Year 7 History scheme of work explores the Statute of Labourers and John Ball’s radical sermon to map 1381 socio-economic tensions and causal sequences.
A strategic unit plan mapping the logical progression of skills, knowledge, and assessment points across an entire topic.
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:
Pedagogical Insights & Delivery Strategies 💡
Lesson 4: Mid-Unit Assessment Key 📝
Task 1: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Task 1 Answer Key:
Task 2: Define the Terminology
Task 2 Answer Key:
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.
Targeting the common Year 7 struggle with multi-causal historical analysis requires a structured approach that moves beyond simple chronological narrative. By integrating the Statute of Labourers wage caps alongside the 1377-1381 Poll Taxes, the scheme of work provides the necessary evidence for pupils to construct complex causal arguments. The architecture prioritises a logical progression from socio-economic shifts following the Black Death to the political fallout at Smithfield, thereby reducing cognitive overload during the transition to higher-level analysis. Consequently, students develop the disciplinary rigour needed to evaluate long-term significance, bridging the gap between foundational KS2 storytelling and analytical KS3 History.
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