Types of interpretations of the murder of Thomas Becket
The range and diversity of interpretations activity.
After studying the topic of Becket and Henry II, the pupils in groups may be given the following chart.
Types of interpretations of the murder of Thomas Becket
The groups will also receive a set of cards, the contents of which are listed below. With such pupils it will normally be necessary to go through each of the cards giving some explanation of their contents.
Activity 1
The first task for the pupils is to match the description on the cards to the type of interpretation listed in the chart. For most it is a matching exercise with reasonably easy clues.
Activity 2
As the development of the pupils’ chronological understanding is an important feature of the Year 7 syllabus, the pupils, again in groups, could be asked to place the cards in chronological order. As with all group activities involving cards, it is useful to number each card to facilitate the feedback session. After the teacher has made sure that the cards have been placed in the correct chronological order, the pupils might be asked to describe how the representations of the earlier cards differ from the more recent ones and try to explain the differences. Such an activity will also contribute towards the further development of the pupils’ understanding of the key concepts of change and continuity.
Activity 3
The pupils could be asked to place the cards in three separate piles (or three columns in an exercise books). One pile would be for those interpretations which they felt would be pro-Becket, the second anti-Becket and the third neutral. In each case they could be asked to explain their choice. What were the ‘clues’ on the cards, which helped them to make their decision?
Activity 4
Although the pupils are only aged 11 or 12 years of age, they should not be denied the opportunity to consider some of the higher order questions, which they can tackle in their own way. The teacher could ask them to select the card which represents for them the most accurate interpretation and the least accurate. Again, giving reasons for choice. While some will make guesses with little substantiation, the range of responses will give useful data on the how much individual children have begun to understand some of the issues arising from the study of historical interpretations.
Now consider the following questions. Do you think the activities are consistent with their objective? What problems might you need to anticipate in order to increase the chance of success of the activity? What further questions could be asked of the pupils?
Additionally, you might consider a topic area with which you are particularly familiar and try to devise a similar exercise.