Anglo Saxons Lessons and Resources
Explore Anglo-Saxons at KS2
Trace migration and settlement in Anglo-Saxon Britain, exploring archaeology, Christianity, the struggle against the Vikings, Alfred the Great and competing views of the so-called Dark Ages.
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Everything for this history topic in one place
The enquiry sequence
Enquiry-based lessons and resources
9 activities
Anglo Saxons – Planner
You’ll probably be thinking that there is an awful lot of pre-1066 British history in the KS2 curriculum with the Anglo-Saxons being particularly prominent. The way round this, I think,…
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Anglo-Saxons – KQ1a – Why did the Saxons invade? Push or pull?
A fun thinking skills activity in which pupils infer from visual clues before moving on to analyse a range of influence cards and evaluate a video before coming up with…
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Anglo-Saxons – KQ1b – Where did the early Anglo-Saxons live and how do we know? Bells and whistles
This ambitious but engaging lesson asks children to test some simple hypotheses about where the early Anglo-Saxons settled. They start with some very straightforward statements to make sure they know…
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Anglo-Saxons – KQ2 – The mystery of the empty Saxon grave: whose grave was this?
This highly engaging lesson places pupils in the role of detectives. After a short briefing they have to work out the significance of the various clues found in the bodiless…
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Anglo-Saxons – KQ3 – Coming of Christianity – How did people’s lives change when Christianity came to Britain and how can we be sure?
A series of smart tasks, rather than a full outstanding lesson. The first part of this two part session looks at how it happened, the second at how we know….
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Anglo Saxons – KQ4 – Anglo-Saxons struggle against the Vikings – How did the Vikings try to take over the country and how close did they get?
This task encapsulates the struggle between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings in an engaging way that really makes pupils think about the dynamics of the conflict – rather than ‘one…
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Anglo Saxons – KQ4b – Alfred and Guthrum: 878 the year things changed
Following a lively, interactive and illustrated story-telling session, reinforced by a sequencing activity, pupils consider the reasons for Alfred’s success in 878, against the odds, before considering the significance of…
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Anglo-Saxons – KQ5 – Alfred the Great. How great was he?
In this outstanding lesson, pupils are asked to critique and then improve the BBC children’s website entry for Alfred the Great. But first they need to see how history has…
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Anglo-Saxons – KQ6 – How effective was Anglo-Saxon justice?
Pupils work in groups to create a series of short dramatic enactments, each of which illustrates a way of keeping law and order / punishments meted out in Saxon times….
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Anglo-Saxons – KQ7 – Were Saxon times really ‘Dark’ Ages?
Pupils design a two-sided paper plate on which they record the arguments used in the debate about the ‘Darkness’ of Saxon Britain. On one side they show the enlightened side…
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Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – The Anglo-Saxons
Planning the Anglo Saxons topic effectively ensures meaningful, engaging learning that builds pupils’ knowledge and thinking skills. These top tips offer practical guidance to help you design coherent, rich studies…
Read MoreAnglo-Saxon end of unit quiz
The Anglo-Saxons were people who came from parts of modern-day Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands to settle in Britain after the Romans left. They lived in small villages, built wooden…
Read MoreAnglo-Saxons – assessment task – What were the main changes that took place in Anglo-Saxon England?
Focus: significance and change Using 3 images to help you, what were the most important changes that took place in Anglo-Saxon Britain? Assessment task Subscribers only: You must be logged in…
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New evidence of Anglo-Saxon mutilations as punishment
Ninth-century England was a bad place to be a criminal, new findings suggest. The skull of an Anglo-Saxon teenager discovered in Hampshire shows that she had her nose and upper…
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How well do you and your pupils understand the Anglo-Saxons? Diagnostic Smart Task
This short activity contains a number of statements about the Anglo-Saxons (RS1) which can be used diagnostically. Some are correct: some partially accurate; others downright wrong. But what will your…
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10 things your pupils MUST know about the Anglo-Saxons
For many of you teaching the Anglo-Saxons will be something you are doing forte very first time. It is easy to get bogged down in a series of dates and…
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Keeping up-to-date with your teaching of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings at KS2- dealing with fake news
Subject knowledge is vital for any KS2 teacher. You can rely on this website to provide not only the background knowledge you need but also the key learning activities that…
Read MoreWhat have the Anglo-Saxons ever done for us? Some KS2 answers
If you asked Michael Wood what the Anglo-Saxons ever did for us he would give a very full and erudite answer, some of which would be beyond KS2 pupils. But…
Read MoreWritten by Neil Thompson
All content on Keystage history is written and quality assured by Neil Thompson, a former history teacher, county history adviser and Ofsted inspector with more than 30 years’ experience in history education.