GCSE History Edexcel: Henry VIII - Reasons for Henry's Annulment to Catherine of Aragon (Lesson 8)

This lesson can be specifically used for Edexcel GCSE History (1-9) British Depth Study – Henry VIII & his Ministers OR it can be easily adapted to teach students about the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, along with the reasons for the annulment. The lesson is suited for or could easily be adapted for students aged 12-16

This lesson examines the following questions relating to Henry’s marriage with Catherine of Aragon:
Why did Henry VIII marry Catherine of Aragon?
What was the marriage between Henry and Catherine like?
Why did Henry VIII want to annul the marriage with Catherine of Aragon by 1527?

This is a fully resourced lesson which includes a printable fact sheet based on the GCSE Edexcel specification as well as worksheets, discussion tasks, engaging background information, warm up tasks and learning reviews.

The downloaded lesson includes the following:

1x A4 printable worksheet/diagram of the reasons for the annulment
1x A4 printable worksheet explaining the reasons
1x A4 printable worksheet based on historical interpretations of Catherine of Aragon.

1x main Power Point:
Slide 1: Title slide – Why did Henry VIII Annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon?
Slide 2: Main Lesson Aims
Slide 3-4: As You Enter Warm Up: Divorce in the modern world discussion and quiz with answers revealed.
Slide 5-6: Learning Recap 1: Catherine of Aragon multiple choice quiz with answers revealed.
Slide 7: Key Term Explanation: What is the difference between divorce and annulment?
Slide 8: Background information: Portraits of Catherine and Anne Boleyn.
Slide 9: Interpretation Task: What is the difference between the two historical interpretations of Catherine of Aragon?
Slide 10: Task 1: The reasons for the annulment activity and challenge questions.
Slide 11: Task 2: An optional creative writing task.
Side 12: Example exam questions
Slide 13-14: Learning Review Quiz with answers
Slide 15: Lesson fact sheet

I would be really grateful if you could leave a review for the lesson if you feel the lesson is effective for you. Many thanks if you spend some of your valuable time doing this as feedback is highly valued.

All images used in this lesson are in the public domain and are therefore copyright free at the time of publishing. Images which require attribution have been attributed in the notes section of each slide where the image appears. If you feel any errors have been made, please contact me at raschoolresources@gmail.com in the first instance to resolve any issues. My lessons are completed using PowerPoint and designed on widescreen formatting. Thank you.