History · Year 8

Active learning ideas

The Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Dissolution of the Monasteries is a complex event with multiple causes and consequences. Active learning methodologies like Document Mystery and Philosophical Chairs allow students to grapple with historical evidence and competing viewpoints directly, fostering deeper understanding than passive reading.

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

• 40–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 50 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The King's Commissioners

Students take on roles of commissioners sent to inspect monasteries. They must gather evidence of corruption or inefficiency to justify closure, using provided 'evidence' cards. This activity encourages critical analysis of historical justifications.

Justify Henry VIII's financial motivations for dissolving the monasteries.

Facilitation Tip

For the Document Mystery activity, guide students to identify the 'who, what, when, where, and why' of each document before asking them to synthesize findings.

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

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: The Case For and Against Monasteries

Divide the class into two groups: one arguing for the preservation of monasteries (highlighting their social, spiritual, and economic contributions) and the other arguing for their dissolution (focusing on corruption, wealth, and the King's authority).

Analyze the immediate and long-term social impact of the Dissolution.

Facilitation Tip

During Philosophical Chairs, circulate to ensure students are referencing specific arguments or evidence from the preceding activities when they change seats.

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

Activity 03

• Document Mystery
• 40 min · Individual

Mapping Land Redistribution

Provide students with maps of England showing former monastic lands. They can research who acquired these lands and color-code the map accordingly, visualizing the significant shift in property ownership.

Compare the religious arguments for and against the monastic system.

Facilitation Tip

In the Case Study Analysis, prompt students to consider the perspectives of different stakeholders—monks, the Crown, local communities—when evaluating Henry VIII's decisions.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

When teaching the Dissolution, avoid presenting it as a simple story of royal greed or religious corruption. Instead, use historical thinking skills to explore the interplay of political ambition, financial necessity, and evolving religious ideas. Research suggests that engaging students with primary sources and opportunities for debate leads to a more nuanced understanding of this pivotal historical moment.

Students will move beyond memorizing dates and names to analyzing primary sources, debating historical claims, and evaluating the multifaceted motivations behind the Dissolution. Success looks like students articulating reasoned arguments supported by evidence from the activities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Document Mystery, students might focus solely on financial documents, believing the Dissolution was only about Henry VIII's greed.

  Redirect students to analyze royal decrees and propaganda alongside financial records to explore the religious and political justifications presented at the time, broadening their understanding beyond personal avarice.

• When role-playing as King's Commissioners, students might assume all monks and nuns were corrupt and lazy.

  Prompt students to seek out evidence of monastic roles beyond corruption, such as their involvement in education or healthcare, to challenge simplistic stereotypes and encourage a balanced historical perspective.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Formal Debate
• Document Mystery