1066 and claims to the throne
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the succession crisis of 1066 and explain how William of Poitiers' writing can be used by historians to investigate claims to the throne.
Key learning points
- King Edward the Confessor died without an heir in 1066.
- William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson claimed the throne.
- William of Poitiers tried to justify William's claim in his "Gesta Guillelmi".
- The Gesta Guillelmi claims that William was promised the throne by Edward and that Godwinson betrayed William.
- Historians have to remember Poitiers' motives for writing when using his work to investigate claims to the throne.
Keywords
Succession crisis - a period when there is no clear heir to a position
Heir - a person who expects to inherit the property or position of another person when that person dies
Papal - something related to the Pope
Common misconception
Students may think that 'eyewitness' accounts produce a more reliable picture of historical events.
Although 'eyewitness' accounts are valuable, they were produced for a particular purpose which may distort their contents.
Teacher tip
Before completing Task C, pupils could be asked as a quick turn and talk to come up with two reasons why historians would benefit from using the Gesta to understand the claims to the throne and one problem which historians might have with using the source.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
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.Put these periods of British history in order, starting with the earliest.
Q2.Which of these regions was not an earldom of Anglo-Saxon England?
Q3.Which two of these things were true about Anglo-Saxon England by the 1060s?
Q4.Match the words with the correct definitions.
ruler of a kingdom
seat of a king, also means the power of a king
a noble who is just below a king
a noble who is below a duke, governing an earldom
the territory ruled by a king
Q5.Which three of these events happened in 1066?
Q6.Match the words with the correct definitions.
something that tells us about history, e.g. a letter
to examine something to discover more about it
to make a demand, to set out your rights to something
to explain or prove why something is right
to support or encourage something
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which one of these is the best definition for the term ‘succession crisis’?
Q2.Match the people to their role in the succession crisis.
caused succession crisis by not clearly naming his heir
got himself crowned king as soon as he could
felt betrayed over broken promises
recorded the Norman view of the crisis
mother of Edward and William of Normandy’s aunt
Q3.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into the order in which they happened, according to William of Poitiers.
Q4.Which three of these did William of Poitiers say about Harold Godwinson in the Gesta Guillelmi?
Q5.Which one of these is not a way in which the Gesta Guillelmi seeks to justify or strengthen William’s claim to the throne?
Q6.Which one of the following best explains why historians think carefully about the claims reported in the Gesta Guillelmi?
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: 1066 and claims to the throne, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: 1066 and claims to the throne, 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 3 history lessons from the The Norman Conquest: how do we know about the impact of the Conquest on England? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.