Medieval World: The Domesday Book

PowerPoint that focuses on the purpose of the Domesday Book, the role it played in William the Conqueror’s reign and what the document can tell us about England in the eleventh century.

Activities include

• Source analysis activity in which pupils work out the reasons the Domesday Book was compiled based on an extract from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
• Domesday Book data analysis activity to determine what it tells us about land use, the role of women in Anglo-Norman society, the balance of power between Normans and Saxons, the power of the monarch and the Church, etc.
• Analysis of a timeline of William the Conqueror’s reign to determine the importance of the Domesday Book in helping him to control England.
• Extension source analysis activity to determine why the Domesday Book was called Domesday.

Designed for teaching an academically able Key Stage 3 class covering the Medieval World.
Lesson Length: 1 hour depending on pace.