England, Ireland, Scotland and

Wales * Year 8 History Homework Booklet *

1. Why is our flag so complicated?

The Union Flag is very complicated.

It is complicated because it is really 3 flags put together.

Each of the 3 flags is the flag of a saint (a religious person) who lived a long time ago. Each country has a special saint called a patron saint.

Find out which saint is the patron saint of which country and write their names in the gaps.

Find out what colour each of the flags should be and colour them in.

Cut out the diagram on the back page and follow the instructions to create your own Union Flag.

I was probably a Roman soldier from Palestine. People say I killed a dragon! I became England’s patron saint during the reign of

Edward III – he liked soldiers.

St. ____________ – Patron Saint of England

St. ____________– Patron Saint of Scotland

I was one of the followers of Jesus. It is said that in the 10th century (900s) some of my bones magically appeared in Scotland. My flag

is a saltire or diagonal cross.

St. ____________ – Patron Saint of Ireland

I was Roman-British priest – it was my job to persuade people to be Christians. Legend has it that I got rid of all the snakes in

Ireland.

St. Patrick, St. George, St. Andrew

1. Why is our flag so complicated?

2. Fold it in half and glue it together.

4. Where the name of colours are written, colour.

6. See the Union Flag appear before your eyes!

1. Cut out the diagram

3. Cut out all of the grey areas.

5. Fold the right- and left-hand sides in.

2. When did this kingdom become united?

Athelstan 924-929

I was a Saxon king. I was the first person to be the king of all of England in 924.

Edward I 1272-1307

I was a medieval King of England and I took over Wales.

James I 1603-1613(James IV of Scotland)

I was King of Scotland and I became King of England and Prince of Wales as well.William III 1689-

1702

II was King of England, King of

Scotland and Prince of Wales. I said that

I was King of Ireland.

Shade the map above using different strokes to show

who ruled what.

Athelstan’s land

Edward I’s land

James I’s land

William III’s land

HINT:Parts of the British Isles that were controlled by all of these Kings would have all types of shading on it and look like this…

Parts of the British Isles that were only controlled by William III will look like this…

3. How did Mel Gibson make William Wallace look like a very Scottish hero?

William Wallace was a Scottish knight.

He led a rebellion against Edward I, the King of England.

He won a big battle called at a place called Stirling Bridge.

However, he was caught by King Edward and was hanged, drawn and quartered.

In 1999, an Australian filmmaker called Mel Gibson made a film about him called Braveheart.

It made Wallace look like a Scottish hero. How did he do it?

See if you can link the way Gibson shows us Wallace to how this makes him look, not just like a hero, but a Scottish hero.

A. There are lots of people

behind him

B.He’s holding a weapon

F. He is walking with his head up.

E. There are lots of English soldiers

C. He is wearing blue

war paint

D. He is in the middle

of the picture

E This suggests that it takes many Englishmen to control him.

This suggests that he is a good soldier.

This makes him look like a Scot as Scottish sports teams wear blue.

Although the English are going to kill him, he looks proud and unafraid.

This makes him look like a good leader.

This suggests that he is important.

1297 - 1305AD

4. Why did the Welsh revolt against English rule?1400 -

1415 AD

Look at this castle. It is Carreg Cennan in South Wales. In July 1403, it was attacked by Welsh soldiers.

They were fighting because they did not want to be ruled byt the English.

The Welsh were led by Owain Glyndŵr (pronounced Glen-dow-er).

In 1399 Glyndŵr said that he was Prince of Wales.

Glyndŵr supported by a powerful English soldier, the Earl of Northumberland, French soldiers and lots of people in Wales.

See if you can work out why each person or group is rebelling?

Owain Glyndŵr

French soldiers

The Welsh people

Percy, Earl of Northumberland

Eventually, the Welsh were beaten by English forces who came from Ireland. Wales was still ruled by the English.

We are fighting against the English who are in charge of our towns. They are making laws that take away our

money and our rights.

I am fighting because I think that I should be the Prince of Wales. I am

Welsh and he is not!

I am fighting because I think that I should be King of England – not King

Henry IV.I have got more royal blood than him!

We are fighting because we have been fighting the English for many, many

years. We will give help to anyone that wants to fight the English!

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