Why the Vikings came to Britain
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can retell the story of how the Vikings came to settle in large parts of Britain.
Key learning points
- The Vikings first came to Britain in small raids on monasteries and these grew more frequent.
- The Great Heathen Army came to Britain, bringing lots of Vikings who began to settle on Anglo-Saxon land.
- The Great Heathen Army overcame all of the Saxon kingdoms apart from Wessex, which came to be ruled by King Alfred.
- Fighting back against Guthrum and the Great Heathen Army, Alfred managed to confine the Vikings to the Danelaw.
- A good story of how the Vikings came to settle in large parts of Britain will use knowledge from across this unit.
Keywords
Raid - a raid is a rapid surprise attack, usually involving stealing something
Monastery - a monastery is a building lived in by a community of monks who follow religious vows
Settled - when you are settled you make a permanent home somewhere
Danelaw - the area that Alfred allowed the Vikings to rule was called the Danelaw
Common misconception
Pupils may not understand that the Vikings came to Britain for different reasons over a long period of time.
The Vikings first came to Britain to raid monasteries; they then invaded and settled in some Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Finally, they tried to capture all of Britain but were unsuccessful. However, they were able to stay and control the Danelaw.
Teacher tip
As you go through the lesson, give the pupils time to gather key words and draw quick sketches of the stages of the Vikings coming to settle in Britain.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
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.Match the location with the correct description.
a town where the Vikings almost captured Alfred
a town in southwestern England where Alfred defeated Guthrum
the area that Alfred allowed the Vikings to rule
Q2.When did Guthrum begin to attack Wessex?
Q3.True or false? King Alfred fled to the marshes and gave up.
Q4.Order these events, starting with the earliest.
Q5.What happened after King Alfred was victorious at Edington?
Q6.Which statements accurately reflect some parts of the peace agreement between Alfred and Guthrum?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the term given to a rapid surprise attack, usually involving stealing something.
Q2.What were the main reasons that Vikings raided monasteries?
Q3.After raiding many places, what did the Vikings then decide to do?
Q4.Which statements accurately describe The Great Heathen Army?
Q5.Order the attacks between King Alfred and the Viking King Guthrum, starting with the earliest.
Q6.What were the areas that Alfred let the Vikings control called?
To help you plan your 5 history lesson on: Why the Vikings came to Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 history lesson on: Why the Vikings came to Britain, 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.