The Hundred Years' War
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how the Hundred Years' War was fundamental in the formation of a separate English identity.
Key learning points
- The Hundred Years' War began in 1337 under King Edward III due to disputes of succession to the French throne.
- Edward III went to war with France to undermine the Auld Alliance and to maintain profitable land.
- Henry V won the Battle of Agincourt and almost ended the Hundred Years' War in 1415.
- England was ultimately defeated partly due to Joan of Arc in 1453 and after the infant Henry VI had become king in 1422.
- England lost almost all of its land in France and began to develop a separate identity from continental Europe.
Keywords
Alliance - a relationship between two countries for a particular purpose
Campaign - a phase of a war involving a series of operations aimed at achieving a specific objective
Common misconception
The Hundred Years' War was a war that was fought continuously for 100 years.
The Hundred Years' War lasted for 116 years, but there were many years during this period which saw limited or no fighting. It is better to think of this as a period of heightened animosity in which war was either present or not far off.
Teacher tip
For Task B, explain to students that every source is useful in some way, even if its utility is limited. Encourage students to look for ways in which every source they encounter can be useful, such as telling them what people thought at the time, even if we now know it was wrong.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Under the reign of William the Conqueror, England and developed close cultural connections.
Q2.The Angevin Empire was the empire of...
Q3.Henry II worked to restore English lands lost to...
Q4.When Henry II landed in Ireland in October 1171, he was declared the '__________ of Ireland' by the Irish kings.
Q5.Henry struggled to maintain the Angevin Empire due to...
Q6.By the end of King John's reign, the only place outside of the British Isles that remained under his control was...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Soon after his coronation, Philip VI threatened the English __________trade.
Q2. In 1337, Philip VI confiscated the English duchy of...
Q3.The closest England came to victory in the Hundred Years’ War was following the Battle of...
Q4.During times of peace, unemployed soldiers formed bands known as who plagued the French countryside.
Q5.The Hundred Years’ War came to an effective end when __________ was overrun.
Q6.Which of these was a long-term consequence of the Hundred Years’ War?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The Hundred Years' War, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The Hundred Years' War, 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 4 history lessons from the Britain: Migration, empires and the people - c790 to the present day unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.