Life in villages in Norman England
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe features of village life and changes to villages under the Normans.
Key learning points
- Village life followed a seasonal pattern.
- Many features of village life stayed the same after the Norman conquest.
- Norman landholders often worked villagers harder and this was resented.
- The feudal system meant a decline in the numbers of freemen and a tighter control over villeins.
- Some villages in the north were destroyed during the Harrying of the North.
Keywords
Manor - a unit of land presided over by a lord
Demesne - the lord of a manor's land which was farmed for him
Villein - a peasant who held between 15 and 30 acres of land and who worked the lord’s land for two or three days per week; 40% of peasants were villeins in Norman England
Freeman - a peasant who held up to 100 acres of land which they rented from a lord for money; they were free to rent land from another lord if they chose to
Common misconception
Village life was the same all over Norman England.
While there were many common features, the Viking settlement of the Danelaw meant that freemen in villages in the east were much more independent of the lord of their village's manor than in other parts of the country.
Teacher tip
Students could practise writing an account of the changes in village life following the Norman conquest, and / or an account of the continuity in village life over the same period.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
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 word describes buying and selling products and services with the aim of making a profit?
Q2.Norman towns in England often developed next to which of the following?
Q3.How many new towns did the Normans create between 1066 and 1100?
Q4.Complete the sentence: Immigration from Normandy and immigration were a feature of Norman town life.
Q5.Which of the following were town occupations?
Q6.As towns grew, merchants and craftspeople began to organise into guilds. Why did they do this?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes a unit of land presided over by a lord?
Q2.Which word describes a peasant who held between 15 and 30 acres of land and who worked the lord’s land for two or three days per week?
Q3.Complete the sentence: Village life followed a pattern.
Q4.How many acres of land were farmed in Norman England?
Q5.Which crops were grown following the Norman Conquest?
Q6.What percentage of freeman were there in 1086?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Life in villages in Norman England, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Life in villages in Norman England, 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 4 history lessons from the British Depth Study: Norman England, c1066–c1100 unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.