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Life in a Tudor Castle

History • 52 • Created with AI following Aligned with National Curriculum for England

History
52
3 March 2025

Life in a Tudor Castle

Curriculum Area

Subject: History
Level: Key Stage 1 (Year 1 & Year 2)
National Curriculum Links:

  • Significant historical events, people, and places in their own locality.
  • Changes within living memory and beyond living memory.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

  1. Know the roles of different people in a Tudor castle.
  2. Understand what life was like in Tattershall Castle during the Tudor period.
  3. Recognise how Tudor castles were places of wealth and power.

Lesson Duration

52 minutes

Class Size

16 students


Lesson Plan

Starter Activity (10 minutes) – ‘What is a Castle For?’

  1. Teacher Questioning: Open with a discussion: “What do you think a castle was used for in Tudor times?” Encourage students to share ideas.
  2. Quick Draw: Give each student a whiteboard and ask them to draw what they imagine a Tudor castle looked like.
  3. Class Share: Briefly discuss what they have drawn and compare ideas.

Main Teaching Input (15 minutes) – 'Who Lived in a Tudor Castle?'

1. Introduction to Tudor Roles

  • Explain that castles were not just homes for kings and queens, but also for lords, ladies, servants, and workers.
  • Introduce key roles:
    • Lord and Lady – Owners of the castle, lived in luxury.
    • Servants – Responsible for cooking, cleaning, lighting fires, and looking after the lord and lady.
    • The Cook – Worked in the kitchen to prepare meals.
    • The Gong Farmer – Cleaned out the toilets (cesspits)!

2. Tattershall Castle in the Tudor Period

  • Show a simple timeline of owners, explaining that after Lord Cromwell died, the castle was passed along to many wealthy and powerful people including Henry VIII and Charles Brandon.
  • Explain Charles Brandon’s impact – “[He turned the castle into a Tudor palace and even built a special place for jousting called a Tiltyard.]”

3. Interactive Role-Play Decision Making Question

  • Ask students: “If you lived in Tattershall Castle, would you want to be a lord, a cook, or a gong farmer? Why?”

Activity (15 minutes) – Jobs in a Tudor Castle

  1. Role-Play Cards – Assign each student a role: Lord, Lady, Cook, Servant, or Gong Farmer.
  2. Act It Out! – Students act out their roles. Examples:
    • Lords and Ladies enjoy a banquet.
    • Servants clean and light fires.
    • Gong Farmers pretend to scoop waste (with imaginary tools!).
  3. Discussion – Ask students:
    • “How do you think each person felt doing their job?”
    • “Was life fair for everyone in Tudor castles?”

Plenary (10 minutes) – Quiz and Reflection

  1. Quick Quiz:
    • What was a Gong Farmer’s job?
    • Who owned Tattershall Castle after Lord Cromwell died?
    • What special sport did Charles Brandon bring to the castle?
  2. Personal Reflection: “If you lived in Tudor times, would you rather be rich or poor? Why?”

Resources Needed

  • Whiteboards and pens (for drawing starter)
  • Printed role-play cards (Lord, Lady, Cook, Servant, Gong Farmer)
  • Simple timeline of Tattershall Castle’s Tudor owners
  • Teacher’s storytelling voice - enthusiasm essential!

Assessment Opportunities

  • Observation: Are students engaging with questions and role-playing?
  • Discussion Contributions: Do students show understanding of different roles in a Tudor castle?
  • Quiz Answers & Reflection: Can students recall key Tudor facts about Tattershall Castle?

Differentiation

  • For Support: Provide picture prompts for castle roles, use paired discussion.
  • For Challenge: Ask students to explain why roles were divided this way in Tudor times.

Teacher Reflection

  • Did all students participate in role-play?
  • Did the quiz show good understanding?
  • What could be improved for next time?

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