Medieval England

What this unit covers

The resources follow English history through the Middle Ages. Early topics include The Norman Conquest, where the mind maps set out the three contenders for the throne after Edward the Confessor died in January 1066, and the Vikings and Alfred the Great. The Angevin period has plenty of material on Henry II, Thomas Becket, Richard the Lionheart, King John and Magna Carta.

Later periods include the Peasants Revolt of 1381, the Hundred Years War and the Black Death. The Wars of the Roses are well covered, with maps and notes on Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III and the Battle of Bosworth.

Where to start

If you want an overview first, open the mind maps called Medieval History and The Feudal System. Then pick one reign or event and work through it.

1. Read a mind map to see the shape of the topic, such as Causes of the Wars of the Roses.
2. Go to the notes for the detail, for example Impact of the Wars of the Roses on society.
3. Test yourself with a quiz such as Henry II and Thomas Becket or The Magna Carta.
4. Use flashcards for dates and key terms, such as Timeline of key events.

Using quizzes and maps together

Take a quiz first and note which questions you miss. Then return to the matching mind map and read only those branches. Try the quiz again afterwards. For Edward IV, the mind maps on his first reign from 1461 to 1469 and his second reign from 1471 to 1483 pair well with the notes on each reign.

Essay practice

Some notes are built around exam-style questions. One asks whether the consequences of Becket's death were a victory for Henry II, and another asks about the reign of Richard the Lionheart. The resources mention GCSE History, A-level History and EPQ, so they suit school students working at those levels.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the strand The Medieval World, within History. Choose one topic that you find hardest, open a quiz on it, and see what you can recall.