King John – John & War (4/7) – Mini SOW

This seven-lesson scheme of work explores King John’s reign, from his disputes with Richard the Lionheart to his domestic and foreign policies, culminating in Magna Carta and the Baron’s War. This lesson focuses on John’s military campaigns and the challenges he faced at home and abroad, examining their consequences for his rule and legacy.

The SOW works effectively as a standalone unit but is also integrated into the free-to-play History game world at Wolsey Academy for an interactive and immersive learning experience.

Each lesson includes:

Quick start guide

Literacy and numeracy starter activity

Teacher narrative context pages – ideal for storytelling and scene setting

Plenaries

A range of active learning episodes

Focus on writing skills

Homework, EAL, and stretch activity sheets

The seven lessons, along with their main activities, are as follows:

Richard I, Crusades & John – Plantagenet map relay, round robin Crusader battle reports, reading comprehension tasks, “Consult the Codex” activity

John’s Early Life – John v Longchamp card sort, PEEKA paragraph practice and assessment, “Consult the Codex” activity

John & Taxes – “Be the Teacher” activity, essay construction practice, “Consult the Codex” activity

John & War – Army recruiter role play presentations, Bouvines video (this resource)

Magna Carta – Baron grievances card sort, prioritisation tasks, PEEKA writing development

The Baron’s War – Round the Room battle reporting, descriptive writing task, videos

End of Unit Assessment – Planning and preparation for a Narrative Analysis Edexcel-style question on John’s legacy

This resource works best when students are also playing the free King John game and completing the Codex alongside the lessons – ideal for homework or ICT-based sessions.

All profits from this resource support charitable initiatives, including refugee assistance, youth sports, educational programmes, and environmental carbon capture, making our work carbon negative.

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