In this activity pupils reconstruct the death scene from the Bayeux tapestry by means of a short, fun, reconstruction relay drawing activity. This is followed by an in-depth study of how historians have changed their minds about how Harold died over time. Pupils quickly grasp that one of the great icons of British history, featuring on many tea towels! may well be a myth. All those jokes about keeping an eye out , or one in the eye for Harold may be a thing of the past !
Learning objectives
- pupils study in great detail the section of the Bayeux tapestry and can discuss its main features
- they grasp that historians have changed their views over time, often in light of new evidence
- they can offer reasons why not all accounts in the books disagree
Starter – great fun
Pupils are told that they are going to be spies, people loyal to the dead King Harold. They have heard of a new tapestry that is being created in Normandy. They want to make sure it is an accurate account of what happened. They only have time to look at the death of Harold. So teams of spies are going to
