Aethelred, Alfred the Great and Wessex
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how the kingdom of Wessex tried to resist the Viking invaders.
Key learning points
- In 870, Wessex was ruled by the young king Aethelred, aided by his younger brother Alfred.
- They managed to stall the Viking invasion of Wessex by defeating them at the Battle of Ashdown.
- In further battles the Vikings pushed the forces of Wessex back, killing Aethelred in 871.
- The new King Alfred fought against the Vikings, now reinforced by the Danish chief Guthrum who had arrived in 872.
- Alfred made peace with the Vikings, probably bribing them, they went on to conquer Mercia and then Northumbria.
Keywords
Wessex - Wessex was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of England
Defend - when you defend something, you resist an attack made against it
Stall - to stall means to stop something making progress
Bribe - a bribe means to give someone money or something else of value, often illegally, to persuade that person to do something you want
Common misconception
Pupils may not realise that the Viking army was so large it was able to split its forces which led to its success across Britain.
The Viking army was so large, it could split into different sections and fight in different parts of Britain at the same time. The army could also send reinforcements from one section to support another section in need.
Teacher tip
Track where the Viking army had invaded in Britain to show its size and strength.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the below were Anglo-Saxon kingdoms?
Q2.What is the correct definition of a 'heathen'?
Q3.What was the name of the Viking army that arrived in East Anglia in 865 CE?
Q4.True or false? The Vikings established camps over summer to continue raids.
Q5.Order these events, starting with the earliest.
Q6.What city in the kingdom of Northumbria did the Vikings invade and capture in 866 CE?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to the correct description.
to resist an attack made against something
to stop something making progress
to give someone something to make them do what you want
Q2.Which statements are correct about the kingdom of Wessex in 870 CE?
Q3.What was the outcome of the Battle of Reading in 871 CE?
Q4.Complete the sentence. Shortly after King Aethelred died, became king of Wessex.
Q5.How did King Alfred defend Wessex?
Q6.Which kingdoms did the Vikings conquer after leaving Wessex in peace?
To help you plan your 5 history lesson on: Aethelred, Alfred the Great and Wessex, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 history lesson on: Aethelred, Alfred the Great and Wessex, 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: why did they come to the British Isles? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.