Lower Key Stage 2 Invaders and Settlers: Vikings
Introduction to the Vikings

Where did the Vikings come from? Where did they invade and settle? Why did they leave Scandinavia? How do we know about them? Work on time lines, maps, completing a quiz, and creative writing exercises. Begin to appreciate why the Vikings were successful and to empathise with the people of Britain who experienced invasion.

Session 1 Who were the Vikings?

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions. Learn about Viking raids and invasion.

English

  • Retrieve and record information from non-fiction.
  • Use dictionaries to check the meaning of words that they have read.

Lesson Planning

Learn about Viking raids and invasion. Discover the chronological place of this key era in the history of Britain. Find out how we know about the Vikings.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To discover when the Vikings began to invade Britain and begin to understand how we know about the Vikings.
  • Understand and complete a quiz on information from non-fiction texts.

Children 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.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 2 Where were the Vikings from?

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Learn about Viking raids and invasion.

Geography

  • Locate the some of the world’s countries using maps to focus on Europe, particularly Scandinavia.

Lesson Planning

Find out where the Vikings came from and why they invaded. Through map work, learn about Viking routes and settlements in the British Isles.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To discover where the Vikings invaded from and where they settled.
  • To explore and discuss where the Vikings lived before they invaded Britain.

Children will:

  • Know where the Vikings came from.
  • Begin to understand why they came to Britain and the main places they settled.
  • Begin to recognise and identify the reasons for the Vikings settling where they did; rural Britain and Scotland, monasteries on the coast.

Provided Resources

  • Map of Europe
  • Information on why the Vikings left Scandinavia.
  • Invaders and settlers word cards
  • Blank map of Scandinavia and Britain

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Session 3 What made the Vikings successful?

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Learn about the success of the Viking invasion.

English

  • Discuss and record ideas.
  • Create a non-narrative information poster using simple organisational devices such as headings, sub-headings and labelling.

Lesson Planning

Discover what made the Vikings successful. Consider the experience of a Viking raid from the Anglo-Saxon perspective. Design posters and write letters based on your knowledge.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To discover what made the Viking invasion successful.
  • To organise information into a poster to warn of the invasion and describe a Viking raid from an Anglo-Saxon perspective.

Children will:

  • Discover the beliefs of Viking warriors.
  • Explore the Viking invasion from the Anglo-Saxon/monks point of view.
  • Design newspaper reports of the Viking invasion or design posters warning of attack.

Provided Resources

  • Viking weapons
  • Viking beliefs and culture
  • Written accounts of the 793 CE attack

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.