History in Year 4: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings

In Year 4, children will journey back over 1,000 years to investigate two fascinating groups who shaped Britain: the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings.

The unit begins by exploring what happened after the Romans left Britain and how the Anglo-Saxons settled across the country. Children will learn who the Anglo-Saxons were, where they came from and how they lived. They will investigate Anglo-Saxon villages, homes, beliefs and daily life, whilst considering how England began to develop as a nation.

Children will then move on to study the Vikings, discovering why they left Scandinavia and travelled across Europe. Using maps, artefacts and historical sources, they will explore Viking raids and settlements, learning how Viking life compared to that of the Anglo-Saxons.

Throughout the unit, children will be encouraged to think like historians by asking questions such as:

• Why did the Vikings come to Britain?
• Were the Vikings simply raiders, or was there more to their story?
• How did life change when the Vikings settled in Britain?
• Who had a greater impact on England: the Anglo-Saxons or the Vikings?

Rather than simply learning dates and facts, children will explore a range of historical evidence to develop their own conclusions. They will learn how historians use artefacts, written records and archaeological discoveries to build a picture of the past.