LKS2 Topic: Invaders and Settlers: Vikings Block A: Introduction

Session 1: Who Were the Vikings?
National Curriculum	History: Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources. Ask historically valid questions. Learn about Viking raids and invasion.
Teaching Objectives	To discover when the Vikings began to invade Britain and begin to understand how we know about the Vikings.
National Curriculum	English: Retrieve and record information from non-fiction. Use dictionaries to check the meaning of words that they have read.
Teaching Objectives	Understand and complete a quiz on information from non-fiction texts.
Resources	Weblinks https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/vikings-invaders-settlers/zj9jxyc - Viking invaders and settlers video; https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/ztyr9j6/articles/zjcxwty - An introduction to the Vikings; https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/vikings - An account of historical sources for the Vikings from the Royal Museums at Greenwich. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/evidence_01.shtml - How do we know about the Vikings? Online quizzes that give immediate correct answers can be found by searching on www.educationquizzes.com for quizzes on viking topics.
Whole class: Ask chn What does the word ‘invasion’ mean? Take answers and encourage discussion. Clarify the term ‘invasion’ (entering a country by force with the intention of conquering it). Which historic invasions have you already learned about? Discuss, prompting chn if necessary. Draw a timeline and ask volunteers to use what they know to add dates and information, checking that chn fully understand the concept of and can use a timeline. Draw chn’s attention to the section of the timeline between CE 1 and CE 1000. Inform chn they will be learning about a force that invaded Britain in CE 793 - the Vikings. Tell chn that the Viking age lasted from CE 793 to CE 1066. Ask for a volunteer to add this information to the correct place on the timeline. Allow the volunteer to decide where to place the information then give guidance if necessary. Ask chn What do you know about the Vikings? Take answers and encourage discussion. Watch the video on the BBC Teach website (if time, you may also wish to show chn the associated videos listed under ‘Ideas for use in class,’ at the bottom of the page). Show chn the information on BBC Bitesize: ‘Who were the Vikings?’ Read the information, look at images and watch the videos. Ask chn What questions could we ask to find out more about the Vikings? Take answers and encourage discussion, recording any good questions suggested. Ask chn How do historians know about the Vikings? Take suggestions then read the information on historical sources on the Royal Musuems Greenwich and the BBC archives.
Easy/Medium/Hard: Chn try one of the education quizzes about Vikings (print out a hard copy for each pair or group of children) using online websites and any reference books. The quizzes will give you an idea of how much the children already know and also what they would like to learn more about. All chn may need assistance understanding some of the vocabulary. Encourage higher ability chn to use a dictionary. Chn can work in groups, pairs or on their own to complete the quiz depending on ability. Once higher ability chn have finished a quiz, they should spend the remaining time compiling a Viking fact file from information that interests them.
Plenary	Chn swap quizzes with a partner. Go through the answers using the online website for chn to mark their answers. If any chn began compiling a fact file, ask them to present their facts to the rest of the group. Ask chn Which sort of historical source do you think is most useful? Recap the various historical sources for the Vikings: Viking sagas; documents; archaeology; language and place-names. Discuss a few of the strengths and weaknesses of each source. For example, written sources are richly descriptive and give precise information, but are often biased and/or unreliable. Archaeological discoveries cannot be biased or unreliable, but are often, damaged and incomplete. Ensure chn understand how and why knowledge of the Viking period is constructed from a range of sources.
Outcomes	Chn will: • understand that the Vikings invaded Britain • understand when the Vikings invaded in the context of the history of Britain • know some facts and information about the Vikings • understand that our knowledge of the Vikings comes from a range of historical sources

© Hamilton Trust. This activity may be adapted for use by a teacher in his/her own class. It may not be reproduced for any other purpose. We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.