What's included in the Kings and Queens History Stem Sentences resource and why is it useful?

KS1 Kings and Queens History Stem Sentences is a set of sentence stems that give children a clear starting point for discussion and written answers about the topic. The content includes 24 stem sentences across 6 pages, covering what a monarch is and does, how monarchs lived in the past, what we can learn from portraits and objects, Queen Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada, Queen Victoria and King Charles III.

Each stem gives children the first part of a sentence, so they can focus on the history rather than how to begin. Children practise using topic vocabulary, explaining causes and consequences, and giving reasons with "because". This builds the oracy and extended writing skills they need to show what they know.

Monarchs Past and Present

Stems that help children explain what a monarch is and how their role has changed, such as "A monarch’s job is..."

Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria

Stems about two significant queens and how they compare, such as "The Spanish Armada was important because..."

Our Monarch Today

Stems about King Charles III and how monarchs help people, such as "King Charles III helps people by..."

How do our history stem sentences work?

Our stem sentences sit alongside our history scheme. Display a stem on the board or print the pages for tables, and children finish the sentence aloud or in writing. You can also use them:

• as a lesson starter to recap learning from the previous lesson
• with talk partners, who finish a stem together and then share their answer
• as a writing frame for extended answers in books
• on a working wall, so children can refer back to them across the topic
• at the end of the unit, to see what children can explain on their own

Stretch confident learners by asking them to add a second reason or a piece of evidence. Support others by modelling a complete sentence first.

Teach the full unit with our six Kings and Queens lessons.

Supporting Children with EAL and SEND

Stem sentences reduce the language load of a task, so every child can take part in the discussion. Read stems aloud together, point to the photo on each strip and give a word bank of key vocabulary from the topic. Children can answer with a single word or a drawing before building to a full sentence.