Reading Worksheet · Grades 5–7
Oliver Cromwell Worksheet
A printable reading worksheet for grades 5-7 on Oliver Cromwell. Students read a one-page biography tracing his path from country landowner to Lord Protector — the civil war, the execution of Charles I, the Commonwealth, Ireland, and the Restoration — then answer four multiple-choice questions, six true-or-false statements, and six fill-ins. A complete answer key is included.
Free with a free account — no card needed.
Subject
Reading
Grades
Grades 5–7
Skill Focus
Oliver Cromwell, informational text
Lesson Length
40 minutes
Learning Objective
Students will trace Oliver Cromwell’s life from country landowner to head of state, and explain why he remains one of the most argued-over figures in British history.
Lesson Overview
About this worksheet
Oliver Cromwell was born in a small English town in 1599, left Cambridge without a degree when his father died, and spent his thirties farming. He had never commanded anything when, in his forties, he raised a cavalry troop and turned out to be one of the finest soldiers England has produced. Within seven years he had helped put his king on trial and cut off his head.
The worksheet is built around the contradiction at the center of his life, because that is what makes him worth teaching. Cromwell argued that no single man should rule a whole nation — and then, as Lord Protector from 1653, ruled largely alone himself. The most revealing fact about him is one most short accounts leave out: when Parliament offered him the crown in 1657, he turned it down.
It also declines to make him a hero. The Irish campaign of 1649 was savage even by the standards of its own time; Drogheda and Wexford killed thousands and are bitterly remembered in Ireland to this day. And the story does not stop at his death in 1658 — two years later the monarchy came back in the Restoration, and the new king’s supporters dug up Cromwell’s body and hanged it. Students are asked directly whether everyone remembers him the same way. They do not.
Page 2 asks sixteen questions in three forms: multiple choice, true or false, and fill in the missing word. Page 3 is a complete answer key with a short reason beside every false statement. Pair it with The Magna Carta Worksheet for the older argument about limiting a king’s power, Types of Government for the difference between a monarchy and a republic, and The French Revolution Worksheet for the other time a nation put its own king on trial.
How to Use This Lesson
Read the passage on page 1.
Answer the four multiple-choice questions in Section A.
Mark each Section B statement TRUE or FALSE, and be ready to say why.
Write the missing word in each Section C sentence.
Use the answer key on page 3 for self-check or grading.
Discuss the contradiction: he fought a king for ruling alone, then ruled alone. Was he a hypocrite, or had something changed?
Printable Resource
A classroom-ready PDF with everything in one printable resource.
Free Member Resource · Printable PDF · 3 pages · Answer Key
Oliver Cromwell Worksheet
A printable reading worksheet for grades 5-7 on Oliver Cromwell. Students read a one-page biography tracing his path from country landowner to Lord Protector — the civil war, the execution of Charles I, the Commonwealth, Ireland, and the Restoration — then answer four multiple-choice questions, six true-or-false statements, and six fill-ins. A complete answer key is included.
Keep Exploring Reading
Related Worksheets
More for Grades 5–7Comparing Two Accounts Worksheet · Evaluating Sources Worksheet · Flashback Worksheet · Michael Jordan Worksheet · Mood vs Tone Worksheet · Persuasive Techniques Worksheet