Literacy - Why did the Normans build Square Keep Castles? (Persuasive Formal Letter Writing)

This outstanding literacy lesson has been designed by experienced history teachers at the History Academy to help students understand why the Normans built Square Keep Castles. It forms part of a series of lessons on why the Normans built castles, which can be downloaded and purchased from our TES Shop or from the bundled link below. However, this lesson will run alongside any main stream resources on Norman castles and can be adapted to suit any similar buildings in your local historical environment.

The teaching model for this lesson to at first draw upon students prior knowledge about formal letters, persuasive techniques, Motte & Bailey and Square Keep Castles. The activities in the PowerPoint are designed to build upon this knowledge in preparation for students assessing three different letters that I have included in the pack. These letters should be printed off along with the assessment criteria grid that I have included along with various templates and writing frames for writing formal and persuasive letters.

It is always a good idea to ask your English department about what techniques they use with your students for this type of writing exercise so that you can achieve the best results with your students.

Once your students have assessed the three letters that I have included, o dubious quality, they can then have a go at drafting their own responses and then finishing them off for homework. These can then be assessed using your whole school marking policy for peer assessment and my assessment criteria grid at the start of the next lesson. They can then have ago at redrafting or typing them up and again finishing them off for homework.

The whole thing should take two lessons, but that depends upon how much lesson time you have. Once finished these letters make excellent display work as you can see from the photographs that I have included. I usually get my students to age their letters

The aims and objectives for this lesson are:

Theme: How did William keep control?
Know: What are the literacy rules for writing a formal persuasive letter?
Understand: Why did the Normans build Stone Keep Castles?
Evaluate: Why did William de Warenne rebuild Conisbrough Castle?
Skills: Source Analysis, Cause, Consequence, Literacy & Collaboration

WILF – What Am I Looking For?
Identify & describe: The literacy rules for writing a formal persuasive letter
Explain: Why did the Normans build Stone Keep Castles?
Analyse: Why did William de Warenne rebuild Conisbrough Castle?

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Kind Regards

Roy