History · Year 8

Active learning ideas

Mary Queen of Scots and Catholic Plots

Active learning helps students grasp the intricate web of espionage, political tension, and religious conflict in this topic. By engaging with primary sources, role-plays, and debates, students move beyond textbook summaries to analyze the human decisions behind historical events.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS3: History - The Development of Church, State and Society in Britain 1509-1745
• KS3: History - Elizabethan England

• 35–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 50 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Spy Network Stations

Set up stations with replicas of Walsingham's ciphers, Babington letters, and maps of plot locations. Groups rotate every 10 minutes, decoding messages, plotting conspirators, and noting threats to Elizabeth. Conclude with a class share-out of findings.

Analyze why Mary Queen of Scots was such a threat to Elizabeth's security.

Facilitation Tip

At the Spy Network Stations, provide students with a mix of primary sources and modern translations of ciphers to decode, ensuring they work in small groups to share findings.

What to look for

Present students with a short, fictional intercepted message. Ask them to identify potential coded language and explain why such messages would be a concern for Elizabeth's government. Collect responses to gauge understanding of spy craft.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Escape Room
• 60 min · Whole Class

Role-Play: Mary's Trial

Assign roles as Mary, Walsingham, Elizabeth, and plotters. Students prepare arguments from sources, present cases in a mock trial, and vote on the verdict. Debrief on evidence strength and Elizabeth's dilemma.

Explain how the Babington Plot led to Mary's execution.

Facilitation Tip

During the role-play of Mary’s trial, assign clear roles (Elizabeth, Mary, Walsingham, nobles) and give students 10 minutes to prepare their arguments using historical evidence.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Was Elizabeth I justified in ordering the execution of Mary Queen of Scots?' Encourage students to use evidence from the lesson to support their arguments, considering both political necessity and the moral implications of executing a fellow monarch.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Escape Room
• 40 min · Pairs

Pairs Debate: Execution Justified?

Pairs prepare pro and con arguments using key questions and sources. They debate in a fishbowl format, with observers noting evidence. Switch roles and reflect on changed views.

Justify whether Elizabeth was right to execute a fellow anointed monarch.

Facilitation Tip

In the Pairs Debate, require each pair to present both sides of the argument before taking a class vote, using a visible tally to track consensus changes.

What to look for

Students write down two reasons why Mary Queen of Scots was considered a threat to Elizabeth I and one specific consequence of the Babington Plot for Mary herself.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Escape Room
• 35 min · Small Groups

Timeline Build: Plots Unfold

In small groups, students sequence events from Mary's arrival to execution using cards with dates and descriptions. Add causal links and Walsingham's role, then present timelines.

Analyze why Mary Queen of Scots was such a threat to Elizabeth's security.

Facilitation Tip

Build the Timeline in groups of four, assigning each student a key event to research, then have them assemble the sequence on a long strip of paper for the whole class to review.

What to look for

Present students with a short, fictional intercepted message. Ask them to identify potential coded language and explain why such messages would be a concern for Elizabeth's government. Collect responses to gauge understanding of spy craft.

• Remember
• Apply
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often introduce this topic by framing it as a thriller: Mary as the imprisoned queen, Walsingham as the master spy, and Elizabeth as the reluctant decision-maker. Avoid presenting Mary as a constant schemer; instead, use source analysis to show how her threat evolved over time. Research suggests that students retain more when they grapple with primary sources directly, so prioritize decoding letters and examining warrants over lectures.

By the end of these activities, students will confidently explain Mary’s threat level, evaluate Elizabeth’s motivations, and analyze the role of coded messages in uncovering conspiracies. Success looks like students using evidence to support claims in discussions and source analyses.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Spy Network Stations activity, watch for students assuming Mary was actively plotting from the start.

  Use the intercepted letters and cipher activities at the stations to guide students in tracing how Mary’s involvement grew over time. Ask them to mark which letters prove active plotting versus mere association.

• During the Role-Play: Mary's Trial activity, watch for students believing Elizabeth eagerly signed Mary’s death warrant.

  During the role-play, provide students with Elizabeth’s actual letters expressing hesitation. Ask them to incorporate these into their arguments to show her reluctance and the political pressures she faced.

• During the Decoding Activity (part of Spy Network Stations), watch for students thinking Walsingham fabricated plots to trap Mary.

  Have students compare the original Babington Plot letters with their decoded versions. Ask them to identify phrases that prove the letters were genuine conspiracies, not fabrications.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Escape Room