History · Year 12

Active learning ideas

The Accession and the Religious Settlement

Active learning helps students grasp the complexity of the 1559 Religious Settlement by letting them experience the tensions Elizabeth faced. Debating, simulating, and analyzing primary documents make abstract policies tangible and reveal how compromise shaped a lasting church.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• A-Level: History - Elizabeth I: The Religious Settlement
• A-Level: History - The Tudors: England, 1485–1603

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

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The 1559 Settlement Audit

In small groups, students analyze the clauses of the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity. They must identify the 'Protestant' elements (e.g., the English Bible) and the 'Catholic' elements (e.g., the structure of bishops) and discuss why Elizabeth chose this 'mix'.

Analyze how Elizabeth's personal beliefs shaped the Settlement.

Facilitation Tip

During the '1559 Settlement Audit,' assign each group two or three clauses from the Acts to analyze, then rotate their findings to compare interpretations.

What to look for

Provide students with two short primary source quotes, one from a conservative Catholic and one from a radical Puritan, reacting to the 1559 Settlement. Ask them to write one sentence explaining how each quote demonstrates opposition to the 'Middle Way'.

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Parliamentary Battle of 1559

Students role-play the debates in the House of Lords and the House of Commons. They must represent the 'Puritan Choir' who want a more radical reform and the 'Catholic Bishops' who want to keep the old ways, while Elizabeth's ministers try to push through a compromise.

Explain why the 'Puritan Choir' in Parliament opposed the Settlement.

Facilitation Tip

In the 'Parliamentary Battle' simulation, give radical Puritans and conservative bishops distinct roles with clear talking points to ensure conflict feels authentic.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Was the 1559 Religious Settlement a triumph of political skill or a temporary measure destined for future conflict?' Facilitate a class debate, asking students to cite specific evidence from the Acts and contemporary reactions to support their arguments.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: A Permanent Solution?

Students analyze Elizabeth's famous quote that she did not want to 'make windows into men's souls'. They discuss in pairs whether the 1559 Settlement was intended to be a 'permanent' solution or just a 'temporary fix' to keep the peace.

Evaluate whether the Settlement was intended to be a permanent solution or a temporary fix.

Facilitation Tip

For the 'Think-Pair-Share' discussion, ask students to compare Elizabeth’s personal chapel objects with the Settlement’s requirements to highlight her personal preferences versus political necessity.

What to look for

Present students with a list of key features of the 1559 Settlement (e.g., monarch as Supreme Governor, use of Book of Common Prayer, vestments required). Ask them to categorize each feature as primarily Catholic-leaning, Protestant-leaning, or deliberately ambiguous, explaining their reasoning for each.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by emphasizing Elizabeth’s pragmatism rather than ideological purity. Use primary sources to show how her policies reflected compromise, not personal conviction. Avoid framing her as a zealous reformer—her goal was stability, not theological revolution. Research suggests students best understand the 'Via Media' when they see it as a political tool first, religious statement second.

Successful learning looks like students identifying Elizabeth’s balancing act between tradition and reform. They should explain why the Settlement endured despite opposition and connect specific features of the 1559 Acts to broader political and religious goals.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the '1559 Settlement Audit,' some students may assume Elizabeth I was a 'radical' Protestant who hated Catholicism.

  During the '1559 Settlement Audit,' have students examine images of Elizabeth’s personal chapel (e.g., vestments, crucifixes) alongside the Settlement’s requirements. Ask them to categorize which elements she retained and why her personal preferences mattered in shaping the 'Middle Way'.

• During the 'Parliamentary Battle' simulation, students might believe the 1559 Settlement was accepted by everyone immediately.

  During the 'Parliamentary Battle' simulation, highlight the Catholic bishops’ refusal to take the Oath of Supremacy by assigning one student to play a bishop who walks out. After the simulation, debrief on why this resistance mattered and how it shaped the new church’s leadership.

---

Methods used in this brief

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