Mandela’s Presidency

Overview

Unit: Nelson Mandela: A Leader for Peace and Equality
Lesson: 3 of 3
Duration: 40 minutes
Class size: 25 Year 1 students
Subject: History
Country: England (National Curriculum)

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT: Recognise Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s first Black president
• WALT: Understand Mandela’s important contributions to peace and equality during his presidency
• WALT: Sequence key events in Mandela’s life using a timeline
• WALT: Express ideas about leadership and peace through role-play

National Curriculum References

• History – Key stage 1:
  • Pupils should be taught about significant historical events, people and places in their own locality (e.g., Mandela as a global figure inspiring peace and equality)
  • Develop an understanding of the past through stories and role-play (NC Programme of Study: ‘Pupils should use stories to explore events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally.’)
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED):
  • Develop understanding of positive relationships and empathy through discussion and role-play activities

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Success Criteria

• I can say who Nelson Mandela was and why he is special
• I can describe that Mandela was South Africa’s first Black president
• I can put pictures of Mandela’s life events in order on a timeline
• I can take part in a role-play showing what a good leader is like
• I can talk about why peace is important

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Resources

• Large printed pictures of Nelson Mandela’s life events (arrest, prison, presidency, peace celebrations)
• Blank timeline sheets with labelled years (for sticking images)
• Simple script cards for leadership/peace role-play
• ‘Dyslexia-friendly’ reading framework cards: clear fonts (e.g. Open Dyslexic), short sentences, illustrations
• Large whiteboard or flipchart
• Soft props (e.g. crown, peace dove cutout, microphone) for role-play
• A storybook summarising Mandela’s life using picture-supported text

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Lesson Outline

1. Starter (5 minutes)

• Recap: Use a large timeline from previous lessons with 3 pictures: young Mandela, imprisoned Mandela, and a happy community scene.
• Recap key points from prior lessons using a simple story with visuals.
• Ask: “Who can remind us who Nelson Mandela was? What do you remember about him?”
• Use ‘Think, Pair, Share’ (discuss with a partner) to build confidence.

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2. Introduction to Mandela as President (10 minutes)

• Show a large picture of Mandela as president, welcoming people.
• Explain: “Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s first Black president. That was very important because before him, Black people had very few rights.”
• Use short, clear sentences with dyslexia-friendly text flashes on the board.
• Tell a short, focused story about him helping peoples of different races live together peacefully.
• Invite 3-4 students to share what they think a president does, writing key ideas on the board.

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3. Sequencing Activity – Timeline (10 minutes)

• Hand out printed pictures with simple captions related to Mandela’s life including presidency.
• In pairs, children will place pictures on their individual timeline sheets.
• Use concrete questioning: “Which happened first? What happened after Mandela became president?”
• Teacher circulates to scaffold and challenge thinking using open questions (e.g., “Why do you think Mandela wanted peace?”).

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4. Role-play Activity: Leadership and Celebration (10 minutes)

• Split class into 3 groups:
  1. Mandela as a leader speaking to his people
  2. People celebrating peace
  3. Helpers spreading kindness and equality
• Give each group simple role cards and props.
• Allow 5 minutes to practise, then 5 minutes to perform in front of the class.
• After each performance, briefly discuss: “What did we notice about being a good leader?”

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5. Plenary and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Gather class in circle, revisit timeline images quickly on board.
• Ask reflective questions: “What can we learn from Nelson Mandela about being kind and fair?”
• Use a ‘peace flower’ visual: each child says one word about peace or leadership and sticks their word petal on the flower.

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Differentiation

• Support for SEND/Dyslexic learners: Use dyslexia-friendly fonts and colours; pair work for peer support; use multisensory props and role-play to reinforce concepts
• Support for EAL learners: Use simple, clear language; visual cues and gestures; pre-teach vocabulary with picture cards
• Support for lower ability: Provide partial timelines with some pictures already placed; scaffold role-play with sentence starters
• Challenge for higher ability: Invite to add more events to timeline; create their own short speech as Mandela speaking about peace

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Extension Activities

• Draw and label your own ‘Peace poster’ inspired by Mandela’s ideas of equality
• Create a simple ‘Thank you, Mandela’ card to share with the class or school staff

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Assessment & Observations

• Formative assessment during pair work: note understanding of sequencing events
• Teacher observations during role-play: assess engagement and grasp of leadership concepts
• End-of-lesson discussion notes: assess ability to express ideas about peace and Mandela’s legacy

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This lesson plan meets the statutory requirements for History in Key Stage 1, fostering pupils’ understanding of significant historical figures and events while promoting personal development through empathy and discussion, perfectly aligned to Year 1 standards of the English National Curriculum.