History · Year 7

Active learning ideas

The Princes in the Tower: A Historical Mystery

This mystery thrives on ambiguity, making it ideal for active learning. Students need to practice weighing evidence, recognizing bias, and defending interpretations before drawing conclusions. Hands-on tasks keep them engaged with the uncertainty rather than overwhelmed by it.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS3: History - The Wars of the Roses
• KS3: History - Dynastic Conflict

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Document Mystery
• 45 min · Small Groups

Evidence Stations: Source Analysis

Prepare stations with replicas of key sources like Mancini's dispatch and the Croyland Chronicle. Small groups spend 8 minutes per station recording what each reveals about the princes' fate and its reliability. Groups then present one key insight to the class.

Analyze the historical evidence surrounding the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.

Facilitation Tip

During Evidence Stations, circulate and ask students to point out which details in each source could be influenced by the author's perspective or political loyalties.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Based on the evidence presented, who is most likely responsible for the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower?' Assign students roles representing different historical figures or theories to argue from.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Mock Trial
• 50 min · Pairs

Mock Trial: Richard III Prosecuted

Assign roles: prosecution, defense, witnesses, and judge. Pairs prepare arguments using printed evidence excerpts over 15 minutes. Hold a 25-minute trial with cross-examination, followed by class vote on verdict.

Evaluate the various theories regarding who was responsible for the Princes' fate.

Facilitation Tip

During the Mock Trial, assign roles in advance so students can prepare arguments using evidence from the sources they analyzed earlier.

What to look for

Provide students with short excerpts from two different primary sources (e.g., Mancini and More). Ask them to write one sentence identifying the author's potential bias and one sentence explaining how this bias might affect their account of events.

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

Activity 03

• Document Mystery
• 35 min · Small Groups

Theory Mapping: Group Charts

Provide charts with columns for suspects, motives, and evidence. Small groups fill in details from shared sources, then connect theories with arrows showing links. Display and critique charts as a class.

Critique Shakespeare's portrayal of Richard III and its influence on historical perception.

Facilitation Tip

During Theory Mapping, provide a visual organizer that forces students to connect specific evidence to each theory rather than listing vague possibilities.

What to look for

Students create a timeline of key events from 1483. They then exchange timelines with a partner. Partners check for accuracy of dates and sequence, and identify one event where the historical interpretation is particularly contested, noting the different possibilities.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Document Mystery
• 40 min · Individual

Shakespeare Scene Rewrite: Modern Twist

Individuals read a Shakespeare excerpt on Richard III, then rewrite a short scene incorporating historical evidence. Share in small groups and discuss portrayal biases.

Analyze the historical evidence surrounding the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Based on the evidence presented, who is most likely responsible for the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower?' Assign students roles representing different historical figures or theories to argue from.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by modeling how historians work with gaps in evidence. Avoid presenting the mystery as solvable. Instead, emphasize the process of interpretation and the role of bias in historical accounts. Research shows that students learn best when they confront ambiguity directly and practice evaluating evidence in context.

Success looks like students confidently using primary sources to form arguments, recognizing the limits of historical knowledge, and understanding how new evidence changes interpretations. They should also practice separating Tudor propaganda from contemporary accounts.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Evidence Stations, watch for students assuming Shakespeare's portrayal of Richard III is historically accurate.

  During Evidence Stations, provide students with Tudor propaganda sources alongside contemporary accounts. Ask them to highlight language in Shakespeare’s play that reflects bias and compare it to Mancini’s neutral observations to spot the difference.

• During Theory Mapping, look for students treating the bones found in the Tower as definitive proof of the princes' fate.

  During Theory Mapping, include the 1674 discovery of bones and the inconclusive 20th-century analysis as one theory among many. Ask students to evaluate why remains are never confirmed as the princes and how this affects their confidence in each theory.

• During Mock Trial, expect students to claim that without a body or confession, the mystery cannot be solved.

  During Mock Trial, require students to use indirect evidence like missing records, political motives, or suspicious behavior to build their case. After the trial, discuss how historians rely on such clues to form interpretations even without direct proof.

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Methods used in this brief

• Document Mystery
• Mock Trial