KS3 - The Gunpowder Plot - The Aims

This lesson focuses on the Aims of the Gunpowder Plot as part of a series of KS3 lessons that I use about the tensions between Catholics and Protestants in the 17th century. The lesson focuses on the reason why James I became the King of England in 1603, and about the reasons why people were planning to kill the king. The PPT includes answers to make teacher/self/peer assessment much easier.

The lesson starts with a quick starter which gets the students to think about the traditions of bonfire night. Then, the PPT has some background information about bonfire night for a teacher discussion about this. Then, the students are introduced, using the PPT, about the succession of James I.

Next, the students are asked to explain how James I succeeded Elizabeth I. This activity bridges the topics of the Tudors and the Stuarts nicely. On the following slide, there are points that the students could use in their work - I do this as a peer assessment activity. Then, there is a fun challenge which gets the students to try and summarise their writing in exactly 50 words. Trickier than it sounds!

The students then read through the information sheet about “What sort of King would James be?”. I have enlarged the margins on the information in case you want to use this as a guided reading activity.

Then the students use this information to complete the biographies on the key individuals who were connected to the Gunpowder Plot.

The students will then complete a chronological sorting activity about the events leading up to the Gunpowder Plot, with the answers on the next slide.

The plenary gets the students to write a film trailer for the Gunpowder Plot, using their knowledge from today’s learning. I have included a link to a youtube video which is a “HOW TO write a movie trailer” it is fun, but it will also prompt the students on what to do in the plenary.

The next lesson is about the events of the Gunpowder Plot and the reasons for the failure of the Plot.