Attacking Castles

Curriculum Area: History – Key Stage 1 (Year 1 & Year 2)

National Curriculum Focus:

• Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally
• The lives of significant individuals in the past
• Understanding how castles were attacked and defended

Lesson Duration: 50 minutes
Class Size: 19 students

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:
✅ Know about different ways castles were attacked.
✅ Understand what happened to Tattershall Castle during the Civil War.
✅ Be able to describe different attack strategies used in historical conflicts.

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Lesson Structure

Starter Activity (10 minutes) - "Storm the Castle!"

1. Engagement Question - Ask: "If you had to attack a castle, how would you do it?" Take quick responses from students.
2. Mini Role-Play - Display an image of a castle on the board (preferably Tattershall Castle). Ask students to imagine they are knights trying to capture the castle.
3. Mystery Object Bag - Show items or pictures representing historical weapons (e.g., a small wooden ladder, a rock for a catapult, a toy hammer for a battering ram). Let students guess what each object was used for.

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Main Teaching (15 minutes) – How Were Castles Attacked?

Interactive Discussion

Use a combination of storytelling, images, and hands-on learning to explain the six main attacking methods:

🪜 Ladders – Picture of knights climbing walls; talk about height and difficulty.
🔥 Fire – Explain that early castles made of wood could be burned down easily.
🗡 Battering Rams – Pretend to push down an imaginary heavy gate as a class.
🏹 Catapults – Show an image of a trebuchet throwing stones or objects.
⛏ Mining – Demonstrate with a small toy digging under ‘wall’ (e.g., a block or paper card).
⛑ Siege – Explain how knights couldn’t leave or get food during a siege.

Encourage questions and discussion throughout!

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Group Activity (15 minutes) - "Defend Tattershall Castle!"

1. Split into three groups – Each group must imagine they are defending Tattershall Castle. One group will prepare against a ladder attack, one against catapults, and one against a battering ram.
2. Defence Planning – Ask students to draw or act out how they would try to stop the attackers using medieval defences (e.g., pouring hot sand, knocking ladders down, reinforcing the walls).
3. Mini Presentations – Each group presents their defence plan in one sentence.

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Plenary (10 minutes) – What Happened to Tattershall Castle?

🎭 The Story of the Attack in 1643

• Act as a storyteller and tell the true story of how the Royalists attacked Tattershall Castle during the Civil War. Mention how most of the castle was destroyed, except the Great Tower.
• Use sound effects (knocking for battering rams, whooshing sounds for catapults) to bring the story to life.

Quick Quiz (3 Questions to recap):

1. "Name one way castles were attacked."
2. "What happened to Tattershall Castle in 1643?"
3. "Why was the Great Tower not destroyed?"

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Assessment & Differentiation

✔ Verbal Responses & Participation – Check if students can identify and explain attack methods.
✔ Drawing / Acting Task – See if students understand defence strategies.
✔ Support for EAL/SEND Pupils – Use visual aids, simple questions, and buddy support where needed.

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Teacher Reflection & Next Steps

• Which attack method did children find most interesting?
• Were they engaged during role-play activities?
• Next lesson: Defending Castles – How drawbridges, moats, and walls kept castles safe!

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Resources Needed

🖼 Pictures of castles and attack methods
🛡 Simple props (ladder, rock, wooden beam) for hands-on learning
📖 A simple storytelling script of Tattershall Castle’s siege

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Why This Lesson Stands Out

✅ Hands-on learning with props
✅ Engaging storytelling & drama
✅ Meets UK Curriculum for Year 1 & 2
✅ Encourages creative thinking and teamwork

This is not just another history lesson – it's an adventure into the past! 🚀