KS2 History Lesson Plan: The Viking and Anglo-Saxon Struggle for the Kingdom of England to the Time of Edward the Confessor

1. Lesson Overview
- Year group: KS2 (Year 4/5 or 5/6)
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Topic: The Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England
- Focus: Raids, invasions, resistance, laws and Edward the Confessor

2. Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils will:
- Place key events from the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle on a timeline up to 1066.
- Describe who the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons were and why they fought over England.
- Explain, in simple terms, how kings like Alfred the Great, Athelstan and Edward the Confessor shaped England.
- Use appropriate historical terms (e.g. raid, invasion, Danegeld, kingdom, law, justice, succession).
- Ask and answer historically valid questions about cause, change, similarity/difference and significance.

3. Key Vocabulary
Viking, Anglo-Saxon, raid, invasion, longship, Danegeld, kingdom, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, Edward the Confessor, law, justice, wergild, succession, 1066

4. Resources Needed
- Timeline showing key dates (early Viking raids, Alfred, Athelstan, further invasions, Edward the Confessor, 1066)
- Map of Britain showing Viking and Anglo-Saxon areas
- Short texts or story summaries about: Viking raids, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, Danegeld, Anglo-Saxon laws, Edward the Confessor
- Image/fact cards (longships, shields, coins, law codes, churches)
- Large paper for group work, pens, pencils, glue

5. Starter Activity (10 minutes)
- Show an image of a Viking longship approaching a coast.
- Ask: “What do you think is happening? How might people living here feel?”
- Introduce the idea of Viking raids and the struggle for control of England.

6. Main Teaching Input (10–15 minutes)
- Give a brief narrative overview:
- Early Viking raids and invasions.
- Resistance by Alfred the Great and the creation of a more united kingdom.
- Athelstan as the first king of (almost all) England.
- Further Viking invasions and the use of Danegeld.
- Anglo-Saxon laws and justice (e.g. wergild, local courts).
- Edward the Confessor and the question of who should rule after his death in 1066.
- Place these events on a class timeline and highlight key turning points.
- Model using cause and consequence language (e.g. “Because the Vikings raided… the king decided to…”).

7. Pupil Activities (25–30 minutes)
Activity 1: Timeline and Story Strip
- In pairs, pupils arrange event cards (raids, Alfred, Athelstan, Danegeld, Edward, 1066) in order.
- They create a simple “story strip” with one sentence and a small drawing for each event.

Activity 2: Laws, Raids and Rule
- In small groups, pupils sort picture/fact cards into three headings: “Raids and Invasions”, “Kings and Resistance”, “Laws and Everyday Life”.
- Each group chooses one card from each heading and explains how it shows the struggle for England.

Challenge
- Higher-attaining pupils write a short paragraph answering a question such as “Why was Alfred called ‘the Great’?” or “How did Viking raids change the way England was ruled?” using historical terms.

8. Plenary (5–10 minutes)
- Groups share one event they think was especially important and explain why.
- Revisit the timeline and ask: “What patterns or trends can we see over time?” (e.g. from raids to more organised kingdoms and laws).
- Briefly link Edward the Confessor’s death in 1066 to later events (without going into full detail of the Norman Conquest unless planned).

9. Homework
- Homework task: pupils design a “news report” headline and picture from one moment in the struggle (e.g. a Viking raid, Alfred’s victory, payment of Danegeld, Edward’s death).
- They write a few sentences describing what happened and why it mattered.

10. Assessment Notes
- Look for pupils placing key events in roughly correct chronological order.
- Check use of historical terms and ability to describe key features of the struggle.
- Note who can explain at least one cause, one change and one reason why this period is significant for England.