Aethelflaed and Aethelred
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how Aethelflaed strengthened Mercia alongside her husband Aethelred.
Key learning points
- After Alfred’s treaty with Guthrum, he controlled much of Mercia but made himself their overlord instead of their king.
- Alfred married his daughter, Aethelflaed to Mercia’s most powerful man: Aethelred.
- Aethelflaed was heavily involved in rebuilding Mercia following Viking occupation by building burhs.
- Her rule was strengthened by her piety; she built a priory at Gloucester which housed the recaptured bones of St Oswald.
- By 902, her older husband was sick and Aethelflaed defeated Vikings at Chester in 907.
Keywords
Overlord - an overlord is a person of great power or authority
Burh - a burh is an Anglo-Saxon fortification or fortified settlement
Saint - a saint is a holy person who has died and been officially recognised and honoured by the Christian church
Common misconception
Pupils may not realise the significant leading role Aethelflaed had during this time.
Aethelflaed was thought to have been a strong, independent and well-educated woman. She had learnt a great deal about military leadership and strategy by watching her father King Alfred.
Teacher tip
Recreate an Anglo-Saxon burh to give the pupils a sense of the protection they offered.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When was the Viking invasion of York?
Q2.What did the Vikings rename York as?
Q3.What is the historical name given to an object made by a human being, which is often of historical interest?
Q4.What methods can archaeologists use to find out about the past?
Q5.What was the type of soil called that helped preserve the artefacts found at Coppergate?
Q6.What was so impressive about many of the artefacts discovered at the Coppergate excavation?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What was the area of Britain that King Alfred allowed the Danes to control?
Q2.What is the historical term given to a person of great power or authority?
Q3.Who did King Alfred marry his daughter, Aethelflaed, to?
Q4.What had Aethelflaed learnt from watching her father, King Alfred?
Q5.What is the name of the fortifications that Aethelflaed decided to protect the Mercian borders with?
Q6.What title was Aethelflaed called, when she continued to rule Merica after her husband had died?
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: Aethelflaed and Aethelred, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: Aethelflaed and Aethelred, 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 2 history lessons from the The Vikings: how did Viking settlement change Britain? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.