Dutch Revolt · 1566-1584

William of Orange and the Dutch Revolt

The Low Countries rise against Philip II of Spain over taxes, old freedoms and faith. Students follow William of Orange from nobleman to rebel leader, see Leiden saved by flooding the land, and ask why he is called the father of the Dutch nation.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
11–14
On the map
3 steps, AD 1560 to AD 1600
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

The Low Countries rise against Philip II of Spain over taxes, old freedoms and faith. Students follow William of Orange from nobleman to rebel leader, see Leiden saved by flooding the land, and ask why he is called the father of the Dutch nation.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain three reasons why the Low Countries rebelled against Philip II.
  • Locate Brielle, Leiden and Utrecht and explain what happened at each.
  • Describe the role of William of Orange in the revolt.
2

Explore the map

15 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1560

The Habsburg Netherlands

Open the map in 1560 and zoom in on the Low Countries. Find the Habsburg Netherlands. Who rules them, and how far away is Spain, where the king now lives?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1600

North and south split

Jump to 1600 and find the Dutch Republic in the north and the Habsburg Netherlands in the south. Where does the new border run? Look for the big rivers.

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1600

A land of water

Zoom in on Holland around Leiden in 1600. Find the coast, the rivers and the low land behind the dunes. How could water become a weapon here?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

15 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. The revolt was about taxes, religious freedom and old privileges. Which reason do you think mattered most?
  2. Why did crowds attack churches and smash statues in 1566?
  3. In 1574 the rebels flooded farmland to save Leiden. Was that a fair price to pay?
  4. In 1581 the rebel provinces declared that Philip was no longer their ruler. Why was that a shocking idea at the time?
  5. William of Orange was murdered in 1584. Why do you think the revolt still survived?
4

Game round

10 min

Play a round of Rule History as Elizabeth I. In 1585 she sent English soldiers to help the Dutch rebels against Spain. Discuss: why would a queen help rebels against another king?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

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