New
New
Year 2

Queen Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada

I can describe how Elizabeth I reacted to the threat of the Spanish Armada.

New
New
Year 2

Queen Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada

I can describe how Elizabeth I reacted to the threat of the Spanish Armada.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Elizabeth I faced one of her greatest challenges in 1588 when mighty Spain went to war with England.
  2. Spain wanted to invade England and take control of it, so they sent a huge armada to do so.
  3. Elizabeth sent her best sailors to fight the Spanish in the English Channel to stop them from invading.
  4. At the same time, Elizabeth made a famous speech to her army at Tilbury, saying she was as brave as any king.
  5. Although the English had fewer ships, they were helped by the weather, which blew the Spanish ships away from England.

Keywords

  • Armada - an armada was a large group of warships

  • Invade - when a group of people attack another country, moving their soldiers into it, they invade that country

Common misconception

Pupils may think England defeated Spain easily with their Navy.

It was a combination of factors that allowed England to defeat Spain including being helped by the weather.

Take a look at some of the paintings of the Spanish Armada and discuss what you can learn from them about the event.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Elizabeth I was a Catholic.
true
Correct answer: false
Q2.
Elizabeth I made her government...
Correct answer: smaller
larger
Protestant only
Q3.
Protestants and Catholics are both Christians.
Correct answer: true
false
Q4.
Elizabeth's family had left England in...
Correct Answer: debt
Q5.
Elizabeth’s government suggested that she should King Philip of Spain.
Correct Answer: marry
Q6.
Queen Elizabeth I never got married.
Correct answer: true
false

6 Questions

Q1.
King Philip and Spain decided to England.
Correct Answer: invade, attack
Q2.
In what year did Spain invade England?
1988
Correct answer: 1588
1788
1088
Q3.
Match these keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:armada,a large group of warships

a large group of warships

Correct Answer:invade,when a group of people attack another country

when a group of people attack another country

Q4.
Put these events into the correct order, starting with the earliest.
1 - The Spanish Armada reached Cornwall, England.
2 - The Armada continued through the English Channel.
3 - Elizabeth I made her speech at Tilbury.
4 - The Armada was forced north and sailed into a storm.
5 - The Spanish lost 20,000 men and 51 ships. England was victorious.
Q5.
What did the Spanish lose in the storm?
Correct answer: 20,000 men
7 tons of gold
Correct answer: 51 ships
Q6.
Queen Elizabeth I won against the Spanish Armada.
Correct answer: true
false

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