Durham Cathedral - historical context themes
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recall and apply key themes from the historical context of Norman England.
Key learning points
- There are three key topics making up the historical context of Norman England.
- 'Norman conquest and control' covers causes of the conquest, military aspects and establishing and maintaining control.
- 'Life under the Normans' covers feudalism and government and economic and social changes and their consequences.
- 'The Norman Church and monasticism' covers the Church and monasticism.
Keywords
Inheritance - receiving property or other items from a parent or other after their death
Patronage - the support that an overlord provided to their vassal in return for homage
Romanesque - an architectural style inspired by the buildings of ancient Rome
Investiture - the ability to choose and appoint bishops and abbots
Vernacular - the language spoken by ordinary people in a region or country
Common misconception
The Anglo-Saxon Church was old-fashioned and corrupt.
The Normans were keen to present the Anglo-Saxon Church that way, but Edward the Confessor had kept up with reforms from the rest of Europe.
Teacher tip
This lesson is designed to be used as a way of making links between this year's historic environment and the historical context themes of the AQA course.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Complete the sentence: The cathedral's scale and grandeur were unprecedented in England; it was built on similar proportions to St Peter’s in Rome.
Q2.Complete the sentence: Durham Cathedral is a prime example of Norman architecture, characterised by its huge proportions, thick walls and rounded arches.
Q3.Match each architectural feature of Durham Cathedral with what it symbolises.
Q4.Match the evidence about Durham Cathedral to whether it shows change and continuity.
Q5.The Normans' innovative architectural techniques paved the way for a later architectural style, which style was this?
Q6.How did the location of Durham Cathedral contribute to its strategic importance?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the terms to the correct definition.
Q2.Which word describes an architectural style inspired by the buildings of ancient Rome?
Q3.Which three topics does 'Norman conquest and control' cover?
Q4.Which topics does 'Life under the Normans' cover?
Q5.Which two of the following are not military aspects of Norman England?
Q6.Which of the following relate to the Church of Norman England?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Durham Cathedral - historical context themes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Durham Cathedral - historical context themes, 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.
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