Tudor England · 1527-1547

Henry VIII and the English Reformation

A king wants a son and a new marriage; the pope says no. Students follow how Henry VIII broke with Rome, closed the monasteries and made himself head of the Church of England, and what that meant for ordinary people.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
11–14
On the map
3 steps, AD 1530
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

A king wants a son and a new marriage; the pope says no. Students follow how Henry VIII broke with Rome, closed the monasteries and made himself head of the Church of England, and what that meant for ordinary people.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain why Henry VIII broke with the pope in the 1530s.
  • Describe what happened to England's monasteries between 1536 and 1541.
  • Compare how official religion in England changed under Henry, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
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 1530

The British Isles in 1530

Open the map in 1530 and zoom in on the British Isles. Which kingdoms can you see? Note who ruled Ireland at this time.

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1530

Rome is far away

Zoom out until you see both London and Rome. In 1527 Rome was sacked by the army of Charles V, nephew of Henry's wife Catherine. Why did that make it hard for the pope to say yes to Henry?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1530

Dangerous neighbours

Look at France and the Habsburg Netherlands across the Channel in 1530. Breaking with Rome made England a possible target for Catholic powers. Where might an invasion come from?

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. Why was having a son so important to Henry VIII?
  2. In 1521 the pope gave Henry the title "Defender of the Faith" for attacking Luther. Thirteen years later Henry broke with Rome. What changed?
  3. Henry closed the monasteries and took their lands. Who gained, and who lost?
  4. Thomas More refused to accept Henry as head of the Church and was executed. Was he brave or stubborn?
  5. England's official religion changed again and again between 1534 and 1559. How would that feel for an ordinary family?
4

Game round

10 min

Play a round of Rule History as Elizabeth I, Henry VIII's daughter, who inherited a country divided by religion in 1558. Discuss: what did she keep from her father's church, and what did she change?

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.