Anglo-Saxons — Year 4 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: History KS2 — Britain's settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
Overview
Pupils investigate the settlement of Britain by Anglo-Saxons and Scots after the Romans left. They explore where the Anglo-Saxons came from, why they settled, how they organised their kingdoms, what they believed, and how the spread of Christianity changed Anglo-Saxon society.
Learning Objectives
- Explain who the Anglo-Saxons were and where they came from.
- Describe key features of Anglo-Saxon life, including kingdoms, religion, and culture.
- Understand why Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity and how this changed Britain.
- Use evidence from manuscripts and artefacts to find out about the Anglo-Saxon period.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Show a map of Europe. Ask: after the Romans left Britain in AD 410, who might have wanted to come here? Collect ideas. Introduce the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes from modern-day Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
Cover the key themes: arrival and settlement (AD 450–600) — tribes crossing the North Sea, pushing Celtic people west; kingdoms (the Heptarchy) — Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex, etc.; daily life — farming, villages, crafts, feasts; religion — originally pagan (Woden, Thor), then conversion to Christianity after St Augustine's mission in AD 597; legacy — English language (many everyday words have Anglo-Saxon roots), place names (-ton, -ham, -ley), legal system.
Examine the Sutton Hoo helmet image. What does it tell us about Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship, wealth, and warfare? Pupils write three inferences from the artefact: 'I can see… This suggests…'
Pupils write a short description of a day in the life of an Anglo-Saxon villager, incorporating at least four historical vocabulary words and one reference to a primary source (Sutton Hoo, Lindisfarne Gospels, or Bede's writing).
Anglo-Saxon word origins activity: present 10 common English words with Anglo-Saxon roots (e.g. 'house' from 'hus', 'bread' from 'brēad'). Discuss: how do place names around us reflect Anglo-Saxon settlement? What does this tell us about their legacy?
Common Misconceptions
- Pupils sometimes think the Anglo-Saxons replaced the Romans immediately — there was a transition period and the two cultures overlapped briefly.
- Thinking 'Anglo-Saxon' refers to one unified people — it was actually several distinct tribes who gradually developed a shared identity.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Knowledge of Roman Britain.
- Understanding of the concept of invasion and settlement.
- Basic familiarity with using artefacts and manuscripts as sources.
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