Stuart England · 1642-1660

The English Civil War

King and Parliament go to war over money, religion and who holds power. Students follow the Civil War from Nottingham to Naseby, the trial and execution of Charles I, and the years when England had no king.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
11–14
On the map
3 steps, AD 1645
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

King and Parliament go to war over money, religion and who holds power. Students follow the Civil War from Nottingham to Naseby, the trial and execution of Charles I, and the years when England had no king.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain three causes of the war between Charles I and Parliament.
  • Locate Nottingham, Naseby and London and explain their role in the war.
  • Judge whether the execution of Charles I in 1649 was a turning point.
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 1645

Three kingdoms, one king

Open the map in 1645 and zoom in on the British Isles. Charles I was king of England, Scotland and Ireland. How do the borders on the map show this?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1645

Choosing sides

Zoom in on England. The king was strongest in the north, the west and Wales; Parliament held London, the south-east and most ports. Why was holding London and the navy such an advantage?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1645

The heart of England

Find Naseby in the Midlands, north of Northampton, where Parliament's New Model Army beat the king in 1645. Why might so many battles happen in the Midlands?

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. Charles I believed kings got their power from God. Why did that clash with Parliament?
  2. Why did both sides need money, and where could they get it?
  3. Some families were split, with relatives on opposite sides. How might that feel?
  4. Charles was tried by a court and executed in 1649. Can a king be guilty of treason?
  5. After eleven years without a king, Parliament invited Charles II back in 1660. Why?
4

Game round

10 min

Play a round of Rule History as Elizabeth I, who kept Parliament mostly on her side for more than forty years. Discuss: compare how she handled Parliament and money with how Charles I did. What did he do differently?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.