Viking navigation and expansion
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the Vikings navigated over long distances to far away places.
Key learning points
- The Vikings used the sun, moon and stars to navigate, and also followed the path of birds and other animals.
- Some archaeologists have found wooden 'sun-shadow' boards that might have been used by the Vikings to navigate.
- The Vikings used these techniques to travel long distances.
- The Vikings sailed far down the rivers of Europe to trading ports and met with traders from the Middle East and Asia.
- They even travelled as far as Iceland, Greenland and North America.
Keywords
Archaeologist - an archaeologist digs up and studies objects from the past
Evidence - evidence is something that proves an idea or fact to be true
Stars - the stars are balls of gas in space that give off light and heat
Port - a port is a place where boats load and unload, and trade happens
Common misconception
Pupils may think that archaeologists only dig up bones, like dinosaurs or extinct creatures.
Archaeologists work with all sorts of objects from the past, many of the items in museums have been dug up by an archaeologist.
Teacher tip
Having a globe in the classroom can be a great way to show the locations of the places pupils will encounter in the lesson. Use a globe to visually show the great distances that the Vikings navigated around the world.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which people sailed in longboats?
Q2.Who were the Vikings?
Q3.Which word means travelling along a route?
Q4.What did Vikings use to move their longboats?
Q5.What was special about the bottom of a longboat?
Q6.What did Vikings do with their shields before a raid?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which people dig up objects from the past?
Q2.Archaeologists think the Vikings used to help them navigate.
Q3.Vikings had no maps. How did they navigate their longboats?
Q4.Vikings went on journeys to reach ports. Why did they do this?
Q5.How did Vikings navigate at night time?
Q6.The Vikings travelled to lots of different ports in the east and west.
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: Viking navigation and expansion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: Viking navigation and expansion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 history lessons from the William Adams and Brunel unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.