This History video introduces teachers to the use of Tudor inventories as a primary source for investigating people’s lives in the past. In Tudor times, an inventory was a list of a person’s possessions, sometimes including debts, created after their death to accompany their will. Inventories give historians valuable insight into the jobs, houses, and clothing of people from the period, and can reveal whether someone was rich, comfortably well off, or poor. In this lesson, pupils examine inventories from the Worcestershire archives, which have been transcribed and supported by a glossary for accessibility.

This video is part of Kapow Primary’s History scheme – Tudor. It supports teachers in guiding pupils through analysis of inventories, including those of Richard Lilly from Bromsgrove, who died in 1558, and Catalina of Almondsbury, a black woman living near Bristol. By comparing possessions, pupils infer wealth and occupation, learning that Richard was comfortably well off, possibly trading containers and brewing beer, while Catalina’s possessions, such as decorative tablecloths, pewter candlesticks, and a cow, show she made a living producing butter. The lesson concludes with pupils creating a fictional inventory for John Blank, a black trumpeter at Henry VIII’s court, using historical evidence and prior knowledge of Tudor possessions to make realistic interpretations.

This History video introduces teachers to the use of Tudor portraits as primary sources for investigating the past. It sets the scene with the end of the Wars of the Roses, when Henry VII became king and reunited the rival York and Lancaster factions. Establishing peace was his biggest challenge, and the new Tudor dynasty sought to demonstrate its authority at home and abroad. Portraits became a tool of propaganda, used by Henry VIII and later Elizabeth I to reinforce the strength of the monarchy and project an image of total authority.

This video is part of Kapow Primary’s History scheme – Tudor. It supports teachers in helping pupils evaluate Henry VIII’s rule through both portraits and written descriptions. The video explains how to analyse portraits using guiding questions, with the famous Hans Holbein painting showing Henry’s wealth, power, and warrior image, contrasted with an anonymous engraving of an older Henry that portrays a less authoritative figure. Pupils will compare these sources, identify how different artistic choices shape our view of Henry VIII, and decide whether he was a fair ruler or a tyrant, justifying their interpretations with evidence.

This History video introduces teachers to the key physical features of Greece and their impact on the development of ancient Greek civilisation. Understanding Greece’s geography is important substantive knowledge, as it helps children see how location, terrain, and climate shaped the way countries and societies developed. The country consists of over six thousand islands, with just over two hundred inhabited, including Crete, home to the Minoan civilisation.

This video is part of Kapow Primary’s History scheme – Greeks. It supports teachers in helping pupils identify Greece’s geographical features and link them to the development of city states. It covers how mountains, seas, and islands influenced travel, trade, and governance, and how isolation led to differences between places like Athens and Sparta. It also explains Greece’s strategic location for trade and the goods the ancient Greeks exported, providing valuable context to understand their economy and influence.

This History video introduces teachers to the key disciplinary concept of identifying similarities and differences between groups and societies. In this lesson, pupils compare the ancient Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta. The comparison focuses on geography, governance, education, military training, and the roles of boys and girls. The video supports teachers in highlighting both similarities, such as mountainous landscapes and early education for boys, and differences, such as Athens’ access to the sea versus landlocked Sparta. Teachers are encouraged to use visual tools like Venn diagrams to help pupils clearly distinguish shared and contrasting features.

This video is part of Kapow Primary’s History scheme – Greek. It helps to develop critical comparison skills across historical units. It prepares teachers to guide pupils through structured discussions about how different societies developed and functioned. Through comparing Athens’ democratic system with Sparta’s oligarchy, and their contrasting approaches to education and gender roles, children gain a deeper understanding of diversity in the ancient world. The video ensures teachers feel confident in drawing out key comparisons and embedding this vital historical concept within their lessons.