Lesson video

Hello and welcome to today's history lesson.

My name is Mr. Merritt and I'll be guiding you through today's lesson.

So let's get started.

Today's lesson is looking at the first televised coronation, and by the end of today's lesson we'll be able to describe what happened at Elizabeth II's coronation and why it matters.

During the course of the lesson, we'll be using some keywords.

I'm gonna say the keywords and I'd like you to repeat them after me.

So our first keyword is queen.

Our second keyword is coronation.

Our third keyword is nation.

Our fourth keyword is symbol.

And our final keyword is crown.

Very good, well done if you repeated them after me.

So a queen is a woman who rules.

A coronation is the ceremony where someone is crowned king or queen.

A nation is another word for a country.

A symbol is something that stands for something else, and a crown is a symbol of rule worn on the heads.

Let's see if you can spot these keywords as we go through the lesson today.

The first part of our lesson is gonna be looking at becoming queen.

In 1926, Elizabeth was born.

In 1939 when she was just 13 years old, World War II began, and then a year later in 1940, when Elizabeth was 14-year-old, she delivered her first radio broadcast.

So that's a story so far.

Let's see where we go from here.

Now, in 1952, a long time ago when Princess Elizabeth was 25 years old, something very sad happened.

Her father, King George VI, died.

He'd been ill for a very long time, and even though doctors tried to help him, he didn't get any better.

And this was very sad news.

But for Elizabeth, this also meant something very interesting.

She was now the queen.

As soon as the king or queen dies, the person who is next in line to rule immediately becomes the next king or queen.

Elizabeth was visiting a country called Kenya in Africa when she found out the sad news that her father had died.

This meant that she was now the queen.

In those days, Kenya had the same king or queen that we did.

Lots of countries around the world shared the same king or queen back then.

Elizabeth was in the middle of visiting these countries when she found out that she was now the queen.

As soon as she heard the news, she flew straight back home.

This all happened more than 70 years ago, long before you were born.

Let's have a quick check for understanding.

So in 1952, Elizabeth became A, the king, B, the queen, or C, the princess of the United Kingdom.

Make your choice now.

Okay, if you said that in 1952, Elizabeth became B, the queen of the United Kingdom, then very well done.

That is the correct answer.

And another quick check for understanding.

Where was Elizabeth when she found out that she had become queen?

Was she in A, Canada, B, Kenya, or C, Windsor?

Make your choice now.

Alright, if you said that Elizabeth was in B, Kenya when she found that she became queen, then congratulations.

That is the correct answer.

And one more check for understanding.

I'd like you to put these events in the correct order.

So one, Elizabeth flies back home from Kenya, two, King George VI dies, three, Elizabeth is a princess, and four, Elizabeth becomes queen.

So pause the video whilst you do this one and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

So if you said that the correct order was three, Elizabeth is a princess, two, King George VI dies, four, Elizabeth becomes queen, and then one, Elizabeth flies back home from Kenya.

Then very well done, you are correct.

Okay, let's go for our first task for today now then.

So why did Elizabeth become queen in 1952?

And I'd like you to either write or say a sentence for your answer.

And I've given you a sentence starter and a word bank just to help you out with that.

So the sentence starter reads, Elizabeth became queen because.

And then see if you can use these words in your answer.

Father, died, king, next in line and rule.

So pause the video whilst you complete this task and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hopefully you enjoyed that task.

Let's see what you might have written then.

So you might have said that Elizabeth became queen because her father, the king died.

You might have also said that Elizabeth became queen because she was next in line to rule after her father.

Or you might have said that Elizabeth became queen because her father died and she was the oldest child.

If you've got a sentence that's very different to mine but you still used those words from the word bank, then well done.

I'm sure your answer is absolutely fine as it is.

Let's move on then to our next part of the lesson, which is looking at the coronation ceremony and its symbols.

Now, whenever a new king or queen is crowned, they have a very large ceremony to mark the occasion and show the world how special it is.

And this is called a coronation.

Elizabeth's coronation took more than a year to organize, a really long time to organize.

Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II in February, 1952.

But her coronation didn't happen until June, 1953, a long time after she became queen.

Let's have a check for understanding.

The ceremony where someone is crowned a king or a queen is called a?

See if you know the answer to that.

Okay, if you said that the ceremony where someone is crowned a king or a queen is called a coronation, then very well done.

That's the correct answer.

Now, Elizabeth's coronation happened in London.

The ceremony took place in a very special church called Westminster Abbey.

And one of the reasons it's so special is that this is where the kings and queens of England have been crowned for nearly a thousand years.

That's a very, very long time ago, even before your grandparent's grandparents were alive.

Many important people and leaders were invited to the coronation from countries all around the world.

Elizabeth was queen of many different nations, some nearby and some very far away like Canada and Australia for instance.

This was important 'cause Elizabeth wanted everyone to feel included on her special day.

Let's have another check for understanding now.

What special event takes place in Westminster Abbey?

So tell your partner your ideas, pause the video whilst you do this and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, now, if you told your partner that coronation ceremonies for kings and queens take place in Westminster Abbey, then well done.

You are absolutely correct.

Now, Elizabeth worked very hard to include as many people as possible in her coronation.

She had a special dress made, which included lots of different plants and flowers from the four nations that made up the United Kingdom.

The four nations of the United Kingdom are England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

She also included plants and flowers for some of the other countries that she was now the queen of.

So for example, her dress had roses to represent England, they had thistles to represent Scotland, and it had silver ferns to represent New Zealand's and many, many others as well.

There were many other plants and flowers on her dress from many other nations as well.

Now a quick check for understanding as a true or false statement.

Is it true or false to say that the nations that make up the United Kingdom are England, Northern Ireland, Portugal, and Spain?

Is that true or is that false?

Make your choice now.

Now if you said that my statement was false, then well done.

You are absolutely correct.

But why is that a false statement?

Have a little think about it, pause the video whilst you do so, and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, if you said that my statement was false because the nations that make up the United Kingdom are England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, then congratulations.

You are absolutely correct.

Very well done.

Another quick check for understanding.

I'd like you to match the flower symbol that was on Elizabeth's coronation dress to the nation that it represents.

So A, there's a thistle, B, there's a silver fern, and C, there's a rose.

And the nation choices are one England, two, New Zealand and three, Scotland.

So match the flower to the nation now.

Pause the video while you do that and I'll see you again in just moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hope you enjoyed that little task.

Let's see if you got them correct.

So if you said that A, thistle represented three, Scotland, then very well done.

If you said that B, the silver fern represented two, New Zealand, then congratulations, that's correct as well.

And if you also said that C, rose represented one, England, then that's phenomenal work.

Those are all correct, very well done if you got those right.

Now during her coronation, Elizabeth had to wear and hold lots of special symbols to show that she was now the queen.

Kings and queens have lots of special symbols to represent them, such as a crown, which is a fancy hat, a scepter, which is a fancy stick and an orb, which is a fancy ball.

And all of those on the screen there in front of you.

Now these are important because when people see these symbols, they know that they show this person is the king or the queen.

Although Elizabeth didn't rule the country by herself, the prime minister and parliament did most of the work running the country, the queen was still a very important person.

Elizabeth's dress and symbols were made from very expensive materials and contain lots of precious jewels, which also showed people just how important she was.

Let's have a check for understanding again.

So what actually is a symbol?

Is it A, something that stands to something else, is it B, a big party, or is it C, a musical instrument?

Make your choice now.

Okay, if you said that a symbol is A, something that stands for something else, then well done.

That is the correct answer.

And another quick check for understanding now.

Which of these images on the screen is a crown?

Is it A, B, or C?

Make your choice now.

Okay, if you said that a crown is A, then well done, that is the correct answer.

And one more check for understanding is another true or false statement.

So is it true or false to say that a coronation and a royal wedding are the same thing?

Make your choice now.

Okay, if you said that it is false, then well done.

That's the correct answer.

But why is that a false statement?

Have a little think and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Alright, if you said that my statement was false, because both coronations and real weddings have lots of symbols, fancy clothes and objects, but that does not mean they are the same thing.

Coronations are for crowning a king or queen and royal weddings are for marrying royals, then well done, you are absolutely correct.

You might not have got the exact same wording as what I've got on the screen there in front of you, but if you've got the same meaning then that's perfectly fine, very well done.

Right, let's go for our next task for today.

I'd like you to think why were important people from other countries invited to Elizabeth's coronation?

And I'd like you to explain your ideas to your partner.

Now if it helps you, I've got some sentence starters on the screen there as well, which you can use.

So you could start your explanation by saying important people were invited because, or you could start it by saying Elizabeth wanted them to feel, or you might say she was queen of.

Or you might have your very own sentence starter that you'd like like to use instead.

Pause the video whilst you have go on this task and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hopefully you got on well with that task.

So here's what you might have said.

You might have said that important people were invited, 'cause Elizabeth was the queen of many different nations, not just the United Kingdom.

You might have also said that important people were invited 'cause Elizabeth wanted them to feel included and welcome.

Or you might have said that important people were invited because her coronation was a special day and she was queen of lots of nations around the world.

So hopefully your answer is similar to mine, but even if it's very different, as long as you've got a good reason for what you said, then I'm sure it's absolutely fine as well.

Let's go for another task.

So what symbol could you use to represent you?

So we know that kings and queens, they have crowns, they have scepters, and they have orbs, and that represents that they're powerful and that they rule.

But what about if it was you?

What symbol represents you?

So think about what do you love to do or what makes you happy or what are you good at?

So there's lots and lots of different answers you could choose for this task.

You could either draw or describe your answer as well.

It's entirely up to you.

But pause the video whilst you complete this task and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hopefully you got on well with that task and you enjoyed it as well.

So here's what you might have said.

So on the screen, we've got Andeep and he's drawn a football and he said that my symbol will be a football 'cause I love playing football with my friends every day.

That's a pretty good symbol and a pretty good reason for it.

We've also got Jacob and he's got a pencil and a paintbrush, and he said that my symbol would be a pencil and paintbrush 'cause I like to do art.

Likewise, Sofia has drawn a smiley face and she said that my symbol would be a smiley face because I love to smile.

Those are all good symbols and all good explanations, and I'm sure that your symbol is a really good one as well.

Let's go for our next part of the lesson.

We're looking at celebration across the nation.

Now, Elizabeth wanted as many people as possible to feel included in her coronation.

For hundreds of years, coronations had always been private.

Only the important people who were actually in Westminster Abbey could see what was happening.

Ordinary people at home couldn't watch, but Elizabeth decided to do something different.

She allowed television cameras into Westminster Abbey for the very first time ever.

Now ordinary people at home could watch the coronation on their televisions.

This was important because it made the coronation special for everyone, not just a few people.

People were very excited about this and many bought their very first television just so they could watch.

In fact, twice as many people in the United Kingdom owned a TV after the coronation, which is incredible.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding now.

How did most people see Elizabeth's coronation?

Did they see it A, on the radio, did they see it B, on the television, or did they see it C, in the newspapers?

Make your choice now.

Okay, if you said that most people saw Elizabeth's coronation B, on the television, then very well done.

That is the correct answer.

Let's have another check for understanding now, and I'd like you to label the image of the televised coronation using these words.

And I've got TV or television.

We've got crown and we've got Elizabeth.

So pause the video whilst you do this and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hopefully you enjoyed that.

So if you said that my first line is pointing towards the crown, my second line is pointing towards Elizabeth, and my bottom line is pointing towards the TV, then well done.

That is absolutely correct.

Now, millions of people across the world watched Elizabeth's coronation.

It was important because it brought people together and made them feel proud and happy.

Many people across the four nations of the United Kingdom celebrated by having street parties with their friends and neighbors.

People decorated their streets with flags and bunting, and they made food and drinks for all of the people who lived in their neighborhoods.

People played games and they had lots of fun.

Elizabeth's coronation was not just a special day for the new queen, it was also special day for the people who celebrated with her.

Let's have another check for understanding.

So how did many people celebrate Elizabeth's coronation?

Did they celebrate by A, going to the zoo, by B, going to the beach or by C, having street parties?

Make your choice now.

Okay, if you said that people celebrated Elizabeth's coronation by C, having street parties, then well done.

That is the correct answer.

Let's have another check for understanding.

So why was Elizabeth's coronation an important event?

Was it important because A, Elizabeth wore a pretty dress, because B, it was the first coronation on television, because C, it happened in London, or because D, it brought people together.

So make your choices now.

Okay, if you said that the answer is B or D, then well done.

Both of those are the correct answer, and if you've got them both, then that's really, really well done.

Alright, let's go for our next task.

So how would you celebrate an important event like the coronation?

So have a little think about who you would invite your celebration.

What would you do?

What would you eat, and how do you think you would feel?

I'd like you to either tell your partner your ideas, or you could draw and label a picture of your celebration, whichever you would prefer.

But pause the video whilst you do this and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hopefully you enjoyed that task and done really well at it.

Let's think about what you might have said then.

So you might have said, I would celebrate by having a big party with all of my family and friends and we'll play games and eat cake.

That sounds like a good time.

You might have said, I would celebrate by having a special meal with my mum and dad and I would feel very happy and excited, that sounds lovely as well.

Or you might have said, my celebration would include music and dancing with my friends.

We would decorate our streets with flags.

That also sounds like a lot of fun.

If you have a different answer to me, that's absolutely fine, as long as you've really thought about it and you've done what you would like to do for a celebration and explained why, that would be great.

Now, if you drew a picture instead, then your picture might look a little bit similar to mine.

And on my picture, I've got flags and bunting at the top of the streets.

I've got my friends sitting down at the table there.

I've got party food in front of them and it's out on the street 'cause we're all having a street party.

So maybe your picture looks quite similar to mine.

Maybe you've got some extra things that I didn't think about.

Either way, I'm sure it's a really good picture that you drew.

Okay, let's do our next task now.

I'd like you to give a reason why Elizabeth's coronation was important, and I'd like you to try and include some of these words on the screen in front of you in your answer.

So you could include first, television, watch, nations, special, included, celebrated, happy and proud.

See how many of those words you could include in your answer.

Pause the video whilst you do this and I'll see you again in just a moment.

Okay, welcome back.

Hopefully you got on fine with that task.

Let's think about what you might've said then.

So you might've said that Elizabeth's coronation was important because it was the first time a coronation was shown on television.

You might've said that Elizabeth's coronation was important because lots of different people and nations were included and felt special.

Or you might have said Elizabeth's coronation was important because it made lots of people feel happy and proud.

They celebrated together.

Or you might have said Elizabeth's coronation was important 'cause it was such a special day that people bought televisions just to watch it.

If your sentence doesn't look like mine, but you've included lots of those words that on the screen beforehand, then I'm sure you've got a great answer as well, but very well done for having a go on this task.

Okay, let's summarize today's lesson then.

What have we learned?

Well, we learned that Elizabeth became queen in 1952 when her father, the king, died.

We also learned that Elizabeth's coronation happened the following year in 1953.

We learned that Elizabeth included as many people as possible in her coronation.

It was the first time that the ceremony was on TV so people could watch at home.

And this helped people feel included.

We also learned that Elizabeth's dress and jewelry included many symbols of the nations that she was now the queen of.

And finally, we learned that people celebrated Elizabeth's coronation all over the United Kingdom and all around the world.

Thank you very much for joining me today.

I hope you've learned something.

Hope you had a great time doing so, and I hope to see you again in our next lesson, bye-bye.