Sussex before the Norman Conquest
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe Sussex, the county that Pevensey is in, before 1066.
Key learning points
- Sussex was a mixture of rich coastal areas and poor heavily-forested areas.
- Sussex was home to important religious centres.
- Sussex had established trade links with Europe.
- Sussex formed a part of the earldom of Wessex.
- Sussex was one of the Godwin family's bases.
Keywords
Earldom - the territory governed by an earl
Church - a building used for public Christian worship
Trade - the exchange of goods
Earl - a powerful English landholder
Common misconception
There were no real areas of wilderness left in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.
The population of England in 1066 is generally estimated to have been about two million. The people of England were not evenly spread around the country however, and large parts of the land had no human habitation at all.
Teacher tip
Students may benefit from being provided with a map of Sussex that they can annotate to draw attention to the key features of the county, such as Pevensey, the Weald and major population centres such as Lewes, Hastings and Chichester.
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.When did William begin his campaign to become king of England?
Q2.Complete the sentence: The land that Pevensey Castle sits on was a jutting out into the English Channel, with only a narrow spit connecting it to the mainland.
Q3.How did Pevensey provide William with effective protection?
Q4.Complete the sentence: Sussex was a very part of England in the medieval period.
Q5.Where did William take up residency when he landed in Pevensey?
Q6.Why were Sussex's wealthy towns and villages helpful to William when he first landed in 1066?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word means the territory governed by an earl?
Q2.Which word describes a building used for public Christian worship?
Q3.Why was it hard for people to live in the Weald area of Sussex before 1066?
Q4.What was the situation like on the Sussex coastline before the Norman Conquest?
Q5.Before the Norman Conquest, who controlled Sussex?
Q6.Why was Harold Godwinson's control over Wessex important for his power?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Sussex before the Norman Conquest, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Sussex before the Norman Conquest, 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 Pevensey Castle unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.