Schools Learning Zone LESSON PLAN Parham House, Sussex (Tudors) page 1 of 7 Key Stage 1-2 Learning intentions Teaching activities Resources Notes Parham s Tudor Architecture (Activities and times depend upon the topic focus) To identify and describe architectural features. Starter activity Tudor reference books. To explain the function of building features. Complete the interactive image explorer of Parham. Look at the photograph of the house. Describe it to a partner and get them to make a sketch based upon the description. Interactive image explorer of Parham.
page 2 of 7 To know key vocabulary relating to buildings. What do you notice about the exterior of Parham House? Interactive image explorer of Parham with pop-ups. Interactive: move cursor over photograph of house with pop-up/close-ups to identify architectural features walls, roof, windows and chimneys. To recognise different building materials and explain why they were used. Use the Architectural keywords sheet. Describe house features by their functions, for example: it s for letting out the smoke from the fire. Architectural keywords sheet/blank keywords grid. Ask pupils to compile their own keyword list. To recognise key elements of Tudor interior decoration. How did the rich decorate their homes? Image in Activity 5 of Key See Teacher background notes.
page 3 of 7 To use artefacts to explain what life might have been like for wealthy Tudors. To explain how wealthy Tudors used their homes to show their power and importance. Tudor furniture and household items How was the room heated? How was the room lit? What do these items tell you about what went on in the room? What things might be missing from the room? What differences are there between these items and the things we use today? Visit Parham s website for more details on each of the rooms: www.parhaminsussex.co.uk Look at the artist s impression of the Great Hall Pretend to be a Parham Guide giving a tour of the Great Hall to a group of children on a school trip. Image in Activity 7 of Key What interesting facts would you tell them about the room? Think what questions you might be asked by the children. The Solar, or sun-room, often had large windows to let in lots of light. It was smaller, warmer and more private than the Great Hall.
page 4 of 7 Design a visitor information sheet for the Great Hall. Write a discovery trail using clues and close-ups to help children find difficult items. Stairs to impress What is the function of a staircase? How might a staircase be decorated? Who would be using the staircase most often? What would they be carrying? What does the design of a staircase tell us about the house owner s status? How many people could walk up these stairs side by side? Search for other examples of staircases in rich Tudor houses. Design your own high status staircase. Image in Activity 8 of Key The staircase is built around a huge column of chalk. It would impress visitors with its width and grandeur, adding to the owner s prestige.
page 5 of 7 To research and role-play some Tudor leisure activities. The Long Gallery Think of games that children would like to play in the Long Gallery on a rainy afternoon. Would they have any toys or pets? Image in Activity 10 of Key The Long Gallery was used for taking exercise in bad weather, listening to music and playing games like bowls. There would have been little furniture in the Long Gallery, but the many windows would have let in a lot of light and given good views of the gardens. Companies of travelling players and acrobats might have entertained the family up here. Find out about Tudor music. What can you discover about the song Green Sleeves and instruments such as the lute and the virginal? Tudor dance music to perform dance to. Make up an acrobatic routine that could be preformed in the Long Gallery. Gym session for acrobats Pretend that you are in a group of travelling actors and write a play for the Long Gallery. Perform the play on the visit to the house. Video it.
page 6 of 7 To use portraits as a primary sources. To recognise the symbols in Tudor portraits. To explain how portraits added to a person s importance. Portraits See Key Stage 3 Lesson Plan and Activities. Photographs of portraits and links to the other portraits on Parham s website.
page 7 of 7 To evaluate learning and knowledge. To present their findings to an audience. Plenary Activities Make the Links worksheets can be used to organise ideas and illustrate pupil thinking strands. Pupils can use the What was the question? Sheets to make up quiz cards and boost factual recall. Pupils can create an overlay for their initial mind map to show how their knowledge and thinking has been extended. Create a webpage; tourist information leaflet; museum exhibition display; a play; an acrobatic performance; write instructions on how to play a Tudor game. The outcomes will be as many and varied as the pupils who take part in them, but hopefully they will all enhance learning and enjoyment.