Anglo-Saxons & Vikings

The new National Curriculum has afforded separate status for individual units of work on the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. Whilst this may be applauded in some circles, it has increased the amount of pre-1066 history to be learned, at the expense of more recent history. So we need to be mindful of this. As the history of the Anglo-Saxons is so intertwined with that of the Vikings, I think there is a good case to be made for creating a combined unit, hence the reason for placing the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings together in this category. Although I have created separate medium-term plans for both, some lessons are common to avoid duplication. It should be clear from the lesson titles which key question they cover. As always when tackling history units you will need to consider pupils’ conceptual understanding as well as knowledge of the past. You should see how the phrasing of each key question addresses specific skills and concept e.g. causation, interpretation, change and continuity.