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

LKS2 The Tudors 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 the first Tudor monarch, Henry VIII and his wives, the Reformation, crime and punishment in Tudor times, the Spanish Armada and the impact of the Tudors on culture today.

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 and Marriages

Stems about the Tudor monarchs and Henry VIII’s wives, such as "A similarity between two of Henry VIII’s wives was that they both..."

Religion, Crime and Punishment

Stems that help children explain the Reformation and how the Tudors punished crime, such as "Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic church because..."

The Armada and the Tudor Legacy

Stems about the Spanish Armada and the Tudor influence we still see today, such as "We can see evidence of the Tudors around us in..."

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 Tudors 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.