Anglo-Saxons and Vikings lesson bundle

This lesson bundle includes interactive and engaging lessons to get children to learn all about the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. I have used these lessons for a few years now and find that they are a great way to get children to use their disciplinary knowledge and historian skills.

The first lesson gets the children to use their historian skills to firstly determine what the different types of crime and punishment were, by discussing sources. It then get them to evaluate which methods of punishment were the most useful to the anglo-saxons by using a diamond nine. The smart board acts as a lesson plan, using partner talk for discussions, explaining what the different photos were and then it explains what a diamond 9 is and how they can use it.

The second lesson supports KS2 National Curriculum History Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom after Edward the Confessor’s death. The smart board begins with a quiz in prior knowledge of Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. The children will then evaluate whether Edward the Confessor was a good king or a bad king by sorting through the different points as a group. This activity is included in the bundle. Finally, the children look at the 4 different claimants to the English thrown. 1 child will be each claimant and read the synopsis provided about that King. The rest of the class use the grid to evaluate which claimant is best suited to the role of King of England.

It uses Historical skills such as understanding bias, revising previously taught knowledge and evaluating the different claimants to the thrown.

The third lesson is linked to the National Curriculum for KS2 - the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor. This lesson focuses on answering the question, “Did Alfred the Great deserved to be called ‘Great’?”

The interactive smart board takes you step by step through the lesson as well as using partner talk and reminding children of key events in the Viking/ Anglo-Saxon struggle. Children will need to look at sources that you could put around the room, or on their tables. They will fill in the grid and answer questions about each source such as, “What is it?” and “What information can we learn from it?” At the end of the lesson the whole class will have a discussion about source bias before deciding whether Alfred the Great was truly Great?

Focuses on 2 key historical skills - Understand methods of Historical enquiry and gather Historical data from various sources.

The knowledge organiser supports the teaching of Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. Includes a timeline, key people, key places and key vocabulary. Great to have on a working wall or display and refer to within lessons, or to stick into children’s books.