Castles were built in Exeter, Warwick, Nottingham, Lincoln, Huntingdon, Cambridge and York. However, this series of castle building did not cause the problem to disappear. Those who rebelled against William’s power, gathered in the north of England. In 1069, they targeted the most obvious sign of William’s authority – the castle of York. This castle was not heavily defended and the Normans soldiers there were beaten and the castle was burnt to the ground.
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR: Feudalism
BBC Bitesize:
You can find various full-length documentaries through this YouTube search.
An American guide:
BBC Bitesize resources.
Google images results for 'feudal system explained'.
FOUR GRAPHICS OF FEUDAL SOCIETY AND HOW IT WORKED
Feudalism worked through an exchange of money, protection, land or food.(sample quote from the video below)
You can find various full-length documentaries through this YouTube search.
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| Land was a great currency for the king to use as awards for faithful lords. |
An American guide:
Google images results for 'feudal system explained'.
FOUR GRAPHICS OF FEUDAL SOCIETY AND HOW IT WORKED
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR Hereward the Wake's rebellion
TBC
To imagine what life was like for the Saxons who refused to accept Norman rule following Norman conquest, this amateur video (17mins), The Last Saxon, recreates a sense of being hunted down by Norman forces.
Hereward was a Saxon rebel who eventually accepted the feudal system and Norman rule to reclaim the land he'd lost.
HEREWARD THE WAKE'S REBELLION
There's even a band named after him!
Exiled as a young man (just 18) by Edward the Confessor, he became a mercenary, returning to England in 1069 to find his brother's head impaled where his land and property once was. Enraged to hear Normans boasting about this, he killed 14 of them at a feast ... their head's replaced his brother's above his old house!
Along with the former Saxon earl of Northumbria, Morcai, he led a rebel force to Ely, which William struggled to defeat - many of his soldiers died when a wooden causeway across the treacherous marshes collapsed. Hereward and Morcai joined the Danish king there, and looted Peterborough Abbey for gold ... which the Danish king fled with ... and which also caused the Ely monks to betray him to the Saxons, showing them how to safely get across the marshes. Hereward escaped to the surrounding countryside, the Fens.
HORRIBLE HISTORIES...WILLIAM'S STRUGGLES WITH HEREWARD AND ELY
William struggled to defeat the rebels at Ely, who had picked their defensive base well. He tried laying planks across the marsh, but this collapsed, killing many soldiers.
He brought in witches to curse the rebels ... shockingly, this failed!
Bribery won out ... monks who feared Hereward and the rebels would rob them as they had done the Peterborough monastery betrayed them, telling William's men how to safely cross the marshes.
William won the Battle of Hastings, but he faced a long fight to defeat his remaining opponents, determined to oppose and undermine Norman rule and the feudal system that transferred wealth and land from many of the previous, Saxon elites.
HEREWARD: READ MORE!
There are several books on Hereward - check with your parents
before accessing any of these, as some portray the brutal realities quite starkly.
James Wilde's novel is a recent example (Amazon UK), but there have also been comic books and kids books ... have a look for yourself online.
See also: sources above and:
BBC guide.
EnglishMonarchs guide.
Wiki.
To imagine what life was like for the Saxons who refused to accept Norman rule following Norman conquest, this amateur video (17mins), The Last Saxon, recreates a sense of being hunted down by Norman forces.
HEREWARD THE WAKE'S REBELLION
Hereward the Wake (also known as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile, c. 1035 – c.1072) was an 11th-century leader of local resistance to the Norman conquest of England. Hereward's base, when leading the rebellion against the Norman rulers, was in the Isle of Ely, and according to legend he roamed The Fens, covering North Cambridgeshire, Southern Lincolnshire and West Norfolk, leading popular opposition to William the Conqueror. (Wiki)Still revered nearly a 1,000 years later by some in England as a great symbol of Englishness - here's a song and video inspired by him! Here's a simple whiteboard video detailing his story.
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| A heroic figure who inspired the legend of Robin Hood |
His story certainly influenced the legend of Robin Hood!This video provides a lot of useful information, though the voiceover is done by computer voice translation!
Exiled as a young man (just 18) by Edward the Confessor, he became a mercenary, returning to England in 1069 to find his brother's head impaled where his land and property once was. Enraged to hear Normans boasting about this, he killed 14 of them at a feast ... their head's replaced his brother's above his old house!
The Domesday Book confirms that a man named Hereward held lands at Witham on the Hill and Barholm with Stow in the southwestern corner of Lincolnshire as a tenant of Peterborough Abbey. Before his exile, Hereward had lands as a tenant of Croyland Abbey at Crowland, eight miles to the east of Market Deeping in the neighbouring fenland. (source)
Note though that not all of the accounts agree on what Hereward did or was like....
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| There are many books on Hereward! |
It is not known how long Hereward the Wake lived as outlaws in the forests of the Fens. But he apparently held out against the Normans until King William was persuaded to come to terms. Hereward the Wake was given his lands back and reference to his lands are made in the Doomsday Book. (Source)
Visit ely.org.uk to learn more!The great rebel became part of the ruling class again, his sister marrying a prominent Norman and William returning his land. That's one version; there are conflicting accounts!
Several conflicting accounts exist as to Hereward's fate thereafter, the Gesta Herewardi states that while in attempt to negotiate with William he was provoked into a fight which led to his capture and imprisonment, however, he was later liberated by his friends while in the course of being transferred from one castle to another. Hereward's former gaoler persuaded the king to negotiate again, and he was eventually pardoned by William. The Estoire des Engleis, written by Geoffrey Gaimar claims Hereward lived for some time as an outlaw in the Fens, but that as he was on the verge of making peace with William, he was set upon and killed by a group of Norman knights. Even after his death, people still visited a wooden castle in the Fens that was known to the peasants as Hereward's Castle. (source)
HORRIBLE HISTORIES...WILLIAM'S STRUGGLES WITH HEREWARD AND ELY
William struggled to defeat the rebels at Ely, who had picked their defensive base well. He tried laying planks across the marsh, but this collapsed, killing many soldiers.
He brought in witches to curse the rebels ... shockingly, this failed!
Bribery won out ... monks who feared Hereward and the rebels would rob them as they had done the Peterborough monastery betrayed them, telling William's men how to safely cross the marshes.
William won the Battle of Hastings, but he faced a long fight to defeat his remaining opponents, determined to oppose and undermine Norman rule and the feudal system that transferred wealth and land from many of the previous, Saxon elites.
HEREWARD: READ MORE!
There are several books on Hereward - check with your parents before accessing any of these, as some portray the brutal realities quite starkly.
James Wilde's novel is a recent example (Amazon UK), but there have also been comic books and kids books ... have a look for yourself online.
See also: sources above and:
BBC guide.
EnglishMonarchs guide.
Wiki.
Monday, 1 February 2016
Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada
WITH 'HER' COUNTRY ON THE LINE, ELIZABETH GAVE A ROUSING SPEECH
...and it had to be good, as the Spanish had a vastly superior army and navy. There seemed little real hope that Elizabeth and the Protestant Church of England that helped fuel Phillip's rage, would survive...
Elizabeth pledged to be right there in the midst of battle (didn't work out so well for Harold Godwinson back in 1066...), and made strong, clear religious references to help boost her army's resolve and determination to fight to the death if need be (and it seemed like it would be!)
She also tackled head on any fears that a woman wouldn't match Phillip as a leader.
The famous Tilbury speech was given after the major, decisive Battle of Gravelines - there was still more to be done, and further invasion attempts were anticipated, so this was no lets all chill out, job done speech, but a further call to arms.
You can read the speech at the Wiki, or a shorter version here.
This battle is STILL seen as a key event in the history of Britain, and remains a source of national pride and self-identity for some, placing Britain as a powerful, independent island nation.
Just as with the Battle of Hastings, luck and the weather would play a major role!
Below, I use two video sources to list some key points on the background to the war, and why Spain lost. Here are some useful resources for your own wider reading, and to look deeper into this major moment in European and global history - setting the scene for an English/British empire that would cover more than half the globe, often replacing Spanish rule!
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| Extract from her 'Tilbury speech' |
Elizabeth pledged to be right there in the midst of battle (didn't work out so well for Harold Godwinson back in 1066...), and made strong, clear religious references to help boost her army's resolve and determination to fight to the death if need be (and it seemed like it would be!)
She also tackled head on any fears that a woman wouldn't match Phillip as a leader.
The famous Tilbury speech was given after the major, decisive Battle of Gravelines - there was still more to be done, and further invasion attempts were anticipated, so this was no lets all chill out, job done speech, but a further call to arms.
You can read the speech at the Wiki, or a shorter version here.
This battle is STILL seen as a key event in the history of Britain, and remains a source of national pride and self-identity for some, placing Britain as a powerful, independent island nation.
Just as with the Battle of Hastings, luck and the weather would play a major role!
Below, I use two video sources to list some key points on the background to the war, and why Spain lost. Here are some useful resources for your own wider reading, and to look deeper into this major moment in European and global history - setting the scene for an English/British empire that would cover more than half the globe, often replacing Spanish rule!
Tuesday, 19 January 2016
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR Battle of Hastings 1066
Nearly 1000 years later this is still seen as one of the most important events in English/British history - although the huge Bayeaux Tapestry, which kept a record of the events, perhaps helps to explain that!
There are many great resources online to help you investigate this event.
YOUR NEWS REPORT WOULD FEATURE...
THE MAJOR PLAYERS AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT FOLK:
I'll start with 3 videos:
VIDEO 1; AUSTRALIAN TEACHER'S ANIMATED GUIDE (11:29)
Designed for his primary students, but still a good, quite detailed overview. (skip 0-0:23)
VIDEO 2: HORRIBLE HISTORIES (4:48)
This might give the impression that William was lucky to win ... and luck did play a huge part in this! The video doesn't cover this, but William didn't set sail until a huge storm, which would prove a key factor in the outcome of the battle...
VIDEO 3: BBC DOCUMENTARY (7:26)
Yes, its less fun, but it features recreations and provides a useful overview.
WEBSITES
battle1066.com - not so well presented, but you can find guides to specific aspects of the history - the screenshot below shows how some of this is laid out
The Wiki
BBC Game!
You can choose to play as either Harold or William.
Avoid bad decisions...
BBC Detailed Guide
Lots of useful information!!!
There are many great resources online to help you investigate this event.
KEY BATTLES + EVENTS BEFORE + AFTER HASTINGS
YOUR NEWS REPORT WOULD FEATURE...
THE MAJOR PLAYERS AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT FOLK:
- Harold Godwinson - the home team?! Maybe some of his fyrd or housecarls?
- Harald Hardrada - the naughty nautical Norwegian who swiftly seized York.
- Hardrada defeated Edwin the Earl of Mercia and Morcar the Earl of Northumbria
- William the Conqueror (as he became) - genius or very lucky man?
- Edward the Confessor - the man who caused all this mess?
There might be a weather forecast; the winds across the English Channel were very important.
A military strategist to comment on the tactics and weapons used (archers v axemen; shields v calvary and knights...) and why the high ground failed to work.
Did Harold make a mistake by joining his army?
What logistics issues were there for each army?
Who had the best claim for the throne?
I'll start with 3 videos:
VIDEO 1; AUSTRALIAN TEACHER'S ANIMATED GUIDE (11:29)
Designed for his primary students, but still a good, quite detailed overview. (skip 0-0:23)
VIDEO 2: HORRIBLE HISTORIES (4:48)
This might give the impression that William was lucky to win ... and luck did play a huge part in this! The video doesn't cover this, but William didn't set sail until a huge storm, which would prove a key factor in the outcome of the battle...
VIDEO 3: BBC DOCUMENTARY (7:26)
Yes, its less fun, but it features recreations and provides a useful overview.
WEBSITES
battle1066.com - not so well presented, but you can find guides to specific aspects of the history - the screenshot below shows how some of this is laid out
The Wiki
BBC Game!
You can choose to play as either Harold or William.
Avoid bad decisions...
BBC Detailed Guide
Lots of useful information!!!
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