History · Year 12

Active learning ideas

Early Foreign Policy: War with France (1513)

Active learning helps students grapple with the complexities of early Tudor foreign policy by moving beyond textbook summaries. Analyzing propaganda, debating costs, and tracing long-term consequences makes abstract historical events tangible and memorable for students.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• A-Level: History - Henry VIII: Foreign Policy
• A-Level: History - The Tudors: England, 1485–1603

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Cost of Glory

Students are given a 'budget' for the 1513 campaign. They must research the costs of mercenaries, shipping, and supplies, and compare it to the actual gains (the capture of two minor towns). They then present a 'value for money' report to the King.

Evaluate whether the 1513 campaign in France was a success or a waste of resources.

Facilitation Tip

For the Think-Pair-Share on the Auld Alliance, give pairs a map and timeline to trace how Scotland’s defeat at Flodden affected its relationship with France over the next decade.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Was the 1513 campaign in France a triumph of English arms or a costly folly?' Ask students to cite specific evidence regarding military gains, financial expenditure, and diplomatic outcomes to support their arguments.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Flodden vs. The Spurs

The class debates which victory was more significant for England: the 'Battle of the Spurs' in France (led by the King) or the Battle of Flodden in Scotland (led by the Earl of Surrey in the King's absence).

Analyze Henry VIII's motivations for seeking military glory in France.

What to look for

Provide students with a short primary source excerpt describing the Battle of the Spurs or the capture of Tournai. Ask them to identify two specific details that reveal Henry VIII's motivations for the campaign and one detail that suggests the campaign's true cost.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Auld Alliance

Students analyze why Scotland invaded England in 1513. They discuss in pairs how the 'Auld Alliance' between France and Scotland created a 'two-front war' problem for the Tudors and how Flodden temporarily solved it.

Explain the strategic outcomes of the Battle of the Spurs.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write one sentence explaining Henry VIII's primary motivation for invading France in 1513. Then, ask them to write a second sentence evaluating whether the capture of Tournai justified the resources spent on the campaign.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should emphasize primary sources to counter Tudor propaganda, using contemporary accounts to show how victories were exaggerated. Avoid framing these battles as clear-cut triumphs—instead, highlight the strategic missteps and financial burdens that followed. Research shows students grasp propaganda’s role better when they actively compare sources rather than passively read them.

Successful learning here looks like students recognizing Henry VIII’s motivations as a mix of personal ambition and dynastic security, weighing military glory against financial strain, and tracing how short-term victories failed to resolve long-term diplomatic tensions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation on the Cost of Glory, students may assume the Battle of the Spurs was a major military engagement.

  During the Collaborative Investigation, provide students with a table comparing the scale of the Battle of the Spurs to other contemporary battles. Ask them to calculate casualty rates and troop numbers from primary sources to highlight its minor status and examine how Tudor chroniclers exaggerated its importance.

• During the Structured Debate on Flodden vs. The Spurs, students may believe the victory at Flodden ended Scotland’s threat permanently.

  During the Structured Debate, have students reference a timeline of events from 1513 to 1520. Ask them to analyze why the death of James IV did not resolve tensions, using evidence from the minority of James V and ongoing border conflicts to support their points.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Formal Debate
• Think-Pair-Share