Lower Key Stage 2 Invaders and Settlers: Vikings
Mythology, Art and Culture

Learn about the beliefs of the Vikings, the god and goddesses, the Viking creation myth, the Norse nine worlds and Tree of Life. Find out about their writing, sagas and legacy through a range of tasks including dance, painting, plaster modelling, poetry, and message making. Finally, put together a Viking celebration day for younger children.

Session 1 Viking creation myth

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts in relation to Viking beliefs.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

PE

  • Perform a sequence of dance movements.
  • Develop and improve the movements and evaluate their success.

Lesson Planning

Learn about Viking mythology and, in particular, their thrilling creation story; Create a Viking Creation story dance.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To appreciate the importance of mythology to the Vikings.
  • To respond to music to retell the Viking Creation story through dance.

Children can:

  • Understand that mythology was an important part of Viking life.
  • Perform a series of dance movements that shown the images of Creation.
  • Evaluate the strengths of a performance and comment on improvements that could be made.

Provided Resources

  • Evaluation and feedback for Creation Story dance

You Will Need

  • DK Eyewitness book – Viking p. 52-53 Gods and Legends
  • 100 Viking Facts book P. 36-37 Gods and Goddesses
  • The Planets Suite by Holst
  • Dvorak’s New World Symphony
  • Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream

Session 2 The Norse Nine Worlds

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts in relation to Viking beliefs.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

Art

  • Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
  • Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design.

Lesson Planning

Learn more about Viking mythology and the Norse Nine Worlds myth; Retell the myth as a storyboard and build a mod-roc model of a character from one of the Nine Worlds.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To appreciate the importance of mythology to the Vikings and investigate their beliefs.
  • To create and evaluate a sculpture based on an idea from Viking mythology.

Children can:

  • Understand that mythology was an important part of Viking life.
  • Create and evaluate a sculpture based on Viking mythology.

You Will Need

  • DK Eyewitness book – Viking p.2-53 Gods and Legends
  • 100 Viking Facts book p.36-37 Gods and Goddesses
  • Cardboard tubes
  • Newspaper
  • ModRoc
  • Wire mesh
  • PVA glue
  • Artist’s/florist’s wire

Session 3 Viking Gods and Goddesses

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts in relation to Viking beliefs.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

Computing

  • Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content.

Lesson Planning

Develop your understanding of the Viking Gods and Goddesses; Research facts using the internet and create a Top Trumps game.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To investigate further the beliefs of others and learn about Viking gods and goddesses.
  • To use research skills to find out about Viking gods and goddesses.

Children can:

  • Understand that mythology was an important part of Viking life.
  • Create a game based around the Viking gods and goddesses.

Provided Resources

  • Top Trumps blank template
  • Top Trumps headings template
  • Top Trumps Gods and Goddesses research sheet
  • Gods and Goddesses

You Will Need

  • DK Eyewitness book – Viking p. 52-53 Gods and Legends
  • 100 Viking Facts book p.36-37 Gods and Goddesses

Session 4 Odin and the Tree of Life

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts in relation to Viking beliefs and everyday life.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

Art and Design

  • Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing and painting.

English

  • Draft and write by composing and rehearsing sentences orally, progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures in the form of poetry.

PSHE

  • Celebrate personal qualities and goals.

Lesson Planning

Learn about the Viking God Odin and the Tree of Life; Write a senses poem; Paint large versions of the Tree of Life to act as a display backdrop.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To investigate further the beliefs of Viking mythology.
  • To design and paint own Tree of Life using other examples as a stimulus, and compose poetry for the Tree of Life.

Children can:

  • Design and create art work based on a Viking mythological idea.
  • Write and evaluate poetry called The Tree of Life.

You Will Need

  • DK Eyewitness book – Viking p.52-53 Gods and Legends
  • 100 Viking Facts book p.36-37 Gods and Goddesses
  • Large sheets of sugar paper
  • Roll of sketch paper or wall lining paper
  • Thick felt pens

Session 5 The Viking sagas

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts in relation to Viking culture and everyday life.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

English

  • Draft and write by composing and rehearsing sentences orally, progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures in the form of a Viking Saga.
  • Read and perform their writing to a specific audience.

Computing

  • Select a use a range of digital devices.

Lesson Planning

Listen to Viking sagas and then plan, write, perform and record your own.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To investigate Viking sagas and how these were an important part of Viking culture.
  • To plan, compose and perform sagas based on the Viking saga.

Children can:

  • Gain an understanding of the culture of Viking life through the retelling of Viking sagas.
  • Perform and write a Viking saga.

You Will Need

  • DK Eyewitness book – Viking p50-52 Games, Music and Stories
  • 100 Viking Facts book p38-39 Heroes, Legends and Sagas
  • Printed example of one of the sagas
  • Printed off versions of other sagas from the BBC weblink
  • Recording equipment either on video/camera or on a tablet

Session 6 The Vikings make their mark

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts in relation to Viking culture and everyday life.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

Art and Design

  • Create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas.
  • Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal]

Lesson Planning

Consider how Vikings communicated with pictures and writing; Learn about their use of runes; Design your own Viking message foil tile and bookmark.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To analyse the way Vikings recorded information and how they communicated in runes.
  • To design a tile based on the Viking runes.

Children can:

  • Gain an understanding of how the Vikings communicated. Understand the role of archaeologists in discovering what we know today.
  • Write their names in runes and know some of the runic alphabet.

You Will Need

  • DK Eyewitness book – Viking p58-59 Runes and picture stories
  • 100 Viking Facts book - p42-43 Writing and picture stories
  • Who were the Vikings? p19 Could the Vikings read and write?
  • Cereal boxes
  • String, foil and black shoe polish

Session 7 The end of an era and the Viking legacy

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts in relation to Viking culture and everyday life.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

English

  • Write in the appropriate style for non-fiction text.

Computing

  • Use search technologies.

Lesson Planning

Appreciate the legacy of the Vikings; Evaluate the topic and create posters.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To appreciate the role of archaeologists in supporting what we know today.
  • To understand that Vikings had an impact on the Britain we know today.
  • To write an information text for a given audience.

Children can:

  • Gain an understanding of how the Vikings communicated.
  • Appreciate the role of archaeologists in discovering what we know today.
  • Inform others of the legacy of the Vikings.

You Will Need

  • DK Eyewitness book – Viking p62-63 The coming of Christianity
  • 100 Viking Facts book – p44-47 The End of the Vikings and Viking survival
  • Atlases or maps of the United Kingdom
  • Computers/tablets
  • A3 paper

Session 8 A celebration of the Vikings (Viking immersion day)

Objectives

History

  • Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Ask historically valid questions.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts in relation to Viking culture and everyday life.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

Design and Technology

  • Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.

PE

  • Perform dances using a range of movement patterns.

English

  • Write for a suggested audience.

Lesson Planning

Consolidate your Viking knowledge with a celebration day designed for an audience of younger children or for parents; Choose from a variety of activities including performing your creation dance, telling sagas, playing Viking games, dressing up and sharing a Viking feast.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To become Viking experts for the day.
  • To prepare and explain the details of the Viking celebration day.

Children can:

  • Inform others of the legacy of the Vikings.
  • Understand that Vikings shaped the Britain we know today.
  • Celebrate their knowledge of Vikings.

You Will Need

  • DK Eyewitness book-Viking p62-63 The coming of Christianity
  • 100 Viking Facts book p44-47 The End of the Vikings and Viking survival
  • Viking bags made during Block C
  • Viking Way of Life session 5
  • Card tiles for game
  • Card for parents to record new facts

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.