This download contains the complete Key Topic 2 unit for Edexcel GCSE History: Elizabethan England (1569–88), covering Challenges at Home and Abroad.

It includes 8 fully planned lessons with PowerPoints, printable worksheets, activities and plenaries. Lessons are fully self-contained and require no textbook or additional resources.

Key features:

Written specifically for the Edexcel GCSE History specification

Exam practice embedded throughout – judgement questions, structured writing tasks, 16-mark essay planning

Knowledge recall built in – every lesson begins with a “5-a-day” starter

Printable worksheets included for all activities (no extra prep needed)

Accessible but challenging – “thinking harder” strategies stretch all abilities

Clear and consistent structure across the whole unit

Lessons included:

The Revolt of the Northern Earls (1569) – causes, events, outcomes, judgement of threat

Catholic Plots Against Elizabeth – Ridolfi, Throckmorton & Babington plots, threat grids & evaluation

Elizabeth’s Response to Catholic Threats – Walsingham’s spy network, coded messages, execution of Mary Queen of Scots, judgement of effectiveness

Drake and Foreign Policy – commercial rivalry, privateering, piracy vs patriotism, extent Drake helped/hindered Elizabeth

Political & Religious Rivalry – Treaty of Câteau-Cambrésis, England/Spain/France relations, Dutch Revolt, decline in relations, 16-mark essay planning

The Netherlands & Outbreak of War – Elizabeth’s indirect and direct actions, Spanish Fury, Pacification of Ghent, Treaty of Nonsuch, campaign failures, judgement grids

Why the Armada Was Delayed (1585–88) – long-term causes, religion, politics, provocation, circumstances, six key reasons for delay, structured paragraph writing

Why the Armada Was Defeated (1588) – events of the Armada, map sequencing, turning points (fireships, Gravelines, weather), evaluation of reasons for English victory

This complete unit saves hours of planning while ensuring students gain both secure knowledge and the exam skills needed for success in Edexcel GCSE History Paper 2: Elizabethan England, 1558–1603.