Lesson Plan for Year 11 Social Sciences: The 100 Years War

Overview

This lesson introduces Year 11 students to the 100 Years War, focusing on its causes, major events, significant figures, and the impact on European society. This lesson will align with the New Zealand Curriculum's social sciences learning area, encouraging critical thinking about historical events.

Subject: Social Sciences
Year Level: 11
Duration: 55 minutes
Class Size: 18 students
Curriculum Area: Social Sciences, Level 6 (New Zealand Curriculum)
Key Competencies: Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts, Participating and contributing

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Identify the causes of the 100 Years War.
2. Describe key events and figures involved in the war.
3. Analyse the impact of the war on both English and French societies.
4. Critically assess how the war shaped modern European identity.

Resources Needed

- Projector and computer for presentation
- Whiteboard and markers
- Handouts with maps and timeline of key events
- Access to NZHistory for supplemental information
- Excerpts from primary sources (provided in handouts)

Lesson Plan

Introduction (10 minutes)

Activity:
- Begin with a short quiz on students’ pre-knowledge about medieval Europe.
- Briefly introduce the 100 Years War, highlighting its duration and the main belligerents.

Discussion:
- Ask students what they know or think about the significance of this war in European history.

Lesson Development (30 minutes)

1. Causes of the War (10 minutes)

Activity:
- Presentation on the main causes of the war: succession issues, territorial disputes, and rising nationalism.
- Students will fill in a worksheet that matches causes with specific events.

Resources:
- PowerPoint slides on causes
- NZHistory - 100 Years War overview

2. Major Events and Figures (10 minutes)

Activity:
- Interactive timeline review using a digital tool (e.g., Padlet or Google Timeline)
- Focus on key battles such as Agincourt, personalities like Joan of Arc, and Henry V.

Resources:
- Handout with timeline and significant figures (TKI - Resources)

3. Impact on Society (10 minutes)

Activity:
- Group discussion: Students use information from handouts to debate how the war changed European society and laid foundations for future national identities.

Resources:
- Handouts with primary source excerpts (e.g., from Chronicles by Jean Froissart)

Conclusion (10 minutes)

Activity:
- Recap main points.
- Class fills in a collective mind map on the board summarising the causes, events, figures, and impacts of the 100 Years War.

Homework:
- Students are to write a brief essay on one major battle of the 100 Years War, using online resources for research.

Exit Ticket:
- Each student writes down one new thing they learned and one question they still have about the topic.

Assessment

The following will be used to assess student understanding and engagement:
- Participation in discussions and activities.
- Completion and accuracy of the worksheets.
- Quality of input to the class mind map.
- Homework essay to assess deeper understanding.

This lesson plan is designed to make the complex history of the 100 Years War accessible and engaging for Year 11 students, encouraging them to utilise critical thinking and collaborative learning skills.