Scheme of Work: The Peasants' Revolt (1381)

Subject: History | Year: 7

Class/Set: ____________ Date/Term: ____________

Intent: Students will evaluate the complex socio-economic causes, key chronological events, and long-term political significance of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, developing skills in causal analysis and source evaluation.

Timeframe	Lesson Title	Learning Objective (LO)	Key Act. / Ass.
Lesson 1	The Feudal Backdrop	To explain the impact of the Black Death on the manorial system.	Analyse: Use a 'Feudal Pyramid' diagram to explain social hierarchy. Discuss: How the labour shortage after 1348 empowered the peasantry.
Lesson 2	Legal Constraints	To investigate the Statute of Labourers (1351) and its consequences.	Examine: Primary source extracts regarding wage caps. Role-play: A meeting between a Lord and a peasant demanding higher wages.
Lesson 3	The Final Straw	To assess the impact of the 1377-1381 Poll Taxes.	Calculate: The financial burden of the 'Triple Poll Tax' on a typical village. Identify: John Ball’s radical message: "When Adam delved and Eve span...".
Lesson 4	Assessment	To demonstrate knowledge of the causes of the revolt.	Complete: Mid-unit knowledge retrieval quiz (see Teacher Guidance). Draft: A PEEL paragraph explaining the most significant cause of the revolt.
Lesson 5	The March on London	To sequence the key events of the June 1381 insurrection.	Map: The route from Brentwood and Canterbury to London. Summarise: The opening of the prisons and the burning of the Savoy Palace.
Lesson 6	Mile End & Smithfield	To evaluate the leadership of Wat Tyler and the role of Richard II.	Compare: The King’s promises at Mile End vs. his actions at Smithfield. Analyse: The execution of Simon Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Lesson 7	The End of the Revolt	To describe the suppression of the rebels and Tyler’s death.	Interpret: A medieval manuscript illustration of Smithfield. Explain: How the 14-year-old King regained control after Tyler was killed.
Lesson 8	Success or Failure?	To judge the long-term significance of the 1381 uprising.	Evaluate: Did the revolt end serfdom? Debate: Whether the revolt was a 'failed' revolution or a successful warning to the elite.

Resources Needed:

• Primary source pack (Statute of Labourers, John Ball’s sermon, Anonimalle Chronicle).
• Map templates of South-East England and Medieval London.
• PEEL structure writing frames for Year 7.
• Medieval manuscript images (Froissart’s Chronicles).

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⚠ TEACHER’S GUIDANCE

Pedagogical Insights & Delivery Strategies 💡

• Contextual Framing: For Year 7 students, emphasize that Richard II was only 14 years old—their own age or slightly older. This makes the confrontation at Smithfield far more relatable and dramatic.
• Oracy Focus: Use the radical preacher John Ball’s rhyme to introduce the concept of 'equality'. Ask students why this message was so dangerous to the Medieval Church and State.
• Misconception Alert: Students often assume the revolt 'won' because serfdom eventually disappeared. Clarify that while the revolt was suppressed and leaders executed, the economic reality of the Black Death made the return to strict feudalism impossible in the long term.

Lesson 4: Mid-Unit Assessment Key 📝

• Task 1: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)

  • 1. What was the main reason for the labour shortage in the mid-14th century?
    • a) ☐ The Hundred Years' War
    • b) ☐ The Black Death
    • c) ☐ The Poll Tax
    • d) ☐ The Peasants' Revolt
  • 2. Which law was passed in 1351 to stop peasants from moving for higher wages?
    • a) ☐ The Magna Carta
    • b) ☐ The Poll Tax Act
    • c) ☐ The Statute of Labourers
    • d) ☐ The Feudal Decree
  • 3. Who was the radical priest who preached that all people were equal?
    • a) ☐ Wat Tyler
    • b) ☐ Simon Sudbury
    • c) ☐ John Ball
    • d) ☐ Richard II

• Task 1 Answer Key:

  • 1 Answer: b) The Black Death.
  • 2 Answer: c) The Statute of Labourers.
  • 3 Answer: c) John Ball.

• Task 2: Define the Terminology

  • Definition A: Serfdom.
  • Definition B: Poll Tax.
  • Definition C: Manorial System.

• Task 2 Answer Key:

  • Definition A Answer: A legal and economic system where a peasant is 'bound' to the land owned by a Lord and must work for them.
  • Definition B Answer: A flat-rate tax levied on every individual, regardless of their income or wealth.
  • Definition C Answer: The economic structure of the Middle Ages where a Lord’s estate (manor) was worked by peasants in exchange for protection and land.

• Pedagogical Pulse: Use the Task 2 definitions as a 'fist to five' confidence check before the written PEEL task. Ensure students understand that 'Serfdom' is a legal status, while 'The Manorial System' is the wider economic framework.