Tudor Houses Time

WALT

We Are Learning To describe the houses during Tudor times using historical evidence and vocabulary.

National Curriculum Link

• History 2014 Programme of Study:
  • Pupils should develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Pupils should note connections, contrasts and trends over time.
  • Pupils should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
• Key Stage 2 History: Study of local history or a study of early British history including changes in Britain from the Tudor era.

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Success Criteria

• I can identify key features of Tudor houses (timber framing, thatched roofs, large chimneys).
• I can explain why Tudor houses looked the way they did.
• I can use Tudor-related vocabulary in my descriptions (e.g., "jettying," "wattle and daub," "tiles").
• I can compare Tudor houses to modern houses.

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Resources

• Pictures and labelled diagrams of Tudor houses (dyslexia-friendly fonts, high contrast colours).
• Wooden sticks and glue for building a simple Tudor house model (to engage kinaesthetic learners).
• Printed word bank with pictures for key vocabulary.
• Smartboard or printed timeline showing Tudor period (1485-1603).

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Lesson Activities (30 minutes)

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Begin with a brief story about a child living in a Tudor house, introducing key images on the smartboard.
• Discuss WALT and success criteria.
• Show the timeline placing Tudor period in historical context.

2. Exploration & Explanation (10 minutes)

• Present key features of Tudor houses using high-quality images: timber frames, white wattle and daub walls, steep tiled roofs, large chimneys, and jettied upper floors.
• Use the printed word bank; go through vocabulary with the students, encouraging repetition.
• Ask students to identify which features they notice and why they think houses were built like this (e.g., materials available, fire safety).
• Dyslexia Strategy: Provide short, simple sentences and colour-coded vocabulary cards to support reading.

3. Hands-on Activity (10 minutes)

• Students work collaboratively to build a simple model of a Tudor house using sticks to create timber frames and paper/card to represent wattle and daub walls and roofs.
• Encourage them to label their model with key vocabulary (stick cards with words).
• Discussion prompts: How is your house different from your own home? Why might it have been built like this?

4. Plenary & Assessment (5 minutes)

• Each student describes their house model aloud using at least three Tudor-specific words.
• Teacher uses a simple checklist targeting success criteria to assess understanding:
  • Identifies key Tudor house features?
  • Uses Tudor vocabulary correctly?
  • Explains purpose of features?
• Quick vote: Would you like to live in a Tudor house? Why / why not?

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Differentiation Strategies

• For additional support: Provide a labelled diagram with simple sentences; oral explanations repeated with visuals.
• For dyslexic learners: Use multi-sensory chances to hear and see vocabulary; avoid text-heavy instructions; provide coloured overlays if needed.
• For visual learners: Use plenty of pictures, timelines, and colour coding.
• For kinaesthetic learners: Model building promotes hands-on learning.

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Extension Activity

• Challenge advanced learners to research a famous Tudor building (e.g., Hampton Court Palace) and create a mini poster illustrating how the houses of rich Tudors differed from those of common people.

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Notes for Teacher

• Keep the pace lively, encouraging discussion to build historical enquiry.
• Use questioning that prompts “why” and “how” to develop critical thinking about Tudor life and architecture.
• Embed cultural awareness by discussing material use and daily life implications.

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This lesson makes history tangible through storytelling, vocabulary development, and practical construction, helping students deeply connect with Tudor life and architecture within a tight 30-minute window.