Essential information
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Key Stage |
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
|
| Curriculum links |
History
|
| Session length | 3.5 hours with a 30 minute lunch break |
| Session times | Friday, 10.00-14.00 |
| Session dates | Available spring and summer term 2027 only |
| Capacity | 60 pupils per session |
| Price | Free |
Session overview
The session comprises three activities with an introduction and conclusion.
Each activity has a capacity of 30 learners; a group of 60 will be split into two groups, experiencing the same activities in a different order.
The activities are:
Looking at historic documents/gallery visit
Learners will work in groups of circa 15 for this activity. They will investigate original 16th-century documents, including a letter from Philip II, to work out what they reveal about the Armada. They will also look in detail at some Armada objects in the Tudor and Stuart Seafarers gallery.
Object handling
In groups, learners will handle replica objects and consider what they can tell us about the lives of Tudor seafarers. Objects include weapons, food and navigational tools.
Queen’s House exploration
Learners will look in detail at some of the Tudor portraits and decode how symbols and stance are used to portray subjects in a certain way.
Every learner will be given an A5 booklet to record their opinions during the day, which they can take back to school.
Learning objectives
Learners will:
- Investigate what the Museum’s collections can tell us about the events and aftermath of the Armada
- Be able to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of different sources, including paintings, objects and original manuscripts
- Use objects to examine what it was like for seafarers in the English and Spanish fleets
- Consider the Armada’s place in British history
Curriculum links
KS4 History
- OCR History B (SHP) Paper 1: Elizabethans, 1580-1603
- Edexcel Key Topic 2: Challenges to Elizabeth at Home and Abroad, 1569-88
- AQA Paper 2, Section B: Elizabethan England c.1568-1603
Key words
Armada, fleet, seafaring, propaganda
Suggested pre-visit knowledge and activities
This session works best for learners if they have already learned something about the Spanish Armada. Particularly the causes of the Armada and an overview of the events.
Suggested post-visit knowledge and activities
Look more closely at the objects we have explored today. Links to help you are below. Picture Yourself was designed as an English resource, but offers many interesting ways to look at The Armada Portrait.
Useful links
Picture Yourself: Heritage, Oracy and Public Speaking
Objects in our collection related to the Spanish Armada
Research guide P3: Charts of the Spanish Armada by Robert Adams in the Museum
Content guidance
This session and our Tudor and Stuart Gallery make reference to death and injury.