Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Martin Luther began the Reformation.
Key learning points
- In 1517 Martin Luther questioned the teachings of the Catholic Church in his '95 Theses'.
- Luther challenged Church practices that did not appear in the Bible, such as indulgences.
- Luther's ideas challenged the power of the Church, leading to him being accused of heresy and being excommunicated.
- Henry VIII defended the pope in 1521 'Defence of the Seven Sacraments'.
- Luther's ideas led to widespread religious and political reform over the next few centuries.
Keywords
Indulgence - something medieval Christians could buy from the Church in the belief that it would reduce their time in Purgatory
Church - the organisation of the Christian religion
Excommunicated - to be banned from Church services and the community
Reformation - a 16th century movement calling for the reform of the Church
Common misconception
A single person cannot shape history by themselves.
The Great Man Theory in History - the idea that a single person is responsible for important events - is somewhat outdated, but occasionally, as is the case with Martin Luther, an argument can be made that individuals can radically shape events.
Teacher tip
For the final task, create a continuum line in your classroom that students can stand on to denote how significant they think Martin Luther was. Choose students to explain their opinions based upon where they are standing on the continuum line.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How many wives did Henry VIII have?
Q2.Which of the following had significant power in the early modern period?
Q3.Which of the following often had significant tensions over power in the early modern period?
Q4.What religion was England during the early modern period?
Q5.Put the following in order of hierarchy in the early modern Church, starting with the most powerful.
Q6.Put the following time periods in chronological order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
something Christians could buy to reduce their time in Purgatory
the organisation of the Christian religion
to be banned from Church services and the community
a 16th century movement calling for the reform of the Church
Q2.Complete the following sentence: In 1517, Martin Luther questioned the teachings of the Catholic Church in his ' Theses'.
Q3.Which of the following were issues for the Catholic Church at the beginning of the 16th century?
Q4.Put the following events in chronological order.
Q5.Which of the following were reforms Luther wanted to implement?
Q6.What were the consequences of the Diet of Worms in April 1521?
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the Henry VIII and the Reformation: how unusual was the English Reformation? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.