The Tudors' True Story
The six women who married Henry VIII have been defined by their deaths, not their lives. But in a four-part PBS Thirteen documentary series, THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII with esteemed British historian Dr. David Starkey, we learn who these remarkable women actually were. In this lesson, students explore history critically through group research in order to understand fully the social, political and cultural life of Henry VIII’s reign. Then, students synthesize what they have learned in presentations and short fiction.
Grade Level:
9-12
Time Allotment:
Six class periods, plus homework time and time viewing the video.
Subject Matter:
History, Writing, Technology
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Take effective/useful notes from a video documentary.
- Research, and create an oral report about an assigned aspect of the
video.
- Synthesize historical information from a variety of sources.
- Express an understanding of the King’s six wives’ lives
and the culture of the times.
- Express a historical and cultural understanding of the Reformation
and Tudor England.
- Create a story written from the point of view of one of Henry VIII’s
wives.
Standards:
MCREL Language Arts Standard and Benchmarks, Writing, Standard 1, Level
IV, Benchmarks 1,2,3,8,12:
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?
SubjectID=7&StandardID=1
Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
MCREL Language Arts Standard and Benchmarks, Writing, Standard 2, Level
IV, Benchmarks 1-7:
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?
SubjectID=7&StandardID=2
Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing
MCREL Language Arts Standard and Benchmarks, Writing, Standard 3; Level
IV
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?
SubjectID=7&StandardID=3
Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions
MCREL Language Arts Standard and Benchmarks, Writing, Standard 4, Benchmarks,
1,2,4
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?
SubjectID=7&StandardID=4
Gathers and uses information for research purposes.
MCREL Language Arts Standard and Benchmarks, Reading, Standard 5, Benchmarks
1,4,6:
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?
SubjectID=7&StandardID=5
Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
MCREL Language Arts Standard and Benchmarks, Reading, Standard 7, Benchmarks
1,3,4,6,7:
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?
SubjectID=7&StandardID=7
Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety
of informational texts.
MCREL Language Arts Standard and Benchmarks, Listening and Speaking,Standard
8, Level IV, Benchmarks 1,2,5,6,8
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?
SubjectID=7&StandardID=8
Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
MCREL Language Arts Standard and Benchmarks, Viewing, Standard 9, Level
IV, Benchmarks 1,5:
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?
SubjectID=7&StandardID=9
Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual
media.
MCREL Language Arts Standard and Benchmarks, Historical Understanding,
Standard 2, Level IV, Benchmarks 2, 10:
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?
SubjectID=3&StandardID=2
Understands the historical perspectiveNational Council of Teachers of
English
(NCTE), Standards 3, 6, 7, 12
http://www.ncte.org/standards/standards.shtml
Standard 3: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret,
evaluate, and appreciate texts.
Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions
(e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language,
and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
Standard 7: Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating
ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and
synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts,
artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit
their purpose and audience.
Standard 8: Students use a variety of technological and information resources
(e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize
information and to create and communicate knowledge.
This lesson was prepared by: Courtenay Carmody
