by Kathy Hindle

Editor's introduction

How do you integrate HOL resources into your teaching? This lesson plan outlines how one teacher envisages using Stuart Fewster's simulation, The Battle of Hastings (available from History Online).

Lesson plan (Top ability group)

My aims and objectives for the lesson(s):

To demonstrate, including the use of ICT, knowledge, skills and understanding about the Battle of Hastings. This would be based on decision making, chronology, organisation, analysis and interpretation.

a Recap on previous lesson which saw Harold being crowned king, marching up to Stamford and William landing in England. Empathise with Harold -

• How would he have reacted when he heard of William's landing?
• What action did Harold take?
• How did this affect his men?
• Discuss distances marched
  • mapwork and measuring
  • compare modern day car timing of same route!
• Discuss what the soldiers carried, (Use our own specialist military historian - Nigel, science teacher - member of the Sealed Knot - who often brings uniforms, weapons and allows students to wear them).
• How tired they would have been?
• Meanwhile how would William and his soldiers be faring?
• Compare - which side would they prefer to be on? Why?
  

b Describe set up on the battlefield. Bring in the wargamers (or Nigel again who runs the Wargames Club and can set up a battlefield in a jiffy!) and then allow the youngsters to discuss ideas - then try out the simulation.

c I expect some chaos, and several needing to try it more than once, but I am sure it will be effective.

d Feedback from students - would they have won? Why did Harold lose? Why did William win? List factors under several headings - military skill, preparation, luck, weather, bad planning??? Timeline. These could be networked too.

e An evaluation of the effectiveness of the simulation in helping students understand the battle.

• Did they enjoy/understand it?
• More interesting than using text books etc?
• Group feedback - appointed spokesperson.
• Any advice from our ICT/Wargames boffins?
• Any weaknesses with the program - ways to improve it?

f Bayeux Tapestry - Web research - provenance, reliable, value? Explain why.

Author's notes : I think it is a very simple simulation and lots of fun for all levels of students. It strengths lie in its simplicity and ease of use. In a way the simplicity is also its weakness. There is a fair amount of repetition, but it would be an excellent 'taster' exercise to involve students. It would certainly infuriate those who lost! Some might even be inspired to ceate their own.

I normally.....

1. Tell the story of Edward, Harold and the other the claimants (a decision making exercise using a word processor). Details of the claimants are given. Students are supplied with a table, a range of statements and they have to move the text around to fit, then make and explain their decision.
   
   
2. Show a video and tell the story of the battle and its aftermath. We them give them a set of cards with all the stages of the story from Edward's friendship with William, through Harold's shipwreck, Edward's death, the comet etc. - all the way to William's crowning. These have to be arranged in chronological order (only some have dates on) and then entered into a timeline. This could be done on computer if the room was free, but was often put straight into the exercise books and/or completed for homework.
   
   
3. We discuss the Bayeux Tapestry as a piece of historical evidence or propaganda etc.

With the simulation, I would still do (1), but would give only a very brief outline of the story of the battle to the top/middle ability groups and set them on the simulation before I tell them the actual course of the battle. The timeline too would be prepared on the network - muddled to be arranged. With my bottom group I would tell them the whole story, but without analysis, and let them loose on the simulation. A simplified timeline would come later too.