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Year 7

The Battle of Hastings (1066)

I can describe what happened during the Battle of Hastings and how historians can use the Bayeux Tapestry.

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Year 7

The Battle of Hastings (1066)

I can describe what happened during the Battle of Hastings and how historians can use the Bayeux Tapestry.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. William of Normandy made thorough preparations for the Battle of Hastings.
  2. William of Normandy defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings.
  3. The Bayeux Tapestry is an important source for the study of the Battle of Hastings.
  4. Historians have to use the Bayeux Tapestry carefully when establishing what happened during the Battle of Hastings.

Keywords

  • Fyrd - a group of local, untrained soldiers called up to fight in Anglo-Saxon England

  • Shield wall - the defensive line of shields used by the Anglo-Saxon army

  • Infantry - foot soldiers

  • Cavalry - soldiers on horseback

Common misconception

That the Bayeux Tapestry is a 'biased' source and therefore not useful to historians.

Although all sources were produced in a particular context, historians can ask careful questions of them to learn about the past.

Pupils could be asked to identify features of the sections of the Bayeux Tapestry which they are shown on the Slide Deck before teacher explanation as a 'hook' into the lesson.
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Teacher tip
content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on

Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the claimant to their place of origin.
Correct Answer:Harold Godwinson,England
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England

Correct Answer:Harald Hardrada,Norway
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Norway

Correct Answer:William the Conqueror,Normandy
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Normandy

Q2.
What is an heir?
Correct answer: A person who expects to inherit something
A situation in which nobody expects to inherit something
A claimant to a throne
A group of advisors to an Anglo-Saxon king
Q3.
Put the following events in chronological order.
1 - Edward the Confessor was exiled in Normandy.
2 - Edward the Confessor became king.
3 - Harold Godwinson travelled to Normandy.
4 - Edward the Confessor died.
Q4.
Normandy was a duchy in the north of which modern-day European country?
Correct Answer: France
Q5.
Who was Edward the Confessor's closest living relative?
Harold Godwinson
Correct answer: Edgar Aetheling
Earl Godwin
William of Normandy
Q6.
Match the following words to their definitions.
Correct Answer:Succession crisis,A situation in which there is no clear heir to the throne
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A situation in which there is no clear heir to the throne

Correct Answer:Heir,A person who expects to inherit something
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A person who expects to inherit something

Correct Answer:King,A male ruler of a country who inherits his position by birth
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A male ruler of a country who inherits his position by birth

Correct Answer:Throne,A seat used by a king or queen
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A seat used by a king or queen

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words with the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:fyrd,local, untrained Anglo-Saxons who were called up to fight
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local, untrained Anglo-Saxons who were called up to fight

Correct Answer:shield wall,the defensive line of shields used by Anglo-Saxon armies
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the defensive line of shields used by Anglo-Saxon armies

Correct Answer:infantry,foot soldiers
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foot soldiers

Correct Answer:cavalry,soldiers on horseback
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soldiers on horseback

Q2.
Complete this sentence: a very important source for historians studying the Battle of Hastings, which was embroidered around 1069, is called the Tapestry.
Correct Answer: Bayeux
Q3.
Starting with the earliest event, put these events in the Battle of Hastings in order.
1 - Harold’s army form a shield wall at the top of Senlac Hill.
2 - William’s archers and cavalry start to attack the shield wall, without success.
3 - A rumour spreads that William has been killed.
4 - Some of Harold’s army leave the shield wall to chase after Norman soldiers.
5 - Harold is killed.
6 - The English army flee.
Q4.
Which one event from the Battle of Hastings does this scene show?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: The death of Harold
William pushes back his helmet
The English army flees
Norman cavalry attack the shield wall
Q5.
Some of the events shown in the Bayeux Tapestry are corroborated by other sources, such as the Gesta Guillemi. Which of the following is the best definition of ‘corroborated’?
Correct answer: supported
proved to be wrong
corrected
explained
contradicted
Q6.
Which of these people were king of England at some point during 1066?
Correct answer: Harold Godwinson
Correct answer: Edward the Confessor
Correct answer: William of Normandy
William of Poitiers
William II

Additional material

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