History · Year 12

Active learning ideas

Mary's Accession and Initial Religious Policy

Active learning works well for this topic because it helps students move beyond textbook summaries of Mary’s religious policies. Working through timelines and simulations lets them see how legal, political and personal forces shaped the Marian Restoration in real time.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• A-Level: History - Mary I: The Restoration of Catholicism
• A-Level: History - The Tudors: England, 1485–1603

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Restoration Timeline

In small groups, students analyze the legislation of Mary's reign (e.g., the First and Second Acts of Repeal). They must identify the 'stumbling blocks' (like the issue of former monastic lands) and discuss why Mary had to compromise with Parliament to get her way.

Analyze how popular the return to Catholic worship was in 1553.

Facilitation Tip

For the Restoration Timeline, give each group two different-coloured cards: one for legal changes and one for local reactions so students can trace cause and effect side by side.

What to look for

Present students with a short primary source quote describing a parish's reaction to the return of Catholic services in 1553. Ask them to write one sentence identifying whether the quote suggests popular support or opposition, and one sentence explaining their reasoning based on the text.

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Return of Cardinal Pole

Students role-play the 1554 ceremony where Cardinal Pole formally absolved England of its 'sin' of schism. They must represent the different reactions of the nobility, the clergy, and the common people to the return of Papal authority.

Explain the initial steps Mary took to reverse the Protestant reforms.

Facilitation Tip

In the Cardinal Pole simulation, set a 90-second timer after each briefing card is read so that students learn to extract key points quickly in a high-pressure environment.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Was the Marian Restoration primarily driven by the Queen's personal conviction or by broader political and social pressures?' Facilitate a class debate where students must cite specific evidence regarding the repeal of laws, the fate of Church lands, and contemporary accounts of religious practice.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Popular or Imposed?

Students analyze churchwardens' accounts from 1553-1554. They discuss in pairs whether the rapid return of altars and vestments suggests a 'popular' desire for Catholicism or simply a 'pragmatic' obedience to the new Queen.

Evaluate the challenges Mary faced in restoring Church lands.

Facilitation Tip

For the Think-Pair-Share on popularity, provide a short anonymous ballot slip so students can vote publicly without fear of peer pressure skewing the discussion.

What to look for

Ask students to list two specific actions Mary I took to reverse Edwardian reforms and one major obstacle she faced in restoring Church lands. They should provide a brief explanation for each point.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by treating Mary as a constitutional monarch, not a tyrant. They avoid framing her simply as a religious zealot by spotlighting the legal steps she took through Parliament. Research shows that when students analyze primary evidence about Church-land disputes and Pole’s mission, they grasp how religion and property intertwined in sixteenth-century politics.

By the end of these activities, students should be able to explain how Mary used Parliament to reverse Edward’s reforms and why the return of Catholicism was both rapid and incomplete. They will also evaluate whether the changes reflected popular feeling or state enforcement.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation: The Restoration Timeline, watch for students who assume Mary acted alone and ignored legal constraints.

  Use the timeline cards to prompt groups to mark every Parliamentary repeal with a date and vote count, so students see the constitutional machinery behind each change.

• During the Simulation: The Return of Cardinal Pole, watch for students who dismiss Pole’s role as purely symbolic.

  Ask each simulation group to tally how many of Pole’s actions in their briefs required papal approval or financial backing, forcing students to weigh his institutional influence.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share