Aethelflaed and the bones of Saint Oswald
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Aethelflaed became an important Anglo-Saxon ruler in the fight against the Vikings.
Key learning points
- Alfred needed other parts of Britain to be strong again, so he arranged for Aethelflaed to marry the leader of Mercia.
- The man Aethelflaed married was called Aethelred, and together they made Mercia strong again to resist the Vikings.
- Aethelred was much older than Aethelflaed; as he got old and sick and eventually died, Aethelflaed ruled Mercia herself.
- Aethelflaed stood up to the Vikings; ordering a group of soldiers to go on a special mission into Viking lands.
- The soldiers brought back the bones of an important Anglo-Saxon saint, Oswald, which won Aethelflaed a lot of respect.
Keywords
Mercia - the large Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the midlands of Britain was called Mercia
Respect - to respect someone is to admire their achievements and abilities
Saint - a saint is a dead person who the Christian Church recognise as having lived a very holy life
Common misconception
The names Aethelflaed and Aethelred are very similar and may be mistaken for the same person.
Highlight that the two names are very similar but that Aethelflaed was the daughter of Alfred the Great and became Lady of Mercia, whereas Aethelred was the king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia.
Teacher tip
Task A can be completed as a group task. Encourage discussion of the questions amongst the children. Provide an enlarged copy of the task sheet. An adult could scribe the children's ideas.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.True or false? Aethelflaed (the daughter of King Alfred) lived in Scotland?
Q2.Where did Aethelflaed live?
Q3.Pick the right word to finish this sentence: Aethelflaed lived during the time of the
Q4.How did the Vikings travel to Britain to attack the Anglo-Saxons?
Q5.What did Aethelflaed's father do when the Vikings attacked Wessex?
Q6.Why was Aethelflaed's father called 'Alfred the Great'?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why did Alfred the Great want to help King Mercia become strong?
Q2.Who did Alfred’s daughter, Aethelflaed, marry?
Q3.Which sentences about King and Lady Mercia are correct?
Q4.Why did Aethelflaed have the respect of the Anglo-Saxons?
Q5.True or false? Aethelflaed sent her soldiers on a special mission to find the lost bones of Saint Oswald.
Q6.Where were Saint Oswald's bones kept?
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: Aethelflaed and the bones of Saint Oswald, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: Aethelflaed and the bones of Saint Oswald, 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 England, Scotland and Wales unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.