New
New
Year 1
Robert the Bruce and the spider
I can retell the legend of Robert the Bruce and the spider.
New
New
Year 1
Robert the Bruce and the spider
I can retell the legend of Robert the Bruce and the spider.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- One of the most famous legends told about Robert the Bruce is the story of him and a spider.
- While Robert was hiding from the English, it was said that he sheltered from the Scottish winter in a cave.
- In this cave, Robert watched a spider again and again try to spin its web; every time it fell it tried again.
- This made Robert realise that he had to keep trying against the English.
- Inspired by the spider, Robert returned to Scotland and eventually forced the English out of his homeland.
Keywords
Legend - a legend is a story that has been retold again and again over time, but cannot be proven true or untrue
Persevere - if you persevere, you keep trying when something is difficult
Moral - the moral of a story is the meaning, message or something you can learn from the story
Common misconception
That legends are true.
Ensure children understand that legends are stories that are often told verbally and may change over time. Play a game to demonstrate this; children sit in a circle and pass a message around by whispering to each other. Does the messgae change?
Explore the concept of perservance with the children. Ask them to think of times when they have perserved with a task for example; riding a bike, learning to read, tying their shoe laces. Create a classroom display to share messages of encouragement and examples of when the children have perserved.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- 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
Loading...
Starter quiz
Download starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.
True or false: A long, long time ago England and Scotland were separate countries.
False
Q2.
Match the ruler to the right country.
Scotland
England
Q3.
What country invaded Scotland?
Scotland
Wales
France
Q4.
What did Robert the Bruce first do when England invaded Scotland?
ran away from them
built a big castle
hid from them in a wood
Q5.
What did Robert the Bruce do after he lost a big battle with England?
He hid in a house.
He hid in a tree.
He hid in a shed.
Q6.
What did Robert the Bruce do when he was in the cave?
He had a sleep.
He made a fire.
He ate some food.
Exit quiz
Download exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.
Who was Robert the Bruce hiding from in the cave?
Scottish soldiers
Welsh soldiers
French soldiers
Q2.
What did Robert the Bruce see in the cave?
a frog
a bear
a fox
Q3.
What did the spider try to do again and again and again?
catch some food
crawl to Robert the Bruce
Q4.
What is the moral of the story of the spider?
to sometimes give up
to always give up
Q5.
What did Robert the Bruce do after seeing the spider?
He gave up trying to fight the English.
He became friends with the English.
Q6.
Which two things happened at the end of the story?
Robert the Bruce lost a big battle.
Robert the Bruce ran away from Scotland.
Additional material
Download additional material