
Tudor Terrors: Crime and Treason
Investigate the harsh punishments of the Tudor period. Pupils will learn about the treatment of vagrants, the crime of treason, and the use of the execution block.
About This Topic
Investigate the harsh punishments of the Tudor period. Pupils will learn about the treatment of vagrants, the crime of treason, and the use of the execution block.
Key Questions
- Why were Tudor punishments designed to be so severe and public?
- How did the definition of treason change during the Tudor period?
- Analyse the impact of poverty and vagrancy on crime rates in the sixteenth century.
Active Learning Ideas
See all activities→Activities & Teaching Strategies
See all activities
Planning templates for History
5E Model
The 5E Model structures lessons through five phases (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), guiding students from curiosity to deep understanding through inquiry-based learning.
Unit PlannerThematic Unit
Organize a multi-week unit around a central theme or essential question that cuts across topics, texts, and disciplines, helping students see connections and build deeper understanding.
RubricSingle-Point Rubric
Build a single-point rubric that defines only the "meets standard" level, leaving space for teachers to document what exceeded and what fell short. Simple to create, easy for students to understand.
More in Crime and Punishment Through Time: Beyond 1066
Justice in the Middle Ages
Discover how the Normans changed the justice system after 1066. We will examine trial by combat, the role of the Church, and the introduction of new laws.
2 methodologies
The Bloody Code and Highwaymen
Explore the eighteenth-century 'Bloody Code' where hundreds of minor crimes carried the death penalty. We will also uncover the truth behind romanticised highwaymen and smugglers.
2 methodologies
Transportation to the Penal Colonies
Learn about the practice of sending convicts to Australia. Pupils will examine the conditions on the prison ships and the lives of those forced to build new colonies.
2 methodologies
The Birth of the Modern Police
Trace the development of law enforcement from the Bow Street Runners to the first professional police force. We will look at Sir Robert Peel and his 'Bobbies'.
2 methodologies
Victorian Prisons and Reform
Investigate how the Victorian era shifted focus from physical punishment to imprisonment. Pupils will study the separate system, hard labour, and the work of reformers like Elizabeth Fry.
2 methodologies