Richard II and the war in France
I can explain how a background of conflict influenced Richard II's policies.
Richard II and the war in France
I can explain how a background of conflict influenced Richard II's policies.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Richer people tended to be able to escape the worst effects of the plague.
- In 1377, the ten-year-old Richard became king. He was largely controlled by his uncle, John of Gaunt.
- Richard inherited a continuing war with France, the Hundred Years' War.
- A poll tax was introduced because kings needed money to continue the war against France.
- The poll tax became even more unpopular when Richard II tripled the tax from 4 pence to 12 pence.
Keywords
Heir - a person who expects to inherit a position
Poll tax - a payment made to the government by every adult, regardless of how wealthy they are
Common misconception
People at the time called the conflict the Hundred Years' War.
People at the time would not have known how long the wars were going to last, so this name came after the conflict had ended.
To help you plan your year 7 history lesson on: Richard II and the war in France, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 7 history lesson on: Richard II and the war in France, 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.
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Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The Peasants' Revolt: why do historians disagree about its causes? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
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Adult supervision required
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