N Contents
Introduction
2
This is History!
How the This is History! series covers the content of the Key Stage 3 programme of study
Why use This is History!
A model scheme of work for Key Stage 3 using This is History!
Coherence and progression: using the This is History! Passport
2
3
4
5
‘King’ Cromwell?
Why use ‘King’ Cromwell? in the classroom?
How ‘King’ Cromwell? covers the key elements of National Curriculum history
‘King’ Cromwell? and the Key Stage 3 strategy
8
9
10
The Foundation strand: teaching and learning
Preparation checklist
Assessment
Useful internet sites for studying Cromwell
11
12
12
14
Detailed notes
15
Section 1
Introduction
Unit 1.1 Why did Cromwell go to war?
Unit 1.2 Cromwell: the hero of the Civil War?
Unit 1.3 A bloody murderer?
Unit 1.4 King Cromwell?
Unit 1.5 The man who hated Christmas?
Unit 1.6 Hero or villain?
Unit 1.7 Visit the biography fairground!
15
15
16
16
16
18
18
18
19
Section 2
Unit 2.1 When did Parliament take over the monarch’s power?
Unit 2.2 Why did Parliament become more powerful than the monarch?
Unit 2.3 What have you learned from your study of Oliver Cromwell?
20
20
20
20
Photocopiable worksheets
21
Section 1
– Biography worksheets
Section 2
21
53
75
Introduction
N How the This is History! series covers the content
of the Key Stage 3 programme of study
For coverage of other aspects of the National Curriculum, particularly skills and concepts, see page 9.
Periods/areas
of study
British context
European and world context
Pre 1066
A European
study before
1914
1066–1500
1500–1750
Includes
aspects of a
world study
before 1900
1750–1900
The twentieth
century
A world
study after
1900
2
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
INTRODUCTION
N Why use This is History!
This is History! aims to shake up Key Stage 3 history.
Ten years on, the National Curriculum was looking tired
and in need of new invigorating approaches. This is
History! is SHP’s response – a course that is designed to
change the way you think about, teach and assess Key
Stage 3 history.
Key features of This is History!
1 It engages the reader, making history enjoyable and
fun.
2 It is a carefully designed coherent course with a
clear rationale for content selection.
3 It is ideal for literacy and citizenship (see below),
and allows history to contribute powerfully to
school-wide objectives such as TLF (Teaching and
Learning in the Foundation subjects).
4 It uses a wide variety of learning styles from book
to book and within each book to suit the needs of
different pupils.
5 It offers significant outcomes – big end products of
which the pupils can be proud.
6 Work towards major tasks is carefully scaffolded,
and differentiated resources are provided in the
Teachers’ Resource Books.
7 It offers ideal opportunities for worthwhile
assessment.
8 It is colourful and well designed.
9 It carries the SHP flag, benefits from all SHP’s
experience of curriculum development, and leads
well into SHP GCSE courses.
10 It tackles historical issues that are relevant to the
modern world.
11 It is historically rigorous.
12 It covers Key Stage 3 history, making the most of
the flexibility of the revised National Curriculum
and delivering the best of the schemes of work.
A literacy strategy
This is History! delivers a history-based literacy
strategy for Key Stage 3. This is History! develops
pupils’ ability to:
– communicate effectively in writing in a range of
different genres
– seek meaning in a range of complex texts.
You can see a summary of the literacy outcomes for this
title on page 10.
A citizenship resource
This is History! addresses, in a history context, many of
the issues, knowledge, skills and understanding required
by the citizenship curriculum. This is History! aims to
make pupils more aware of:
– the value of democratic constitutions and the
dangers of nationalism and totalitarianism
– the need for respect for cultural diversity
– the importance of resolving conflict fairly and
peacefully, and the reasons why this does not always
happen
– the impact of world events on British history and
vice versa, and the need to act as global citizens.
It also uses tasks which develop the skills of enquiry and
participation that are central to the citizenship
curriculum.
The OFSTED view
The direction of This is History! has been driven by
OFSTED’s identification of strengths and weaknesses in
KS3 history teaching. Throughout the development of
the series we have sought the advice of senior figures in
the OFSTED inspection service. They have
enthusiastically welcomed the way this series delivers
the National Curriculum in a new and motivating style.
Schools can be totally confident that in using this series
they are meeting the letter and the spirit of the
National Curriculum. Inspectors have commended both
its rationale and its content.
The Schools History Project
The Project was set up in 1972, with the aim of
improving the study of history for students aged 13–16.
This involved a reconsideration of the ways in which
history contributes to the educational needs of young
people. The Project devised new objectives, new criteria
for planning and developing courses, and the materials
to support them. New examinations, requiring new
methods of assessment, also had to be developed. These
have continued to be popular. The advent of GCSE in
1987 led to the expansion of Project approaches into
other syllabuses.
The Schools History Project has been based at Trinity
and All Saints College, Leeds, since 1978, from where it
supports teachers through a biennial Bulletin, regular
INSET, an annual conference and a website
(www.tasc.ac.uk/shp).
Since the National Curriculum was drawn up in
1991, the Project has continued to expand its
publications, bringing its ideas to courses for Key Stage
3 as well as a range of GCSE and A level specifications.
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
3
Year 8
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
Year 9
4
Year 7
8 weeks
8 weeks
(depth study)
(depth study)
6 weeks
The Holocaust
2 weeks
King John
6 weeks
(A short, integrative unit
incorporating end of Key
Stage 3 assessment)
(A world study since 1900)
14 weeks
Conclusion
10 weeks
The Twentieth Century
10 weeks
(Citizenship-oriented depth study)
(Includes aspects of a world
study before 1900)
12 weeks
(Visits all the British core units 1066–1900)
Dying for the Vote
3 weeks
Section 2
(overview)
Lost in Time
Impact of Empire (Colonialism)
9 weeks
Section 1
(depth study)
European unit
(If you opt for What is
Section 2 History? as your
(overview) introduction, use Write
Your Own Roman Story
here; otherwise use an
alternative European
study)
6 weeks
The
Norman
Conquest
The Trenches
8 weeks
Section 1
(depth study)
‘King’ Cromwell?
6 weeks
What is History?
or
Write Your
Own Roman
Story
(A European study
before 1914)
Introduction
N A model scheme of work for Key Stage 3 using This is History!
36 weeks
36 weeks
36 weeks
Weeks
allocated
(out of 39)
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
N Coherence and progression: using the This is
History! Passport
al
stri
u
d
In ion
The evolut
R
VOTIN
G
REFORM
S
The
Civil
War
AN T
RM
NO QUES
CON
The
We want pupils to build knowledge, skills and
understanding together, across the ten books in this
series. We have planned the course carefully and, if it is
used appropriately, it should help pupils not only to
know more history but also to be better at history and to
understand historical concepts better. To help teachers
and their pupils to develop a more overt sense of this
progressive learning, we recommend that you use the
This is History! Passport.
On pages 6–7 of this Teachers’ Resource Book you
will find photocopiable masters that can be used to
create a Passport for each pupil, where they can record
their progress in developing knowledge, skills and
understanding throughout Key Stage 3 and the whole of
the This is History! course. There is a downloadable
version of the Passsport on the SHP website
(www.tasc.ac.uk/shp).
This idea can, of course, be adapted in all sorts of
ways if you have the time and the resources. The best
‘passport’ will be one which you devise yourself, but
Ho
loc
aus
t
what follows is a simple and fun method of recording
pupils’ development over three years.
The first sheet should be copied on to thin, coloured
A3 card and folded twice to form a cover. You could
customise the spoof coat of arms before you copy.
The second sheet is a simple template, which should
be copied on to A3 paper, then folded to form a fourpage inner section. Use as many of these inserts as you
wish.
As pupils progress through the course, they fill their
Passports with ‘visas’ – summaries of what they have
achieved. Pupils write the topic, skill or concept in the
appropriate circle or rectangle, with the date. Each of
their entries could be stamped if a school stamp or
simple ‘Approved’ stamp is available. Pupils may revisit
some skills or areas of knowledge and understanding and
it is a good idea to encourage them to write in a
different colour when they do revisit something. Pupils
will be able to collect a good number of visas from ‘King’
Cromwell?, enough possibly to fill a page.
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
5
6
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
© John Murray
The Cold War
The Holocaust
The Second World War
The First World War
Voting Reforms
The Industrial Revolution
The Civil War
The Reformation
The Peasants’ Revolt
The Black Death
Magna Carta
The Norman Conquest
The Fall of the Roman Empire
Life in Roman Towns
Passport
THIS IS HISTORY!
Events or topics
The Supreme Commander of the Schools History
Project and his dedicated Publisher, John Murray,
hereby require all those to whom it may apply to
allow the bearer of this Passport such assistance
and protection as may be necessary to continue
with the acquisition of knowledge, skills and
understanding through their
THIS IS HISTORY!
course.
Book title:
Knowledge: I have found out about . . .
Name:
Skills: I have learnt how to . . .
School:
(stick your
picture here)
Concepts: I understand that . . .
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Concepts: I understand that . . .
Concepts: I understand that . . .
Skills: I have learnt how to . . .
Skills: I have learnt how to . . .
Knowledge: I have found out about . . .
Knowledge: I have found out about . . .
Book title:
Book title:
Book title:
Book title:
Knowledge: I have found out about . . .
Knowledge: I have found out about . . .
Skills: I have learnt how to . . .
Skills: I have learnt how to . . .
Concepts: I understand that . . .
Concepts: I understand that . . .
© John Murray
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
7
INTRODUCTION
N Why use ‘King’ Cromwell? in the classroom?
‘It is now time to recognise that biography is not lesser history,
but one of its many branches. It uses the same tools:
documents, diaries and correspondence. It employs much of the
same methodology: research, comparison and interpretation.
Furthermore, while not all good historians need to be good
biographers, the reverse is the sine qua non of the biographer.’
Amanda Foreman, The Times, 13 November 2002
1 It provides an innovative approach to teaching
history in outline and in depth
Following on from the approach established in King
John, ‘King’ Cromwell? provides:
– a depth study of the mid-seventeenth century – a
period of war, new ideas and revolution
– a survey of the changing relationship between the
crown and Parliament from the Middle Ages to the
present day. It tackles key questions about when and
why Parliament took over government of this
country from monarchs.
2 It helps pupils to investigate dramatic events and
fascinating individuals
The book covers a fascinating and pivotal period of
British history. Central to the study is the controversial
figure of Oliver Cromwell. The study examines the causes
and consequences of this country’s bloodiest war (relative
to the size of the population) – the English Civil War –
and the most important execution in its history – that of
King Charles I in 1649. Connections are made to place
other major historical personalities in context, such as
Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria. All activities
have been designed to be challenging and interesting,
making history relevant and fun.
3 It engages pupils in a genuine area of historical
controversy and ongoing debate
The mid-seventeenth century is one of the most
controversial periods in British history, and Oliver
Cromwell is one of its most controversial individuals.
Historians are still arguing about the causes and
significance of the turbulent events that shaped
Cromwell’s life and the motives that drove him on.
‘King’ Cromwell? will engage pupils in this debate and
help them to reach their own conclusions.
4 It offers significant historical outcomes
The book helps pupils to produce a big end product of
which they can be really proud. Pupils have to draw their
findings together to produce their own biography of Oliver
Cromwell, using the analogy of the different attractions of
a fairground to help them to organise their writing.
5 It addresses the problems pupils face when they
attempt to organise and communicate their ideas
Pupils who understand many of the key historical issues
they study can often be held back because they are not
given systematic guidance about how to express
themselves in written form. If they are not taught the
skills of organising and expressing their ideas, all but the
most able will increasingly perceive themselves as failing
8
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
in a subject which is too difficult. History departments
will pay a high price for this – low uptake for GCSE
history. ‘King’ Cromwell? presents clear and effective
strategies to help pupils of all abilities develop these
skills and develop self-confidence through success.
6 It encourages a thinking skills approach to learning
Important writing and thinking skills are presented in
stimulating ways to help pupils transfer them to new learning
situations, in history and, we hope, in other subjects.
7 It develops key historical skills
As a depth study, ‘King’ Cromwell? provides a stimulating
context for pupils to develop their understanding of
historical evidence. It offers you an invaluable opportunity
to teach your pupils about the methodological difficulties
involved in studying the past. You will help them to
develop the essential skills of evaluating evidence in a
meaningful context. They will be introduced to a variety
of interpretations and representations about Cromwell.
These range from contemporary propaganda to more
recent assessments of Cromwell, which have been
produced for both scholarly and other motives. This will
help pupils to understand how and why different historical
interpretations are produced.
8 It offers stimulating strategies for developing literacy
Developing literacy should not be regarded as the
preserve of the English department. History teachers
also have a distinctive and important contribution to
make. The depth study urges pupils of all abilities to
produce critical and analytical extended writing. This
will empower them to write more effectively in other
areas of the curriculum. ‘King’ Cromwell?, along with
other books in the This is History! series, demonstrates
the strong contribution history can make to literacy.
9 It delivers citizenship in context
‘King’ Cromwell? provides a history-based approach to
teaching citizenship. It develops pupils’ enquiry,
communication and decision-making skills, extends
their political vocabulary and broadens their knowledge
of different forms of government. Issues such as the role
of the monarchy, the House of Lords, democracy and
dictatorship, and how to resolve disputes are as relevant
today as they were 350 years ago.
10 It develops pupils’ understanding of history
‘King’ Cromwell? offers a rich context for helping pupils
to understand the changing relationship between the
monarchy and Parliament in the seventeenth century.
A particular feature of the depth study is that it brings
abstract issues to life by regularly encouraging pupils to
place themselves in Cromwell’s ‘boots’. By weighing up
the advantages and disadvantages of Cromwell’s possible
courses of action, pupils will come to understand that
events are not inevitable, they are the result of people’s
actions, which are shaped by their attitudes and beliefs.
Studying the turbulent events of the seventeenth
century is also essential to understanding the development
of Parliament and the decline of the monarchy’s power.
INTRODUCTION
N How ‘King’ Cromwell? covers the key elements
of National Curriculum history
Aspect identified
in the National
Curriculum
Examples of how ‘King’ Cromwell? delivers
Chronological
understanding
• As they work through Section 1, pupils construct a timeline of Cromwell’s life.
• The timeline on pages 58–59 will help pupils understand how government changed between
Cromwell’s death and 1900. Pages 62–63 provide a chronological overview of political
developments from 1066 to 1900.
Knowledge and
understanding of
events, people and
changes
• In Section 1, pupils investigate the life of Oliver Cromwell, his actions and
motives, alongside important events such as the English Civil War (Units 1.1 and
1.2) and the trial and execution of King Charles I (Unit 1.3, Investigation 1).
• Section 2 focuses on long-term historical change – how and why Parliament became more
powerful than the monarchy.
Historical
interpretation
• ‘King’ Cromwell? focuses on one of the most controversial figures in British
history. As they work through Section 1, pupils will be forming their own
interpretation of Cromwell. This process should generate plenty of discussion and
debate in the classroom.
• In Unit 1.2, pupils will use the work of modern re-enactment societies to find out
about the Civil War.
• In Unit 1.6, they will investigate how and why interpretations of Cromwell have
changed so much since his death.
Historical enquiry
Historical enquiry lies at the core of every unit in the Pupils’ Book. Pupils are taught how to
identify, select and use a range of sources of information including eye-witness accounts,
letters, speeches, portraits, historical fiction, biographies and songs. Pupils are encouraged to
construct their own arguments and support them with precise examples, especially in the
biography task (Unit 1.7). In addition:
• Unit 1.2 promotes critical thinking and evaluation skills through source-based
investigations into Cromwell’s skills as an army commander (page 21) and the
Battle of Marston Moor (pages 24–25).
• Unit 1.4 develops pupils’ ability to interpret visual sources (see pages 40–41).
Organisation and
communication
Pupils are provided with regular opportunities to communicate their knowledge and
understanding of history, using a range of techniques, including spoken language and
substantial explanations. The key issue of how to help pupils organise and communicate their
ideas is addressed rigorously throughout ‘King’ Cromwell? In Section 1:
• pupils are taught how to weigh up evidence to reach a balanced conclusion
• pupils are taught how to argue a point of view and produce a piece of persuasive
writing (Unit 1.3)
• extensive advice and support are provided to help pupils plan, edit, revise and
produce their own biography of Cromwell (Unit 1.7).
If the teaching of thinking and communications skills is not incorporated into curriculum
planning, pupils will not be able to develop or demonstrate their knowledge and understanding
effectively. Like other books in this series, ‘King’ Cromwell? aims to help pupils to organise and
communicate their ideas, whether they are producing a piece of extended writing or not, in
order to achieve success – and to build strong foundations for their work in the future.
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
9
INTRODUCTION
N ‘King’ Cromwell? and the Key Stage 3 strategy
Literacy
If pupils get better at history they get better at literacy
and vice versa.
This book, like most of the This is History! titles,
has a very strong literacy strand. It includes a significant
writing task (to write a biography); many smaller scale
writing tasks (using a range of text types – see below);
and some significant reading challenges, including word
level and sentence level work supported by TRB
worksheets. There is also a strong speaking and listening
task which forms the basis of Unit 1.1 and opportunities
for debate in Unit 1.3.
All major writing tasks are supported with writing
frames (particularly the biography writing), including in
some cases differentiated frames for different abilities.
As well as biographical writing pupils are expected to
use each of the main non-fiction text types, for example:
Non-fiction text type
Purpose
Example from ‘King’ Cromwell?
Report
to describe the way things
are
Unit 1.1: pupils produce an interview with
Oliver Cromwell
Unit 1.2: pupils write captions to tell the
story of the Civil War
Explanations and accounts of
historical events
to explain how and why
something happened and
what its consequences were
Unit 1.2: pupils explain why Parliament
won the Civil War
Unit 1.4: pupils explain why Cromwell
rejected the crown
Unit 1.6: pupils explain why
interpretations of Cromwell have changed
since his death
Unit 2.2: pupils explain why Parliament
became more powerful than the monarchy
Persuasion
to argue the case for a point
of view
Unit 1.3: pupils write accounts to present
Cromwell as a hero or a villain
Comparison
to compare different accounts Unit 1.2: pupils compare different sources
about the battle of Marston Moor
Unit 1.4: pupils compare two
contemporary representations of Cromwell
NB Pupils will use a variety of text types to write their biography of Cromwell (Unit 1.7). ‘King’ Cromwell? can
therefore make a powerful contribution to school-wide literacy initiatives.
Citizenship
This book forms part of a citizenship-oriented trilogy
with King John and Dying for the Vote. In particular,
Section 2 of ‘King’ Cromwell? continues the story of the
development of parliamentary democracy started in King
John – with similar activities. Dying for the Vote
completes the story with the extension of the franchise
to all men and women.
10
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
INTRODUCTION
N The Foundation strand: teaching and learning
The Foundation strand of the Key Stage 3 strategy
identifies nine basic principles of effective teaching and
learning against which all departments should check
their practice. These principles are all deeply embedded
in the planning of this book.
Principle
How ‘King’ Cromwell? delivers
1 Focus the teaching
The objectives of this book are made explicit throughout. All of the
activities lead to a clear end product and each unit has been carefully
tailored towards it, avoiding unnecessary clutter.
2 Provide challenge
Pupils will be investigating difficult political and religious issues which
plunged this country into the most serious internal crisis in its history.
They will be investigating one of the most controversial individuals in
British history and writing his biography. At the same time they will be
developing important skills of analysis, interpretation and synthesis.
3 Make explicit concepts
and conventions
Key historical concepts are clearly explained throughout ‘King’ Cromwell?
The conventions for different types of writing are clearly explained in the
Pupils’ Book and the worksheets in this Teachers’ Resource Book.
4 Structure the learning
All the enquiries in this book have clear objectives which are carefully
structured within a chronological framework.
5 Make learning active
All of the activities in ‘King’ Cromwell? have been carefully designed to
promote active learning. Pupils, often working collaboratively, will
construct a timeline, tape an interview, produce a storyboard, write
conflicting interpretations, complete a quiz, make important decisions,
write a diary entry . . . and there are plenty of opportunities for heated
classroom discussion.
6 Make learning engaging
and motivating
The text, artwork and sources are varied and stimulating. The dramatic
and controversial content, the variety of activities (see 5 above), our focus
on an individual and the challenging biography task will engage and
motivate pupils.
7 Develop well-paced
lessons with high levels
of interaction
All of the units in ‘King’ Cromwell? have pace and variety. We have
deliberately avoided getting pupils bogged down in unnecessary detail.
The controversial issues, dramatic events and genuine human dilemmas
pupils will investigate; the structured, practical activities they will work
on; and the frequent opportunities for discussion should ensure high
levels of interaction between you and your class and between pupils.
8 Support pupils’ application
and independent learning
Much of this is down to you in the classroom but we have provided
worksheets to support pupils’ learning and suggested additional resources
for independent research, such as internet sites and CD-ROMs. We
advocate a further stage – rewarding pupils’ application and learning. See
Worksheet 28.
9 Build reflection
In Unit 1.6, pupils will investigate Cromwell’s importance in history. The
Knowledge Files (page 64), the History Skills Wall (page 65) and the This
is History! Passport (pages 6–7 in this book) are intended to help pupils
to reflect upon what they learned from their study of ‘King’ Cromwell?
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
11
INTRODUCTION
These nine principles are also reflected in the structure
and approach of each unit. As far as possible we have
tried to ensure each unit:
N starts with an intriguing ‘hook’ – an issue to be
investigated or a problem to be solved
N offers varied pace of learning, combining overview
lessons with in-depth investigative work
N has tasks which use a range of learning styles
N gives pupils choice about how they work, what they
work on and how much support they seek.
Preparation checklist
To get the most out of this book in the classroom you
need to:
1 Decide how to use the walls of the classroom – for
the Hero and Villain scales (page 3), the timeline
(page 5), the Cromwell word bank (page 5) or
something else.
2 Decide whether, and if so when, to start pupils
writing their biography (see Detailed Notes page
15). NB The biography writing frames (Worksheets
25A–G) are available in downloadable form from
the SHP website so that you can customise and
network them in your own school.
3 Ensure suitable research resources are available, either
in the school library or on the internet. Several
biographies of historical and contemporary figures will
be useful. CD-ROMs and selected websites will be
desirable. A summary of useful internet sites is given
on page 14.
4 Be sure in your own mind about the links between
this unit and the others in your course so that you
can build progression and links in the pupils’ own
minds. If you are using other books in the series see
pages 4–7 of this TRB. Your Cromwell timeline can
be related to an overall Key Stage 3 timeline.
Then for each unit:
5 Read the questions and activities in the Pupils’
Book and the associated worksheets well ahead to
plan the pace of your lesson.
6 Decide which questions to use for discussion only
and which to use for written work. All the questions
have a conceptual purpose but they don’t all require
written work.
7 Determine the level of support that individual
pupils might need and how you might further
differentiate the main tasks.
8 Decide how to introduce important but difficult
written sources such as Source 10 on page 36 or
significant visual sources such as Source 2 on page
41. NB Many written sources are simplified already,
but you may want to abridge further, put them onto
tape or write them onto acetate to allow you to talk
them through with pupils as a class.
12
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
9 Decide which tasks to use for individual work,
which for pairs and which for larger groups. We
have regularly made suggestions for group work but
all classes differ as to what is practical or desirable.
Bear in mind that how you structure group work can
be an important factor in effective differentiation in
the classroom.
10 Decide on what tasks (if any) are to be used for
formal assessment (see below).
Assessment
Meeting National Curriculum requirements
National Curriculum assessment in history requires
teachers to reach a judgement about each pupil’s work,
based on the evidence of what pupils do as they
progresss through their Key Stage 3 course. Teachers
look for the ‘best fit’ between the level descriptions and
the work that the pupil has produced. The level
descriptions are lengthy and varied because they derive
from the knowledge, skills and understanding set out at
the opening of the programme of study of Key Stage 3.
It follows, therefore, that the work carried out by pupils
should address all aspects of this knowledge, skills and
understanding. This is History! provides sufficient
opportunities for teachers to carry out their National
Curriculum assessment.
For definitive reinforcement of this approach to
assessment (and, if necessary, to help your case if your
SMT have other ideas), see the National Curriculum in
action website:
http://www.ncaction.org.uk/subjects/history/targets.htm
and
http://www.ncaction.org.uk/subjects/history/judgemnt.
htm
The way in which this assessment is carried out in
practice will depend on specific school assessment
policies and how history departments interpret them.
However, the two most common approaches are:
N to survey all of the work that a pupil has done over a
period (say, half a year)
N to set specifically targeted tasks (say, four to six a
year) which are the culmination of work done over
some time.
‘King’ Cromwell? supports both strategies by providing a
number of assessable smaller activities plus the major
biography-writing activity. The activities will provide
evidence of all aspects of the knowledge, skills and
understanding identified in the National Curriculum
(see ‘Key Elements’ table on page 9).
There is one major assessable activity and at least two
other activities which would be particularly appropriate
for formal assessment purposes:
The biography activity
If you choose to base your assessment on the biography
activity which runs through Section 1 and is set up in
INTRODUCTION
Unit 1.7, the following statements will help you decide
at which levels your students are working.
An answer characteristic of Level 3:
N uses some dates and other chronological terms
N shows some understanding of Cromwell’s motives
N reaches a simple judgement.
An answer characteristic of Level 4:
N shows simple use of knowledge and understanding to
support interpretation.
An answer characteristic of Level 5:
N has good use of knowledge to support interpretation.
An answer characteristic of Level 4:
An answer characteristic of Level 6 (or possibly Level 7):
N has good knowledge of the background of events
N shows understanding of Cromwell’s motives on
several occasions
N reaches a judgement supported by the evidence.
N deploys detailed knowledge effectively to support
interpretation.
An answer characteristic of Level 5:
The questions and activities in the Pupils’ Book are
designed to develop understanding rather than produce
evidence for assessment. They will, however, provide
opportunities to show attainment; although judgements
about attainment cannot depend upon one piece of
work. Such judgements should be made over a number
of pieces of work and over a period of time. Teachers
need to think more in terms of a pupil working towards
the statement and showing some evidence of attaining
that level.
No one judgement based on a single piece of work is
definitive. There will always be factors, such as the way
a topic was introduced to the class, the amount of
support given or how a pupil feels on a particular day,
which influence performance. When assessing pieces of
work, teachers might wish to consider the following
before giving out a grade linked to attainment.
N shows detailed understanding of chronology of
events
N shows clear understanding of Cromwell’s choices and
decisions
N reaches an argued judgement.
An answer characteristic of Level 6 (and possibly
Level 7):
N deals with Cromwell’s career as a whole
N links motives and decisions over several years
N argues an effective conclusion.
Activity B on page 26
If you choose to use the writing at the end of Activity B
on page 26, the following task-specific statements will
help you decide at which level your pupils are working.
An answer characteristic of Level 3:
N links some reasons with Parliament’s victory
N understands results of some of Cromwell’s actions.
An answer characteristic of Level 4:
N makes effective links between all reasons and
Parliament’s victory
N shows good understanding of Cromwell’s role.
An answer characteristic of Level 5:
N suggests some simple links between reasons
N shows some evaluation of Cromwell’s actions.
An answer characteristic of Level 6 (or possibly
Level 7):
N links reasons for Parliamentary victory into whole
story
N evaluates Cromwell’s actions consistently.
Interpretation activities on pages 31, 34 and 37
If you choose to use any (or all) of the interpretation
activities on pages 31, 34 or 37, the following specific
statements will help you decide at which level your
pupils are working.
An answer characteristic of Level 3:
Evidence for assessment
The level of difficulty of the exercise:
N the amount of source material used
N the complexity and length of the source material
N the complexity of the events being studied
N how familiar pupils already are with the content
N how the content is structured
N how the activity is structured
N the complexity of the activity
N how much support the teacher has provided
N how much support the Pupils’ Book or a worksheet
has provided. Has the pupil, for example, used a
writing frame which provides detailed or minimal
assistance?
The quality of pupil response:
N breadth and depth of knowledge used
N historical accuracy
N quality of explanations
N selection and relevance of information
N planning and organisation
N independence and imagination
N critical analysis
N balance
N effective communication.
N understands that Cromwell’s actions can be
interpreted in different ways.
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
13
INTRODUCTION
Useful internet sites for studying
Cromwell
The British Library ‘Living Words’
Two propagandist images of Cromwell, dating from the
1650s, are included in the Projects section of this
growing website. Background information, student
activities and teachers’ notes are also available.
http://www.bl.uk/services/learning/curriculum/projects/
muk/section11.html
Charles I’s trial and execution
A facsimile of the Intelligencer, Parliament’s newspaper,
covering the King’s trial and execution, can be found at
the following address:
http://www.adelpha.com/~davidco/History/charles1.htm
It looks authentic when printed on yellowing, slightly
crinkled paper and is much easier to read than on
screen. Pupils will need help with the language and
spelling, but it does provide an opportunity to work with
an unedited seventeenth-century document in its
original appearance.
Cromwell’s death
At this site, pupils can read how Cromwell’s death was
reported at the time in the September 1658 edition of
the Gazette, an official news-sheet. This is a useful
starting point for Unit 1.6, which examines how
interpretations of Cromwell have changed since his
death.
www.adelpha.com/~davidco/History/cromwell-1.htm
The English Civil War pages
An extensive site created by an academic enthusiast at
the University of Aberystwyth. It contains information
about civil war battles, the armies, the personalities
involved and Civil War re-enactment groups.
http://www.aber.ac.uk/education/PGCE/ohc94/ecw/
history/ecw.html
The English Civil War Society
This site contains some useful photographs of reenactments of Civil War battles as well as information
about the Civil War and links to local re-enactment
groups.
http://www.english-civil-war-society.org/public_html/
Hero or villain
This part of the Channel 4 History site examines the
ongoing controversy about Cromwell. There is material
about the Civil War and Cromwell’s life and career.
There is also a facility to ‘ask the experts’. Most of the
material is too detailed for KS3 pupils, but it can easily
be adapted to fuel a debate about Cromwell at the end
of Section 1.
www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/war/
cromwell.html
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‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
The Levellers
The full text of the Agreement of the People (1647) can
be found at:
http://www.constitution.org/lev/eng_lev_07.htm
Please note that the original document is very lengthy
and complex and should be used for teacher reference,
or as an extension activity for the most able pupils only.
The main site, which is also complex, can be found at:
http://www.constitution.org/lev/levellers.htm
A transcript of the Putney Debates can be found at:
http://campus.northpark.edu/history/Classes/Sources/
Clarke.Putney.html
Modern History Sourcebook
The full text of a letter written by Cromwell two days
after the battle of Marston Moor can be found at this
site. Unlike many seventeenth-century sources, its
language is accessible to most Year 8 pupils. It contains
some interesting detail about the battle and strong
evidence of Cromwell’s religious interpretation of
events. It contains Cromwell’s famous comment about
the battle, ‘God made them as stubble to our swords’.
The letter was written to inform Cromwell’s brother-inlaw, Valentine Walton, of the death of his son during
the battle and can therefore be regarded as valuable
unwitting testimony:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1644cromwellmarston.html
The National Portrait Gallery Collections
Most of Oliver Cromwell’s portraits and other images
(for example on coins) can be viewed at this website,
together with portraits of most other important
personalities of the period. The selection of Charles I’s
portraits is definitive. They can be copied but if you try
to enlarge them, the quality will be poor – the National
Gallery protects its copyright!
http://www.npg.org.uk/live/collect.asp
The Oliver Cromwell internet portal
A useful site created in 1999 to commemorate the 400th
anniversary of Cromwell’s birth. It contains a mass of
information about Cromwell’s life which is too detailed
for Year 8 pupils. The timeline, quotations from
Cromwell’s letters and speeches, extracts from
historians’ writings, and illustrations that pupils can
copy and paste are more useful. There are also links to
other sites.
http://www.cromwell.argonet.co.uk
The Oliver Cromwell Song
Monty Python fans will know all about the words of this
song! Pupils could use their knowledge from Unit 1.6 to
check the accuracy of this comic interpretation, which
is a potted history of the Civil War and Cromwell’s life.
http://bau2.uibk.ac.at/sg/python/Songs/OliverCromwell
Detailed notes
The Pupils’ Book is divided into two sections. Section 1
is a detailed examination of Oliver Cromwell’s life and
actions, through which we also view the causes and
consequences of the Civil War. The big summative task
for Section 1 is to write a biography of Cromwell – this
can either be built up en route (using Worksheets
23–27) or can be tackled in one go at the end of
Section 1.
The short Section 2 places Cromwell and the Civil
War in the wider context of the development of
parliamentary democracy in Britain.
N Section 1
Introduction
N Pupils’ Book pages iv–5
N Worksheets 1–5B
Pages iv and 1 form more than a title page – the Discuss
box also helps set up the ‘Hero or Villain’ enquiry for
the whole book. It should generate plenty of questions.
The Cromwell quiz (page 2) is supported by
Worksheet 1. If possible use it before pupils have read
page 3 of the textbook so they don’t know the pattern to
the answers. Emphasise to pupils they are guessing what
they think Cromwell did – not what they would have
done!
Activity B (page 3) is supported by Worksheet 2.
Pupils record their hypothesis at the top and then add
evidence to this sheet as they work through the book.
They may find this easy or they may need a lot of
support. One form of support we have provided for this
running task is at the end of the first three units.
Worksheets 9, 13 and 18 give possible evidence in a cut
and sort format. Pupils can either copy the statements
on to the scales or paste them on to an enlarged version.
You could turn this into a whole-class activity with a big
set of scales on the wall to which these sorted cards
could be stuck. The combined worksheets will generate
a lot of evidence and plenty of opportunities for class
discussion, so a large format set of scales is preferable.
For Units 1.4 and 1.5, where the evidence is more
accessible, there is no equivalent worksheet, but see
notes on Units 1.4 and 1.5 below.
Worksheet 3 is a possible homework – pupils use a
questionnaire to find out what their family or friends
know about and think of Cromwell.
Worksheet 4 uses the 1970s film Cromwell to help
you set up your enquiry either before the Cromwell quiz
(page 2 of the Pupils’ Book) or afterwards, alongside the
first Cromwell Close-Ups (pages 4–5). The film is
available on video. We use the opening sequences (the
first 12 minutes) of the film to help pupils begin to form
their own impression of Cromwell.
The times of the scenes are:
Scene 1: starts 0.00 min; lasts 40 seconds
Scene 2: starts 0.40 min; lasts 2 minutes 6 seconds
Scene 3: starts 2.46 min; lasts 5 minutes 8 seconds
Scene 4: starts 7.54 min; lasts 1 minute 43 seconds
Scene 5: starts 9.37 min; lasts 2 minutes 19 seconds.
This film is a very useful teaching resource. It shows
Cromwell as a troubled but principled man who was
moody, introverted and often violent. But take care:
some parts of the film, for example the scene where
Cromwell is one of the five MPs Charles tried to arrest
in 1642, are entirely fictional. You can make a virtue of
this by emphasising to pupils that, as with any other
interpretation, they should test it against other evidence
rather than take it at face value. The scenes used in
Worksheet 4 are also largely fictional. They are set in
1640 when Cromwell was an obscure, unimportant
figure and the final scene in which Cromwell smashes
up crucifixes and candlesticks is almost certainly false,
although it does help make an entirely true point – he
hated Catholicism.
Introducing the biography task (pages 4–5)
One big decision you need to make at the start is
whether pupils write their biography en route, at the
end or not at all. See notes on Unit 1.7 for the
advantages and disadvantages of each writing approach.
If pupils are writing their biography as they go
through the units then you need to spend some time
discussing Worksheets 23 and 24 at this point. You
should then introduce each of the Worksheet 25 writing
frames as pupils progress through the book. See below
for discussion of these sheets. Worksheets 25A–G are
downloadable as Word files, and Worksheet 28 as a PDF
file, from the SHP website (www.tasc.ac.uk/shp).
If you are writing your biography at the end then the
key tasks to enable this are a) the Hero or Villain scales;
b) the word bank; and c) the timeline. Pages 4–5 set up
two of those tasks while the first was already set up by
Activity B on page 3.
Activity 2, the word bank, will be particularly useful
in supporting pupils’ biographical writing. You may have
your own favoured strategies for making dynamic word
banks – cards on walls is a good one – but if you don’t,
Worksheet 5A gives a sample recording sheet. Make sure
this word bank contains more than just adjectives. It
should include similes (and metaphors) that will add life to
the writing. It may include other people’s descriptions of
Cromwell. See also notes on an ‘action bank’ below.
Activity 3, the timeline, will be useful for two reasons:
a) It will help pupils to maintain a chronological
structure in their biography. They could include
their completed timeline in their biography. But a
class timeline, on the wall, will also be useful. There
is an occasional reminder about these ongoing tasks
(e.g. on page 7) but after that it is mostly up to you!
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
15
DETAILED NOTES
b) If you are doing the biography writing you could
consider the timeline as an ‘action bank’ to mirror
the ‘word bank’ introduced in Activity 2. A
biographer focuses on what their character did. The
subject’s own actions should be allowed to speak for
themselves without the biographer’s adjectives
intruding too much. A bank of actions related to
each unit is as useful as the word bank.
If you are not writing a biography at all you simply
follow the Pupils’ Book guidance through Units 1.1–1.6.
Each unit works independently, in its own right and has
its own task. You need to leave out Unit 1.7.
Worksheet 5B provides a copy of the timeline in the
Pupils’ Book that pupils can add to as they work through
each unit.
Unit 1.1 Why did Cromwell go to war?
N Pupils’ Book pages 6–17
N Worksheets 6–9
This unit covers Cromwell’s early life and the events
which led to the outbreak of Civil War in 1642. The
Activity on page 6 explains the structure of this unit
clearly. Each spread contributes answers to one or more
of the interviewer’s questions about the period up to
1640. (There is a second similar task for the period
1640–1642 on page 15.)
It is best if the interview is done as oral work on tape or
video so we hope your classroom set-up and your
technology allow for it. Alternatively it can be enacted by
pupils in the classroom or completed as written work.
Pupils who are going to tape their interviews should
be making notes related to each question – not writing
full answers for Cromwell – but to make sure pupils are
getting the idea you could get them to write a full
answer for one of the early questions.
Question 4 on page 7 is referring to the anachronism
implicit in the task of a modern media reporter being
present at the opening of Parliament hundreds of years
before the invention of electricity, the tape recorder, the
microphone, the mass media, etc. – just in case any of
your pupils are in any doubt!
Barry Coward, one of the best academic experts on this
period, says it is essential to understand how important
religion was in this period. So pages 8–11 focus on
seventeenth-century religious beliefs. The more time you
spend explaining their importance, the more everything
else in this book will make sense. Worksheet 6 further
supports pupils’ understanding of Cromwell’s religious
beliefs and motivation, especially his anti-Catholicism.
In order to understand the tensions described on
pages 12–13, pupils also need to understand the way the
country was governed – why the king mattered so much.
If they have studied King John in this series they will
have been well prepared. Worksheet 7 provides a copy
of the grid in Activity question 1 for pupils to complete.
Pupils should now tape record or video their first
interview before they proceed to look at what actually
happened in 1640 (page 14). They could work in pairs –
one playing the interviewer, one playing Cromwell.
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‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
In Activity B on page 15, the 1642 interview should
follow the same model as the previous interview, using
pages 16–17, but should be speedier than the first.
Here is a possible homework. Use Worksheet 8 to
review Cromwell’s life up to 1642. Add in the date 1642,
age 43 and pages 6–15 before copying. It will help
underline the important biographical point (made in the
Cromwell Close-up on page 15) that although we are
focusing a lot on Cromwell, at this stage he was not yet a
famous or important person. Pupils should fill in the
shaded section as independent assessors. The same form
can then be used again after Units 1.2, 1.3 or 1.4 to show
the changes. It would also be useful on pages 46–47
(which examine Cromwell’s importance in history head
on). Each time, customise the form with suitable dates.
Worksheet 9 supports the Activity on page 17,
providing the first set of data for the Hero or Villain
scales.
Unit 1.2 Cromwell: the hero of the Civil War?
N Pupils’ Book pages 18–27
N Worksheets 10–13
Worksheet 10 provides a copy of the story strip on
pages 18–19 for pupils to add their captions. Pupils will
need to be prompted to add frames as they work through
pages 20–26.
In case you are wondering about our choice of battles
in Activity A on page 22: Hastings was covered in The
Norman Conquest; Agincourt in King John.
When you study the material on pages 22 and 23,
discuss with pupils the usefulness of re-enactment groups
for finding out about the English Civil War. See box on
page 20 of this TRB for more details on re-enactments.
Worksheet 11 supports Activity question 1 on page
25, providing more structure for pupils’ conclusions.
Worksheet 12 supports Activity B on page 26.
Worksheet 13 supports Activity C on page 27,
providing more data for the scales.
Unit 1.3 A bloody murderer?
N Pupils’ Book pages 28–37
N Worksheets 14–19
Now you have to make some important choices. There
are three investigations in this unit: 1 The execution of
Charles I; 2 The defeat of the Levellers; and 3 The
massacre of Irish Catholics at Drogheda. Each one
provides important evidence for the Hero or Villain
scales. Each one has the same main tasks – a decision
point followed by biased writing – and they each explore
similar issues – Cromwell’s reputation as a tyrant – so you
don’t need to study them all. You could divide your class
into three groups, each one following a different
investigation and then reporting their findings back to
the rest of the class. This could take the form of
presenting opposing viewpoints for the rest of the class to
arbitrate between, possibly in the form of a trial.
Investigations 1 and 3 are more accessible than 2 and are
certainly the most mainstream – indeed the massacre of
the Irish is a piece of history that still has currency today.
DETAILED NOTES
Worksheet 14 is a literacy-oriented homework task
using Source 2 from page 28 for detailed interrogation.
You could ask similar questions of Source 1, perhaps as a
class discussion, to establish whether Cromwell’s
attitude towards Charles I changed during this period or
whether he always wanted to be a ‘king-killer’.
Worksheet 15 supports the ‘Decision time’ activity
on page 29. You could produce similar sheets for the
similar tasks on pages 33 and 35.
The Activity on page 31 establishes the main task for
these investigations, introduced on page 28, which is to
produce biased writing from opposing viewpoints. The
convention of not using the key words ‘hero’ and
‘villain’ is known in the Foundation Strand of the Key
Stage 3 Strategy as ‘Taboo!’ Pupils may be familiar with
the term or the game on which it is based. Pupils need
to be clear about the purpose of this writing – it is not to
be balanced! The first part of Worksheet 16 gives
generic advice on how to write in this way. It can be
used for class discussion before pupils get started.
These biased writing tasks are not as easy as they
might first appear. It is easy enough for pupils to write in
a biased way. But each task combines three levels of
thinking: about the events; about Cromwell’s role in
them (which is not always known); and the
interpretation of Cromwell. Investigation 1 is
particularly tricky because it needs to draw on events
from before the execution. You can’t write about the
execution with a Cromwell angle because he was not
there. So it involves a backward look at ‘how it had
come to this’. The second sheet of Worksheet 16
therefore provides a quite directive writing frame for
pupils writing about the execution. To help you set the
scene for their writing you could also read out the two
extreme parallel examples below. Discuss:
a) Which is pro- and which is anti-Cromwell.
b) How do you know? Think of words, phrases, and
selection of events.
c) Has the writer lied at any point (or introduced
incorrect information)?
Version 1
This execution was Cromwell’s greatest moment.
Step by step Cromwell edged nearer to his final
ambition – to get rid of the King and grab power for
himself.
Before the war no one had taken Cromwell seriously.
In Parliament he had been treated like a joke. The Civil
War gave him the opportunity he wanted. Now that the
King was public enemy number one he could strike.
Cromwell raised his own army. He stole the King’s
money to arm and train the army. He ruthlessly fought
his way to the top.
Now he was the most powerful man in England,
except for one problem – the King. Charles was
Parliament’s prisoner. How could Cromwell deal with
him? In public Cromwell put on a show of agonising
doubt. ‘Only a traitor would put the King on trial,’ he
said. In private he freely discussed why they needed to
get rid of the King as soon as possible.
When the moment came he let his army officers do
his dirty work for him as they threw out all the MPs that
were opposed to putting the King on trial. And when
the fake trial reached its prejudged outcome he led the
rush to sign the death warrant.
And then the final insult – as the King, God’s
appointed ruler, was taken out to die, Cromwell could
not even be bothered to turn up. It’s as if he was saying,
I have more important things to do with my time.
The axe fell. The awful deed was done. And
somewhere in secret Cromwell and his men gloated.
Now they were well and truly in charge and could do
whatever they wanted!
Version 2
This execution was Cromwell’s saddest moment.
Cromwell was a gentle man. He had hoped that
Parliament and the King would settle their dispute
peacefully, without bloodshed.
Religion had been all he was interested in. He had
not thought that the King would be stupid enough to
declare war against his own Parliament.
But the war must be won – he was sure of that. He
was fighting for the peace of England and God was on
his side. He was prepared to die for such a noble cause.
Now destiny had handed him a problem – what to do
with the King. Cromwell could not trust the King. He
had deceived them once – he could do it again. They
could not send him out of the country – he would
return. They could not keep him prisoner – he would
just plot. Cromwell agonised many a sleepless night –
was execution the only way? If so, let them run a proper
and orderly trial and give the King every chance to
defend his actions.
To the very last Cromwell was in doubt. His army
officers got fed up with his indecision and purged
Parliament of all the King’s supporters. Now Cromwell
had no choice – he could not stand against his own
army. With a heavy heart and for the good of England
he signed the warrant with a sigh.
Now that the end was near he could not bear to
watch this execution – instead he took his closest
friends away to pray for the soul of the executed King.
As they prayed they heard the roar of the crowd from
Whitehall. Cromwell knew the act was done. He
repeated to himself again and again, ‘For the good of
England’.
Following on from the Levellers’ investigation on pages
32–34, Worksheet 17 is an extension sheet on the
Women’s Petition to Parliament, which provides an
extra dimension to the issues covered by the Putney
debates and a link forward to Dying for the Vote, our Y9
book which continues the story of the struggle for
democracy that is started in Investigation 2.
Worksheet 18 provides evidence for the Hero or
Villain scales (Activity B on page 37). It covers all three
Investigations.
Worksheet 19 is a citizenship-driven activity –
putting Cromwell on trial for war crimes. It is very much
an extension activity but if pupils have completed the
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
17
DETAILED NOTES
investigation on Ireland it will not require any extra
research to set this up and you can make as much or as
little of the role play aspect of this as you wish. You
could also use the short BBC programme ‘Cromwell:
soldier or war criminal?’ in the KS3 Curriculum Bites
Interpretations series, first broadcast in 2003. You could
easily customise Worksheet 19 for Investigations 1 or 2,
to put Cromwell on trial for murdering the King or the
Levellers.
Unit 1.4 King Cromwell?
N Pupils’ Book pages 38–41
N Worksheet 20
The first paragraph on page 38 covers a turbulent and
complex period. We have not gone into the detail of
how England was governed as a republic because it
would be too time-consuming to explore it in
worthwhile detail and the issues are complicated. If you
want to find out more about it, you could use pages
88–89 of SHP’s Re-Discovering the Making of the UK.
Cromwell was leader of the army which made him the
most powerful person in Britain. All ideas about how to
rule the country seemed to revolve around him. During
this period he had a love–hate relationship with
Parliament. He got very frustrated with the way
Parliament acted and closed it when MPs did not act as
he thought they should.
The focus of this unit is MPs’ offer of the crown to
Cromwell in 1657. The first spread, pages 38–39, has a
greater significance in the whole story of this book than its
extent would suggest. It is what our book title, ‘King’
Cromwell?, is all about, and it sums up perhaps the biggest
dilemma of Cromwell’s life – whether to take the chance to
win Parliament’s suppport by becoming King Oliver.
Pupils will have to decide why Cromwell rejected the
offer. Cromwell clearly found it a difficult decision to
make (also see Source 4 on page 49). Pupils will have to
decide if he rejected the crown because of fear of the
army (which fits in with the villain hypothesis) or
because of his religious beliefs (which supports the
hero view).
Worksheet 20 supports Activity question 1 on
page 38.
Pages 40–41 provide a valuable opportunity to
interrogate two contemporary visual sources. Source 1 is
a hostile view presenting Cromwell as a crown-grabbing
military dictator. Source 2 is an official view, produced
at the time of Cromwell’s death, portraying him as a
hero who brought peace, unity and prosperity to Britain.
Source 1 is relatively straightforward if you examine the
detail. Source 2 is much more complex. The basic points
are highlighted in the Activity on page 40 but there is
more to note:
N The right column carries the Parliament building.
The flags are the flags of England, Scotland and
Ireland. Kneeling women from each country are
offering Cromwell a victory wreath.
N The left column represents the rule of law. Cromwell’s
initials are at the top, representing the sun.
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‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
N A Bible quotation snakes down from God to
Cromwell’s sword on a ribbon – and a related one
down to Parliament.
N The background imagery connects Cromwell not
only to Noah but also to another celebrated Bible
figure, Abraham (seen about to slay Isaac) – the
model for a man whose obedience to God’s
commands was tested to the limit.
There is no Hero or Villain worksheet for this unit, but
your pupils’ conclusions about why Cromwell rejected the
crown and the views in Sources 1 and 2 will provide
pupils with material to add to their scales (Worksheet 2).
Unit 1.5 The man who hated Christmas?
N Pupils’ Book pages 42–43
This unit investigates the complex relationship between
Cromwell’s unpopular Puritan measures, for which he is
mostly remembered, and his personal life. During the
period of rule by the Major Generals (one of the
experiments in government tried during the Republic)
the country was divided into 11 regions, each under one
of the army’s major generals. Some of them were
extreme Puritans and used this opportunity to impose
strict Puritan habits on the reluctant population.
Cromwell’s reputation as a religious bigot and Puritan
killjoy derives, to a large extent, from this system which
he established in 1655. However, the evidence of his
personal life presents more shades of grey.
There is no Hero or Villain worksheet for this unit, but
these two pages give pupils plenty of evidence to add to
their scales (Worksheet 2).
Unit 1.6 Hero or villain?
N Pupils’ Book pages 44–47
N Worksheets 21 and 22
By now your pupils’ own Hero or Villain scales – or your
class scales – should be thoroughly loaded one way or
the other. This unit provides more data for the scales
but also helps pupils to review what they have already
learned as they investigate how and why views about
Cromwell have changed so much since his death. It will
help pupils understand the transitional nature of
historical interpretations; and provide a useful antidote
to a comment that I still hear on Parents’ Evenings:
‘Well, at least history doesn’t change, does it?’
Worksheet 21 provides the large graph for the
Activity on page 44.
Worksheet 22 is an optional source evaluation
homework on an infamous and mythical incident in
Cromwell’s childhood. It tells us more about Cromwell’s
reputation after his death than about his childhood,
which is why we have placed it here.
Pages 46–47 introduce a new theme and one to
which we will return more directly in Y9, particularly in
the unit on the twentieth century: significance. There is
no single set of criteria by which to examine
significance so here we have devised our own.
DETAILED NOTES
Activity A applies these criteria to Cromwell and
Activity B then examines individuals across history. You
could easily substitute other individuals for those we
have chosen for page 47 – indeed if you have videoed or
are familiar with the 2002 BBC series ‘Great Britons’
you might like to use their top ten (add the five who are
not already on this page: Darwin, Princess Diana,
Brunel, Nelson, Newton). This series was broadcast
after the Pupils’ Book went to press. The BBC asked
viewers to rate individuals according to these criteria:
legacy, genius, leadership, bravery, compassion.
Cromwell scored, out of 10: 6, 5, 7, 7, 4 – and came last!
You could reuse Worksheet 8 here for a final time.
Unit 1.7 Visit the biography fairground!
N Pupils’ Book pages 48–54
N Worksheets 23–28
How you use these worksheets will depend on the
decision you took at the start of the book (see page 15).
If the class has been drafting biography sheets unit by
unit, pupils will now have a lot of draft material to work
with, for which they will mostly need help to organise
and edit. If you have left this task until the end, then it
is more demanding (in terms of how much writing there
is to do) but also simpler in that pupils will start their
writing with a very strong sense of Cromwell, his actions
and motives. It is closer to the way a real historical
biographer works: research, make notes, gather the
evidence, reach your big judgements and then write.
The advice for planning, revising and editing the work
on pages 48–54 can be used for either approach.
If possible, examine some other examples of
biographical writing to help pupils understand that:
a) Biography does not require a long narrative – some
pupils may write little more than a biographical
sketch – and that is quite acceptable. You may want
to put a word limit to make this point; for example,
a maximum of 500 or 1000 words plus a timeline
and an illustration.
b) There are different styles of biographical writing.
These are explained on Worksheet 23, which is
designed for class discussion about the advantages
and disadvantages of each approach. In the
discussion try to bring out these points.
Approach 1: narrative/descriptive
Advantages
chronological structure; easy to follow; historical writing needs some narrative
Disadvantages
sticking to description can’t help explain Cromwell’s actions; a ‘this happened . . . then
this happened’ approach will bore the reader
Advice
use dates; refer to your timeline regularly; keep the pace going; include lots of exciting
action; use of interesting detail to help readers imagine the scene
Approach 2: analytical
Advantages
good history/biography must have some analysis; helps readers understand the
character/event
Disadvantages
harder to write than description; might lose a sense of story if you do it too much;
could be jumbled and confusing; hard to make it interesting if it sounds like a history
essay
Advice
give evidence to support your analysis; if there are two points of view state them both
but then say which you favour; keep your analysis short
Approach 3: imaginative
Advantages
helps readers identify with the character; fills in some of the missing detail; allows you
to write their thoughts as if they were really happening
Disadvantages
must be based on evidence or understanding of your character – otherwise you are
writing fiction not biography
Advice
only write in this way if you are sure you have evidence to back up your view; invent
dialogue (what characters say) to bring the situation to life
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
19
DETAILED NOTES
If you want your pupils to follow our plan and aim for a
major written outcome, Worksheets 23–27 offer them
extensive support.
N Generic advice on planning and checking is
provided by Worksheet 24. A blank writing frame,
Worksheet 25A, is provided for general use when
pupils do not need as much support.
N A writing frame for each ‘chapter’ of a six ‘chapter’
biography is given in Worksheets 25B–G – each
chapter corresponds to one unit of the Pupils’ Book.
Worksheets 25A–G (the writing frames) are available
as Word files, downloadable (free of charge) from the
SHP website at www.tasc.ac.uk/shp. They are intended
to be customised by you and to be imported into your
own network and/or into the pupils’ own writing. You
should aim to help your pupils write independently at
some stage without the structured support provided by
these worksheets. Only you can judge when your pupils
are ready to meet this challenge.
N Worksheet 26 helps with beginnings and endings.
N Worksheet 27 looks at chapter titles and provides a
range of Cromwell quotes that might also be useful for
other purposes. For example some quotes can also be
used as epigrams (which usually appear after a title to
set a scene for that chapter). Remind pupils that they
can choose a title after they’ve written the chapter,
hence our reminder at the bottom of the writing frames.
N Finally, Worksheet 28 provides a certificate. Your
pupils will definitely have earned it. This is also on
the SHP website (in colour).
Good luck!
N Section 2
If you have used King John in the This is History! series
you will recognise these units as the logical successors to
Section 2 of that book. The same activities are used for
the new period to examine the changing relationship
between monarchs and parliament from 1500 until 1900.
Re-enactment groups
In addition to helping pupils find out about Civil War
battles, the photographs in Source 7 (pages 22–23) also
show how much interest this period still arouses today.
Re-enactments of Civil War battles attract large crowds
at weekends during the summer. Pupils should realise,
however, that they are interpretations and not the real
thing! Discuss with your pupils the usefulness of reenactments for finding out about the English Civil War.
Try to include the following points:
N they help to convey an atmosphere of what the
fighting was like
N the soldiers’ clothing, weapons and equipment are
based on historical research – but they are replicas
N they present a ‘sanitised’ version of the past; they
lack the true life and death drama of a real Civil
War battle; the participants are fighting for fun and
there are no serious injuries
20
‘King’ Cromwell? Teachers’ Resource Book
Unit 2.1 When did Parliament take over the
monarch’s power?
N Pupils’ Book pages 56–59
N Worksheet 29A
The game and graph on pages 56–59 should be used
swiftly to get an overview. Worksheet 29A provides a
scoring/recording sheet to turn the scores from the game
on page 57 into a graph. Pupils can work individually or
in groups to play the game and complete their graphs.
Alternatively it can be used as a whole class activity.
Then pupils should study our version of the graph on
pages 58–59.
Unit 2.2 Why did Parliament become more
powerful than the monarch?
N Pupils’ Book pages 60–61
N Worksheet 29B
Pupils can use Worksheet 29B to choose, and prioritise,
their three most important factors and explain the
reasons for their choices.
Unit 2.3 What have you learned from your
study of Oliver Cromwell?
N Pupils’ Book pages 62–65
N Worksheets 30 and 31
The Activity on page 63 is designed for class discussion.
For question 2 you can use Worksheet 30.
The Leveller in the bottom right is designed to lead
you into the next volume in this particular trilogy, Dying
for the Vote, which examines the extension of the
franchise to working men and then to women with
depth studies of the Chartists and the suffragettes.
Activities A and B on pages 64 and 65 are ideal
opportunities to use the This is History! Passport (see
pages 5–7 of this Teachers’ Resource Book).
Worksheet 31 provides an important opportunity for
self-review.
N can they be completely accurate 350 years later –
especially when we know the outcome of the battle,
unlike Cromwell and his contemporaries.
Taking your pupils to a re-enactment, however, can be
a powerful way of increasing their motivation, help
them to experience something of the drama of these
events and provide a richer context to study them
than four photographs in a textbook! To find out if any
re-enactments are being planned in your area, phone
English Heritage Customer Services on 0870 333 1181
and ask for a copy of the current Events Diary.
Alternatively, you could invite members of your local
regiment into school to give a demonstration of
seventeenth-century drill and musket firing. My pupils
have thoroughly enjoyed such occasions. To find out if
there is a regiment in your area, contact the English
Civil War Society at http://www.english-civil-warsociety.org/public_html/.