Preparatory work
Ensure that the PowerPoint file, The
Wives of Henry VIII is saved on the demonstration machine. Also make
sure that the example branching database is available for use with less
able pupils if required.
Branching database software and graphic images, if required, need to be
installed in a shared area on the network or on all computers to be used
by children. (The files required for the example branching database are
all in a separate folder called Example Branching Database. This folder
needs to be copied into a shared area or onto each computer.) Bookmark
the file The
Wives of Henry VIII.htm into pupils' favourites to save time later.
The teacher should develop familiarity with the branching database by
completing the children's task, prior to the lesson. This will ensure
that you don't meet any unexpected problems.
If pupils have not used a branching database in previous years a quick
demonstration possibly using shapes or children beforehand would be helpful.
Show children how to devise questions with a Yes/No answer e.g. Q Does
this shape have 4 faces? Are all of the edges of equal length? Does it
have more than 6 vertices? Is this a quadrilateral?
Don't accept trivial questions such as: Is it red?
Children often find it difficult to pose questions with a Yes/No answer
and will need some practice.
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The Lesson
Whole Class Teaching
The introductory section of this lesson could take place in your classroom,
with one computer and projector, if available, in order to save time for
hands on activity in the suite.
Using the PowerPoint presentation (The Wives of Henry VIII) and projector
if available, explain to the pupils that Henry was a King during the Tudor
period and he was particularly well-known for the number of wives that
he had. (Slide 1)
Allocate a wife to each group of children and hand them a copy of her
portrait from the resource sheet (Henry's Wives Resource Sheet). Tell
pupils that they will focus on remembering the facts about that particular
wife.
Using each slide in turn, and the notes provided, tell the story of Henry's
wives.
Depending on the ability of the children you could ask them to take their
own notes on the reverse of their portrait or the teacher could record
key words on a flip chart to prompt children during the main activity.
Show Slide 8. (This slide contains images of all of the wives in random
order. These will display one at a time and the names of the wives will
appear after the images.)
Q Who can tell me one fact about this wife?
Draw from the group as many facts as possible. If necessary at this point
run through the PowerPoint presentation one more time.
Explain to the pupils that they will be creating a branching database
to help sort each of Henry's wives by asking a series of questions that
require a 'yes/no' answer. Remind them of their earlier experience, either
with shapes or from previous years.
There must be no confusion about the answer and it must not be subjective
i.e. Is she pretty? Some possibilities might include: Was she beheaded?
Did she have a son? Was she divorced? Did she have a baby? Was she foreign?
Did she outlive Henry?
Ask pupils for some example questions they might include.
Move to Slide 9 which contains a couple of example questions, click on
the hyperlinks to reveal the answers.
Teacher demonstrates whichever branching database is available in school.
Q What question would divide the wives into two fairly equal groups?
e.g. Did she have children? Was she divorced? Was she beheaded?
Main Activity
Pupils use a computer and appropriate software to create a branching
database sorting Henry's wives by entering questions that need a yes/no
answer.
Give the groups Henry's Wives Resource Sheet, cut up, to assist them in
their sorting. Try to encourage children to ensure that their initial
question divides the wives into two even groups if possible.
Make sure your interactions with pupils focus on the quality of the questions.
Use opportunities presented such as "Is she Anne Boleyn?" to
stop the class and remind them of the need to use quality questions.
For less able pupils the teacher might prepare some straightforward questions,
the answers to which can be found by using a completed branching database
which is included as The Wives of Henry VIII.htm. To access the example
database open Internet Explorer, select file and open and browse to the
folder containing The Wives of Henry VIII.htm. Select this file and click
OK.
An extension for more able pupils would be to add a short factual description
of the wives along with the image. Children need to be made aware of copyright
issues and need to acknowledge their sources.
Plenary
If the room has an Interactive Whiteboard or projector, pupils could
share their branching databases with the rest of the class. If not pupils
could be encouraged to use another group's branching database to try and
identify one wife.
Discuss the effectiveness of each database shared.
Q How quickly was the correct answer reached?
Q Was there any confusion?
Q How might your question be improved?
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