WEAPONS THAT MADE BRITAIN

PROGRAMME 1: THE SWORD

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

This programme can be used in a number of ways. As well as showing the whole programme, selected sections could be shown to highlight particular themes. For example, if students are studying the War of the Roses, the sections that feature the Battle of Barnet could be shown. As well as having relevance for the history curriculum, this programme could be used as part of cross-curricular projects linking history, geography and design technology.

Related websites can be found in Find out more.

General activities

Alongside the programme students could:

• Produce a small ‘Sword Training Manual’ to show some of the manoeuvres
• Write an article about the Battle of Barnet, pretending to be an eyewitness at the time
• Find a picture of a long sword on the internet, then trace and describe it
• Produce a timeline of the War of the Roses.

Programme-related activities

• The following tasks can be undertaken individually or in pairs
• Usually one copy of each worksheet is needed per student
• Encourage whole-class discussion and feedback after each activity.

Task 1: Glossary of terms
Students need to complete this as they watch the whole programme.

Download activity sheet [Word document, 40KB]

Task 2: Using a medieval sword
Students need to watch sections 05.24 – 07.02, 09.08 – 10.21, 19.04 – 23.13, 23.14 – 29.26 and 38.15 – 44.41 or the whole programme.

Download activity sheet [Word document, 76KB]

Task 3: What is a sword like and how is it made?
Students need to watch section 10.22-19.03.

Download activity sheet [Word document, 44KB]

Task 4: The Battle of Barnet
Students need to watch the whole programme or sections 03.05 – 05.23, 07.03 – 09.07, 19.04 – 23.13, 29.27 – 38.14 and 44.42 – 46.35.

Download activity sheet [Word document, 44KB]