Anglo-Saxon society
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe key features of Anglo-Saxon society.
Key learning points
- Anglo-Saxons were a group of tribes which settled in England from northern Europe.
- Anglo-Saxon society was hierarchical with the king at the top and slaves at the bottom.
- The aristocracy included the earls who helped the king to govern the country.
- The majority of society lived in villages and were peasant farmers.
- Anglo-Saxon society was not fixed.
Keywords
Earl - an earl was a leading member of both Anglo-Saxon and Norman aristocracy, ruling an earldom on behalf of the king
Thegn - a thegn was a lower member of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy; they were warrior lords holding smaller areas of land than an earl
Aristocracy - the aristocracy is a class of people who hold high social rank, often inheriting their status and wealth
Hierarchy - a hierarchy is a system in which people are put at various levels or ranks according to their importance
Common misconception
Roles were fixed in Anglo-Saxon society - a peasant would always be a peasant.
Anglo-Saxon society was more open to social mobility: a hard-working peasant could gain more land and become a thegn, some slaves became free and an earl could even become king!
Teacher tip
Assign students roles (king, earl, thegn, peasant, slave) and conduct a role-play to demonstrate the hierarchical society, emphasizing each group's responsibilities and challenges.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the name of an important source for the study of the Battle of Hastings, made as an embroidery on linen?
Q2.Who led the Normans when they invaded Britain in 1066?
Q3.Which of the statements below provides the best definition of a barbarian, as seen by the Romans?
Q4. Match the words with their definitions.
when a country enters another with the intention of occupying it
a large area often made up of different territories and peoples
the ability to influence, control, or direct the behaviour of people
Q5.Which statement below is the best definition of migration?
Q6.Which statement below is the best definition of settlement?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words with their definitions.
leading member of aristocracy, ruling an earldom on behalf of the king
a lower member of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy
a class of people who hold high social rank
Q2.This word is a system in which people are put at various levels or ranks according to their importance.
Q3.Where did the Anglo Saxons come from?
Q4.Select two members of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy.
Q5.Which statements best describes the movement within the Anglo Saxon hierarchical system?
Q6.Which group made up the greatest percentage of the Anglo Saxon population?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Anglo-Saxon society, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Anglo-Saxon society, 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: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88 unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.