Cards Sort: Oliver Cromwell - Hero or Villain?

This great little resource gets students to sort through a series of information cards describing the actions of Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, with the aim of deciding whether he was a hero or a villain. Once this has been completed, students can then have a go at answering the question: How far was Oliver Cromwell a hero or a villain? The linked video clips make an excellent resource to accompany this lesson.

This resource is suitable for the full ability range. If you are looking for something a little more challenging on this topic, then I have made a much more challenging card sort which contains both primary and secondary sources on Oliver Cromwell. This can be bought separately or as a bundle.

When you purchase this resource, you will be able to download a single page Microsoft Word Document. At the top of the page there is a learning objective and a simple instruction for students to follow. The rest of the page is taken up with the two heading cards and the 14 information cards to be sorted under them. You will also be able to download a nine slide PowerPoint Presentation that includes aims, objectives, outcomes, two starters, information slides, video links and differentiated activities.

This resource makes a great starter or plenary to completed in pairs or groups. It can be cut up the students and stuck into their books or placed into envelopes for use with several classes or even set as a piece of homework. Alternatively, your students could draw a table with the two headings ‘hero’ or ‘villain’ and write a summary of the arguments for and against Oliver Cromwell being a hero or a villain.

The aims and objectives are:

Theme: Why was the monarchy restored?
Know: What sort of man was Oliver Cromwell?
Understand: Why are historical events interpreted in different ways?
Evaluate: How far does the evidence support Oliver Cromwell as a ‘hero’ or ‘villain’?

WILF - What Am I Looking For?
Identify and describe: Which sources support / disagree with Oliver Cromwell being a ‘hero’ or ‘villian’?
Explain: Why do people disagree over Oliver Cromwell’s actions?
Analyse: How far does the evidence support Oliver Cromwell as a ‘hero’ or ‘villain’?

If you like this resource then why not check out my other resources on this topic in my TES shop, where many have been bundled together to provide you with further savings. You can also follow ‘The History Academy’ on Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube and Facebook for the latest updates or even to get in touch and chat about how you have used this resource or to ask questions. We aim to produce cheap and affordable resources for either the price of a good cup of coffee or a happy meal so that you can spend more time doing the things that you want.
Anyway, have fun and stay in touch via social media for the latest updates.

Kind Regards

Roy