The Norman conquest (1066)
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recall that the Normans conquered England in 1066 and made a number of changes to English life, such as creating the feudal system and reforming the Church.
Key learning points
- In 1066, the English King, Edward the Confessor, died without an heir, triggering a succession crisis.
- William of Normandy believed he was the rightful heir and that Edward had promised him the throne.
- William invaded England in 1066 and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings.
- Almost all Anglo-Saxons lost land which was transferred to the Normans in the creation of the feudal system.
- The Normans built a number of new buildings such as castles and monasteries and reformed the English Church.
Keywords
Normans - the people who settled in Normandy in the 10th century
Succession - the right or sequence of inheriting a title or position
Monasteries - a building housing a community of monks
Feudal system - the social system introduced to England by the Normans, which greatly increased the power of the king
Common misconception
England had not been invaded before the Norman Conquest.
Britain had been invaded many times before the Norman Conquest: by the Romans, the tribes known as Angles and Saxons and by the Vikings.
Teacher tip
For the third task, encourage students to try and consider both short and long term impacts when considering how significant something is. It is possible for an event or person to have short term significance without having a long term impact and vice versa.
Content guidance
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.Which word describes a member of the Scandinavian seafaring people who raided Britain from the late 8th century?
Q2.Complete the sentence: The Anglo-Saxon defeat against the Vikings in the 991 Battle of Maldon led to the ...
Q3.Which empire did England become part of under King Cnut?
Q4.Who did King Cnut marry in 1017 once he became king of England?
Q5.When was the St Brice’s Day Massacre?
Q6.Match the factors to the correct reasons for the invasion of England by the Danish Vikings in 1013.
Gunhilde, the sister of Sweyn Forkbeard, was killed at the massacre
Aethelred’s decision to order the St Brice’s Day Massacre
the Danegeld encouraged the Vikings to return frequently
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who was crowned as the king of England on 6th January 1066?
Q2.William of Normandy's invasion of England began when he landed his army at...
Q3.Which statement best describes the changes that took place to land ownership under the Normans?
Q4.Under Norman rule, all the land was owned by the...
Q5.Which was the only Anglo-Saxon cathedral not to be knocked down and rebuilt by the Normans?
Q6.More than % of English words used today derive from Anglo-Norman.
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The Norman conquest (1066), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The Norman conquest (1066), 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 Britain: Migration, empires and the people - c790 to the present day unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.