A Royal Celebration

Lesson Overview

Subject: History
Year Group: Year 1
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
National Curriculum Area: Changes within living memory
Objective: Pupils will sequence events from King Charles III’s Coronation and describe these using short sentences. They will also explore how this historical event connects to their own lives by producing a TV news report.

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Sequence key events from King Charles III’s Coronation in chronological order.
• Describe these events using simple sentences.
• Demonstrate an awareness of historical change within their own lifetime.
• Create a news-style report to communicate their understanding of the Coronation.

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Resources

• PowerPoint with images of King Charles III’s Coronation events
• Video clip from King Charles III’s Coronation
• Large sentence strips with printed key events for sequencing
• Whiteboards and markers
• Cardboard microphones or a simple recording device for the news report

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Starter Activity – Spark Curiosity (10 minutes)

1. Begin with an open-ended question:
   • “Can anyone tell me who our King is?”
   • Show a picture of King Charles III and introduce the term Coronation.
2. Display crowns or royal symbols and ask pupils:
   • “What do you think happens when someone becomes King?”
3. Show the PowerPoint with key moments from King Charles III’s Coronation without discussing the order.

2. Main Input – Understanding Events (15 minutes)

1. Show the video clip of King Charles III’s Coronation.
   Encourage pupils to focus on:
   • What the King is wearing
   • What the people around him are doing
   • What key moments they notice
2. Discuss how this is an event within THEIR lifetime—something they might remember!

3. Activity One – Sequencing Royal Moments (15 minutes)

1. Provide pupils with picture cards of different Coronation events.
2. In small groups, ask them to sequence the events in the correct order.
3. As a class, discuss and check the order, supporting pupils in writing simple sentences:
   • “First, King Charles arrived at Westminster Abbey.”
   • “Next, he was given the royal crown.”
   • “Then, people cheered and celebrated!”
4. Stick the completed sequence on the board to consolidate learning.

4. Activity Two – Reporting the Coronation (15 minutes)

1. Explain that pupils are now TV reporters covering King Charles III’s Coronation!
2. In pairs, they will create a one-minute report using key facts they’ve learned.
3. Provide sentence starters:
   • “Hello, and welcome to the news!”
   • “Today, King Charles III was crowned at…”
   • “People all over the country…”
4. Use cardboard microphones or a simple voice recorder to act out their reports.
5. Perform to the class!

5. Plenary – Reflect & Recap (5 minutes)

1. Discuss:
   • “How was King Charles III’s Coronation different from past Kings and Queens?”
   • “What did you learn about how history happens in our lifetime?”
2. Celebrate the pupils’ work with a round of applause for the TV reporters!

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide pre-made sentence stems for pupils who need additional writing support.
• Challenge: Ask higher-ability pupils to compare King Charles III’s Coronation to Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observing sequencing activity – do pupils correctly order the events?
• Listening to the TV reports – do pupils use key facts?
• Checking short written sentences – can pupils describe events clearly?

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Teacher Reflection

• How well did pupils engage with the concept of changes within living memory?
• Did they understand the sequence of events?
• What could be improved for next time?

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This lesson offers an immersive, interactive experience where pupils become historians and reporters, making history come alive! 🎤👑