Hello, my name's Mrs. Casey.

What's your name? I'm really excited to join you for today's history lesson.

This unit is called traditional stories.

What do they tell us about the distant past? And the story in this lesson is about a wise, clever, and strong leader called Aethelflaed.

The story is about Aethelflaed and the bones of St.

Oswald.

Are you excited to find out what happens? Let's get going.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain how Aethelflaed became an important Anglo-Saxon ruler in the fight against the Vikings.

Here are the keywords we'll come across in today's lesson.

Listen carefully and I'll read them to you.

Mercia.

Respect.

Saint.

Great listening, everyone.

Now it's your turn to have a go at saying them.

Are you ready? My turn, Mercia, your turn.

Excellent, work everyone.

Well done.

My turn, respect, your turn.

Excellent.

Well done.

My turn, Saint, your turn.

Fantastic, everyone.

Listen out for these words in our lesson.

Today's lesson has two learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia, and our second cycle is called the bones of St.

Oswald.

Let's get started.

Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia.

Over 1,000 years ago, Alfred the Great achieved an impressive victory and claimed his kingdom of Wessex back from the Vikings.

Here is a map with the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms at the time marked out in yellow and they are divided up into the different kingdoms. Here is Wessex in the south where Alfred the Great was the king.

However, Alfred needed other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to be strong too so that they could stand up to the Vikings who were trying to invade.

He wanted to help his neighbour, the king of Mercia.

Alfred knew that if the kingdoms worked together, they could defeat the Vikings.

The large Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the middle of Britain was called Mercia.

Can you see it on the map? Let's check what you've learned so far.

Here's the map of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Can you label the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia? Wessex was the kingdom of Alfred the Great, and Mercia was its neighbour next door.

Here's Mercia in the middle in the Midlands, and Wessex in the south.

Well done, everyone.

Let's continue with our story.

By this time, Alfred's daughter, Aethelflaed, had grown up into a young woman who was very wise, strong, and brave.

Alfred realised that one way he could help the kingdom of Mercia, his neighbour, become strong again would be for Aethelflaed to marry the King of Mercia.

The king's name was Aethelred.

Those names are very similar.

Should we have a go at saying them? So the king of Mercia was a man called Aethelred.

Can you say Aethelred? Brilliant, well done, everyone.

And Alfred the Great's daughter was called Aethelflaed.

Can you say Aethelflaed? Excellent work, everyone.

Well done.

Aethelred and Aethelflaed made a great team together.

They made Mercia strong again to resist the Vikings.

The couple was soon married and together, they had a child, a baby girl.

They named that baby girl Aelfwynn.

Let's check through what we've learned so far.

Here is a true or false.

Is the statement true or false? Aethelflaed married Aethelred.

Is that true or false? Pause the video and tell your partner.

Well done, everyone.

That is true.

Aethelred was the king of Wessex and the marriage would help Wessex become strong against the Vikings.

Or Aethelred was the king of Mercia, and the marriage would help Mercia become strong against the Vikings.

Aethelred was the king of Mercia and the marriage was to help Mercia become strong against the Vikings.

Aethelred and Aethelflaed successfully fought many battles against the Vikings to win back the lands for Mercia.

When the Vikings struck back and tried to attack them, the couple ordered walls to be built around their town to protect them.

During the time of the Anglo-Saxons, it was unusual for women to be involved in battles.

However, Aethelflaed was very special.

She had spent her childhood learning from her father's great battles and was very skilled in planning attacks and surprising the Vikings.

Aethelred and Aethelflaed lived very happily together for some time until one day, Aethelred became too old and sick to rule alongside his wife.

As he was older than Aethelflaed and she was very clever, she was able to continue ruling and protecting Mercia.

When Aethelred sadly died, Aethelflaed ruled Mercia alone.

She became known as the Lady of Mercia, a brave and powerful leader.

She had the respect of the Anglo-Saxons because she was a strong leader who would stand up to the Vikings.

Respect was one of our keywords.

To respect someone is to admire their achievements and abilities.

The Anglo-Saxon people respected and admired Aethelflaed.

Fantastic listening, everyone.

Let's check what we've learned so far.

I'm going to read the statements and decide if they are true or false.

Are you ready? Excellent.

Aethelflaed an Aethelred protected Mercia from the Anglo-Saxons.

Is that true or false? Well done.

That one is false.

Aethelflaed and Aethelred protected Mercia from the Vikings.

Is that true or false? Well done.

That one's true.

Aethelflaed and Aethelred protected Mercia from the Vikings.

When Aethelred died, Aethelflaed continued to protect Mercia.

Is that true or false? Well done, that one's true.

When Aethelred died, Aethelflaed returned to Wessex.

True or false? That one's false.

Aethelflaed became known as the Lady of Mercia because the Anglo-Saxons had respect for her.

True or false? Fantastic.

That one's true.

Well, done, and everyone, great listening.

And now it's time for our first task.

Are you ready? This stick person represents Aethelflaed.

Tell your learning partner what labels you would add to the stick person.

Try and answer these questions.

Where and when did she live? What words can you use to describe her? What did she do? Who was she married to? What name was she given? Pause the video and tell your learning partner.

Fantastic discussions, everyone.

Here are some of the things you might have told your learning partner.

She lived over 1,000 years ago in the kingdom of Mercia.

Aethelflaed was married to King Aethelred.

She fought against the Vikings in battles.

She protected Mercia.

She was called Lady of Mercia.

We might have described her as powerful and brave.

Excellent work, everyone.

Now we're moving on to the second part of our lesson, the bones of St.

Oswald.

One thing that Aethelflaed did that won her a lot of respect among the Anglo-Saxons was sending her soldiers on a dangerous mission into the Viking lands.

The mission was a special rescue mission.

Aethelflaed wanted her soldiers to find the lost bones of St.

Oswald.

Saint was one of our keywords.

A saint is a dead person who the Christian church recognised as having lived a very holy life.

Oswald had been a very important Anglo-Saxon king in the kingdom of Northumbria many, many years before.

He was a Christian and taught the Anglo-Saxons about Christianity.

When Oswald died in battle, his bones were buried and he was made a saint.

Here is a picture of him in the stained glass window.

Let's check what we've learned so far.

Who was Oswald? Was he Aethelred, an Anglo-Saxon king of Northumbria? B, an Anglo-Saxon king of Wessex.

Or C, an Anglo-Saxon king of Mercia.

Pause the video and tell your partner.

It was A, an Anglo-Saxon king of Northumbria.

Well done everyone.

What did Oswald become after he died? A, a King, B, a saint, or C, a viking hero? Pause the video and tell your partner.

It was B, a saint.

Oswald became a saint after he died.

St.

Oswald's bones were very important to the Anglo-Saxons as there were lots of stories about the bones being magical.

Have you heard the story about the horse? Would you like me to tell you? One day there was an old, tired horse.

He was not feeling very well, so he lay down to rest in the long grass.

This long grass was growing over the place where St.

Oswald's bones had been buried many, many years before.

As the tired, old horse lay down, he suddenly became well again and he felt much better.

He galloped around the field, full of joy and energy.

This story made the Anglo-Saxons believe that the bones had healing powers and therefore, they were very special.

Excellent listening, everyone.

Let's check what we've learned.

Here is a true or false.

In Anglo-Saxon times, many people believed the bones of St.

Oswald were very special.

Is that true or false? Pause the video and tell the person next to you.

Well done, everyone.

That is true.

In Anglo-Saxon times, many of the people believe the bones of St.

Oswald were very special, magical even with special healing powers.

Let's justify our answer.

Which is correct, A or B? A, there were many stories about the healing powers of the bones, like the story of the tired old, horse.

B, there were many stories about the bones crumbling into pieces and magically fixing themselves.

Which is correct, A or B? Well done, everyone.

It was A, they believed they had healing powers, like in the story of the tired, old horse.

Izzy asks, "I wonder what had happened to the bones." Andeep wonders, "Why did Aethelflaed's soldiers need to find them?" At the time of Aethelflaed, the special spot, the one where that horse was lying down to rest, the bones were buried, became controlled by the Vikings.

Aethelflaed knew they had to be rescued.

Her soldiers bravely set off on their mission to find and take back the bones of St.

Oswald.

They travelled for many days on horses over hills and through thick forests, all the while watching out for a Viking attack.

The journey was long, hard, and dangerous.

But the brave soldiers persevered.

After many days and weeks, Aethelflaed's soldiers stumbled upon the very spoit where the bones were buried.

Creeping through the middle of the night, in total darkness, Aethelflaed's soldiers collected the burns of St.

Oswald and quickly set off for their journey home.

Once back in the kingdom of Mercia, Aethelflaed had a special building built to keep the precious bones of the saint inside.

This building was called Saint Oswald's Priory.

After the successful mission, people had even more respect for Aethelflaed.

They were very proud and grateful for the Lady of Mercia.

Aethelflaed had managed to get back Mercia's land and defeat the Vikings, as well as successfully rescuing the bones of St.

Oswald and building a magnificent priory.

The ruins of Saint Oswald's Priory can still be visited today.

Now it's time to check what you've learned.

Tell a partner why the people of Mercia had respect for Aethelflaed.

You can use these words to help: rescue, bones, St.

Oswald, Vikings.

Pause the video and tell your partner.

Well done, everyone.

Excellent discussions.

You may have said something like, "The people of had respect for Aethelflaed because she helped rescue the bones of St.

Oswald from the Vikings." And here is task B.

Complete the certificate for Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia.

Going to create a certificate.

Have you ever had a certificate or seen them handed out in assembly perhaps? Now it's your turn to write one for Aethelflaed.

You could use these words in your answer.

Brave, protecting, rescuing.

Think about who it's awarded to.

What was it for? And the date.

Pause the video and have a go.

Wow, look at all those fantastic certificates that you've made.

Your answer may have included awarded to: Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia.

For: Being a brave leader, protecting Mercia from the Vikings and rescuing the bones of St.

Oswald.

Date: Over 1,000 years ago.

Brilliant work today, everyone.

Well done.

Let's read through the summary of what we've learned today.

Alfred the Great wanted the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to work together to defeat the Vikings.

Alfred wanted to help protect the kingdom of Mercia from the Vikings.

So Aethelflaed married the king of Mercia, Aethelred.

Aethelred and Aethelflaed worked together to protect Mercia from the Vikings and won many battles against them.

When Aethelred died, Aethelflaed became the Lady of Mercia.

Aethelflaed sent her soldiers to rescue the bones of St.

Oswald, which made the Anglo-Saxons give her even more respect.

I really enjoyed finding out about Aethelflaed and the bones of St.

Oswald.

I hope you did too.

Bye for now.