Card Sort: How bloody was Queen Mary I?

This great little resource gets students to sort through a series of 12 primary and secondary sources about the reign of Queen Mary I 1553 - 1558, with the aim of deciding whether she deserves the reputation of Bloody Mary. Once this has been complete, students can then have a go at answering the question: Does Mary I deserve the title, ‘Bloody Mary’?

I would recommend that this resource should be used with either a core or advanced group as there is a lot of reading, which would be too much for a foundation group with low literacy skills.

This resource makes a great starter or plenary. It can be cut up the students or placed into envelopes for use with several classes or even set as a piece of homework.

The aims and objectives are:

Theme: Consequences of the break with Rome?
Know: Why did Queen Mary I burn protestant heretics?
Understand: How has Mary been viewed by both contemporaries and historians?
Evaluate: Does Mary I deserve the title ‘Bloody Mary’?

WILF - What Am I Looking For?
Identify and describe: Which sources support / disagree with the ‘Bloody Mary’ interpretation?
Explain: Why do people disagree about how ‘Bloody’ Mary I was?
Analyze: How far does Queen Mary deserve the title ‘Bloody Mary?’

If you like this resource, I have also created a PowerPoint on the reign of Queen Mary I, with additional information to go along with this card sort.

This topic also makes for a great assessment task.

Kind Regards

Roy