Castles Lessons and Resources
Explore castles and life in the medieval past
Investigate what made a castle a castle, why people built them and how medieval castles worked. Through evidence, comparison and imaginative reconstruction, pupils explore how castles changed and what they are used for today.
Explore teaching resources
Everything for this history topic in one place
The enquiry sequence
Six key questions to develop pupils’ historical understanding
6 lessons
Castles end of unit quiz – KS1
You’ve discovered how castles were built, what life was like inside the walls, and how they were used to protect people long ago. Get ready to travel back in time…
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Castles knowledge organiser – KS1
You are learning about castles because they are one of the most fascinating buildings that have been there for hundreds of years. Not only will you learn how castles were…
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Castles – medium term planner
The main focus of this topic is the exploration of the past beyond living memory through a topic that is sure to spark pupils’ interest and curiosity. There are plenty…
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Castles – KQ1 – What makes a castle a castle?
Having elicited pupils’ initial knowledge of castles from books film and family visits, pupils are asked to explore a number of images in order to work out what makes a…
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Castles – KQ2 – Why did people build castles in the past?
This session is straightforward in that pupils are introduced via a short video to a variety of reasons which not all pupils will fully grasp on first showing. To reinforce…
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Castles – KQ3 – What made castles so strong?
Rather than going through all the different methods used chronologically, this really fun session focuses on one year and casts the pupils as advisers to a castle builder who wants…
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Castles – KQ4 – What were medieval castles like to live in and how can we possibly know when so many are now ruins?
This five-part lesson starts with pupils in role as workers for company charged with recreating what a medieval castle would have been like in peace. They watch a short video…
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Castles – KQ5 – How did castles change over time?
This lesson starts with encouraging pupils to spot differences between 3 castles to give them confidence before working in groups of 4, pupils are given 5 undated images of castles…
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Castles – KQ6 – How are castles used today?
Pupils have to deduce from a range of visual clues of castles they will see around them, the uses to which castles are put today and then to consider, using…
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Using role play area when teaching Castles at KS1
There are at least 6 ways you can help young children make sense of the past using your role play area. 1. Colourful Costumes Having a range of costumes enhances…
Read MoreWritten by Neil Thompson
All content on Keystage history is written and quality assured by Neil Thompson, a former history teacher, county history adviser and Ofsted inspector with more than 30 years’ experience in history education.