Wren and Raven Investigate!
Format: Video
Join the ghost of Christopher Wren and his friend Raven as they investigate Tudor buildings across the UK - from royal palaces to local houses.
In this episode, students learn to spot key Tudor building features such as timber framing, red Tudor bricks and wattle and daub. They’ll also discover how the Great Fire of London changed the way people built homes.
Perfect for KS1 and KS2, this video supports pupils to:
- look closely at the buildings around them
- recognise how buildings change over time
- identify key architectural features
- understand that buildings are historical evidence we can use to learn about the past.
Resource Information
Key Stage
- KS1 (age 5-7)
- KS2 (age 7-11)
- Home Educators
Subjects
- History
- Geography
Topic
- Tudors
- Medieval
- Historic Environment
Type
- Videos
Palace
- Tower of London
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Manage CookiesThis video can be used before a school trip to a Tudor building or a local history walk to highlight features to spot.
It also helps pupils understand that buildings are historical sources.
Supporting resources
The Wren and Raven video series was developed with support from the team at Historic England.
Download an editable Tudor Kings and Queens Family Tree for Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. Use key facts, activities and historic sources to explore King Henry VIII, his queens and his children.
This free, editable activity pack introduces children to each queen as a historical figure in her own right - going beyond the familiar rhyme of “divorced, beheaded, died”. It includes fact sheets, colouring, drawing and research activities.
In this episode, students learn to spot key Georgian building features such as symmetry, columns and domes. They’ll also discover more about how the ancient Greeks and Romans inspired Georgian builders.