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      Constantine II's early life and exile in Ireland

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can retell some of the story of Constantine's early life.

      Key learning points

      1. Constantine was the son of a king in a part of Scotland called Alba.
      2. When he was very young, his father was killed by someone who wanted to rule in his place.
      3. Constantine had to flee to Ireland where he lived with his aunt who was married to an Irish king.
      4. Constantine was educated at a nearby monastery and as he grew older he planned his revenge.
      5. Eventually Constantine returned to Scotland and defeated his father's enemy at a huge hillfort called Dundurn.

      Keywords

      • Alba - Alba is the Gaelic name for Scotland and is where southern and central Scotland is today

      • Exile - exile means being banned from your own country

      • Revenge - revenge is the act of getting back at someone for something they did to you

      • Hillfort - a hillfort is a defensive feature where a fort is built on top of a hill

      Common misconception

      Pupils may think revenge always involves killing people.

      Revenge is the act of getting back at someone for something they did to you. This may involve stealing something or destroying something like property.

      Teacher tip

      Explore more images of Dundurn hillfort. Because there is little evidence of the battle, discuss the possibilities of the event with pupils.

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of serious crime

      Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

      Supervision

      Adult supervision required

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Boudica's rebellion failed.

      Correct answer: true
      false

      Q2.
      Order these events starting with the earliest.

      1 - The Romans marched from Wales.
      2 - Boudica's rebellion was trapped in a valley.
      3 - The skilled Romans defeated Boudica and her rebellion.

      Q3.
      There are about how Boudica died.

      Correct Answer: legends

      Q4.
      Boudica is still remembered even though the rebellion failed.

      Correct answer: true
      false

      Q5.
      How is Boudica remembered?

      Correct answer: statue
      festival
      Correct answer: learning about her

      Q6.
      Match the keywords to their definition.

      Correct Answer:legend,A traditional story that might not always be true.

      A traditional story that might not always be true.

      Correct Answer:rebellion,A fight against the people ruling you.

      A fight against the people ruling you.

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      is the Gaelic name for Scotland.

      Correct Answer: Alba, alba

      Q2.
      What happened to Constantine’s father?

      Correct answer: He was killed.
      He was chased.
      He was forced to leave Alba.

      Q3.
      Constantine and Donald lived in exile in Wales.

      true
      Correct answer: false

      Q4.
      Order these events starting with the earliest.

      1 - Constantine’s father was killed by Giric.
      2 - Constantine and Donald were sent to live in exile in Ireland.
      3 - Constantine and Donald were welcomed by their aunt.
      4 - Constantine and Donald were taught in a monastery.

      Q5.
      Match these keywords to their definitions.

      Correct Answer:Alba,the Gaelic name for Scotland

      the Gaelic name for Scotland

      Correct Answer:exile,means being banned from your own country

      means being banned from your own country

      Correct Answer:revenge,the act of getting back at someone for something they did to you

      the act of getting back at someone for something they did to you

      Correct Answer:hillfort,a defensive feature where a fort is built on top of a hill

      a defensive feature where a fort is built on top of a hill

      Q6.
      A battle to defeat Giric took place on a ...

      Correct Answer: hillfort, hill fort

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