King John and the causes of Magna Carta
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why many consider John to be the model of a bad king.
Key learning points
- Many consider John to be the model of a bad king with a reputation for untrustworthiness and greed.
- King John raised unpopular taxes which caused anger amongst the English barons.
- King John had a reputation for avoiding battle and was known as 'Softsword'.
- King John was said to have killed his nephew.
- King John lost a third of his lands, including his family’s ancestral homelands.
Keywords
Crusade - a crusade is a military mission against a group considered by the Pope to be an enemy of the Church
Tax - tax is a compulsory payment to the government to cover various costs
Scutage - scutage was a tax paid by the barons when they were unable to send enough knights to fight for the king
Tallage - tallage was a tax charged by Norman and Angevin kings on their lands and towns
Ancestral - ancestral means relating to members of your family from the past
Common misconception
King John only ruled England.
King John inherited the Angevin Empire which stretched across England and France.
Teacher tip
The depictions of King John in the stories of Robin Hood are a popular example of John’s reputation for untrustworthiness and greed. Ask students to compare the legend with the historical narrative.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which definition best describes what a baron is?
Q2.What is a "succession crisis"?
Q3.Which definition best describes what an empire is?
Q4.Write the missing word. A __________ is a military mission against a group considered by the Pope to be an enemy of the Church.
Q5.Write the missing word. The __________ is the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Q6.Which term best describes an early Norman fortress used to station troops?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What did King John have a reputation for being?
Q2.Which two countries did King John's empire stretch across?
Q3.Why were the scutage and tallage taxes resented by the barons?
Q4.Why were many barons angry with King John after he agreed to give up some of his French lands?
Q5.What did King John do when he and his soldiers captured Arthur of Brittany?
Q6.How much land had King John lost by 1204?
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: King John and the causes of Magna Carta, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: King John and the causes of Magna Carta, 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 Magna Carta: how did Magna Carta survive? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.