History · Year 12

Active learning ideas

The Succession Crisis and Lady Jane Grey

Active learning works for this topic because students grapple with conflicting claims about power, religion, and legitimacy. By moving beyond textbook summaries, they confront the human drama behind the succession crisis, making the fragility of Tudor authority tangible and the stakes of Edward’s Devise real.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• A-Level: History - Edward VI: The Mid-Tudor Crisis
• A-Level: History - The Tudors: England, 1485–1603

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Debate Carousel: Authorship of the Devise

Divide class into four groups, each assigned a stance: Edward's idea, Northumberland's plot, shared responsibility, or forgery. Groups prepare evidence from sources for 10 minutes, then rotate to defend or challenge positions. Conclude with a whole-class vote and reflection on source reliability.

Analyze whether the Devise was the work of Edward VI or Northumberland.

Facilitation Tip

For the Debate Carousel, assign clear roles (e.g., Edward’s defenders, Northumberland’s critics) to structure student arguments around the Devise’s authorship.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a Privy Councillor in July 1553. Present the strongest argument for proclaiming Lady Jane Grey queen, and then the strongest argument for supporting Mary Tudor. Justify your final decision based on the evidence discussed.'

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Pairs

Source Stations: Support for Mary

Set up stations with letters, chronicles, and proclamations showing Mary's appeal. Pairs visit each for 7 minutes, noting religious, dynastic, and regional factors. Groups then synthesize findings into a class chart explaining her rapid victory.

Explain why the English people supported Mary over Lady Jane Grey.

Facilitation Tip

At Source Stations, provide a mix of manuscript copies and printed propaganda so students compare authenticity and public sentiment side by side.

What to look for

Provide students with short primary source excerpts from individuals living in 1553. Ask them to identify whether each source likely supports Mary or Jane, and to cite one phrase or sentence as evidence for their choice.

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

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Whole Class

Role-Play Council Meeting

Assign roles as Edward's privy council, Northumberland, Jane Grey, and Mary supporters. In a simulated meeting, participants pitch arguments for the Devise using scripted prompts. Debrief with discussion on Tudor legitimacy revealed by the 'vote'.

Evaluate what the failure of the coup reveals about the legitimacy of the Tudor line.

Facilitation Tip

During the Role-Play Council Meeting, give each student a role card with specific aims to prevent generic contributions and sharpen debate.

What to look for

On an index card, students should write one sentence explaining who they believe was the primary author of the 'Devise for the Succession' (Edward or Northumberland) and one sentence explaining why the English people ultimately supported Mary.

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

Activity 04

• Simulation Game
• 30 min · Individual

Evidence Timeline: Nine Days' Queen

Individuals sequence 12 key events from Edward's death to Mary's triumph, annotating with evidence excerpts. Pairs then peer-review for bias and gaps, creating a shared digital timeline.

Analyze whether the Devise was the work of Edward VI or Northumberland.

Facilitation Tip

In the Evidence Timeline, require students to note dates, sources, and contradictions to build chronological reasoning skills.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a Privy Councillor in July 1553. Present the strongest argument for proclaiming Lady Jane Grey queen, and then the strongest argument for supporting Mary Tudor. Justify your final decision based on the evidence discussed.'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by treating the succession crisis as a case study in political manipulation rather than a dry succession problem. They avoid framing Jane Grey as a tragic heroine and instead focus on how elite factions used laws and propaganda. Research shows that role-play and source analysis help students see beyond monarchical narratives to the mechanics of power.

Successful learning looks like students questioning narratives, weighing evidence, and explaining their reasoning with clarity. They should move from passive recall to active debate, using primary sources to reconstruct the events rather than accepting simplified accounts.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Role-Play Council Meeting, students may claim Lady Jane Grey reigned for several months.

  During the Role-Play Council Meeting, steer students back to the timeline by asking them to defend their decision within the nine-day window, using only evidence from July 1553.

• During Source Stations, students might assume Edward VI wrote the Devise independently.

  During Source Stations, point to handwriting analysis sheets and marginalia notes to highlight Northumberland’s edits, asking students to identify whose authority shaped each change.

• During the Debate Carousel, students may argue the English supported Jane Grey due to her popularity.

  During the Debate Carousel, refer students to propaganda posters at Source Stations, prompting them to analyze slogans like 'God save the rightful queen' and explain where public loyalty truly lay.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game