Hundred Years' War: Agincourt and Joan of Arc

Active learning helps students grasp the Hundred Years' War by moving beyond dates and names to analyze real decisions and consequences. Through structured discussions and source-based tasks, students connect military strategy, leadership, and morale to broader historical outcomes like the rise of nationalism and changes in warfare.

• Year 7
• History
• 3 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Role Play

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Format Name: Agincourt Battlefield Simulation

Students, divided into English archers and French knights, use their knowledge of tactics to 'battle' on a grid. They must consider terrain and weapon effectiveness based on historical accounts.

Prepare & details

Analyze the factors contributing to the English victory at the Battle of Agincourt.

Facilitation Tip: In the Collaborative Investigation, assign groups two contrasting accounts of Agincourt so they must reconcile differences rather than just summarize each one.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Role Play

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Format Name: Joan of Arc's Trial Debate

Assign students roles as Joan of Arc, her accusers, and her defenders. They must research and present arguments based on historical trial records to debate her impact and legitimacy.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the impact of Joan of Arc on the course of the Hundred Years' War.

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share, circulate and listen for students who conflate Joan of Arc’s visions with military strategy, then gently redirect them to primary texts for evidence.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Role Play

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Format Name: Treaty of Troyes Negotiation

In pairs, students represent English and French diplomats. They must negotiate terms for a treaty, considering the power dynamics after Agincourt and the potential for future conflict.

Prepare & details

Explain how the war contributed to the development of national identity in England and France.

Facilitation Tip: For the Gallery Walk, place enlarged maps of northern France between 1415 and 1429 so students can visually track troop movements and shifting battle sites.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic through layered inquiry: start with the tactical details of Agincourt to ground students in the concrete realities of medieval combat, then layer in the cultural and psychological impact of Joan of Arc. Avoid framing either event as inevitable; instead, use counterfactuals to show how small decisions changed outcomes. Research shows that students retain more when they analyze failure as well as success, so explicitly compare why the French lost Agincourt but won Orléans.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students should be able to explain how terrain and weaponry shaped the Battle of Agincourt, and how Joan of Arc’s leadership altered France’s fortunes. They should also distinguish between long-term trends and short-term events in medieval warfare.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation, watch for the idea that Agincourt was a single battle that ended the war.

What to Teach Instead

During Collaborative Investigation, point students to a timeline where they see Agincourt followed by years of skirmishes, treaties, and renewed fighting so they recognize it as a turning point rather than a conclusion.

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share, watch for the claim that Joan of Arc’s visions alone won the war.

What to Teach Instead

During Think-Pair-Share, ask students to revisit Joan’s letters or trial transcripts to find concrete actions she took, like raising the siege or rallying troops, that show her leadership beyond personal belief.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Collaborative Investigation, pose the prompt: 'Was the English victory at Agincourt primarily due to superior tactics or favorable circumstances?' Ask students to support arguments with evidence from their group’s sources, referencing troop numbers, terrain, and weaponry.

Quick Check

During Gallery Walk, provide a short primary source excerpt describing Joan of Arc’s arrival at the Siege of Orléans. Ask students to write two sentences on a sticky note explaining how her presence might have affected the morale of the French soldiers, then affix notes to the gallery timeline.

Exit Ticket

After Think-Pair-Share, give students index cards to write one factor that contributed to the English victory at Agincourt and one way Joan of Arc changed the course of the war. Collect these as students leave to assess understanding of key events and their significance.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to draft a short speech Joan of Arc might have given to the French army before Orléans, citing at least two historical factors that boosted morale.
• For students struggling with military terminology, provide a glossary of key terms (e.g., longbow, schiltron, siege tower) and a side-by-side diagram of English and French formations.
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare medieval warfare to World War I trench warfare, focusing on how terrain influenced defensive tactics in both eras.