Life & Death at Farleigh Hungerford Castle: Murder Mystery - Lesson plan Year 9 History (Crime & Punishment)
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Year Group: 9
Subject: History
Programme of study links from National Curriculum:
Subject Area Focus: The Murder 1a: place events, people and changes into correct periods of time.
2c: to identify and describe reasons for, and results of, historical events, situations, and changes in the periods
of John Cotell
studied.
4a: how to find out about the events, people and changes studied from an appropriate range of sources of
information, including ICT-based sources [for example, documents, printed sources, CD-ROMS, databases, pictures
and photographs, music, artefacts, historic buildings and visits to museums, galleries and sites]
4b: to ask and answer questions, and to select and record information relevant to the focus of the enquiry.
5a: recall, select and organise historical information
5b: use dates and historical vocabulary to describe the periods studied
5c: communicate their knowledge and understanding of history in a variety of ways.
7: A study investigating how an aspect in the local area has changed over a long period of time, or how the locality
was affected by a significant national or local event or development.
Lesson Sequence
Content of lesson
WALT
1.
WALT: ask and answer
questions, and to select and
record information relevant
to the focus of the enquiry.
WALT: use evidence and
source skills to solve events.
Suggest: 40 mins
Teacher In Role of Sir Edward Hungerford; introduce to the class that his
steward, John Cotell has gone missing and is presumed dead (see available
resource) and that he is asking for the help of the students to investigate and
solve the crime. At this point, the teacher will introduce two other (fictional)
characters whom will be around the vicinity; Mary the Servant, & Michael,
Henchman to Lady Agnes.
Introduction & Instructions: At this point, the teacher will introduce the
investigator resource packs to the students, detailing what is included
(Character cards, murder weapon cards, room cards and investigators
record sheet. Packs will also include a whiteboard pen & 5 simple notes
about the case).Students are informed that they are allowed to ask 3
questions to each member of ‘staff’ in the Castle (NB: They are NOT allowed
to ask ‘Did you kill him’?)
Main Task: Students are then instructed to begin their investigations, using
How will the children
demonstrate their
understanding?
Can students work
through the different
castle rooms identifying
the different resources to
help them?
Can students develop
and ask historical
questions that will
produce answers to help
develop their chances of
success?
Can students
Teaching notes
This activity uses the NW
quarter of the Farleigh
Hungerford castle site,
incorporating the bakehouse,
brewing copper, kitchen, well,
pastry house, and the moat.
H+S considerations and
weather to be taken into
account.
Resources such as clothing
and the spit as a prop can be
available on site (but not all).
all the rooms allocated on their maps in order to solve the mystery.
Conclusion: After giving the students roughly 20-25 minutes allocated to
investigating, draw the students back together in order to discuss their ideas
and what they have found out. (NB: Here questioning relative to what led
them to that conclusion can be introduced, developing their skills of working
with sources). After all groups have discussed their ideas and their
conclusions, Mary the Servant first asks whether students think the crime is
real or not, before regaling the students with the true story (see available
resource). An extra focus about Lady Agnes’ exemption from punishment for
4 years can spark an interesting Q+A section with students.
G&T – take a leading role within the group. Solve the mystery, thinking about
the reliability of the sources and evidence.
SEN – Mixed ability groupings. Support through use of sources. Instruct
weaker students to solve part of the mystery at first and then build on this
success. Report findings at appropriate times to check understanding.
EAL –.adult support to ensure they understand task, translation where
appropriate.
communicate their
findings coherently?
Part of Heritage Explorer Case Study
Planning activities at an historical site; Farleigh Hungerford Castle
Murder Mystery
The idea is to present the
activity in the kitchen before
revealing the story in the
bakehouse.
Staff are in character
throughout the activity.