The Wars of the Roses for A Level:
Classroom Resources and Activities
This list begins with material relating to the whole period and then moves onto events in chronological order.
Material Relating to the Whole Period
HA Resources from the Teacher Fellowship
Developed during the HA Teacher Fellowship on teaching about later medieval England, this collection of resources includes ‘Who’s Who in The Wars of the Roses?’ and ‘Using Wars of the Roses sources at A level’ plus other resources on the period.
These resources are available open access on the HA site.
Royal Family Tree PowerPoint (1399-1461)
The whole family tree of Edward III’s descendants can be intimidating. To avoid over-powering students this PowerPoint provides a sequence of 5 screens which gradually build up the royal family tree.
More Family Trees of Noble Families
Five family trees from my Roses textbook – the family of Richard, Duke of York, the Woodvilles, Edward’s IV’s children and brothers, the Neville inheritance, Henry of Richmond’s descent from Edward III.
Download as:
A Powerpoint HERE …
Or as a PDF HERE …
The Wars of the Roses: An Overview Activity
This structured role-play started life as an SHP Conference Saturday night event way back in 2006 but will provide A level students with a quick (an hour or so) overview from 1450 to 1485. My thanks to Matt Springett for prompting me to turn the script into something useable in the classroom. It will help students become familiar with names and events and reduce anxiety about studying a new topic. It has lots of participation which helps classes gel and get used to contributing.
A Textbook Outline: The Wars in 4 Pages!
These two mocked up book-spreads provide a summary in text form (as a PDF) to accompany the overview timeline graph in my Roses textbook – or used independently or whenever you like really!
Anne Herbert: A Life in the Wars of the Roses
This two-part activity provides an introduction to fifteenth century society and the Wars of the Roses – Anne’s life may provide a more individual, personal way into what can be an intimidating set of political and military events. There’s a puzzle to begin with, a wedding, a Grand Design, a will and plenty of battles and drama – all seen all through the experience of one woman.
The Pastons in the Classroom
Within my introduction to the Paston family and their letters there’s a section on using the Paston letters in teaching.
The final part of this is a discussion on how to integrate the Pastons into A level teaching.
Battle Cards, Tweets and Mini-Sagas
A set of simple resources and ideas for building knowledge of the events and people of the Wars of the Roses.
Events in Chronological Order
Using Articles on the 1450s with Students
Two activities and articles provided by Helen Snelson that she’s used with her A level students.
Rivalries and Alliances (1450-1455)
A structured role-play that provides an introduction to the events from Cade’s Rebellion to the first battle of St. Albans.
This is a less detailed version of the activity titled The Beginnings of the Wars of the Roses (listed next).
The Beginnings of the Wars of the Roses
More detailed than the one listed above, this structured role-play covers the events of 1452 to 1455 and the motives of the individuals involved in major political events – a very effective way of introducing students to the people and events and excellent for improving their memory of the details.
Feuds and Alliances 1452-1455
Understanding the Sides at St. Albans in 1455
A brief activity enabling students to work out how feuds led to alliances and how these alliances determined the sides at the first battle of St. Albans.
Understanding the Pattern of Events 1455-1461
Three brief activities exploring the pattern of events between 1455 and 1461 – a physical timeline, a brief role-play and a decision-making activity.
Understanding the Links between Nobles and Gentry
Another activity from Helen Snelson, designed to help her students understand the links between and pressures on gentry and nobles around 1460.
The Fishpool Hoard:
Evidence of Lancastrian resistance 1461-64?
A puzzle from the 1460s – why was this large collection of coins and jewellery buried?
Why did Edward IV Win the Throne Back in 1471?
A starter activity to get students thinking about what the answer before they start reading – this helps significantly to motivate and focus their reading! Or you could use it for revision.
Why did Burgundy help Edward IV Win Back his Crown in 1471?
This brief role-play explores why Burgundy helped Edward IV in 1471, focussing on the effect of French aggression towards Burgundy on Burgundy’s attitude.
Richard III and the Problem of How to Secure the South
A case-study for A level students exploring the changes in the Wiltshire Commission of the Peace during Richard’s reign to exemplify Richard’s options and decisions in the wake of the 1483 rebellion.
Four Activities for A Level on Richard III
Resources created by Andrew Wallace to help students deepen their understanding and knowledge of the events of 1483.
Resources and Articles on Henry VII
The list of resources in this unit concludes with:
• A range of classroom activities designed for use with A Level students on the reign of Henry VII:
Henry VII – the Survival Game
Henry VII’s Road to the Throne
The Ryther Hoard and Lambert Simnel
Henry VII’s Use of Bonds
See the list of activities HERE …
• And, in addition, two of my articles on Henry VII which will be useful at A Level:
Henry VII: Out of the Shadows HERE …
Henry VII: from diligent bureaucrat to paranoid blunderer? HERE …
