History Classwork Booklet
Year 7 Spring
First Name………………………………………………………………………..
Last Name……………………………………………………………………..
Class ……………………………………………………………….…………… Robin Hood
Activity 1: Watch the video of the Robin Hood story. Alternatively, if you can’t watch the video read the story below https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/short- stories/robin-hood
“People have told stories about Robin Hood for more than 700 years. Nobody knows if he was a Above: English painter Edmund George Warren’s real person or an invented character. In the 1859 painting of Robin Hood and his Merry Men in legends, Robin was extremely intelligent and had Sherwood Forest. a playful sense of humour. He loved playing tricks on people. The stories say that Robin Hood was a skilled archer and he always carried a bow and arrow. He wore green clothes and a hat with a green feather. He lived in Sherwood Forest with a group of outlaws, or criminals, known as his ‘Merry Men’. The group included Friar Tuck, Little John, who was unusually tall, and Robin’s true love, Maid Marian. Sherwood Forest was a royal hunting forest near Nottingham in England. Most people thought that forests were dangerous places to go. People travelling through the forests were often robbed by outlaws. The stories say that Robin Hood only took money from rich people so that he could give it to people who needed it. So he became famous for ‘robbing from the rich and giving to the poor’. The Sheriff of Nottingham was Robin’s arch-enemy. It was the sheriff’s job to keep the woods safe and to make sure that nobody stole the king’s deer. The Sheriff of Nottingham tried to catch Robin Hood, but never succeeded. Centuries ago people loved to tell each other stories of Robin Hood. Later he became a famous character in books, and nowadays Robin is still a well-loved hero in literature, theatre, TV and films.”
Activity 2: What’s the order?
Listen to the story and put the sentences in the correct order Number in story (1-6)
a) The Sheriff of Nottingham was Robin Hood’s arch-enemy.
b) The stories say that he was extremely intelligent and a skilled archer.
c) People have told stories about Robin Hood for more than 700 years. 1
d) Robin Hood is a well-loved hero in literature, theatre, TV and films.
e) He took money from rich people so that he could give it to people who needed it.
f) Nobody knows if he was a real person or an invented character.
Extension: Write the sentences of the story in the correct order
Robin Hood: Fact or Fiction?
What we know about Robin Hood comes from films, television programmes, books and cartoons. Most say that he lived in Sherwood Forest, during the reign of King Richard (1189–99). He fought with the Sheriff of Nottingham, accompanied by Maid Marian and a band of followers known as his ‘merry men’. Most films say that he was a Saxon nobleman, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. He most likely was not a fox (despite what Disney would have us believe)
Records of Robin Hood exist, but it is hard to separate the truth from the legends. He may have been a real person, if so his adventures have probably been exaggerated. He appears in many popular ballads from the 13th century, but his first datable appearance is in William Langland's Piers Plowman in the late 14th century. Until then few songs or ballads were written down so it is hard to be certain of the truth.
Activity 3: Watch the following video and take notes about the Robin Hood story as you watch ‘Robin Hood? Documentary’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFriTgNW7FY
______
Activity 4: Read the following sources and complete the activities that follow ‘About the time when Richard I 1225: Robert Hoode, peasant was in Germany, the notorious tenant of the archbishopric of robbers, Robert Hood and Little York, reported as fleeing from John, lived in the woods in the King’s justice. Sherwood. They only stole the 1228: Robert Hod, known as goods of rich men. He would not ‘Robin’, described as an outlaw allow women to be mistreated in West Yorkshire. and never robbed the poor.’ 1230: ‘The Sheriff of Yorkshire Source A: Written by a Scottish owes 32s 6d. for goods stolen by Monk in 1521 Robin Hood, fugitive.’ Report in West Yorkshire. ‘I saw the woody and famous Source C: Court records that forest of Barnsdale where they mention Robin Hood. say that Robin Hood lived like an outlaw.’ ‘A True Tale of Robin Hood’ Source B: From a chronicle ‘A brief touch on life and death written in the sixteenth century. of that renowned outlaw, Robert Barnsdale Forest is in Yorkshire. Earl of Huntingdon, commonly known as Robin Hood. He died in Sherwood Forest, AD.1198, being in the reign of King Richard the First. Being carefully collected out of the truest writers of our English Chronicles: and published for those who want truth not lies.’ Source D: The introduction of A true tale of Robin Hood, written by Martin Parker in 1687.
Only one of the five earliest ballads puts Robin in Sherwood Forest. Until the Peasants Revolt in 1381, there is no mention of Robin Hood stealing from the rich to give to the poor. After this revolt over high taxes, the number of songs about Robin Hood increased, and most say that he was a peasant who fought wicked sheriffs to give money back to the poor. Source E: In Search of Robin Hood, written by Patrick Middleton in 1989.
Robin Hood: Fact or Fiction?
Activity 5: Fill in this sheet using the sources on the
information sheet. Tick each column if the source Source Source Source Source Source agrees with the statement. Leave it A B C D E blank if there is no evidence.
Robin Hood: • was an outlaw
• lived in Sherwood Forest
• lived in Yorkshire
• stole from the rich
• gave to the poor
• was a nobleman
1. When do the sources say that Robin Hood lived? ______
2. Why do you think the sources contradict or disagree with each other? ______
3. What reasons does Patrick Middleton (Source E) give to explain why Robin Hood became so popular after 1381? ______
Robin Hood’s Crimes The following is a list of crimes that apparently Robin Hood committed: • Assaulting a traveler in a forest • Fighting with a monk over food • Robbery with a weapon • Being a member of a gang of criminals • Being the leader of a gang of criminals, on the run • Kidnapping • Attempting to murder a legal official, e.g. a sheriff • Attempting to overthrow the king Was Robin Hood Right? Should you rob the rich to help the poor?
Activity 6: Listen to the following podcast and as you listen make a list of arguments for and against the statement “we should rob from the rich to help the poor” https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/shortandcurly/was-robin-hood-right-should-you-rob-the-rich-to- help-the-poor/9906298
Yes we should rob from the rich No we shouldn’t rob from the rich
Hero or Villain?
Activity 7: Answer the following questions:
1. Write down some evidence of Robin Hood being a hero ______2. Write down some evidence of Robin Hood being a villain ______3. Extension: Based on all the evidence you have looked at, write a PEEL paragraph to answer the question ‘Was Robin Hood a hero or villain?’
I think Robin Hood was a (hero/villain) because ______Some evidence that shows this is ______I do however recognise that others may disagree and consider him a (hero/villain) because ______Overall I think the evidence shows that Robin Hood was a ______
Opportunity for Further Study –
Watch the Episode of Mystery Files on Robin Hood and take notes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70EVaRYUOrQ
Robin Hood: Fact or Fiction?
Use the highlighter tool to find the words below:
T S E R O F D O O W R E H S T
R H Y U D R H W A I F M B N E
D O K O I Z A O P W A C C O L
N W O C R L F M M T C I U B R
E U H P T K E N C A T A N L A
G Q W U E R S H O K G O W E C
E B O G R H F H V I I E L M S
L O D Y P V T N I R T Z D A L
M I M T P T N O A R F C E N L
J E Z M V N S M T A E J I R I
N E W A G Z D C Y E V H K F W
G G F H Z I L V Z O V D U C L
Z C H B A R C H E R T A Z D Y
C M M M N H O J G N I K G Y G
L I T T L E J O H N O S D F D
ARCHER FACT FICTION GAVETOTHEPOOR HOMAGE KINGJOHN LEGEND LITTLEJOHN MAIDMARION MERRYMEN NOBLEMAN OUTLAW RICH SHERWOODFOREST WILLSCARLET YORKSHIRE
Robin’s Lost In The Forest!!