Students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain how Winston Churchill, through his speeches in 1940-1941, contributed to the formation of a collective British resolve to continue fighting during the Blitz, a critical time period when Britain was alone in fighting Germany.

By an in-depth analysis of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will understand the basic facts behind the Blitz and how it affected the citizens of London, why Hitler decided to use the Luftwaffe against London and how a simple photograph served as a symbol around which the British people rallied during the dark early days of WWII.

Through the use of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain what happened at the Miracle of Dunkirk, why the BEF and its allies needed to be rescued, how the evacuation of Dunkirk took place (including the role of the so-called “little ships”), and how Churchill’s speech on the evacuation helped rally the British people as Hitler turned his eye towards Britain.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, including full text versions of More’s Utopia and Voltaire’s Candide, and full text, audio and video versions of Lennon’s “Imagine”, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to compare and contrast the three different visions of paradise as articulated by the authors themselves and how each of those visions continues to powerfully influence opinions long after their deaths.

Through an in-depth analysis of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the basic facts behind Dickens’ life and his major literary works, how those stories took their inspiration from the struggle between the Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat in Victorian society, and why Dickens’ works are still studied, over 100 years after his death.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain why Hadrian’s Wall was built in the 2nd century by the Roman army, what it meant to live on the “Roman frontier” and how the wall is seen today by the people of Great Britain.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain how and why the Romans conquered Britannia, how the Romans brought their culture to the island over the span of 400 years, why the Romans left Britain in the first decade of the 5th century CE, and finally what evidence Roman Britain is left in the United Kingdom today.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to compare and contrast the goals of the participants in the Pilgrimage of Grace and those who opposed the movement, and in doing so will then be able to theorize as to whether the movement had any real chance of succeeding in an age where royal authority was backed up by historical precedent, a monarch’s absolute control of the nation’s army and religious traditions designed around the idea that the king ruled by the authority of God.

Through an in-depth analysis of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the split between London and Rome, how Henry VIII and his children each changed both the church and the government, the drama and intrigue behind characters such as Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More (religious opposites, and yet both executed at the Tower of London by Henry VIII) and finally the twists and turns of English history under the reigns of Mary and Elizabeth (half-sisters who ended up buried in the same grave at Westminster Abbey).

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the story of Queen Mary I (Tudor), what religious changes she sought to bring to England after she came to power, why she was called “Bloody Mary” by her enemies, and how her involvement with various Catholic foreign powers on the continent had long-term effects for England after her death.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the story of Lady Jane Grey, how and why she assumed the throne of England after the death of Edward VI and why she lost her crown only nine days later.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the story of Anne Boleyn, how she and Henry VIII came to marry, how their apparently happy marriage soon turned sour, why the queen was executed and how the story of Anne Boleyn played a role in the English Reformation and the creation of an English Church separate from Rome.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the story of Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas More and how his position on King Henry VIII’s break with the Catholic Church ultimately led to his arrest, trial and execution.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the story of Anne of Cleves, how she and Henry VIII came to marry, why their marriage was quickly annulled under Henry’s orders and how she was treated by the king and the English people after the annulment.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the different stories relating to Robin Hood, and using those stories will then be able to take a position as to whether or not Robin Hood and his “Merry Men” were real historical figures.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain Richard the Lionheart’s actions in the Third Crusade, how the British king’s adoption of the nickname “Lionheart” helped his image, and how and why after three years of back and forth conflict Richard and Saladin finally agreed to a cease fire.

Through an in-depth analysis of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the basic facts behind the Norman Invasion, the role William the Conqueror played in transforming Britain by combining Anglo-Saxon and Norse culture and institutions, how and why the landscape of the island was transformed by the building of castles (including the Tower of London – built as a symbol of royal power along the River Thames) after the Norman conquest, why items such as the Domesday Book and the Bayeux Tapestry are critical primary sources from the period, and why the conquest is seen today by many historians and teachers as a watershed year in world and European history.

Through an in-depth analysis of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the basic ideas contained in the Magna Carta of 1215, why King John was forced to sign it, why the document forms the foundation for the English constitution, and why the Magna Carta is seen today by many historians as a founding document in constitutional and parliamentary democracy.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the stories behind King Arthur and the Arthurian legends, theorizing and taking a position as to whether the sources support the contention that Arthur actually existed.

Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, how the story uses its characters to delicately challenge different segments of English society in the 14th century, and how and why Chaucer’s opus has continued to maintain its relevance in the 600+ years since the poet died.