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Year 8

Reading an Anglo-Saxon Bible extract

I can use reading skills to comprehend an extract from the Bible written in Old English.

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New
New
Year 8

Reading an Anglo-Saxon Bible extract

I can use reading skills to comprehend an extract from the Bible written in Old English.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Anglo-Saxons inhabited Great Britain from the 5th Century.
  2. The Anglo-Saxons included people from Germanic tribes, who migrated from mainland Europe.
  3. The Anglo-Saxons were very important in the development of Old English.
  4. Whilst a lot of words have changed over the years, modern words linked to the church are similar to Old English.
  5. A noun appositive is a phrase that gives a piece of extra information about a noun.

Common misconception

That Old English was created exclusively by the Anglo-Saxons.

The Anglo-Saxons' Germanic languages contributed to Old English but languages already spoken in Britain – and Latin – also played a part.

Keywords

  • Anglo-Saxons - The Anglo-Saxons were Germanic tribes that conquered England in the 5th century.

  • Old English - Old English was an early version of English spoken in the Middle Ages.

  • Translate - To translate something means to change it from one language to another.

  • Forbidden - If something is forbidden it is not allowed.

  • Paradise - A paradise is a place of great happiness. It can also refer to heaven.

Consider finding a reading of a text in Old English so students can hear the spoken form of Old English.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
'Old ' was the language spoken in Britain between the 5th and 12th centuries.
Correct Answer: English
Q2.
What is the best definition of a noun?
A noun is a thing.
A noun is a word used to describe an action, state or occurence.
Correct answer: A noun is a word that names something such as a person, place, thing or idea.
A noun is a word that gives a description of an attribute of something.
Q3.
In which century did the Anglo-Saxon era begin?
Correct answer: 5th century
11th century
15th century
18th century
Q4.
The Bible was influential in the development of English. In what language was it written when it first came to Britain?
Egyptian
Correct answer: Latin
Spanish
Chinese
Q5.
Which of the following is the definition of 'translate'? Here it is used in sentence: The student was asked to translate the text into English.
To improve the language in a piece of writing.
To understand the main part of something.
Correct answer: To change something from one language to another.
Q6.
Which of the following is the best definition of forbidden? Here it is used in a sentence: The children were forbidden from playing near the river.
Correct answer: Something that is not allowed.
Something that is encouraged.
Something that it is dangerous.
Something you can do if safety precautions are taken.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What was the name of the language that was created after the arrival of the Anglo Saxons?
Correct Answer: Old English, old english, oldenglish
Q2.
Which of the following is an example of a text written in 'Old English'?
Correct answer: Beowulf
Macbeth
The Canterbury Tales
Q3.
Match these 'Old English' words to their modern English equivalents.
Correct Answer:Hūs,House

House

Correct Answer:Mōna ,Moon

Moon

Correct Answer:Bōc ,Book

Book

Correct Answer:Līf ,Life

Life

Correct Answer:Sūnne ,Sun

Sun

Q4.
If a text is in an unfamiliar language, which three things can we look for to help us decode it?
Correct answer: Familiar grammatical structures.
Correct answer: Words similar in English.
Correct answer: Cultural references I might recognise.
Words that have been underlined.
Q5.
Which of the following best explains why Latin was influential in the development of Old English?
Correct answer: It was used in schools & churches and the Bible was translated into Old English.
Everybody was made to learn Latin in Anglo-Saxon Britain so many people knew it.
Latin was retained as the language of the legal and political systems.
Q6.
What does the Old English word 'nǣddre' mean in modern English?
Correct Answer: Snake, serpent, adder, a snake, a serpent