Who were heroes and who were villains in history is a very interesting discussion to have with children, some of whom may already have a job deciding what is fact and what is fiction. Robin Hood, a hero to many, or villain to some, is a character definitely worthy of discussion when considering heroes and villains. Here are a few sites to help:
Who was Robin Hood? This is an excellent resource shared by the TES and created by a teacher known as HistoriaVictoria. It works through enquiry of fact and fiction to discover what we know about Robin Hood.
The Legend of Robin Hood – BBC Bitesize, a video telling the myth of Robin Hood.
There is a Robin Hood curriculum map available on this site.
The Robin Hood Story – shared on the TES by lulu_lulu6 “This resource can be used with my two other resources to give three different points of view on the Robin Hood story. We used these to create a special Robin Hood Literacy focus day – but they could be used in many other ways! Look out for the Sheriff’s story and Maid Marion’s story and decide whose side you would have been on!”
Dick Turpin, On the other hand a real villain who is often made out to be gallant and brave would make a good comparison. This Dick Turpin biography text is an exercise in itself, shared by Kelliecopter on the TES site.
Thinking of other historical heroic characters, there are:
Lesson plans and a worksheet to develop historical enquiry in KS2 with a focus on the Romans – Was Boudicca a hero or a villain? https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks2-historical-enquiry-the-romans-6019976
Victorian Villains, from the BBC, is a real comparison: “Stories of ‘young Victorian villains’ and the strict justice system that decided their fate, using trial testimony, census records and dramatic reconstruction to recreate the moment when these children’s lives were changed for ever.” (BBC)
