The Land Game: Who Controlled England’s Resources?
A standalone 90-minute history lesson for ages 11–14

This engaging, discussion-rich lesson explores the history of land, power and resources in England, helping students understand how control of land shaped wealth, status, freedom and inequality over time.

Designed as a standalone lesson for able KS3 students, this resource works particularly well as part of a wider theme on land and resources, but can also be used independently for enquiries into medieval society, social change, protest, inequality, or the development of rights.

Students are each given a role — King/Government, Noble/Landowner, or Peasant/Poor Worker — and follow how their character is affected by major historical turning points. Through prediction, discussion and score-tracking, students compare who gained and who lost as control of land and resources changed.
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The lesson covers key moments including:**

the Norman Conquest
feudalism and Forest Laws
Magna Carta
the Black Death
the Statute of Labourers
the Peasants’ Revolt
common land rights
enclosure and the Industrial Revolution

Students consider big historical questions such as:

Who really controlled land and resources?
Did ordinary people ever gain power?
Were developments like enclosure examples of progress, control or inequality?
What is the difference between owning land and having access to land?

This lesson supports students in developing:

chronological understanding
cause and consequence
change and continuity
historical interpretation
discussion and debate
evidence-based judgement
understanding of social hierarchy and inequality

This is a ready-to-teach lesson with a clear structure, active learning, and plenty of opportunities for thoughtful discussion. It is ideal for KS3 history, enrichment lessons, thematic curriculum work, or cross-curricular units exploring land, resources and inequality.