Reflecting on Queens

Overview

Year Group: Reception - KS1 (Ages 4-7)
Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 10 students (mixed EYFS and KS1)
Unit: Queens of England: A Journey (Lesson 5 of 5)
Location: Rural C of E primary, Selside, Kendal

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National Curriculum Links (England)

• History

  • Key Stage 1 (Years 1-2)
  • Pupils should develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They should know where people and events fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. (NC ref: KS1 History - statutory requirements)
  • Pupils should learn about significant historical events, people and places in their own locality and beyond. (NC ref: Study of the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. E.g., Queens of England).

• Communication and Language (Reception / EYFS)

  • Engage in storytimes and discussions to develop listening and speaking skills.

• Literacy (Reception, KS1)

  • Use phonics knowledge to write simple sentences with their ideas.
  • Begin to compose sentences orally before writing.

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development

  • Develop confidence to speak in a familiar group.
  • Work cooperatively.

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Learning Objectives ("I can..." statements)

• I can share one fact about each queen we have learned about.
• I can explain why each queen is important in history.
• I can work with a partner to create a 'Queens Book' combining drawings and writing.
• I can listen respectfully when others share their ideas.

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Success Criteria

• Students verbally share a fact about each queen during the group discussion.
• Students produce a simple illustrated page about each queen in their 'Queens Book'.
• Students explain why they think each queen is important in their own words.
• Students work collaboratively, supporting each other’s contributions.

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Resources Needed

• Pre-prepared "Queens Book" templates (4 pages: Cover + 3 pages for each queen)
• Pencils, crayons, coloured pencils, markers
• Pictures / symbols of the three queens previously studied (e.g. Elizabeth I, Victoria, Elizabeth II)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Sticky notes or small card for fact sharing
• Display area for completed books

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction & Recap (10 minutes)

• Gather whole class on carpet or group area.
• Teacher briefly revisits the three queens studied in previous lessons with pictures and key facts.
• Invite students to share a favourite fact they remember about any queen. Write these on the board.
• Differentiation: For younger/EYFS children, use pictures and verbal prompts to support recalling facts.

2. Group Discussion: Sharing Our Favourite Facts (10 minutes)

• In a circle, each student shares one fact about a queen. Teacher prompts:
  • "Can you tell us something you remember about Queen Elizabeth I?"
  • "Why do you think she was important?"
• Model simple sentence starters: "My favourite fact about the Queen is... because..."
• Use sentence frames displayed visually to support SEN and EAL learners.
• Encourage active listening and turn-taking.

3. Creating the Queens Book (30 minutes)

• Pupils work in pairs (Reception/EYFS with KS1 or mixed ability pairs).
• Each pair receives a 'Queens Book' template.
• For each queen’s page, pupils draw a picture and write or dictate a sentence/fact about the queen.
• Teacher circulates to support writing and to elicit explanations of the queen’s importance.
• Encourage use of phonics strategies to attempt independent spelling.
• EYFS children: Focus more on drawing and oral sentence creation with adult support.
• KS1 children: Encourage sentence writing with capital letters and full stops, applying phonics.

4. Sharing and Celebration (10 minutes)

• Pairs present their 'Queens Book' to the class or in small groups, reading their sentences aloud.
• Teacher praises effort, use of facts, and teamwork.
• Display completed books in the classroom or school library area.

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Differentiation Strategies

Learner Type	Strategy	Support/Challenge
SEN / EAL / Lower ability	Use sentence starters and word banks; adult scribing where needed; encourage drawing to express ideas.	One-to-one support available; small group work.
Higher ability / Advanced	Write additional sentences explaining the queen’s achievements; research one extra interesting fact.	Provide extra fact cards to incorporate.
EYFS/Nursery	Focus on oral discussion and drawing; adult models writing sentences.	Use of continuous provision materials to reinforce lesson.
Mixed ability pairs	Peer coaching to scaffold writing and ideas exchange.	Promote teamwork and communication skills.

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Extension Activity (For Advanced Learners)

• Present their 'Queens Book' confidently to the class with extended sentences.
• Create a short role-play or 'interview' as one of the queens, sharing facts and answering questions from peers.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative: Observe participation in discussion, ability to recall facts, and explanations of importance.
• Review pairs’ written/drawn pages to check understanding and application of phonics/spelling skills.
• Use oral feedback during presentations to assess confidence and historical vocabulary usage.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Art: Drawing portraits of queens.
• Literacy: Sentence construction, storytelling and book-making.
• PSHE: Collaboration, listening, and communication skills.
• Communication: Developing historical vocabulary and sentence structure.

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Reflective Notes for Teacher

• Maintain a positive, nurturing environment to boost confidence.
• Use praise to encourage sharing and teamwork.
• Scaffold writing for mixed ability learners while challenging more advanced students.
• Incorporate Rosenshine’s principles by revisiting prior knowledge, modelling sentence stems, and providing guided practice through paired work.
• Use outdoor continuous provision time to complement the topic by role-playing historical queens or creating crown crafts related to the unit.

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With this detailed, curriculum-aligned lesson plan, you will confidently guide your Reception and KS1 children through a meaningful reflection on their historical learning journey about Queens of England, embedding historical knowledge with literacy and social skills development in a child-centred, inclusive environment.