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Tudor Family Tree: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5

  • ForYear 5
  • StageKey Stage 2
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Tudor Family Tree is a free printable history worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. Children fill in the gaps in sentences about the Tudor kings and queens. They use the clues in each sentence to work out who came when, and how the monarchs were related. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children read short sentences about the Tudor monarchs and write a name in each gap. The clues talk about fathers, sons and daughters, so children have to think about family links as well as order. Some sentences give a number after a name, such as the Eighth. Children use these clues, along with a book or trusted website, to work out who fits. Each question has space to write the answer.

  • The first Tudor king was Henry ___ .
  • His son who became king was Henry ___ .
  • Henry the Eighth's son who became king was ___ the Sixth.
  • Henry the Eighth's daughter Mary became Queen ___ the First.
  • The last Tudor monarch was Queen ___ the First.

Ways to build on the sheet

Washing line timeline

Write each monarch's name on a card and peg the cards on string in the right order. Add a small drawing of a crown to each card. Check the order against page 2.

Portrait gallery

Look at pictures of Tudor monarchs in a library book. Choose one, draw it and write two sentences underneath about who they were related to.

Family tree poster

Copy the finished tree onto a large sheet. Use lines to join parents to children and add colour to show who ruled. Display it on the wall.

Why a family tree helps with history

A family tree shows who is related to whom. Lines join parents to their children, and each row down is a new generation. In the Tudor period, the crown usually passed within one family, so a tree is a useful way to see who followed whom. It turns a list of names into a clear picture.

Many monarchs shared the same first name, so historians add a number to tell them apart. The number is often written in Roman numerals, such as VIII for eight. Learning to read these numbers helps children keep the Tudors straight. It also prepares them for other periods of history, where names repeat in just the same way.

Tudor facts for curious children

  • A monarch is a king or queen who rules a country.
  • The Tudor family ruled England for over a hundred years.
  • Henry the Eighth was married six times.
  • The Tudor rose is a badge that joins a red rose and a white rose.
  • Roman numerals such as VIII are used after royal names to show which one a person was.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Chronology
  • Family links
  • Reading carefully
  • Using a family tree
  • Tudor history

What children will be able to do

  • I can put the main Tudor monarchs in order.
  • I can show how the Tudor monarchs were related.
  • I can use a family tree to answer questions about the past.

Ideas that help children fill the gaps

  • Read the whole sentenceClue words like son, daughter and first or last tell children where a person sits in the story. Read to the end before writing.
  • Use the numberA number after a name, such as the Sixth, tells you which monarch with that name is meant. Ask what the number is telling you.
  • Think about parents and childrenIf a sentence names a parent, the answer is often a child of that parent. Ask who is older and who comes next.
  • Check the orderWhen the gaps are filled, read the sentences from top to bottom. Do they tell the story of the Tudors in a sensible order?

Key words

  • MonarchA king or queen who rules a country.
  • TudorThe royal family that ruled England for a period of over a hundred years.
  • Family treeA diagram that shows how people in a family are related.
  • ChronologyPutting events or people in the order they happened.
  • HeirThe person who is next in line to become king or queen.
  • SucceedTo come after someone and take their place as ruler.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Read the first sentence aloud together. Ask your child which words give a clue about who is missing.
  3. Let your child use a book or a trusted website to find the names. Write each name in the gap.
  4. Check against page 2 together. Ask, "How did you know?" Listen for the reasoning as well as the answer.
  5. Come back another day and try it again from memory. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Say the names of the monarchs in order out loud, then say them again. Cover the page and try to remember them. Fill in the gaps you feel sure about first, then use a book for the rest. Work with a grown up.

To stretch confident children

Draw a family tree on the back of the sheet. Show who was the parent of whom, using lines to join them. Add each monarch's number and a short note about one thing you have learned about them.

Make it a game

Write each monarch's name on a slip of paper. Mix them up, then race a friend to put them in order. Check with page 2. Or say a name and ask your friend to say who their father was.

Mistakes to watch for

Watch forA child puts the right name in the gap but forgets the number that goes with it.

Try thisLook at the sentence again. Ask what the number tells us. Point out that the same first name can belong to more than one monarch.

Watch forA child mixes up parents and children, for example by thinking a son came before his father.

Try thisDraw a quick tree with the parent at the top and children underneath. Ask who is older, then who ruled first.

Watch forA child guesses a name without reading the clue words.

Try thisUnderline the clue words together, such as son, daughter, first or last. Say what each one tells you before writing.

Talk about it

  • Who do you think was the most interesting Tudor monarch, and why?
  • How does a family tree help you see who was in charge?
  • Why might monarchs have the same first name as their parents?
  • What would be hard about keeping track of a family if there was no tree?
  • What would you like to find out about one of the Tudor monarchs?
  • How is a Tudor family tree like your own family?

Take it off the page

Draw your own family tree

Draw a tree showing you, your parents and your grandparents. Use lines to join each parent to their children. Compare it with the Tudor tree.

Crown craft

Make a paper crown from card. Write the name and number of a monarch on it, such as a Roman numeral, and wear it to explain who they were.

Library trip

Visit a library and find a book about the Tudors. Choose one fact to share at tea time and tell the family where in the book you found it.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit beside your child for the first sentence, then let them lead. Short sessions work well. If they get stuck, point to the clue words and ask what they tell you.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.

Home educators

Pair it with library books, a visit to a museum or castle, or a chat about your own family. The sheet is free to print again for brothers, sisters or revision.

Where this fits in history learning

Before this sheet, children may have met simple timelines and the idea that the past can be put in order. A card sort or a basic timeline builds the skill of placing events in sequence, which this sheet then uses with names and family links.

After this sheet, children can look at what life was like in the Tudor period, or compare it with other periods they study. Knowing who was in charge, and when, gives them a framework to place new facts on. Family trees also work for other royal families.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. Who came after Henry VIII, and how were they related to him?
  2. How does a family tree help us see who was in charge?
  3. What would you like to find out about one of the Tudor monarchs?

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Tudor Family Tree for?

It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. Younger children can try it with a grown up. Older children can use the stretch idea on page 2.

What will children practise?

They practise the order of the main Tudor monarchs and how they were related. They also read carefully for clue words and use a family tree to think about who came after whom.

How do I use it?

Print both pages. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2. Children use a book or trusted website to find the names and write them in the gaps. Then check against page 2 together.

What if it feels too hard?

Say the names of the monarchs in order out loud. Fill in the gaps you feel sure about first, then use a book for the rest. Work together on the first go.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision whenever you like.

Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add colour themselves if they want to, for example when drawing their own family tree on the back.

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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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