Monday, January 27, 2014

Henry VIII and his Six Wives by Janet Hardy-Gould


            The danger with a book like this is that it can reduce the significance of Henry VIII to a series of soap-opera like relationships.
            On the other hand, the great thing about a book like this is that it retells the story of Henry VIII as a series of soap-opera like relationships.
            Unlike some of the other history books I’ve tried out with my young learners, this one really caught their attention.  I could tell they were becoming interested in it, because they started asking a lot of questions at the end of each chapter.  “Wait, teacher, is this story really real?”   “How many of his wives did he kill again?”  “Why did he behead his wives?”
           
            I myself learned a few interesting facts from this book.  For example, I learned that Thomas Seymour, a character I knew from The Tudors,  was later beheaded for trying to become the lover of Elizabeth I. 

Teaching Materials
[This book contained a glossary at the back for words that might be problematic for students.  On the first day, I had the class read through the glossary, then on subsequent days I made matching exercises for the words in the glossary.  I know this is all terribly boring and uncreative, but my theory was something was better than nothing when it came to the vocabulary.]

artist, beheaded, believe, bury, buried, calm, Catholic Church, cousin, uncle, aunt, divorce, dream, engaged

Definitions
_________ to think that something is right or true
________a picture in your mind when you are asleep
_______the child of your uncle or aunt
________past tense of bury
________to finish a marriage
The center of the _________________ is in the Vatican in Rome, Italy
_________a person who can paint and draw pictures
_________to put a dead person in the ground
_________when a person's head is cut off
_________the sister of one of your parents
_________quiet, not worried or excited
_________have promised to marry someone
________the brother of one of your parents
Sentences
Henry died and we _________ him last week in ST. George's Church, Windsor.
I don't __________ he was telling the truth.
I had a ________ last night.
After they had been married for several years, they decided to get a ____________.
The Pope is the head of the ___________________.
I am ___________ to be married to a beautiful girl.
Both Anne and Katherine were ____________ in that terrible prison, the Tower of London.
An _________ can paint a beautiful picture.
Don't panic.  Keep ________.
My father's brother's daughter is my ____________.

************************************************************
forgive,  God,  great, handsome, jewels, king, kiss, lady, look after, maid

Definitions
_______special, important
_______a woman
_______to touch somebody with your lips to show love
______a woman or girl who is paid to work in another person's house
_______ to say or show that you are not angry with someone anymore
_______good -looking (for men)
_______the most important man in the country
_______the "person" who made the world
_______beautiful and expensive stones (e.g. diamonds)
_______to take care of somebody
Sentences
A month ago I was the Queen of England, the wife of _______ Henry the Eighth.
Margaret, my new _______, came to the palace with me.
I love that new movie.  It's really _______.
We have been married for more than twenty years in the eyes of _______.
She wore many __________ around her neck.
You see that picture of the King? That's what he was like when he was young--tall and strong and ________.
When a girl grows up, she becomes a ________.
Could you please ____________ the baby for me?
I'm sorry I ate your pizza.  I was wrong.   Please ________ me.
************************************************
miscarriage, mistress, necklace, paint, palace, Pope, pray, prayer, prince, princess

Definitions
_________ when a women loses a baby before it is born
_________words that you say when talk to God
_________ the head of the Catholic Church, who lives in the Vatican in Rome
_________the daughter of a king or queen
________to make a picture with colours
_________a piece of jewellery that you wear around the neck
________the girlfriend of a married man; she is not his wife
_________the son of a king or queen
________a very large and beautiful house, usually for a king or queen
________to talk to God

Sentences
Anne wanted to marry the King and be his Queen.  She didn't want to be just his _________, like the other girls.
The son of a King is called a _________.
I _______ for you every day.
You must not divorce me.  The _______ and the Catholic Church will never agree to this.
An artist can ________ a picture.
The King and Queen live in a __________.
There's also a beautiful gold ___________ and a small piece of hair.
Perhaps Henry gave it to ____________ Elizabeth.
She nearly had another baby, but she had a ___________ after only a few months.
Every night I say a __________ to God.
queen,  sad, sword, ugly, uncle, view, witch, worried

Definitions
_________ the most important woman in the country
_________unhappy because you think something bad will happen
________the opposite of beautiful
________a woman who (people believe) can use magic to do bad things
_________a long knife for fighting
________what you can see from a window
_________unhappy
________the brother of your father or mother

Sentences
On the top floor of the hotel, there is a very lovely______ of the city.
My name is Catherine Parr. A month ago I was the __________ of England, the wife of King Henry the Eighth.
__________es always have six fingers.
I am very _________ about the test.
The old man had a long nose and crooked teeth--he was very ________.
After my dog died, I was very ________.
Be careful with that ________!  It's very sharp and dangerous.
It was my _______ William.
The boy ________ the girl.


Link of the Day
Noam Chomsky (2013) Full Discussion with Jeremy Scahill and Amy Goodman ("Dirty Wars")

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