History · Year 12

Active learning ideas

The Spanish Marriage and Wyatt's Rebellion

Active learning helps students grasp the personal and political stakes of Mary I’s marriage to Philip II by moving beyond dates and names to analyze primary documents and role-play historical decisions. These activities make abstract fears of foreign influence and rebellion tangible by letting students examine the treaty’s fine print and rehearse Mary’s persuasive speech.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• A-Level: History - Mary I: The Spanish Marriage
• A-Level: History - The Tudors: England, 1485–1603

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

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Marriage Treaty Audit

In small groups, students analyze the clauses of the 1554 Marriage Treaty. They must identify the 'safeguards' Mary put in place to prevent Philip from ruling England and discuss why these safeguards failed to calm the fears of the English people.

Explain why there was such intense xenophobia regarding the Spanish marriage.

Facilitation Tip

For the Marriage Treaty Audit, assign each group a clause to present to the class rather than allowing them to choose, ensuring all key terms are covered.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a Member of Parliament in 1554. Based on the Marriage Treaty's terms, would you vote to approve the marriage to Philip II? Justify your decision by referencing at least two specific clauses and their potential impact on England.'

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Guildhall Speech

Students role-play the scene at the London Guildhall where Mary addressed the citizens. They must analyze the 'rhetorical strategies' she used to present herself as a 'mother' to her people and a 'rightful' Queen, and debate why this was so effective.

Analyze how close Thomas Wyatt came to toppling Mary.

Facilitation Tip

During the Guildhall Speech simulation, provide students with a short script of Mary’s actual words to ground their improvisation in historical accuracy.

What to look for

Provide students with a short primary source excerpt, perhaps a letter from a contemporary expressing fear of Spanish influence. Ask them to identify the specific fears mentioned and connect them to the broader context of xenophobia discussed in class.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why did Wyatt fail?

Students analyze the course of Wyatt's Rebellion. They discuss in pairs whether the failure was due to 'bad timing', 'London's loyalty', or 'Mary's bravery' and share their findings with the class.

Evaluate whether the terms of the Marriage Treaty protected English interests.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share on Wyatt’s failure, require pairs to cite at least one specific clause from the Marriage Treaty or a rebel declaration to support their reasoning.

What to look for

Ask students to write two sentences explaining why Wyatt's Rebellion failed to overthrow Mary I, and one sentence evaluating the effectiveness of Mary's speech at the Guildhall in quelling the unrest.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with the Marriage Treaty to ground students in the legal and political realities, then contrast it with the rebels’ declarations to reveal the gap between stated motives and actual fears. Use Mary’s speech as a pivot point to show how rhetoric can stabilize a shaky regime. Avoid presenting the rebellion solely as a religious conflict; emphasize xenophobia and nationalism as the dominant themes.

Successful learning looks like students identifying specific clauses in the Marriage Treaty that protected English sovereignty, recognizing anti-Spanish sentiment as the primary driver of Wyatt’s Rebellion, and explaining Mary’s successful response through textual evidence and role-played rhetoric.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Think-Pair-Share on Wyatt’s Rebellion, watch for students who assume the uprising was primarily religious.

  Use the rebel declarations distributed during the Think-Pair-Share to guide students to notice that the texts emphasize ‘national honor’ and ‘foreign domination’ more than Protestantism, and prompt them to find direct evidence in the sources.

• During the Marriage Treaty Audit, watch for students who believe Philip II gained significant power in England.

  Have students compare the treaty clauses side-by-side with a list of royal powers, asking them to mark which rights Philip was explicitly denied, such as control over patronage or removal of Mary from the country.

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Methods used in this brief

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