The rise of Alba under Constantine II
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how Constantine II strengthened the kingdom of Alba.
Key learning points
- With the Vikings defeated, Constantine now set about strenghtening his kingdom of Alba.
- He changed the Church to make it more like the one he had experienced in Ireland.
- He created a system of mormaers, local leaders who could help him rule over his lands.
- Eventually he came into conflict with a powerful king from England and they fought a big battle.
- Although Constantine lost, it stopped the king from England from taking control of parts of Scotland.
Keywords
Church - the Church is the name given to a group of Christian people who share the same beliefs about their religion
Mormaer - a mormaer was a Scottish leader and landowner who helped the king to rule
Common misconception
Pupils may think that Athelstan controlled Scotland because he defeated Constantine.
Although Constantine lost, Athelstan only remained king of England. He became overlord of Scotland but failed to unite England and Scotland under one kingship.
Teacher tip
Briefly look into a timeline of King Athelstan to understand his importance.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Constantine defeated Giric in ...
Q2.Constantine had a rest after he defeated Giric.
Q3.Where were St Columba's relics taken from by the Vikings?
Q4.When Constantine defeated the Vikings, what things did he recapture?
Q5.What are relics?
Q6.The battle against the Vikings was easy.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What influenced Constantine to change the Church?
Q2.Who helped King Constantine II rule his lands?
Q3.What were mormaers responsible for?
Q4.Order these events starting with the earliest.
Q5.When was the Battle of Brunanburh?
Q6.Athelstan defeated Constantine.
To help you plan your 2 history lesson on: The rise of Alba under Constantine II, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 2 history lesson on: The rise of Alba under Constantine II, 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 Conflict, conquest and empires unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.