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New
Year 10
Edexcel

The Viking conquest

I can explain the reasons for and impact of the Viking conquest on England, as well as the experiences of Viking settlers.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

The Viking conquest

I can explain the reasons for and impact of the Viking conquest on England, as well as the experiences of Viking settlers.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Vikings invaded England as it was a wealthy country and Scandinavia was overpopulated.
  2. At the 878 Battle of Edington, King Alfred defeated the Vikings which led to the creation of the Danelaw.
  3. In 1016, King Cnut became King of England; as king, he supported the Church and brought economic prosperity.

Common misconception

All Vikings had the same experience of England, adopting very little of the local culture.

The Viking experience of England was nuanced, depending on where they settled some experienced great hostility. Some were also able to adopt local Christian practices while maintaining some of their pagan practices.

Keywords

  • Scandinavia - collective term for the countries of northern Europe

  • Danelaw - the area of England in the north and east controlled by the Vikings

  • Migrants - people who move into a new area or country

  • Assimilation - how far individuals or groups of immigrants adopt the culture, customs and values of the majority of people living in their new home country

  • Autonomy - how far individuals or groups of migrants hold onto the culture, customs and values of their homeland

When explaining the impact of the Viking conquest, encourage students to consider whether the impact on culture or the economy was greater and why - emphasise the importance of justifying their judgement.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

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.
Who lived in the British Isles in the 8th century?
Ancient Egyptians
Correct answer: Anglo-Saxons
Romans
Mayans
Q2.
Which of the following is the best definition for the keyword 'migrants'?
people who move out of a new area or country
Correct answer: people who move into a new area or country
people who remain in their area or country
Q3.
Which of the following is a collective term for the countries of northern Europe?
Siberia
Mediterranean Europe
Correct answer: Scandinavia
North America
Q4.
Why might people want to move to another country?
Correct answer: More economic and education opportunities
Correct answer: Fleeing wars and natural disasters
Economic and education opportunities at home
Safety and security at home
Q5.
Put the following events in chronological order.
1 - Roman conquest of Britain
2 - Romans leave Britain
3 - Viking invasion of Britain
4 - Norman conquest of Britain
Q6.
Put the following time periods in chronological order.
1 - Medieval period
2 - Early modern period
3 - Modern period

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:Danelaw,the area of England in the north and east controlled by the Vikings

the area of England in the north and east controlled by the Vikings

Correct Answer:assimilation,how far migrants adopt the culture of their new home country

how far migrants adopt the culture of their new home country

Correct Answer:autonomy,how far migrants hold on to the culture of their homeland

how far migrants hold on to the culture of their homeland

Q2.
Complete the sentence: The Vikings invaded England as it was a wealthy country and was overpopulated.
Correct Answer: Scandinavia
Q3.
Who became King of England in 1016?
King Jorvik
King William
King Alfred
Correct answer: King Cnut
Q4.
Where in England was first attacked by the Vikings in 793?
Correct Answer: Lindisfarne
Q5.
When did the Vikings’ Great Heathen Army decide to settle on England’s fertile lands in the north?
878
793
Correct answer: 856
1016
Q6.
Which of the following examples show that the Vikings assimilated into English culture?
they carried out the St. Brice’s Day massacre
Correct answer: adopted the religion of the local people, Christianity
Viking coins continued to show pagan symbols
they did not live outside the Danelaw

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