History · Year 12

Active learning ideas

The Northern Earls' Rebellion

Active learning works well for this topic because the Northern Earls' Rebellion blends politics, religion, and power in ways that feel distant to students. By collaborating on tasks like analyzing a rebel manifesto or debating Elizabeth’s choices, students connect abstract events to human decisions and consequences.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• A-Level: History - Elizabeth I: Rebellion and Opposition
• 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 Rebel Manifesto

In small groups, students analyze the declarations made by the Earls in 1569. They must identify the 'religious', 'political', and 'personal' motivations for the rebellion and discuss why they failed to attract the support of the more moderate English Catholics.

Explain why the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland rebelled in 1569.

Facilitation Tip

During Collaborative Investigation, assign each group a different clause from the rebel manifesto so they must piece together the full picture through discussion.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Was the Northern Earls' Rebellion primarily a religious uprising or a political power grab?' Ask students to support their arguments with specific evidence from the rebellion's aims and leadership.

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Council's Reaction

Students role-play a council meeting as the news of the rebellion reaches London. They must decide how to respond to the rebels' demand for a 'Catholic restoration' and debate whether to execute the Duke of Norfolk for his role in the plot.

Analyze how the rebellion linked to the plan for Mary to marry the Duke of Norfolk.

Facilitation Tip

For the Simulation, give students roles as council members with conflicting personal and political motives to create authentic debate.

What to look for

Provide students with a map of England in 1569. Ask them to shade the areas where the rebellion had significant support, areas where it had limited support, and areas that remained loyal to Elizabeth. They should write one sentence justifying their shading for each category.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why did it fail?

Students analyze the course of the rebellion. They discuss in pairs whether the failure was due to 'poor leadership', 'lack of foreign help', or the 'efficiency of the Tudor state' and share their findings with the class.

Evaluate why the rebellion failed to gain widespread support.

Facilitation Tip

In Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence starters for the ‘Why did it fail?’ discussion to keep responses focused on causes rather than opinions.

What to look for

Students write two sentences explaining why the Earls rebelled and one sentence explaining why their rebellion ultimately failed to achieve its objectives.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should treat this as a study in how power shifts from the periphery to the center during the Tudor period. Avoid framing the rebellion as a ‘northern pride’ story; emphasize the structural weaknesses of feudal ties and the growing strength of the state. Use Elizabeth’s brutal response to challenge the ‘Golden Age’ narrative directly.

Successful learning looks like students moving from vague ideas about ‘rebellion’ to clear evidence about the Earls’ goals, Elizabeth’s response, and the rebellion’s limits. They should articulate why it failed, not just describe what happened. Evidence-based discussion and precise mapping are key outcomes.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Collaborative Investigation: The Northern Rebellion was a massive, popular uprising like the Pilgrimage of Grace.

  During Collaborative Investigation, have groups compare the 1569 rebellion’s manifestos and support base to the 1536 Pilgrimage of Grace’s oaths and petitions. Ask them to tally the number of noble signatures and commoner petitions in each to highlight the smaller scale of 1569.

• During Simulation: Elizabeth was a 'merciful' queen who hated bloodshed.

  During Simulation, provide students with data on executions after the rebellion (over 700 commoners) and ask them to debate whether these actions align with a ‘merciful’ ruler. Have them prepare counterarguments and rebuttals using this evidence.

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Methods used in this brief

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