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Lower Key Stage 2 Invaders and Settlers: Anglo-Saxons
Kings and Laws

Learn about important Anglo-Saxon Kings, especially King Ethelbert, King Offa and King Alfred. Gain a deeper understanding of the timeline of events of the later kings. Learn about the system of law and order and the class system. Bring historical learning to life with online games and research, role-play, design activities and cooking.

Session 1 Anglo-Saxon society

Objectives

History

  • Understand how people’s lives have shaped Britain.
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change.
  • Gain historical perspective by understanding the connections between local and national history, and between cultural, military and social history.
  • Understand how Britain has been influenced by the wider world.

English

  • Participate in role-play and improvisations.
  • Listen and respond appropriately to their peers.
  • Organise paragraphs around a theme.

Lesson Planning

Children will describe the different social groups in Anglo-Saxon society, use role-play to empathise with these groups, and compare the Anglo-Saxon way of life with today.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To empathise with the different classes in Anglo-Saxon society; To compare Anglo-Saxon society with today’s way of life.
  • To work in role as a member of Anglo-Saxon society and write about daily life.

Children will:

  • Describe the different classes in Anglo-Saxon society.
  • Use role play to empathise with past societies.
  • Compare the Anglo-Saxon way of life with today’s society.

You Will Need

  • Anglo-Saxon costumes
  • A digital camera

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.

Session 2 Sutton Hoo

Objectives

History

  • Understand how people’s lives have shaped Britain.
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, and cause and consequence.
  • Gain historical perspective by understanding the connections between local and national history, and between short- and long-term timescales.
  • Understand how Britain has been influenced by the wider world.

English

  • Discuss and record ideas.
  • Compose and rehearse sentences orally.
  • Organise paragraphs around a theme.
  • In non-narrative material, use simple organisational devices, e.g. headings & sub-headings.

Lesson Planning

Children will explain the importance of the Sutton Hoo excavations and learn what the finds tell us about the people of the time.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To appreciate the importance of Sutton Hoo and discuss what the items buried in the grave tell us about the person.
  • To create a captioned diagram and description of a Sutton Hoo burial artefact, OR to write a newspaper article about the Sutton Hoo site and visitor centre.

Children will:

  • Explain the importance of the Sutton Hoo excavations.
  • Describe some of the Sutton Hoo finds.
  • Explain what the finds tell us about the person who was buried there.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 3 Who was Offa?

Objectives

History

  • Understand how people’s lives have shaped Britain.
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, and cause and consequence.
  • Gain historical perspective by understanding the connections between local and national history, and between short- and long-term timescales.
  • Understand how Britain has been influenced by the wider world.

English

  • Discuss and record ideas.
  • Compose and rehearse sentences orally.
  • Organise paragraphs around a theme.

Art

  • Improve their mastery of art and design techniques including drawing.

Lesson Planning

Children will learn about King Offa of Mercia, his dyke and his coinage. They will retell the story of the founding of Hereford Cathedral.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To find out about King Offa of Mercia and appreciate that the major earthwork that he built can still be seen today.
  • To create a comic strip about the death of King Ethelbert of East Angles and the founding of Hereford Cathedral.
  • To design an Anglo-Saxon coin & to illustrate the founding of Hereford Cathedral, (using no anachronisms).

Children will:

  • Talk about King Offa of Mercia.
  • Describe Offa’s Dyke when it was built and what remains of it today.
  • Design a coin like Offa’s.
  • Retell the story of the founding of Hereford Cathedral.

Provided Resources

  • Map of Offa’s Dyke
  • Offa’s coins
  • Coin design template
  • Comic strip templates

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 4 Crime and Punishment

Objectives

History

  • Understand how people’s lives have shaped Britain.
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, and cause and consequence.
  • Gain historical perspective by understanding the connections between local and national history, and between short- and long-term timescales.
  • Understand how Britain has been influenced by the wider world.

English

  • Use spoken language to develop understanding.
  • Take part in role play.
  • Maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations.

Lesson Planning

Children will describe the Anglo-Saxon justice system and use role-play to develop and show empathy for the system of justice.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand the Anglo-Saxon system of recompense (wergeld/ wergild) and describe the types of punishment given to criminals.
  • To use role play to understand the Anglo-Saxon system of law and order.

Children will:

  • Describe the Anglo-Saxon system of courts and punishment.
  • Show empathy for the Anglo-Saxon system of justice through role play.

Provided Resources

  • Wergeld
  • Crime cards
  • Oath helpers cards
  • Yes/no Cards
  • Ordeal cards
  • Money cards
  • Anglo-Saxon moot game rules

You Will Need

  • Thin card
  • A laminator

Session 5 King Alfred the Great

Objectives

History

  • Understand how people’s lives have shaped Britain.
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, and cause and consequence.
  • Gain historical perspective by understanding the connections between local and national history, and between short- and long-term timescales.
  • Understand how Britain has been influenced by the wider world.

Design and Technology

  • Select from and use a range of equipment to perform practical tasks.
  • Select from and use a wide range of materials, including ingredients.
  • Prepare and cook a variety of dishes using a range of cooking techniques.
  • Know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown.

Lesson Planning

Children will learn why Alfred was ‘Great’, describe what the Danegeld was, and make cakes or bread (without burning them!)

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To find out about the life of Alfred the Great and the conflict between the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons.
  • To make cakes or bread (without burning them!) and to discuss ingredients that would have been used in Anglo-Saxon times.

Children will:

  • Explain why King Alfred was called ‘Great’.
  • Describe how Danegeld was raised and what it paid for.
  • Make cakes or bread without letting them burn!.

Provided Resources

  • Dane-Geld poem
  • Danegeld runestones
  • Alfred the Great’s ‘Londinia’ coin
  • King Alfred’s cakes

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 6 Later Anglo-Saxon kings

Objectives

History

  • Understand how people’s lives have shaped Britain.
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, and cause and consequence.
  • Gain historical perspective by understanding the connections between local and national history, and between short- and long-term timescales.
  • Understand how Britain has been influenced by the wider world.

English

  • Read for a range of purposes.
  • Ask questions to improve their understanding of a text.
  • Retrieve and record information from non-fiction.
  • Participate in discussion about books.

Lesson Planning

Children will describe the last few Anglo-Saxon Kings of England and learn about the Domesday Book.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To find out about the last few Anglo-Saxon kings and understand why the survey for the Domesday Book was ordered by William the Conqueror.
  • To research information about and in the Domesday Book.

Children will:

  • Describe the last few Anglo-Saxon kings of England.
  • Explain why the survey for the Domesday Book was undertaken.
  • Find information about and within the Domesday Book.

Provided Resources

  • The Last Anglo-Saxon Kings sheet
  • Page from the Domesday book
  • The survey for the Domesday book

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.