The Norman aristocracy
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the Norman aristocracy and its impact on England.
Key learning points
- The Norman aristocracy brought with them a distinct warrior culture which included castles and chivalry.
- The Norman aristocracy viewed their simple and pious culture as superior to the Anglo-Saxon culture.
- English churches were rebuilt in the new Romanesque style that was fashionable amongst the Norman aristocracy.
- The Norman aristocracy spoke Norman-French and used Latin for the Church and official documents.
Keywords
Aristocracy - the aristocracy are a class of people who hold high social rank, often inheriting their status and wealth
Chivalry - chivalry is the system of behaviour followed by knights, that put a high value on bravery, mercy, justice, and generosity
Piety - living in a way that is devoted to religion is known as piety
Romanesque - Romanesque is the style of building that was fashionable in Western Europe which recalled the power of the Roman Empire
Penance - penance is to punish yourself to seek God’s forgiveness for a sin
Common misconception
England’s monarchs always spoke English as their first language.
In fact, after the Norman conquest it would take over 300 years for the monarch of England to speak English as their first language.
Teacher tip
Have students write their own code of chivalry based on the Normans' example. Discuss modern examples of chivalry and society’s view on this today.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which keyword describes the name of a tax traditionally used to defend England against (Viking) invasions?
Q2.Which keyword describes a unit of land overseen by a lord?
Q3.Complete the sentence: The Great Survey was compiled in 1086, and the two volumes of records became known as Book.
Q4.What were the possible purposes of the Great Survey according to historians?
Q5.How many settlements did the commissioners visit as part of the Great Survey?
Q6.As part of the Great Survey, what did commissioners find out about?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to the definitions.
class of people who hold high social rank
living in a way that is devoted to religion
the system of behaviour followed by knights
to punish yourself to seek God’s forgiveness for a sin
Q2.Complete the sentence: is the style of building that was fashionable in Western Europe which recalled the power of the Roman Empire.
Q3.Dukes required larger full-time professional soldiers as their household bodyguards. What were these soldiers known as in French and English?
Q4.How did William demonstrate chivalry?
Q5.Match the style of church to the nationality.
smaller, often made of wood
thick stone walls and square central towers
flat walls painted with religious scenes
grand pillars and semi-circular arches
Q6.How did Norman cathedrals reflect the devotion of the Norman aristocracy to God and to the reform of the Church?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The Norman aristocracy, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: The Norman aristocracy, 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.