KS3 - History - Teacher Guide 1 PDF

KS3 Knowing History Medieval Britain 410–1509 Teacher Guide
Key Stage 3
Medieval
Britain
410–1509
Teacher Guide
Robert Peal
Text © Robert Peal 2016; Design © HarperCollinsPublishers Limited 2016 1

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Knowledge-based history teaching
Knowing History is a knowledge-based history scheme. It is designed to build pupils’ thinking from the
bottom-up, where subject knowledge provides a gateway to a rich and rewarding understanding of
history.
Recent works by cognitive scientists have shown that pupils need to have a large amount of subject
knowledge stored in their long-term memory in order to become competent at any subject. Pupils are
far more capable of ‘thinking historically’ when faced with topics they know and understand.
For this reason, Knowing History is designed to teach history in a clear and deliberate fashion, where
content knowledge is secured before complex tasks are undertaken.
In each chapter, a core narrative is presented. The Teacher Guide then breaks down that narrative into
key vocabulary, dates and people to help scaffold pupils’ learning. For ease of reference, this key
content is collected at the end of each unit into a ‘knowledge organiser’. Knowledge organisers allow
pupils to test themselves, and allow teachers to design quick factual recall tests, ensuring that all pupils
master important knowledge at an early stage.
Once this knowledge has been mastered, the Teacher Guide recommends historical sources for pupils
to analyse and ‘thinking deeper’ questions for pupils to answer. These have been carefully chosen to
seize pupils’ interest and complement the core narrative of the Student Book.
Knowing History is designed with the intention that complex tasks – such as source analysis and
extended writing – are pursued as the outcomes of having learnt historical content, and not the means
for doing so. Pupils will be far more capable of, and confident about, completing such tasks when once
they have achieved an essential understanding of the period in question.
Like all subjects, history is best learnt by relating new information to prior knowledge. For example,
pupils will better understand the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, if they have previously learnt about the
structure of the feudal system, and impact of the Black Death on England. Therefore, the Teacher
Guide lists topics and vocabulary from previous chapters that should be revisited, before each new
chapter is introduced.
Knowing History provides an essential framework for pupils to learn about the past, but it does not
pretend to be exhaustive. The core narrative provided by Knowing History should be complemented
with as many examples of historical evidence, activities and texts from other sources that you – the
teacher – see fit.

Lesson structure
The recommended lesson structure for teaching from Knowing History is based on cognitive science
and research into highly effective teachers, adapted for use in the history classroom. It follows a
structure of recap, pre-teach, read, condense, apply, review.
1. RECAP on previous learning: Start lessons with a short review of previous learning. This
serves two purposes. First, frequent review of subject content strengthens its place in pupils’
long-term memory, and helps make the recall of words, people, events and concepts
automatic. Second, it brings to the front of pupils’ minds the relevant prior knowledge that they
need to draw upon to understand the new chapter. This may come from the immediately
preceding chapter, or from a completely different unit. For example, during a lesson on the
Crusader States and the Third Crusade (5.3), you may want to recap the First Crusade (5.2)
from the same unit, but you may also want to recap on King John’s behaviour during the reign
of Richard I (4.2). Suggested recap material is listed in the Teacher Guide, along with key
vocabulary. Definitions for these terms can be found in the Knowledge Organiser, or – if the
term is covered in a previous unit or book – in the Knowing History glossary. Recap material
could be covered through a starter activity, a short quiz or oral question and answer.
2. PRE-TEACH difficult new material: Before reading the text, you may want to ‘pre-teach’ any
particularly challenging new material. This could include keywords, complicated geography or a
tricky concept. For example, before teaching a lesson on the different claims to the throne in
1066 (2.1), you may want to ensure that pupils understand why it was so important for a
monarch to have royal blood, and the concept of ‘legitimacy’ for a monarch.
3. READ new material: Each chapter is around 750 words. You may wish to ask pupils to read
sections of the text independently, or chose to read it as a whole class. Along the way, make
sure that you are continually asking questions, illustrating important points and clarifying any
confusion.
4. CONDENSE new material into an easily understood format: Pupils should then reproduce
the information in a new format which will aid their understanding. This can be something as
simple as answering factual comprehension questions, but activities could also include:
 Producing an illustrated storyboard: helpful for chapters which present a clear narrative,
such as Henry II’s falling out with Thomas Becket (4.1).
 Annotating a map: useful for information with an important geographical component, such
as the spread of Islam (5.1), or the different conflicts in England during the summer of 1066
(2.2).
 Annotating an image: annotating an image or an illustration can help understand visual
information, such as the layout of a medieval village (3.1).
 Completing a worksheet: this allows pupils to sort complex information in a format which
clarifies its meaning. For example, pupils could fill in an annotated family tree to ensure
that they understand the role played by Alfred and his descendents in creating the single
Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England (1.5).

These activities should be followed by a whole-class check, to ensure that pupils have
completed the task correctly, and to clarify any confusion that may have arisen. This can be
done through self-assessment, peer-assessment or simple question and answer.
5. APPLY new knowledge: Having acquired new knowledge, it is then time to apply it. This could
take place at the end of the lesson where knowledge is acquired, or during a following lesson.
Ways to apply new knowledge include:
 Source analysis: the Knowing History scheme presents sources as a part of the
curriculum, which should be studied in their own right. For this reason, carefully chosen
sources are suggested for each chapter. For example, when studying the medieval Church
(3.3), an illustration of the scene from hell from the Book of Hours (available on the British
Library website) will vividly bring alive for pupils’ the medieval conception of the afterlife.
 Further reading: once pupils have mastered the basic outline of a period through a
chapter in Knowing History, you may want to introduce a more complex or detailed text.
This could include a passage from an adult history book, an article from a historical
magazine or text from a reputable online source.
 Extended writing: answering a well-designed historical question encourages pupils to
think more deeply about the content they have studied. The five ‘check your understanding’
questions at the foot of each chapter, and the two ‘thinking deeper’ questions in the
Teacher Guide, can be used as a basis for such questions. Such extended writing should
encourage pupils to make links between different periods they have studied, building
increasingly complex networks of historical understanding.
6. REVIEW material learnt: Lessons should be interspersed with quick diagnostic checks, to
ascertain the level of understanding that pupils have achieved. To help with this process, a list
of carefully designed Quizzing questions (10 per chapter) is listed at the back of the Teacher
Guide. Such activities are crucial in helping to strengthen pupil memory: the more pupils
rehearse and review information, the stronger their memory becomes.
End of unit essays: You may want to end each unit with a piece of extended writing, answering a
question that draws upon knowledge from all five chapters in the unit. For example, having completed
‘Unit 5: The Crusades’, pupils could answer a question such as: ‘Why did medieval knights choose to
go on Crusade: glory, greed or God?’
Further reading:
Daniel T. Willingham, Why Don't Students Like School?: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions
About How the Mind Works, 2009
Peter C. Brown (et al), Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, 2014
Barak Rosenshine, ‘Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should
Know’ in American Educator, 2012
Shaun Allison and Andy Tharby, Making Every Lesson Count: Six Principles to Support Great Teaching
and Learning, 2015

Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon England

Chapter 1: The Anglo Saxons
Recap
 Any pre-existing knowledge pupils may have from primary school about the Romans and the
Romans in Britain.
 Establish that the Romans were a developed civilisation, with many advanced technologies such as
road building, heated baths and aqueducts, which can be seen in the remains of Roman Britain
today, such as at Fishbourne Palace, Hadrian’s Wall and Bath.
 Also clarify that during the 4th century, from the reign of Constantine onwards, the Roman Empire
had officially embraced Christianity.
Key vocabulary
AD Used to record historical dates as number of years after Christ’s birth:

Anno Domini
Anglo-Saxons Two Germanic tribes who invaded England from Germany, between
AD 400 and AD 600
Archaeologist Someone who examines objects and locations from the past, often
through excavation
Celts The dominant population in Britain until the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons
Century A period of one hundred years, often used to describe different historical
periods
Dark Ages A term sometimes used to describe the years that followed the fall of the
Roman Empire
Native A person born in or historically associated with a particular country
or region
Sutton Hoo The site of an Anglo-Saxon ship burial from the 7th century AD
Key dates
400–600 The Roman army leaves Britain
410 The Angles and Saxons arrive in England from Germany

Check your understanding

1. Who invaded Britain after the Roman army abandoned the country in AD 410?
Answer: After the Roman army abandoned Britain in AD 410, two tribes from northern
Germany invaded Britain. They were known as the Anglo-Saxons.
2. What sort of communities did Anglo-Saxons live in?
Answer: Anglo-Saxons lived in villages and small farming communities, and were less
likely than the Romans to live in large towns and cities.
3. What sort of weapons did Anglo-Saxons use?
Answer: In battle, Anglo-Saxons wore metal helmets and round wooden shields. They were
armed with swords, throwing axes, and 2-metre-long spears.
4. Why do historians know very little about life in early Anglo-Saxon Britain?
Answer: Historians know very little about life in early Anglo-Saxon Britain because there
are no written records or buildings left from these early years of Anglo-Saxon rule for
historians to study.
5. What was the most famous object found at Sutton Hoo?
Answer: The most famous object to be found at Sutton Hoo was a magnificent iron helmet
with a patterned facemask. It was intricately decorated with scenes of war, such as a
warrior on a horse trampling a fallen enemy.
Suggested activities
 Ensure that pupils are able to use centuries and dates correctly. A predictable misconception
amongst pupils will be that the date AD 410 will be in the 4th century, as opposed to the 5th century.
In order to explain to pupils why this is not the case, use an analogy of their own age. A child who
has just been born is in their first year, so an 11 year old child is in their twelfth year, a 12 year old
child is in their thirteenth year, and so on. The same is so with historical centuries. Practice this
over the course of the term by constantly asking pupils to say what century a particular date
belongs to.
 Another misconception will be that AD stands for ‘After Death’. Make sure that pupils realise that AD
is meant to mark the birth of Christ, not his death, and stands for ‘Anno Domini’, meaning ‘in the
year of the lord’.
 Annotate a map of Northern Europe, labelling the departure of the Roman army, the arrival of the
Angles and Saxons, and the spread of Anglo-Saxon settlement within the British Isles.
 Draw a chart comparing features of Anglo-Saxon Britain (population, occupations, landscape,
beliefs, settlements, and so on.) with today.
Sources
 Study various artefacts from Sutton Hoo, such as the golden belt buckle, purse lid and shoulder
clasps. The Sutton Hoo helmet has an excellent resource available online via the British Museum’s

Teaching History with 100 Objects project. Use these artefacts to write an account of the life led by
the Anglo-Saxon king to whom they belonged.
 Similarly, study some of the artefacts from the Staffordshire Hoard and build a picture of Anglo-
Saxon life from what it contains.
 Extracts from Gildas, Concerning the Ruin of Britain. A Romano-British monk living in the 6th
century, Gildas provides the only surviving written source of the Anglo-Saxon conquest of Britain.
His account is a vivid description of what he calls ‘savage’ and ‘dark’ times.
Thinking deeper questions

1. How were the Anglo-Saxons different from the Romans who lived in Britain before them?
2. Why are archaeological findings so important for learning about Anglo-Saxon life?


Chapter 2: Anglo-Saxon rule
Recap
 The arrival of the Anglo-Saxons and their way of life once they settled in England.
 The Roman history of Britain before the Anglo-Saxon invasions of the 5th century.
 Vocabulary to recap: Anglo-Saxon; century.
Key vocabulary
Archbishop of Canterbury The most senior bishop in the English Church, and leader of the
Church of England
Illumination Richly decorated religious manuscript from the medieval period
Mercia Anglo-Saxon kingdom in central England, covering what is today
called the Midlands
Monk A man who dedicates his entire life to God, and lives outside of
normal society
Pagan Someone who believes in many different gods
Vellum A writing material made from the skin of sheep or calves, before
the invention of paper
Wessex Anglo-Saxon kingdom stretching across southern England
Key dates
597 Augustine arrives in England to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity
731 The Venerable Bede completes The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Key people
Augustine A monk sent from Rome who converted the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity and became the
first Archbishop of Canterbury
Bede An English monk who wrote the first history of England
King Offa King of Mercia who built a 149-mile long earthwork between England and Wales


1. How was England divided up during the early Anglo-Saxon period?
Answer: During the early Anglo-Saxon period, England was divided up into a number of
separate kingdoms, each ruled by its own king. Three of the most powerful kingdoms were
Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria.
2. Which counties in England are named after the south, east and west Saxons?
Answer: Sussex, Essex and Wessex are named after the south, east and west Saxons.
3. How did four days of the week gain their names in the English language?
Answer: Four days of the week in the English language gained their names through Anglo-
Saxon gods. Tuesday is named after the god Tiw, Wednesday is named after Woden,
Thursday is named after Thor, and Friday is named after Freya.
4. Why are Canterbury and York the two centres of English Christianity today?
Answer: Canterbury and York are the two centres of English Christianity because they are
the two locations where Christianity first spread to the Anglo-Saxons. In Canterbury, a
monk named Augustine converted the King of Kent to Christianity. In Northumbria, a monk
named Aiden founded the monastery of Lindisfarne.
5. Why is there more evidence about Anglo-Saxon life during the period after
Christianity arrived?
Answer: There is more evidence about Anglo-Saxon life during the period after Christianity
arrived because Christianity brought writing and study to England. This means that there
are more written Anglo-Saxon sources from the 7th century onwards.
 Complete a chart listing all of the Anglo-Saxon words that we use today, such as: place-names,
days of the week, regions of England and religious festivals.
 Use the Oxford Dictionary of British Place-Names website (requires subscription) or A. D. Mills, A
Dictionary of British Place-Names, to research place-names that are local to your school. You can
see whether they have Anglo-Saxon origins. Pupils could be tasked with matching the explanations
of the place-names, with the place. For example, ‘the village (ham) belonging to Snotta’ would be
‘Nottingham’.
 Annotate a map of Britain, labelling all of the old Anglo-Saxon kingdoms: Wessex, Kent, Essex,
East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. Pupils could then add descriptions of events from early
Anglo-Saxon history in their relevant locations, such as Sutton Hoo, Agustine’s mission, Aidan’s
mission, Bede’s writing and Offa’s Dyke.
Sources
 Anglo-Saxon manuscript illuminations, such as the ‘Lindisfarne Gospels’. Available online via the
British Library.
 Bede’s account of Augustine’s mission to convert the English to Christianity, from his Ecclesiastical
History of the English People.


1. How did the arrival of Christianity change Anglo-Saxon England?
2. Do you think it is accurate to refer to the Anglo-Saxon period as the ‘Dark Ages’?


Chapter 3: The Vikings
Recap
 The arrival of the Anglo-Saxons and their way of life once they settled in England.
 Anglo-Saxon Christianity and the way in which Christianity changed life in Anglo-Saxon England.
 Vocabulary to recap: Anglo-Saxon; monk.
Key vocabulary
Blood eagle A notorious Viking method for killing their enemies

Danegeld Large sums of money given to Vikings to prevent further invasions
Great Heathen Army A large force of Viking warriors who invaded England during the 9th
century
Jorvik The centre of Viking power in England, on the site of modern day York
Longboat A Viking ship, which combined both sails and oars
Vikings Seafaring people from Scandinavia who raided and traded across Europe
and Russia
Key dates
793 The Vikings attack the monastery on Lindisfarne
865 The invasion of the ‘Great Heathen Army’


1. Why did Viking raiders target Christian monasteries?
Answer: Viking raiders targeted Christian monasteries because they were famed for their
gold and precious treasures, which is what the Vikings were after on their raiding missions.
2. Why was the longboat so important to the Vikings?
Answer: The longboat was so important for the Vikings because it allowed them to travel
great distances by both sea and river. Using longboats, Vikings managed to travel as far as
Canada and Russia.
3. How large was the Great Heathen Army?
Answer: Nobody knows how large the Great Heathen Army was, but estimates range from
1000 to 6000.
4. What did Vikings believe awaited them if they died in battle?
Answer: If they died in battle, Vikings believed they would be taken to the glorious Viking
heaven of Valhalla. Here, they would feast on wild boar, drink beer and prepare for one
final battle of the gods, known as ‘Ragnarök’.
5. What city became the centre of Viking power in England?
Answer: York became the centre of Viking power in England. It was known as ‘Jorvik’, and
became a thriving centre of trade, home to perhaps 15 000 people.
 Write a first-hand account from a monk who witnessed, but managed to survive, the Viking attack
on Lindisfarne, describing what took place.
Sources
 The letter from the Anglo-Saxon scholar Alcuin to Ethelred, King of Northumbria in AD 793,
recording the Viking attack on Lindisfarne.
 The account of the Arabic scholar and traveller Ahmad ibn Fadlan describing Viking settlers he
encountered whilst travelling to modern day Russia in AD 922.
 Artefacts found in the Jorvik Artefact Gallery, available online via the Jorvik Viking Centre.

1. Why do you think such a small force of Vikings were able to conquer most of England
so easily?
2. What can you tell about Viking society from their idea of heaven – Valhalla?


Chapter 4: Alfred the Great
Recap
 The geography of Anglo-Saxon England and its division into different kingdoms.
 The Viking raids on Anglo-Saxon England and the invasion of the Great Heathen Army, which led
to significant Viking settlement in England.
 The differences between Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, in terms of lifestyle, religion, and place
of origin.
 Vocabulary to recap: Danegeld; longboats; Vikings; Wessex.
Key vocabulary
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle A contemporary history of England, begun during the reign of

Alfred the Great
Burh A fortified town which ruled a local area
Danelaw English territory given over to Viking rule
Fyrd Part-time Anglo-Saxon army which could be called to fight at times
of war
Latin A classical language spoken by the Romans and used by the
Catholic Church
Key dates
871 Alfred the Great is crowned King of Wessex
878 Alfred the Great defeats the ‘Great Heathen Army’ at the Battle of Edington
899 Alfred the Great dies
Key people
Alfred the Great The Anglo-Saxon King of Wessex who defeated the Great Heathen Army
Guthrum Viking king who was defeated by Alfred and given the Danelaw to rule


1. What Anglo-Saxon kingdom did Alfred rule?
Answer: Alfred ruled the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, which he became king of in
AD 871.
2. On what day did Guthrum’s army first attack Alfred in 878?

Answer: Guthrum’s army first attacked Alfred in 878 on Twelfth Night, the last day of
Christmas. He did this so that Alfred and his men would be caught by surprise.
3. What agreement did Alfred come to with Guthrum after the Battle of Edington?
Answer: Alfred forced Guthrum to convert to Christianity, and even made himself
Guthrum’s godfather. The two kings then agreed to divide England from the River Mersey
in the north-west to the Thames in the south-east, with the Vikings ruling the ‘Danelaw’
north of this line.
4. What did Alfred do to ensure that Wessex remained safe from future Viking attacks?
Answer: To ensure that Wessex remained safe from future Viking attacks, Alfred built a
series of around 30 fortress towns throughout Wessex known as ‘burhs’. He also organised
a part-time Anglo-Saxon army known as the ‘fyrd’, and established a naval force that would
sail around the country protecting it from Viking longboats.
5. Why did Alfred want to learn to read and write in Latin?
Answer: Alfred wanted to read and write Latin so that he could translate important books –
particularly about Christianity – into Old English, helping to spread Christianity amongst his
people.
 Draw a storyboard charting the different stages of Alfred the Great’s conflict with King Guthrum.
Sources
 The ‘Alfred Jewel’, made out of gold and enamel and found in 1693 near Athelney. Available via the
British Museum or the Ashmolean Museum.
 The statue of Alfred the Great, erected in Winchester on the one thousandth anniversary of his
death in 1899.
 Alfred’s preface to his translation from Latin into English of Pastoral Care by Pope Gregory. In it, he
explains how the Viking raids had set back the progress of learning in England, and explains why
he views reading, writing and study to be of the upmost importance.

1. Why do you think Alfred is remembered as ‘the Great’?
2. What do you think the legend of Alfred and the cakes is supposed to tell us about
his character?


Chapter 5: The Anglo-Saxon Golden Age
Recap
 The Viking raids on Anglo-Saxon England and the invasion of the Great Heathen Army, which led
to significant Viking settlement in England.
 Alfred’s defeat of King Guthrum and their agreement to establish the border between Wessex and
the Viking Danelaw.
 Vocabulary to recap: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle; burh; Danelaw; Mercia; Viking.
Key vocabulary
Earl A noble title, developed during the Anglo-Saxon period to describe the ruler of a
county
Empire A group of countries or states presided over by a single ruler
Golden Age A period of flourishing in the history of a nation or an art form
Shire Individual county, meaning ‘area of control’ in Old English
Witan A collection of Anglo-Saxon noblemen and senior clergymen who advised the king
Key dates
937 Æthelstan’s victory at The Battle of Brunanburh confirms Anglo-Saxon rule of all England
1016 The Viking ruler Canute becomes king of England
Key people
Æthelflæd The ‘Lady of the Mercia’ who helped expel the Vikings from England
Æthelstan Grandson of Alfred the Great, who unified England as one country
Canute Viking King of England, who famously could not hold back the tide


1. Why did King Edward send his son to be brought up by his aunt Æthelflæd?
Answer: King Edward sent his son to be brought up by his aunt Æthelflæd because he was
so impressed by her successes as the ‘Lady of Mercia’, winning back Mercia from
the Vikings.
2. Why was the Battle of Brunanburh such an important victory for the Anglo-Saxons?
Answer: The Battle of Brunanburh was such an important victory for the Anglo-Saxons
because it confirmed Æthelstan’s rule of all England. By defeating a combined Scottish,
Viking and Northumbrian army, he established control over this last outpost of
Viking power.
3. What was significant about the reign of Alfred’s grandson Æthelstan?
Answer: The reign of Alfred’s grandson Æthelstan marks the first time, since the Roman
conquest, that England could be described as a single unified country.
4. What role did the Witan play in the government of England?
Answer: The Witan was a collection of Anglo-Saxon noblemen and senior members of the
Church who were summoned by the king to offer him advice and discuss important issues.
5. What did King Canute do to win the favour of the Anglo-Saxon people he ruled?
Answer: To win the favour of the Anglo-Saxon people he ruled, King Canute (who was a
Viking) allowed Anglo-Saxon Earls to keep their land, and he paid off his own Viking army
with an enormous Danegeld of £90 000.
 Complete an annotated family tree of Alfred the Great’s descendents, who went on to rule a unified
English kingdom. This should include his son Edward, his daughter Æthelflæd, his grandson
Æthelstan and his great-great-grandson Æthelred the Unready.
 Draw a chart comparing 6th century Anglo-Saxon England with 10th century Anglo-Saxon England,
focusing on one area, such as government, religion, settlement or literacy.
Sources
 ‘The Benedictional of St Æthelwold’, a manuscript made for the personal use of Æthelwold, Bishop
of Winchester, around AD 970. Available online via the British Library. Pupils study some of its
illustrations, such as the Baptism of Christ or Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, and use their knowledge
from Religious Education to consider which Bible story the illustrations depict.
 The poem, ‘The Battle of Brunanburh’, from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which gives a vivid account
of Æthelstan’s victory.

1. What point was King Canute trying to prove by ordering the tide not to advance?
2. Why do you think this period is sometimes called the Anglo-Saxon ‘Golden Age’?

Unit 2: Norman England

Chapter 1: Saxon, Norman or Viking?
Recap
 The creation of England as a single kingdom by Alfred the Great’s decedents from the Anglo-Saxon
House of Wessex.
 Viking invasions and settlement in England, from the first raids at the end of the 8th century, to the
reign of King Canute.
 Vocabulary to recap: Earl; Viking; Wessex; Witan.
Key vocabulary
Exile Being forced to live outside your native country, typically for political reasons
Heir A person set to inherit property or a title, often used to mean next in line to
the throne
Illegitimate Not recognised as lawful, once used to describe someone born of unmarried
parents
Noble Member of the nobility, with land and titles that are passed down through
successive generations
Normans People from a region in northern France, who were descended from Viking
invaders
Oath A solemn promise, often said to be witnessed by God
Omen An event that is thought to foretell the future, perhaps as a message from the gods
Royal blood Possessed by those who are blood relatives of a ruling monarch
Key dates
1051 Edward the Confessor promises the English throne to William, Duke of Normandy
1064 Harold Godwinson swears an oath of loyalty to William, Duke of Normandy
1066 (Sept) The Battle of Stamford Bridge
Key people
Edward the Confessor An Anglo-Saxon king of England whose death triggered the Norman invasion
Harald Hardrada A fierce Viking warrior, who made a claim for the English throne in 1066

Harold Godwinson The last Anglo-Saxon king of England, who led the Saxons at the Battle
of Hastings
William, Duke of Normandy A French Duke who conquered England in 1066

1. Why was the death of Edward the Confessor met with such confusion?
Answer: The death of Edward the Confessor was met with such confusion because he did
not have any children who could claim to be the legitimate heir. Instead, three different men
claimed the English throne.
2. What was Harold Godwinson’s claim to the English throne?
Answer: Harold Godwinson’s claim to the English throne was that Edward the Confessor
had chosen him as his successor on his deathbed. In addition, Harold was England’s most
powerful Earl, an excellent fighter and popular amongst Anglo-Saxon nobles.
3. What was William of Normandy’s claim to the English throne?
Answer: William of Normandy’s claim to the English throne was that King Edward the
Confessor had promised him the English throne in 1051. In addition, he was a distant
cousin of Edward the Confessor, and the Pope supported his claim to the throne.
4. What was Harald Hardrada’s claim to the English throne?
Answer: Harold Hardrada believed that England still belonged to the Vikings, as it had
during the days of King Canute.
5. How did Harold Godwinson defeat Hardrada’s Viking army?
Answer: Harold Godwinson defeated Hardrada’s army by marching his army from the
south of England to the north in just four days, and catching the Viking army completely by
surprise. Many Vikings did not even have time to put on their armour.
 Complete a table for each of the three claimants to the throne in 1066, answering the following
questions: ‘Who were they?’; ‘What was their claim to the throne?’; and ‘How strong was their claim
to the throne?’
Sources
 Accounts of the battle from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Heimskringla, a 13th century saga
about the Viking kings written in Iceland.

1. Who had the best claim to the English throne in 1066: Harold Godwinson, William of Normandy
or Harold Hardrada?
2. Why do you think it was seen as so important for a king to have ‘royal blood’?


Chapter 2: The Battle of Hastings
Recap
 The three claimants to the English throne following the death of Edward the Confessor in 1066.
 Harold Godwinson’s victory over Harold Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
 Vocabulary to recap: fyrd; Norman; omen.
Key vocabulary
Bayeux Tapestry A 70-metre long embroidered cloth depicting William of Normandy’s

conquest of England
Conquest Taking control of a place or people through military force
Disembowel To cut someone open and remove their internal organs
Huscarls The professional body guard of Anglo-Saxon kings
Knight Soldiers on horseback who belonged to the nobility
Key dates
1066 (Oct) The Battle of Hastings


1. What stroke of luck did William, Duke of Normandy enjoy at the end of September?
Answer: At the end of September, William, Duke of Normandy enjoyed a stroke of luck
when the unfavourable winds across the English Channel changed direction, allowing him
to set sail. His army was able to cross unchallenged as Harold Godwinson had already
called in his navy, thinking William’s chance to invade had gone.
2. Why did Harold Godwinson hurry into fighting the Norman army?
Answer: Harold Godwinson hurried into fighting the Norman army without resting his army
because he wanted to surprise William’s Norman army just as he had surprised Hardrada’s
Viking army.
3. Who had the stronger army at the start of the Battle of Hastings: the Normans or
the Saxons?
Answer: At the start of the Battle of Hastings the Normans had the stronger army. They
outnumbered the Saxon army by 10 000 to 8 000, and had 3 000 heavily armoured knights
on horseback – who were like the tanks of medieval Europe.
4. How did the Norman army’s false retreat give them the chance to win the battle?
Answer: The Norman army’s false retreat gave them the chance to win the battle because
it caused the Saxon army to break out of their formation and chase off the retreating
Normans. When the Normans regrouped, they were able to pick off and kill the
disorganised Saxons.
5. What story does the Bayeux Tapestry tell?
Answer: The 70-metre long Bayeux Tapestry tells the entire story of William of Normandy’s
conquest of England.
 From information learnt in this lesson and the previous lesson, annotate a map of the British Isles
showing the different events of the summer of 1066, emphasising the movement of Harold’s army.
 Draw a storyboard charting the different stages of the Battle of Hastings.
 Pupils match different scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry with the different key events of the
Norman invasion, such as: the death of King Edward the Confessor; the Normans crossing the
channel; William removing his helmet to show he is still alive; the death of King Harold.
Sources
 The Bayeux Tapestry.
 Accounts of the Battle of Hastings from William of Poitiers and William of Malmesbury.

1. What do you think was the most serious mistake that the Saxons made during the Battle
of Hastings?
2. To what extent was luck the main reason the Normans won the Battle of Hastings?


Chapter 3: The Norman Conquest
Recap
 William, Duke of Normandy’s invasion of England, and his defeat of Harold Godwinson’s Saxon
army at the Battle of Hastings.
 Vocabulary to recap: Anglo-Saxon; knight; noble; Norman.
Key vocabulary
Motte-and-bailey Castle A simple fortification with an artificial hill and a defensive courtyard
Royal court A collection of nobles and clergymen, known as courtiers, who
advise the king
Key dates
1066 (Dec) William I crowned King of England
1069 The Harrying of the North
Key people
Hereward the Wake A legendary Saxon rebel who held out against the Norman invaders in Ely


1. Why did William the Conqueror’s coronation end in violence?
Answer: William the Conqueror’s coronation ended in violence because Norman knights
guarding the coronation mistook cheers from inside the Abbey as a revolt. In response,
they burnt the surrounding houses and killed many of the Englishmen present.
2. What happened to the land belonging to England’s Anglo-Saxon noblemen?
Answer: Land belonging to England’s Anglo-Saxon noblemen was seized from their
families by William I and given to his Norman knights as a reward for fighting for him in the
conquest of England.
3. What did William the Conqueror do to punish the rebels who rose up against him in
the north-east?
Answer: To punish the rebels who rose up against him in the north-east, William the
Conqueror burnt to the ground every village between York and Durham. He slaughtered
farm animals, destroyed crops and laced the fields with salt so that no more food could be
grown. Much of the population was killed or starved to death.
4. How did William the Conqueror finally defeat Hereward the Wake?
Answer: William the Conqueror finally defeated Hereward the Wake by building a two-mile
wooden causeway across the marshes, allowing the Norman knights to ride into Ely, and to
defeat the Saxon rebels.
5. What was one of the tactics William used to ensure loyalty from the Anglo-Saxon
nobility?
Answer: One tactic that William used to ensure loyalty from the Anglo-Saxons was to
demand a noble’s son as a hostage. If the noble proved to be disloyal, his son would
be killed.
 Write an account, from the perspective of William the Conqueror, justifying his brutality during the
Harrying of the North.
Sources
 The account of the Harrying of the North by the Anglo-Saxon chronicler Orderic Vitalis.
 Descriptions of William the Conqueror’s character from contemporary chroniclers William of
Jumièges and William of Poitiers.

1. Why do you think William the Conqueror responded so harshly to rebellions against his rule?
2. How did England change during the years immediately following the Norman Conquest?


Chapter 4: The feudal system
Recap
 William, Duke of Normandy’s invasion of England, and his defeat of Harold Godwinson’s Saxon
army at the Battle of Hastings.
 The Norman Conquest of England.
 Vocabulary to recap: Earl; knight; Norman; royal blood.
Key vocabulary
Baron The highest rank of medieval society, ruling land directly on behalf of
the king
Bishop A Christian clergyman with authority over a large number of priests
and churches
Domesday Book A book commissioned by William the Conqueror detailing the possessions
of every settlement in England
Fealty A pledge of loyalty from a feudal vassal to their lord
Feudal system The structure of medieval society, where land was exchanged for service
and loyalty
Hereditary Passed through a family, from parents to their children
Hierarchy A form of social organisation where people are ranked according to status
or power
Lord A general term for a medieval landholder, or a member of the peerage
today
Peasant The lowest member of medieval society, usually a farm labourer
Subject A member of a country or territory under the rule of a monarch
Vassal Anyone who was below you in medieval society, and had to call you
‘my lord’
Key dates
1086 William the Conqueror commissions the Domesday Book


1. What was the shape of medieval English society?
Answer: Medieval English society had a clear hierarchy, shaped like a large pyramid. The
few at the top were the strongest, and the many at the bottom were the weakest.
2. In return for being granted land, what did Barons do for the king?
Answer: In return for being granted land, barons paid homage to the king and swore him an
oath of fealty. This meant that if ever there was a war, the barons had to fight on behalf of
their king.
3. What powers did a medieval lord have over the peasants who worked his land?
Answer: Medieval lords were able to force their peasants to work their land for their entire
lives. They could control whether their peasants married or left their home.
4. Why did William the Conqueror commission the Domesday Book to be written?
Answer: William the Conqueror commissioned the Domesday Book to be written so that he
knew precisely what his newly conquered land of England contained. Once he knew this,
he could tax the people of England accordingly to pay for his armies and castles.
5. How did the Domesday Book earn its nickname?
Answer: The Domesday Book earned its nickname because ‘Domesday’ is another name
for the Day of Judgement, when Christians believe that Jesus Christ will return to the Earth
and pass judgement on the living. In the same way, their new king was forcing them to
declare all of their possessions so that he could pass judgement on them.
 Introduce the concept of a social hierarchy through an analogy with a school’s staffing structure:
head; assistant heads; heads of departments; teachers; pupils.
 Annotate a diagram of the feudal society by explaining the roles of the king, the barons, the knights
and the peasants. Also, draw arrows to symbolise how land is passed downwards, and money and
loyalty are passed upwards.
 For the Domesday Book, use the Domesday Book online database to find a place familiar to your
pupils. Study what it possessed in 1086, and then write a contemporary’s description of how it
would have appeared.
Sources
 The Domesday Book. The National Archives website has many useful resources. Individual entries
can be searched online via ‘Open Domesday’.

1. Why do you think medieval society was structured according to the feudal system?
2. Why do you think the Domesday Book is such a helpful and important source for historians?


Chapter 5: The Norman monarchs
Recap
 The reign of William the Conqueror.
 Vocabulary to recap: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle; exile; heir; Wessex.
Key vocabulary
Anarchy A state of disorder caused by a lack of law or authority

Anglo-Norman The ruling class in England after 1066, composed of Normans who had settled
in England
Civil war A war between two sides from the same nation
Monarch A royal head of state, can be a king, queen or emperor
Key dates
1088 Death of William the Conqueror
1100 Death of William Rufus in the New Forest
1106 Henry I becomes King of England and Normandy
1120 The sinking of the White Ship
1135 The start of ‘the Anarchy’
Key people
Empress Matilda The daughter of Henry I, who fought for the English throne during ‘the Anarchy’
Henry I The youngest son of William the Conqueror who defeated his brothers to become King
William II The middle son of William the Conqueror, he was nicknamed ‘Rufus’ due to his red hair


1. How did William the Conqueror split his Empire between his three sons when
he died?
Answer: When he died, William the conqueror gave Normandy to his eldest son Robert,
England to his middle son William and £5000 to his youngest son Henry.
2. What were the suspicious circumstances surrounding William II’s death?
Answer: The circumstances surrounding William II’s death were suspicious because he
was accidently shot with a bow and arrow by his close friend Walter Tirel, even though Tirel
was known for being a good archer. Tirel then died later that year in exile in France.
3. Which of William the Conqueror’s three sons eventually ended up ruling England?
Answer: William the Conqueror’s youngest son Henry I ended up ruling England. He
achieved this through becoming King following the death of his brother William II in the
New Forest, and then taking on Normandy by defeating his brother Robert on the
battlefield, then imprisoning him.
4. Why did the sinking of the White Ship in 1120 throw England into a state of
confusion?
Answer: The sinking of the White Ship in 1120 threw England into a state of confusion
because it killed Henry I’s only son and heir. This meant that two cousins claimed the
throne following Henry I’s death: his daughter the Empress Matilda and his nephew
Stephen.
5. Why was the civil war between Stephen and Matilda so unpleasant for the
English population?
Answer: The civil war between Stephen and Matilda was so unpleasant for the English
because it led to the break-down in law and order. Great areas of the country had no royal
authority, and the cruel barons used this as an excuse to terrorise their vassals.
 Annotate a family tree detailing what happened to William the Conqueror; his three sons Robert,
William and Henry; Henry I’s children William Adelin and the Empress Matilda; and Stephen of
Blois.
Sources
 The account of the reign of King Stephen from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written in 1128.

1. Why might the death of William Rufus in the New Forest not have been an accident?
2. Why was their so much conflict between Norman monarchs following the death of William
the Conqueror?

Unit 3: Medieval life

Chapter 1: The medieval village
Recap
 The feudal structure of medieval society, in particular the relationship between peasants and
their lord.
 Vocabulary to recap: Archbishop of Canterbury; feudal system; peasant.
Key vocabulary
Croft An area of land surrounding a peasants’ dwelling, used to grow crops or

keep livestock
Demesne Land kept by a lord, which peasants were obliged to farm on his behalf
Manor The house at the centre of a medieval lord’s lands
Pottage A stew of vegetables and grains, eaten by peasants for their main meal
Strip farming The division of large fields into many narrow strips worked different
peasants
Tithe A medieval tax, paying one tenth of all farm produce to the Church
Wattle and daub Woven sticks, covered in a mixture of mud, clay, animal dung and
horsehair


1. How did the proportion of people in medieval England who farmed the land differ
from today?
Answer: During the medieval period, around 90 percent of the population worked the land.
Today, the proportion of England’s population who farm the land is one percent.
2. What did peasants have to do in return for being given strips of land by their lord?
Answer: In return for being given strips of land to farm by their lord, peasants had to spend
around three days each week farming the lord’s land. The lord’s land was known as the
demesne.
3. When would medieval peasants harvest their crops?
Answer: Medieval peasants would harvest their crops during the late summer. They would
wait for a few days of sunny weather to dry the crops, and then harvest them as quickly as
possible. All other jobs would stop so that everyone in the village would take part.
4. Why did peasants keep live farm animals inside their homes?
Answer: Peasants would keep live farm animals inside their homes to provide heat during
the winter. As their homes were small single room huts, the heat from the animals could
spread quickly.
5. What would usually happen during a medieval holy day?
Answer: During a medieval holy day, the lord of the manor would provide a feast and
entertainments, and the whole village celebrated together. The lord might provide meat and
ale – often little actual religious worship took place.
 Label a map or illustration of a medieval village, picking out important features such as strip
farming, crofts, demesne, fallow fields, the manor, the mill, and the Parish church.
 Look up the surnames of pupils in your class and see whether any of them originate from
medieval jobs.
Sources
 ‘Labours of the Month’ from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, perhaps the most
magnificent 15th century illuminated manuscript, from France. Available online via the Public
Domain Review.
 The agricultural calendar from the manuscript of the Italian writer Pietro De Crescenzi, published in
1306.
 Farming scenes in the Luttrell Psalter, c.1325. Available online via the British Library.
 ‘Rural life: the lazy ploughman’, manuscript illustration. Available online via the British Library.

1. In what ways did medieval peasants lack freedom?

2. Why do you think 90 percent of medieval society had to work as farmers, compared with only
one percent today?


Chapter 2: The medieval castle
Recap
 The feudal structure of medieval society, in particular the relationship between barons and knights.
 Vocabulary to recap: baron; motte-and-bailey castle.
Key vocabulary
Breach A gap in a wall or line of defence, made by an attacking army

Concentric castle A castle with rings of two or more curtain walls
Crenellations Gaps running along the top of the wall of a medieval castle
Keep A large stone building at the heart of a medieval castle
Moat A ditch dug to prevent attackers from reaching the wall of a castle
Siege Surrounding an enemy castle allowing nobody to come in or out
Siege Tower A large wooden tower that could be used to climb up and over castle walls
Trebuchet An advanced form of catapult, using a counterweight and a sling
Undermining Digging beneath a castle wall, and lighting a fire which causes the walls
to fall in


1. What were the advantages and disadvantages of a motte-and-bailey castle?
Answer: The advantage of a motte-and-bailey castle was that it was cheap and easy to
build. It simply involved digging a ditch, creating an artificial hill, and building wooden
towers and walls. However, the disadvantages of such a castle were that the wood would
soon being to rot, and it could easily be burnt down.
2. What was the chief aim of a castle’s design?
Answer: The chief aim of a castle’s design was to make it impossible for enemies to enter.
It was a defensive structure.
3. What was the main aim for an army attacking a castle?
Answer: The main aim for an army attacking a castle was to create a hole in the wall,
called a breach, through which their army could enter.
4. How would a siege ensure that an enemy army could eventually take a castle?
Answer: A siege was the last resort for an army attacking a castle. A siege would ensure
that the army could take the castle by surrounding it, and allowing nobody to come in or
out. The inhabitants would slowly starve to death, until they surrendered.
5. Where did European knights learn about the technology for concentric castles?
Answer: European knights learnt about the technology for concentric castles during the
crusades, where they saw concentric castle designs in Byzantium and the Islamic world.
 Complete a chart listing all of the different means of defending or attacking a castle, drawing a
simple image for each, and explaining how it worked.
 Look at photographs of surviving British castles and identify their key features. Possible castles
include: Kenilworth, Bodiam, Rochester, Dover, Warwick, Caernarvon, Beaumaris. Having studied
their key features, write a plan for how they could best be attacked.
 Read case studies of famous individual sieges, such as King John’s siege of Rochester Castle in
1215, or Henry VI’s siege of Rouen in 1418.
Sources
 Photographs of the reconstructed motte-and-bailey castle in Saint-Sylvain-d'Anjou, France.

1. What do you think was the best method for attacking a castle?
2. Why do you think that the arrival of gunpowder in medieval England made castles useless?


Chapter 3: The medieval knight
Recap
 Vocabulary to recap: knight.
Key vocabulary
Armour Metal covering worn by knights to protect themselves in battle

Chain-mail A form of armour consisting of small interlocking metal rings
Chivalry A code of behaviour for medieval knights, emphasising bravery and good manners
Duel A fight, often to the death, between two people used to settle an argument
Gauntlet An armoured glove, and the origin of the saying ‘throw down the gauntlet’
Heraldic crest A symbol or design to show the identity of a knight on the battlefield
Squire The personal servant to a knight, normally aged between 14 and 21


1. What jobs did a squire perform for a knight?
Answer: A squire was a personal servant to the knight, and the word comes from the
French for ‘shield-holder’. He would follow his knight into battle, and perform essential
tasks for him – most importantly helping him put on his suit of armour.
2. What was the final stage that a squire went through before becoming a knight?
Answer: The final stage that a squire went through before becoming a knight was their
dubbing ceremony. During this ceremony, the squire would kneel on one knee in front of
his lord, who would tap him on the shoulder with the flat of his sword. He would then arise
a knight.
3. What weapons could be used to penetrate a knight’s coat of armour?
Answer: The weapons which could penetrate a knight’s coat of armour included a bodkin
arrowhead, or a short stabbing sword which could be thrust through the gaps in a suit of
armour.
4. What sort of values and behaviour were encouraged by the idea of chivalry?
Answer: The idea of chivalry encouraged ‘courtly manners’. These might include being
brave, truthful, godly, gentle, faithful and fearless. In particular, knights were expected to
defend the honour of woman and children.
5. For what purpose were heraldic crests first developed?
Answer: Heraldic crests were first developed to identify a knight in a full suit of armour on
the battlefield. They were placed on colourful ‘surcoats’ which covered the knight’s armour,
but also on their shield and on their horse.
 Create a storyboard telling the process by which a young nobleman trains to become a knight,
passing from page, to squire, to the dubbing ceremony and finally becoming a knight.
 Based on a source showing medieval warfare, such as the ‘Crusader Bible’, write an imaginary
account of what it would have been like to have fought in such a battle.
 Study the legend of King Arthur, and consider how different aspects of the story: the round table,
Camelot, Guinevere, Lancelot, and so on, appeal to the ideal of chivalry.
 Compare the use of heraldic crests with branding and badges for sports teams today. Some
national sports teams still use imagery for their badges that can be traced back to the
medieval period.
Sources
 Scenes from the ‘Crusader Bible’. Made in the 1240s for the crusader king of France Louis IX, it
depicts Old Testament stories but in the style of contemporary medieval warfare.
 Scenes from Froissart's Chronicles depicting medieval warfare during the Hundred Years War.
 Medieval suits of armour and weaponry. Available online via the Royal Armoury.


1. Why do you think that medieval society expected knights to be chivalrous?
2. Why do you think the life of a knight was so highly valued on the medieval battlefield?


Chapter 4: The medieval Church
Recap
 The arrival of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England during the 6th and 7th century, and its
replacement of earlier pagan beliefs.
 The role of the Church in the feudal system.
 Vocabulary to recap: Archbishop of Canterbury; bishop; monk.
Key vocabulary
Benefit of the Clergy The privilege enjoyed by clergymen to be tried in Church courts
Cathedral A large and impressive church that contains the seat of a bishop
Catholicism One of the three major branches of Christianity, led from Rome, by
the Pope
Clergy Officials of the Christian Church, ordained to lead Church services
Doom Painting A painting showing people being sent to heaven or hell on the Day of
Judgement
Monastery A building housing a religious community of monks or nuns
Nun A woman who dedicates her entire life to God, and lives outside of
normal society
Pilgrimage A religious journey, typically taken to a shrine or a site of religious
importance
Pope Leader of the Catholic Church, he lives in Rome and is believed to be
God’s representative on Earth
Purgatory A stage before heaven, where the dead are purged of any remaining sins
Relic An object of religious significance, often the physical or personal remains
of a saint
Superstition The belief in supernatural powers, in place of rational explanation
Tonsure The hairstyle of a medieval monk, supposed to represent Christ’s crown
of thorns
Key people
Geoffrey Chaucer The greatest English poet of the medieval period, and author of the
Canterbury Tales


1. What powers did the medieval Pope have?
Answer: The Pope was the head of the Christian Church, and his power spread across
Western Europe. He could start wars, appoint churchmen in foreign countries and end a
king’s reign through expelling him from the Church.
2. What services did monasteries and abbeys provide for their local community?
Answer: Monasteries and abbeys were central to the functioning of their local community.
They provided education, hospitals, theatrical performances, historical records and welfare
for the poor.
3. Why did popular religion need to be so vivid, dramatic and colourful during the
medieval period?
Answer: Popular religion during the medieval period needed to be vivid, dramatic and
colourful because most people could not read. Therefore, they gained their religious
understanding through images, rituals and performances.
4. What fate did medieval people believe awaited those who sinned on Earth?
Answer: Medieval people believed that those who sinned on Earth would suffer
unspeakable cruelty in purgatory and hell. The sort of tortures one could expect were
depicted in medieval ‘Doom Paintings’.
5. Why did the people of medieval England go on pilgrimage?
Answer: The people of medieval England went on pilgrimage in order to visit a place of
religious significance, such as Canterbury, Rome or Jerusalem. These journeys were
dangerous, and difficult to complete, so in return pilgrims believed they would gain
forgiveness for their sins, the cure to a disease or disability, or good fortune in life.
 Complete a hierarchy pyramid for the medieval Church, similar to that completed for the feudal
system, working through the Pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops and abbots, priests and monks,
the laity.
 Read an extract from the Canterbury Tales.
 Write a daily routine for the life of a monk in a medieval monastery.
Sources
 Medieval ‘Doom Painting’ included in The Book of Hours from 1407, showing in graphic detail what
would happen to people who were sent to hell. Available online via the British Library.
 Manuscript image showing Pope Boniface VIII and his cardinals, c.1300s. Available online via the
British Library.
 Study the remains of some famous religious houses in England, such as Fountains Abbey; Tintern
Abbey; Whitby Abbey; Byland Abbey; Glastonbury Abbey.


1. Why do you think medieval Christianity placed such a strong emphasis on sinners suffering
in hell?
2. Do you think that medieval Christianity was different from Christianity today?


Chapter 5: Crime and punishment
Recap
 The role and power of the Christian Church in medieval society.
 Vocabulary to recap: knight, lord, manor, peasant.
Key vocabulary
Common Law The expectation that penalties for crimes should be ‘common’ throughout
the country
Ducking stool A wooden chair attached to a lever, used to submerge a criminal
under water
Stocks A punishment for petty criminals, where wooden boards locked a criminal
in place
Trial by jury A trial where 12 people consider the evidence and decide on the verdict
Trial by ordeal A trial according to a painful test, where will of God was believed to decide
the verdict


1. Where would a peasant be tried if they had committed a crime?
Answer: If a peasant committed a crime, they would be tried by their lord in a local manorial
court. No lawyers were used, and cases normally took around 15 minutes.
2. During a trial by ordeal, who was believed to reveal the guilt or innocence of
the accused?
Answer: During a trial by ordeal, God was believed to reveal the guilt or innocence of the
accused. For example, in trial by boiling water, if the defendant’s wound healed, then it was
believed that God must have intervened to prove the defendant’s innocence.
3. Why were punishments such as the stocks or the ducking stool carried out
in public?
Answer: Medieval punishments such as the stocks or the ducking stool were carried out in
public to ensure that other people were discouraged from committing the same crimes. The
punishments were designed to humiliate the criminal and give them a sense of shame.
4. Which king reformed the English legal system, and introduced trial by jury?
Answer: Henry II reformed the English legal system and introduced trial by jury. He
appointed judges to travel the country, administering the ‘King’s law’ for important cases,
so it would be fairer and more consistent than the decision of a baron or lord.
5. What is meant by ‘English Common Law’?
Answer: English Common Law means the expectation that penalties for particular crimes
should be ‘common’ throughout the country, to achieve fairness and consistency.
 Complete a chart listing all of the different punishments that existed for medieval crimes, and
explaining ‘What did the punishment entail?’ and ‘How was it designed to humiliate and shame the
criminal?’
 Based on some case studies of medieval crimes, pupils devise a medieval crime that has occurred,
and have it tried in the classroom, acting out the ‘King’s law’ with a judge and jury.
Sources
 Investigate case studies of medieval crimes. Many original cases are available online via the
National Archives’ Crime and Punishment page.
 Image of heretics being burnt at the stake from 1487, available via the British Library.

1. What can you learn about the way medieval people thought from their approach to crime
and punishment?
2. Why do you think that the people of medieval England put their faith in trial by ordeal?

Unit 4: Medieval kingship

Chapter 1: Henry II (1154–1189)
Recap
 The 19-year civil war between Stephen and the Empress Matilda that began in 1135, a period often
known as the anarchy.
 Henry II’s legal reforms, introducing Common Law and travelling courts administering the King’s
justice.
 The role of the Archbishop of Canterbury as head of the English Church.
 Vocabulary to recap: anarchy; Archbishop of Canterbury; benefit of the clergy; illegitimate; monk;
pilgrimage; Pope.
Key vocabulary
Angevin Empire An Empire ruled by Henry II, stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees
Aquitaine Large medieval Duchy covering south-west France, ruled by Queen
Eleanor
Martyr A person who is killed for their beliefs, often religious
Key dates
1154 Henry II is crowned King of England
1170 Henry II accidently orders the murder of Thomas Becket
Key people
Henry II English king who accidently orders the murder of his own Archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Becket A Medieval Archbishop of Canterbury who was killed for his opposition to the king


1. Why was it said that Henry II and Thomas Becket were ‘but one heart and one mind’?
Answer: It was said that Henry II and Thomas Becket were ‘but one heart and one mind’
because they were great friends. They enjoyed hunting and drinking together, and Henry
even sent his son to be brought up in Becket’s household.
2. How did Becket change when he became Archbishop of Canterbury?
Answer: When he became Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket became intensely religious.
He stopped drinking and took to wearing an uncomfortable shirt made of animal hair to
show his godliness. In addition, he stopped standing up for Henry II, and instead defended
the Church.
3. What was the final straw which caused Becket to go into exile in France for
four years?
Answer: The final straw for Henry II which caused Becket to go into exile in France for four
years was when Becket lost his temper in the King’s court, and called Henry’s illegitimate
brother a ‘bastard’.
4. How did Henry II cause four knights to travel to Canterbury and kill Thomas Becket?
Answer: Henry II caused four knights to travel to Canterbury and kill Thomas Becket when
he shouted ‘will nobody rid me of this turbulent priest’. This caused the four knights to
travel to Canterbury Cathedral and kill Becket.
5. What did Henry II do in response to Thomas Becket’s death?
Answer: In response to Thomas Becket’s death, Henry II, in 1174, walked to Canterbury in
bare feet and a hair shirt, and once there, he was whipped by the monks and bishops of
Canterbury before spending the night sleeping beside Becket’s shrine.
 Create a storyboard telling the story of Thomas Becket’s friendship with Henry II, leading all the
way to his murder in Canterbury Cathedral.
 Write a first-hand account from a witness who watched Henry II arriving in Canterbury Cathedral
and being whipped by its monks and bishops. Explain why it is so surprising to see a king seeking
forgiveness and allowing himself to be punished.
Sources
 The eye-witness account of the murder of Thomas Becket by Edward Grim, a clerk from Cambridge
who was visiting Canterbury Cathedral on the day that Becket was murdered.
 The Thomas Becket Casket, made between 1180 and 1190. It contained bones from Becket’s
skeleton which were worshipped in religious houses as holy relics, and is made of Limoges enamel.
Available online via the Victoria and Albert Museum.
 Manuscript miniature of the martyrdom of Thomas Becket, from the collection of Alan of
Tewkesbury. Available online via the British Library.


1. Why do you think Henry II needed to seek forgiveness after causing Thomas Becket’s death?
2. What does Becket’s story say about the relationship between the king and the Church in
medieval England?


Chapter 2: King John (1199–1216)
Recap
 The reign of Henry II, in particular his rule over the Aquitaine Empire.
 The role of the Archbishop of Canterbury as head of the English Church.
 Though pupils may not have studied them yet, it would be worth giving a brief explanation of
the Crusades.
 Vocabulary to recap: civil war; Pope.
Key vocabulary
Excommunication Expulsion from the Catholic Church by the Pope

Habeas Corpus The principle that no person should be imprisoned without first having a
fair trial
Interdict A law ruled by the Pope which temporarily shuts down the Church in a
country or area
Magna Carta A series of promises that King John made to limit his power, meaning ‘the
Great Charter’
Tyrant A ruler who refuses to share their power, and governs in a cruel and
oppressive way
Key dates
1199 King John is crowned King of England after the death of his brother Richard
1215 The barons force King John to sign the Magna Carta
Key people
King John English king seen as a tyrant who is forced to sign the Magna Carta


1. What is King John believed to have done to his nephew Arthur, and why?
Answer: King John is believed to have tied Arthur to a stone and drowned him in the River
Seine. He might have done this because Arthur also had a claim to the English throne, so
was a threat to King John’s reign.
2. Why were the people of England so angry about the interdict of 1209?
Answer: The people of England were so angry about the interdict of 1209 because for five
years English churches were locked to worshippers. No English church could hold
services, marry couples, baptise children or bury dead bodies. People, unable to attend
church services, feared they would go straight to hell.
3. How did King John treat those he disliked, or who betrayed him?
Answer: King John treated those he disliked in a cruel fashion. For example, he took 22
knights who had supported Arthur’s claim to the throne, and locked them in a dungeon in
Corfe Castle, where they starved to death.
4. What are some of the promises included in Magna Carta?
Answer: Some of the promises in Magna Carta included not raising tax without the barons’
permission; not imprisoning people without a fair trial; and not trying to control the English
Church.
5. How did the Magna Carta have a lasting legacy following the death of King John?
Answer: The Magna Carta had a lasting legacy following the death of King John, as future
monarchs were expected to reconfirm the agreement made between King John and his
barons. This meant they vowed never to rule as a tyrant, and the Magna Carta became a
foundational document for English political rights and freedoms.
 Create a mind map of all of the negative actions that King John took as king, causing his people to
start to turn against him.
 Having studied the tyrannical nature of King John’s reign, ask pupils to draw up their own clauses
for a Magna Carta-style document. Then see how closely their clauses align with the real thing.
 There are a number of Magna Carta related resources available online via the British Library, the
National Archives and Parliament.
Sources
 The Magna Carta. A modern English translation is available online via the British Library.
 Medieval accounts of King John, such as those by Matthew Paris and Roger of Wendover.

1. What does the story of Magna Carta tell us about the relationship between a medieval king and
his barons?

2. Why do you think that monks, in particular, disliked King John?


Chapter 3: Edward I (1272–1307)
Recap
 King John’s struggles against the barons.
the Crusades.
 Vocabulary to recap: bishop; noble.
Key vocabulary
Homage The practice of giving an annual payment to your lord to show that you are
their vassal
Hanged, drawn and quartered A gruesome execution, often used against those who commit
treason
Parliament A collection of people representing all of England, who approve or
refuse laws
Prince of Wales A title granted since the reign of Edward I to the heir to the English throne
Stone of Destiny A large block of sandstone historically used for the coronation of Scottish
monarchs
Treason A crime against your own people, nation or monarch
Key dates
1272 Edward I returns from his crusade to be crowned King of England
1283 Edward I conquers Wales and executes Daffyd ap Gruffyd
1305 Edward I executes the rebel Scottish leader William Wallace
Key people
Edward I English king known as the ‘Hammer of the Scots’
Llywelyn ap Gruffyd The last Princes of Wales, prior to its conquest by Edward I
William Wallace A rebel knight who led the resistance to Edward I’s conquest of Scotland


1. Why did Edward I decide to invade Wales?
Answer: Edward I decided to invade Wales because a Welsh prince named Llywelyn ap
Gruffyd did not attend Edward’s coronation in 1272, and refused to pay homage to the new
king. This suggested that the Prince of Wales no longer intended to be a vassal of the
English king.
2. What did Edward I do to punish Dafydd ap Gruffyd?
Answer: To punish Dafydd ap Gruffyd, Edward I had him dragged through the streets by a
horse, hanged until almost dead, disembowelled with his entrails burnt in front of him and
then cut into four pieces which were sent around England. This gruesome execution
became known as being ‘hanged, drawn and quartered’.
3. How did Edward I earn the nickname the ‘Hammer of the Scots’?
Answer: Edward I earned the nickname the ‘Hammer of the Scots’ due to the infamous
brutality of his army towards the Scots. He took just 21 days to conquer the country,
slaughtering Scottish rebels.
4. Why did Edward I fail to bring Scotland under English control?
Answer: Edward I failed to bring Scotland under English control, because he did not have
the funds to keep control of his newly conquered Scotland. Rebellions broke out, led by the
likes of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. When, in 1307, Edward I led an army north
to win back Scotland, he died during the march.
5. Why did Edward I call Parliament to meet in 1295?
Answer: Edward I called Parliament in 1295 to raise money for his campaigns in Scotland
and Wales. He believed that ‘what touches all should be approved by all’, so he wanted the
agreement of his people before he started increasing the taxes they were expected to pay.
 Start with a quiz on the geography of the British Isles, with questions such as what is the difference
between England and Great Britain?
 Study some of the castles built by Edward I in Wales, such as Beaumaris, Harlech and Caernarfon.

1. Would you agree with one historian’s verdict that Edward I was a ‘great and terrible king’?
2. Why was Wales ruled by England from 1283 onwards?


Chapter 4: Henry V (1413–1422)
Recap
 The Aquitaine Empire during the reign of Henry II, and the historic claim to lands in France made by
English kings.
 Vocabulary to recap: civil war; Parliament.
Key vocabulary
Calais French port town, which for two centuries was an English territory
Depose To suddenly or forcefully remove a monarch from power
Dysentery An infection of the intestines that causes severe diarrhoea
Hundred Years War A long conflict between England and France beginning in the 14th century
Longbow A six foot bow, used to great effect by the English during the late
medieval period
Man-at-arms A heavily armed medieval soldier on horseback, but not necessarily a
feudal knight
Palings A barrier made from pointed wooden or metal poles to defend against
cavalry charges
Key dates
1413 Henry V is crowned King of England
1415 Henry V wins the Battle of Agincourt
Key people
Henry V English king who won the Battle of Agincourt


1. What did Henry V learn to do, which was unusual for an English king during this
period?
Answer: Henry V learnt to read and write in English, which was unusual for a medieval
king. This greatly aided royal administration.
2. What gave Henry the perfect opportunity to invade France in 1415?
Answer: Henry V was given the perfect opportunity to invade France in 1415 when it
became engulfed in civil war during the reign of the mad king Charles VI.
3. In what condition was Henry V’s English army before the Battle of Agincourt?
Answer: Henry V’s English army was in a very bad way before the battle of Agincourt. For
almost a month, they had trudged through constant rain with very few supplies, following
the siege of Harfleur. They were cold, weak, wounded and hungry.
4. Why were English longbowmen crucial to the English victory at Agincourt?
Answer: The English longbowmen were crucial to the English victory at Agincourt because
they were able to rain down a storm of arrows on the French men-at-arms. The French
were a sitting target, as they had been trapped in muddy ground with forests pinning them
in on either side.
5. Why was Henry V never able to claim his title as King of both England and France?
Answer: Henry V was never able to claim his title as King of both England and France as
he died a month too early. The Treaty of Troyes agreed that Henry V would marry Charles
VI of France’s daughter, Catherine, and rule England and France after Charles’s death.
However, Charles outlived him.
 Annotate a map of the battlefield at Agincourt to understand Henry V’s ‘impossible victory’ against
the French.
 Read and perform the ‘St Crispin’s Day Speech’ from Shakespeare’s Henry V.
Sources
 Images from Froissart’s Chronicles of the Hundred Years War, such as the Battle of Crecy in 1346.
This was an important victory for England in the Hundred Years War, and Froissart’s depiction
emphasises the importance of the longbow for the English army.
 The eye-witness account of the Battle of Agincourt from Jehan de Wavrin, the son of a Flemish
knight, who watched the battle from the French lines.

1. What was more important in securing victory at Agincourt: English tactics or French mistakes?
2. What actions did Henry V take to ensure that he was popular amongst the people he ruled?


Chapter 5: Medieval queens
Recap
 The reign of Henry II, the husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
 The reign of Edward I, the father of Isabella of France’s husband.
the Crusades.
 Vocabulary to recap: Aquitaine; baron; chivalry; hanged, drawn and quartered.
Key vocabulary
Depose To suddenly or forcefully remove a monarch from power

Regent Someone who is appointed to rule on behalf of a monarch, when the monarch is
too young, infirm or absent to rule
Key dates
1204 Eleanor of Aquitaine dies
1308 Isabella of France marries Edward II
1326 Isabella of France deposes Edward II
Key people
Eleanor of Aquitaine Wife of Henry II and one of the most powerful women in medieval Europe
Isabella of France English queen who deposed her own husband, Edward II


1. Why were women unlikely to hold political power during the medieval period?
Answer: Women were unlikely to hold political power during the medieval period as they
were expected to be meek and gentle, and power was intimately related to physical
prowess. For this reason, it was seen as unnatural for a woman to hold power.
2. In what ways was Eleanor’s marriage to Henry II more successful than her marriage
to Louis VII?
Answer: Eleanor’s marriage to Henry II was more successful than her marriage to Louis VII
because they had five sons together, and (though they often fell out) they remained
married until Henry II’s death. In comparison, her marriage to Louis VII lasted only five
years, and the slow-witted Louis was not a good match for the high-spirited and intelligent
Eleanor.
3. How did Eleanor wield power during the reigns of her sons, Richard I and
King John?
Answer: Eleanor wielded power during the reign of her son Richard I by acting as his
regent when he left England to fight in the Third Crusade. During the reign of her son King
John, Eleanor wielded power by travelling through France and Spain negotiating alliances
on his behalf.
4. Which two male courtiers became Edward II’s favourites, and what happened to
each of them?
Answer: Piers Gaveston was Edward II’s first court favourite, but in 1312 he was captured
by a group of barons and executed. Edward II then gained a new favourite called Hugh
Despenser. Despenser was hated by many in England, and after Isabella and Mortimer
invaded England in September 1326, they captured him and had him hanged, drawn and
quartered.
5. What did Isabella of France do which makes her unique amongst English queens?
Answer: Isabella of France had her husband Edward II arrested and imprisoned in
Berkeley Castle, where he eventually died. This makes Isabella the only queen in English
history to depose her own husband.
 Write an obituary for either Eleanor of Aquitaine or Isabella of France, explaining what an
extraordinary and unusual life the woman in question led for a medieval queen.
Sources
 The Chinon mural. Discovered in 1964, many believe it to depict Eleanor of Aquitaine in procession
during the marriage of her son King John.
 The effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine in Fontevraud Abbey, France.
 There are many illustrations from the story of Edward II and Isabella of France from Froissart’s
Chronicles, including the execution of Hugh Despenser in 1326.

 A 15th century manuscript illustration of Isabella of France with Roger Mortimer, from the
Chronicles of Jehan de Wavrin. Available online via the British Library.
1. How were Eleanor of Aquitaine and Isabella of France both able to gain so much
political power?
2. Why do you think people in medieval Europe saw it as unnatural for a woman to hold
political power?

Unit 5: The Crusades

Chapter 1: The Islamic world
Recap
 Any background knowledge that pupils may have about Islam, in particular its history, from
Religious Education or elsewhere.
 Make a link between the fall of Rome in AD 476 (relevant to the Byzantine Empire) and the
departure of the Romans from Britain in AD 410, leading to the Anglo-Saxon period in English
history.
 Vocabulary to recap: empire; hereditary.
Key vocabulary
Byzantium A Greek speaking offshoot of the Roman Empire, with

Constantinople as its capital city
Caliphate An Islamic Empire, ruled by a religious leader known as the Caliph
Constantinople The capital of the Byzantine Empire, and modern day Istanbul
Eastern Orthodox Church Eastern form of Christianity, followed by the Byzantines
House of Wisdom A great library founded by the Abassid caliph al-Mamun in
Baghdad
Islam A major world religion, begun by the Prophet Muhammad around
AD 610
Jews An ethnic and religious group, belonging to the ancient religion

of Judaism
Mecca Birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and Islam’s most important
site of pilgrimage
Shia Minority branch within Islam, which holds that Ali ibn Abi Talib was
the rightful Caliph
Sunni The largest branch of Islam, which opposed Ali ibn Abi Talib as
Caliph
Key dates
632 The Prophet Muhammad dies, having established the Islamic religion
661 Ali ibn Abi Talib is assassinated leading to the split between Sunni and Shia Muslims
750 The Abbasid Caliphate replaces the Umayyad, moving the capital from Damascus to Baghdad
Key people

Prophet Muhammad A merchant from Mecca who founded the Islamic religion

1. How far had the Islamic Empire spread by 750?
Answer: By 750, the Islamic Empire spread from Spain’s Atlantic coast in the West to the
edge of India in the East. Muslim forces had conquered Syria by 638, Persia by 651 and
Spain by 711.
2. Why did it become difficult to rule the caliphate as a unified state with a
single leader?
Answer: It became difficult to rule the caliphate as a unified state with a single leader due
to its ongoing expansion. As the Islamic Empire grew bigger and bigger, it became more
and more difficult to control it with one central government.
3. Why did a split emerge between the Sunni and the Shia branches of Islam?
Answer: A split emerged between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam due to a
disagreement about how the title of caliph should be decided. The Shia branch of Islam
believed that it should pass through Muhammad’s family, whilst the Sunni branch believed
it should not necessarily be a hereditary role.
4. What was the ‘House of Wisdom’ in Baghdad?
Answer: The ‘House of Wisdom’ in Baghdad was created by the Abassid caliph as a great
library, where people could study mathematics, astronomy, chemistry and philosophy. It
also kept alive the classical texts of Ancient Greece and Rome.
5. How did the Byzantine Empire develop from the Roman Empire?
Answer: The Byzantine Empire can be traced back to the 4th century, when the Roman
Empire was divided and Byzantium became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. After
the fall of Rome in 476, the Byzantine Empire survived for another 1000 years.
 Annotate a large map of Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Pupils label Mecca;
the Arabian Peninsula; Damascus (the centre of the Umayyad Caliphate until 750); Baghdad (the
centre of the Abbasid Caliphate from 750); Egypt (the centre of the Shia Fatimids); Al-Andalus in
Spain; Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. Pupils then shade in the extent of the Islamic
world by AD 750, and the extent of the Byzantine Empire during the same period.
Sources
 Description of Baghdad under the Abbasids from AD 1000, from Geographical Encyclopaedia by
Yaqut al-Hamawi, a scholar who worked in modern day Iraq during the 13th century. Available
online via the Fordham University Medieval Sourcebook.
 A page from the Materia Medica in Arabic – a 13th century translation of a Roman text on medicine.
Available online via the British Museum’s Teaching History with 100 Objects project.

 The British Museum also has a Key Stage 3 Islamic Civilisations Resource Pack, available online.

1. Why do you think Islam spread so quickly and became so powerful in the medieval world?
2. Why do you think learning and culture flourished in the Islamic world during the medieval
period?


Chapter 2: The First Crusade
Recap
 The Islamic world of the medieval period, and the nature and extent of the Byzantine Empire.
 Vocabulary to recap: Byzantium; Constantinople; Islam; Jews; Prophet Muhammad; Shia; Sunni.
Key vocabulary
Asia Minor A peninsula with the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Black Sea to
the north
Crusade A religiously inspired war, the word comes from the Latin ‘crux’ meaning
‘cross’
Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine where Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven
Holy Land An area of religious significance for three faiths on the Mediterranean’s
eastern shore
Holy Sepulchre Site of Christian pilgrimage, where the body of Jesus Christ is believed to
be buried
Jerusalem Historic city, of major religious importance for Christianity, Islam and
Judaism
Seljuk Turks A Sunni Muslim tribe who conquered Jerusalem in 1079
Key dates
1079 Seljuk Turks seized control of Jerusalem from the Fatimids
1095 Pope Urban II launches the First Crusade
1099 Crusaders capture Jerusalem, creating the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Key people
Godfrey of Bouillon Crusader knight who led the siege of Jerusalem and became its first
Christian ruler
Urban II The Pope who began the First Crusade with a speech in Clermont


1. Why is Jerusalem a place of major importance for three world religions?
Answer: Jerusalem is a place of major importance for three world religious: Christians,
Muslims and Jews. For Christians, it is the home of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. For
Muslims, it is the home of the Dome of the Rock. And for Jews, it is the home of the
Wailing Wall.
2. What did the Pope promise to Christian knights who agreed to take part in the
First Crusade?
Answer: The Pope promised Christian knights who agreed to take part in the First Crusade
that they would have all of their previous sins forgiven and be granted a guaranteed place
in heaven.
3. Who led the First Crusade?
Answer: The First Crusade was led by a group of noblemen from France, Germany and
Italy. They included a knight called Raymond of Toulouse; Robert Duke of Normandy, the
eldest son of William the Conqueror; and Bohemond of Taranto, a knight from Southern
Italy.
4. Why did the crusaders resort to looting as they made their way towards Jerusalem?
Answer: The crusaders resorted to looting as they made their way towards Jerusalem as
they quickly ran out of food and water marching through the endless miles of hot, dry
terrain. Thus, they had to loot nearby villages to survive.
5. How did the crusaders behave once they had broken into Jerusalem?
Answer: Once the crusaders had broken into Jerusalem, they massacred the Muslim and
Jewish population, killing, torturing and burning alive an estimated 10 000 men, women
and children. This butchery by the crusader knights shocked the Muslim world.
 On a map of Europe and the Middle East, draw an illustrated route of the journey taken by those
fighting in the First Crusade, starting with Pope Urban II’s address in Clermont, passing through
Asia Minor, Nicaea and Antioch, and ending in Jerusalem.
Sources
 The speech made by Pope Urban II in 1095 in Clermont, starting the First Crusade.
 Contemporary account of the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099 by Fulcher of Chartres who took part in
the storming of the city.
 Contemporary account of the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099, from an unknown source. Available
online via Eyewitness to History.

1. Why do you think Pope Urban II’s speech was so successful in persuading knights to join
his crusade?

2. Why do you think the crusader knights behaved as they did once they reached Jerusalem?


Chapter 3: Crusader states
Recap
 The First Crusade and the Siege of Jerusalem.
 King John’s behaviour during the reign of Richard I.
 Vocabulary to recap: Byzantium; crusade; Holy Land; Jerusalem.
Key vocabulary
Acre Important crusader port city, and their last stronghold in the Holy Land
Crusader State New feudal states that were created in the Holy Land by European knights
Jihad An Islamic term meaning ‘struggle’, often used to describe a holy war
Sultan The Arabic title for a ruler or emperor
Key dates
1144 The Second Crusade ends in defeat after a failed attack on the city of Damascus
1187 Saladin captures Jerusalem, having defeated the crusader force at the Battle of Hattin
1192 The Third Crusade ends with peace between Richard I and Saladin
Key people
Baldwin I The first Christian King of Jerusalem
Richard I English king and brother of King John, known as ‘the Lionheart’
Saladin Muslim warrior, who captured Jerusalem from the crusaders in 1187


1. What did the Crusader knights establish having conquered Jerusalem?
Answer: Having conquered Jerusalem, the Crusader knights established a network of
crusader states, which they ruled. These included the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Antioch
and Edessa.
2. Why did the Second Crusade end in failure?
Answer: The Second Crusade ended in failure because the force led by Louis VII of France
and Conrad III of Germany, decided to ignore the original aim of reclaiming Edessa, and
instead attacked the larger and wealthier city of Damascus. The crusader force withdrew
from Damascus after three days, and returned to Europe empty-handed.
3. Why did Richard the Lionheart decide against laying siege to Jerusalem in 1192?
Answer: Richard the Lionheart decided against laying siege to Jerusalem in 1192 because
he doubted his ability to take the city. His soldiers were exhausted, and the weather
was dreadful.
4. What was agreed in the 1192 peace between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin?
Answer: The 1192 peace between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin agreed that
Jerusalem would remain in Muslim hands, but the crusaders were allowed to keep the
valuable strip of coastal land around Acre. In addition, Christians were given full permission
to visit Jerusalem on pilgrimage.
5. How did Saladin gain his reputation for being merciful?
Answer: Saladin gained his reputation for being merciful through acts of surprising
kindness towards his enemies. For example, when Richard was suffering from a terrible
fever during the summer of 1192, Saladin sent him peaches and sherbet cooled with snow
from nearby mountains to help him recover.
 To inform a piece of writing comparing Saladin and Richard the Lionheart, complete a chart
comparing their various attributes and weaknesses.
 Add further information to the map from previous lessons, such as: crusader states in Antioch and
Edessa; the Second Crusade and Damascus; Richard the Lionheart in Cyprus; and the Siege
of Acre.
Sources
 Account of the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin, from De Expugnatione Terrae Sanctae per
Saladinum, a contemporary account by an unknown Christian participant in the battle. Available
 Account of Richard the Lionheart making peace with Saladin in 1192, from Itinerarium
Peregrinorum et Gesta Regis Ricardi, an English account of the Third Crusade written during the
early 1220s. Available online via the Fordham University Medieval Sourcebook.

 Tile depicting Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, found at the Benedictine abbey of Chertsey in
Surrey. Available online via the British Museum’s Teaching History with 100 Objects project.
1. Who do you think won the Third Crusade – Richard the Lionheart or Saladin?
2. Why do you think Saladin behaved as he did towards his enemies?


Chapter 4: Life as a crusader knight
Recap
 The establishment of crusader states, and the Second and Third Crusades.
 Vocabulary to recap: armour; crusade; Holy Land; monk.
Key vocabulary
Knights Hospitaller An elite order of crusader knights, originally formed to run a hospital for
pilgrims
Knights Templar An elite order of crusader knights, named after the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem
Saracen Term used by crusaders to describe Muslim soldiers, taken from the
Greek word for Arab


1. How much has one historian estimated it cost a poor knight to go on crusade?
Answer: One historian has estimated that going on crusade cost four times the annual
income of a poor knight. This was because he not only had to pay for himself, but also for
weapons, armour, equipment, food and a small entourage of foot soldiers and servants.
2. Why was the armour of European knights unsuited to fighting in a crusade?
Answer: The armour of European knights was unsuited to fighting in a crusade as the
scorching heat of the summer caused the knight to reach unbearable temperatures, and
rain and snow caused armour to rust during the winter.
3. In what ways did European crusaders adopt ‘Eastern’ ways once they settled in the
Holy Land?
Answer: The sort of ‘Eastern’ ways European crusaders adopted once they settled in the
Holy Land included washing regularly, eating Middle Eastern food, wearing turbans,
marrying local women and learning to speak the local languages.
4. What was the social status of Muslims living under Christian rule in the Holy Land?
Answer: The social status of Muslims living under Christian rule in the Holy Land was
always lower than the European settlers who ruled over them.
5. What were the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller?
Answer: The Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller were military orders of crusader
knights. Like monks, they lived together, took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
However, they were also fighters, feared for their discipline and devotion.
 Based on life in the Holy Land, draw a chart listing all of the reasons why a European might choose
to fight in the Crusades, according to ‘greed’, ‘glory’ or ‘God’.
 Write a letter from a crusader knight living in the Holy Land, persuading a family member to ‘take to
the cross’ and come and join him, living and fighting in the Holy Land.
Sources
 Account describing the early stages of the Battle of Al Mansurah in 1250 by Jean de Joinville, from
his biography of King Louis IX published in 1309. Available online via Eyewitness to History.
 Account of the Crusaders from Usamah Ibn Munqidh, a Muslim warrior and courtier, taken from his
autobiography written around 1175. Available online via the Fordham University Medieval
Sourcebook.
 Fulcher of Chartres on The Latins in the East. Available online via the Fordham University Medieval
Sourcebook.

1. What do you think was the main motivation for European knights to go on crusade?
2. Why do you think military orders developed in the crusader states?


Chapter 5: The end of the Crusades
Recap
 The Islamic world of the medieval period, in particular its intellectual and cultural wealth, and the
nature and extent of the Byzantine Empire.
 The establishment of crusader states, and the Second and Third Crusades.
 See whether pupils remember from having studied castles that the design of a concentric castle
came to Europe from castles witnessed in the Islamic world and Byzantine Empire.
 Vocabulary to recap: Acre; Byzantium; Constantinople; Holy Land.
Key vocabulary
Anti-Semitism The prejudice against and persecution of Jews as an ethnic group

Mamluks An Islamic dynasty formed by slave-soldiers which conquered Acre in 1291
Key dates
1204 The Fourth Crusade ends with the sacking of Constantinople
1212 The so-called ‘Children’s Crusade’ leaves Europe for the Holy Land
1291 The last crusader stronghold of Acre falls to Mamluk invaders, ending the Crusades
Key people
Alexios Angelos Byzantine Emperor who invited the Fourth Crusade to invade Constantinople


1. What deal did the crusaders strike with the Byzantine prince Alexios during the
Fourth Crusade?
Answer: The crusaders during the Fourth Crusade struck a deal with Alexios Angelos that
they would help him take back his father’s throne. In return, he would pay them the money
they required to complete their journey to the Holy Land.
2. Why did the crusaders turn against Alexios and sack Constantinople in 1204?
Answer: The crusaders turned against Alexios and sacked Constantinople in 1204 because
once Alexios was made Emperor, he was unable to raise the money he had promised the
crusaders. This caused relations to grow bitter.
3. What event marked the end of the Crusades, and when did it take place?
Answer: The end of the Crusades can be said to be marked by the fall of Acre to a new
force of Muslim warriors called the Mamluks in 1291. Acre was the last crusader
possession in the Holy Land, after it fell, the crusader presence in the Holy Land was over.
4. What ideas and technologies did crusaders bring back to Europe from the
Islamic world?
Answer: Crusaders brought many ideas and technologies back to Europe from the Islamic
world. These included soap, mirrors, magnifying glasses, our modern numerals and
algebra. The lute and the board game chess also came to Europe from the Islamic world
during this period. So too did many texts from Ancient Greece and Rome which had been
kept alive by Arabic translations.
5. What effect did the Crusades have on the lives of Jews living in Europe?
Answer: The Crusades had a negative effect on the lives of Jews living in Europe. They
were increasingly seen as being enemies of Christ, similar to Muslims. For this reason,
they were massacred in France and Germany during the First Crusade, and expelled from
many European countries during the following centuries.
 Complete a chart on the four crusades, for each one answering the questions: ‘Who led it?’; ‘Where
did they attack?’; ‘What was the outcome of the crusade?’
 Create an illustrated mind map of all of the new things that came to Europe from the Islamic world
due to the Crusades.
Sources
 Account of the ‘Sack of Constantinople’ by Nicetas Choniates, a Byzantine historian. Available

1. Why do you think the outcome of the Fourth Crusade harmed the reputation of crusader
knights?

2. Did the crusades hold any lasting benefits for Europe after the last crusaders stronghold fell
in 1291?

Unit 6: Late medieval England

Chapter 1: The Black Death
Recap
 Life in a medieval village and the power of the medieval Church.
 Vocabulary to recap: Jews; superstition.
Key vocabulary
Black Death A plague that devastated medieval Europe in the 14th century
Buboes Onion-shaped swellings that were usually the first symptom of the
Black Death
Bubonic plague The most common variant of the plague, named after the swellings on
victims’ bodies
Flagellant Member of a religious sect who whipped themselves in punishment for
their sins
Miasma The theory that disease is caused by the spreading smell of a poisonous
cloud of ‘bad air’
Pestilence Another term for disease, and one of the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse
Pneumonic plague An even more lethal variant of the plague, which attacks the lungs
Key dates
1348 The Black Death hits England


1. What proportion of England’s population was killed by the Black Death?
Answer: Within two years, the Black Death killed between one third to one half of
England’s population.
2. What were the symptoms of the bubonic plague?
Answer: The first symptoms of the bubonic plague were large swellings known as ‘buboes’
which appeared in victims’ armpits and between their legs and were said to resemble an
onion. These buboes then spread to the rest of the victim’s body, followed by blue or black
blotches. Sufferers then started to vomit and spit blood, suffer from seizures and foul
smelling breath. After around two or three days, they would die.
3. What was the most common explanation for the Black Death?
Answer: The most common explanation for the Black Death was that it was a punishment
sent down by God, who had been angered by greed and sin on Earth.
4. How were dead bodies dealt with in towns and cities during the Black Death?
Answer: In towns and cities during the Black Death, dead bodies were thrown into mass
graves, but these were often little more than ditches with a thin layer of earth to cover
the dead.
5. Why did flagellants think that whipping themselves would save them from the
Black Death?
Answer: Flagellants believed that whipping themselves would save them from the Black
Death because if they punished themselves, God would not see the need to punish them
also with the plague.
 Draw images of people suffering from the two variants of the Black Death, the pneumonic and the
bubonic plagues.
 Create a chart of all of the different explanations given for the Black Death, answering questions
such as: ‘What was the explanation?’; ‘Why might medieval people have thought this?’; ‘How
sensible was this explanation?’
Sources
 The description of the Black Death written by Welsh poet Jeuan Gethin, just before his death in
April 1349. Available online via BBC History.
 Extract from the Chronicle of the Annals of Ireland by John Clyn describing the Black Death.
Available online via BBC History.
 Description of the spread of the Black Death from Geoffrey le Baker, a clerk in Oxfordshire writing
at the time of the Black Death. Available online via BBC History.
 Painting of flagellants from the Belgian town of Tournai, from the Chronicle of Aegidius li Muisis.


1. What can you learn about the way medieval people thought from their response to the
Black Death?
2. How do you think the Black Death affected people’s religious beliefs?


Chapter 2: The Peasants’ Revolt
Recap
 The feudal system, in particular the relationship between a peasant and their lord.
 Life in a medieval village and the power of the medieval Church.
 The spread and impact of the Black Death.
 Vocabulary to recap: Black Death; feudal system; hierarchy; Hundred Years War; lord; peasant.
Key vocabulary
Peasants’ Revolt A major uprising across England that took place 30 years after the
Black Death
Poll Tax A flat rate tax paid by all adults, literally meaning ‘per head’ of the
English people
Protector A nobleman ruling on the behalf of a young monarch until they come
of age
Savoy Palace John of Gaunt’s sumptuous medieval home, destroyed during the
Peasants’ Revolt
Statute of Labourers A 1351 law which fixed the maximum wage for peasants at pre-Black
Death levels
Sumptuary Laws Rules explaining what clothing different ranks within the feudal system
could wear
Yeomen A new class in late medieval England: commoners who farmed their
own land
Key dates
1381 The Peasants’ Revolt
Key people
John of Gaunt The powerful uncle of Richard II who ruled on his behalf
Wat Tyler Leader of the Peasants’ Revolt, thought to have been a yeoman from Kent


1. How did the government respond to the growing wealth and power of
medieval peasants?
Answer: The government responded to the growing wealth and power of medieval
peasants by trying to stop it from growing any further. In 1351, the Statute of Labourers
was passed, which fixed peasant wages at the pre-Black Death levels. In 1363, the
Sumptuary Laws were passed, laying out in detail what different classes were allowed to
wear. These laws were designed to keep the peasants in their place.
2. Why was the Poll Tax so unpopular among medieval peasants?
Answer: The Poll Tax was unpopular among medieval peasants because all adults over
the age of 14 had to pay the same price, rich or poor. This was unfair on the peasants, who
had far less money than their lords.
3. What parts of England did the peasants who took part in the revolt come from?
Answer: The peasants who took part in the revolt came from Essex, where a revolt in the
town of Brentwood turned into open rebellion against the king. In addition, 4000 peasants
came from the nearby county of Kent, led by a yeoman named Wat Tyler.
4. What did the peasants do once they reached London?
Answer: Once they reached London, the peasants stormed Newgate and Westminster
prisons, burned John of Gaunt’s Savoy Palace to the ground, and executed the Archbishop
of Canterbury and the Lord High Treasurer.
5. How did Wat Tyler die?
Answer: Wat Tyler died during his negotiations with Richard. Some say Tyler attacked
Richard’s men, others that he rudely spat on the ground. Either way, a struggle ensued
during which Tyler was run through with a sword and killed.
 In order to understand the changing labour market and property market after the Black Death, ask
the class to consider what the consequences would be for workers’ pay and property prices if half
the population today were to die in the space of three years.
 Create a storyboard explaining the progress of the Peasants’ Revolt.
 Write a speech in the guise of either Wat Tyler or John Ball persuading the peasants of Essex and
Kent to march on London.
Sources
 Extracts from Piers the Plowman by William Langland, a poem about medieval society written
around 1370.
 The Triumph of Death, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It was painted around 1562, but was influenced
by the repeated attacks of the Bubonic Plague on medieval society.

 Illustration from Froissart’s Chronicles, created 1483, showing the final stages of the Peasants’
Revolt. Watt Tyler is killed by the London Mayor, William Walworth.
 The account of the death of Watt Tyler from Anonimalle Chronicle, written shortly after the revolt at
St Mary's Abbey, York. Available online via the Fordham University Medieval Sourcebook.
1. How did those who survived the Black Death benefit from deaths caused by the disease?
2. How do you think that the Black Death and the Peasants’ Revolt challenged the feudal system?


Chapter 3: The Wars of the Roses
Recap
 The reign of Henry V, and his death just before he could become King of France.
 Medieval warfare, and the role of a medieval knight.
Key vocabulary
Lancastrian A supporter of King Henry VI, or members of his family, during the Wars of
the Roses
Wars of the Roses A series of wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster lasting for
30 years
Yorkist A supporter of the Duke of York, and later his sons, during the Wars of
the Roses
Key dates
1453 King Henry VI goes mad
1459 War breaks out between the House of Lancaster and the House of York
1460 The Duke of York is defeated at the Battle of Wakefield, and killed
1461 Edward IV is crowned King of England
1461 The Yorkists defeat the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton
Key people
Edward IV Son of the Duke of York, he was the first Yorkist King during the Wars of the Roses
Henry VI The mad Lancastrian King at the start of the Wars of the Roses
Margaret of Anjou The French wife of Henry VI, who took charge of the House of Lancaster


1. In what way was Henry VI different from his father, Henry V?
Answer: Henry VI was very different to his father Henry V. Whilst Henry V was the hero of
Agincourt, and a great fighter on the battlefield, Henry VI hated the idea of war, and was
the first medieval king never to lead his army on the battlefield. He preferred books and
churches to fighting, and many of his noblemen believed he was a coward.
2. Why did many nobles, such as the Duke of York, believe Henry VI was incapable of
ruling England?
Answer: Many nobles, such as the Duke of York, believed Henry VI was incapable of ruling
England because he suffered repeated bouts of madness. He would become completely
unresponsive to anything around him, and had to be cared for like a new-born child.
3. Who led the House of Lancaster at the beginning of the Wars of the Roses?
Answer: At the beginning of the Wars of the Roses, the House of Lancaster was led by
Henry VI’s French wife Margaret of Anjou.
4. Who was crowned as the first Yorkist King of England in March 1461?
Answer: Edward IV was crowned the first Yorkist King of England in March 1461. He had
taken charge of the Yorkist side following the death of his father at the battle of Wakefield
in December 1460.
5. What can be learnt about the Battle of Towton from the skeletons that have been
found on the site?
Answer: From the skeletons that have been found on the site, we can learn that the Battle
of Towton saw an extreme level of brutality and violence. Skulls found at the site were
covered with more than 20 wounds, suggesting that soldiers mutilated the dead bodies of
their enemies.
 Complete a chart with the opposing reasons on either side for why one would have supported the
Lancastrians or the Yorkists at the start of the Wars of the Roses.
 Complete a case study of the gruesome Battle of Towton, which is thought to be the largest battle
ever fought on English soil.
Sources
 The account of the Battle of Towton from Edward Hall, a 16th century chronicler.

1. Why do you think that many people in England were willing to fight for the Yorkists?
2. Why do you think the fighting between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists was so savage?


Chapter 4: Yorkist rule
Recap
 The outbreak of the Wars of the Roses, and the coronation of the Yorkist Edward IV in 1461.
 Vocab to recap: Lancastrian; Wars of the Roses; Yorkist.
Key vocabulary
Protector A nobleman ruling on the behalf of a young monarch until they come of age
The Kingmaker A nickname given to the Earl of Warwick during the Wars of the Roses
Key dates
1470 Warwick the Kingmaker placed Henry VI back on the throne
1471 Edward IV wins back his throne at the Battle of Barnet, and Henry VI dies
1483 King Richard III seizes the English throne following the death of his brother
Key people
Elizabeth Woodville The wife of Edward IV, who controversially did not come from a noble family
The Earl of Warwick A powerful nobleman who helped both Henry VI and Edward IV take the throne


1. What role did the Earl of Warwick play when Edward IV became king?
Answer: When Edward IV became king, the Earl of Warwick was the power behind the
throne. He had groomed Edward to become king from an early age, and guaranteed the
support of the nobles for the new king.
2. Why were Edward VI’s subjects, in particular Warwick, so shocked by his marriage?
Answer: Edward VI’s subjects, in particular Warwick, were shocked by Edward VI’s
marriage to Elizabeth Woodville because she was a commoner. Such a marriage was
unheard of for a king, who was expected to form a tactical alliance by marrying into another
royal family.
3. On what basis did Richard III make himself King of England in place of his nephew
Edward V?
Answer: Richard III made himself King of England in place of his nephew Edward V on the
basis that the marriage between Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville was invalid. This
meant that Edward V was not their legitimate child.
4. How did Shakespeare depict Richard III in his play, written a century after
Richard’s death?
Answer: Shakespeare depicted Richard III in his 1592 play as an ugly hunchback with a
withered arm. How far this depiction is true is a source of debate.
5. What did the findings of Professor W. Wright appear to show in 1933?
Answer: The findings of Professor W. Wright in 1933 appeared to show that the skeletons
found hidden behind a staircase in the Tower of London were of two boys, aged around
eleven and thirteen, with a red mark on the bones indicating a bloodstain – something
commonly caused by suffocation. This was taken by many at the time to prove that the
skeletons were, in fact, the princes, and they had been killed by suffocation.
 Complete a family tree for the Yorkist side, including the Duke of York; his sons George, Richard
and Edward; Edward’s two sons; and Elizabeth Woodville.
 Complete an annotated timeline of the Wars of the Roses, so that pupils can understand how the
throne swung from Lancaster to York, and back to Lancaster, then back to York.
 Investigate whether it should be believed that Richard III did murder the Princes in the Tower,
weighing the evidence for both sides of the debate.
Sources
 Extracts from The Usurpation of Richard III, written in December 1483 by Dominic Mancini. He was
an Italian spy who worked for the Archbishop of Vienne, and was briefly visiting England in 1483.
 The account of the Princes’ death by the Tudor scholar Sir Thomas More, written between 1512
and 1519.


1. Why might it be possible that Richard III killed the Princes in the Tower?
2. How would you describe the behaviour of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses?


Chapter 5: The Battle of Bosworth Field
Recap
 The outbreak of the Wars of the Roses, and the coronation of the Yorkist Edward IV in 1461.
 The coronation of Richard III in 1483, and the suspicious circumstances by which he came to
the throne.
 Vocabulary to recap: Lancastrian; Wars of the Roses; Yorkist.
Key vocabulary
Dynasty A succession of powerful people from the same family

Pikemen Soldiers who carried 12-foot-long, steel headed pikes, used to stop cavalry charges
Key dates
1485 Henry Tudor wins the Battle of Bosworth and is crowned King Henry VII
Key people
Elizabeth of York The elder sister of the murdered princes in the tower, who married Henry Tudor
Margaret Beaufort The mother of Henry VII, who played a central role in his bid for the throne


1. What was Henry Tudor’s claim to the throne?
Answer: Henry Tudor’s claim to the throne was not strong. On his father’s side, his Welsh
grandfather had been servant to Henry V, and married Henry V’s widow in 1432. In
addition, his mother was the great-great-granddaughter of Edward III.
2. Who helped Henry Tudor prepare his bid for the English throne?
Answer: Henry’s mother helped him prepare his bid for the English throne. Margaret
Beaufort was a skilful political operator, moving her support between the Houses of
Lancaster and York when it suited her best.
3. What happened to Richard III during his cavalry charge against the Lancastrians?
Answer: During his cavalry charge against the Lancastrians, Richard III was knocked off
his horse by a French pikeman. According to Shakespeare’s retelling of the battle, Richard
cried out at this moment: ‘A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!’
4. What was sensible about Henry VII’s decision to marry Elizabeth of York?
Answer: Henry VII’s decision to marry Elizabeth of York was sensible because she was a
member of the House of York, and Henry VII was a member of the House of Lancaster.
This marriage united the two houses, and could finally end their 30-year feud.
5. Who do sympathisers of Richard III believe is responsible for his bad reputation in
English history?
Answer: Sympathisers of Richard III believe that Shakespeare is responsible for his bad
reputation in English history, due to his play that was written around one hundred years
after Richard III’s death.
 Annotate a map of the Battle of Bosworth Field, explaining all of the key aspects of the battle.
 Complete a case study of why the skeleton found in Leicester in 2012 could be identified
as Richard III.
Sources
 Account of the Battle of Bosworth from Polydore Vergil, written 1503-12.
 Account of the Battle of Bosworth from John Rous, a Warwickshire priest, written around 1490.

1. Why do you think Henry VII was able to establish himself as King, despite his weak claim to
the throne?
2. In what ways did women played an important role during the Wars of the Roses?

Quiz questions
Chapter 1: The Anglo-Saxons
1. In what year did the Roman army abandon Britain?
AD 410
2. What was the dominant population of Britain before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons?
Celts
3. What country did the Anglo-Saxons come from?
Germany
4. What major skill did the Romans have, but the Anglo-Saxons lack, which means there is little
evidence from this period?
Ability to read and write (literacy)
5. What term is sometimes used to describe the years that followed the fall of the Roman Empire?
Dark Ages
6. In what sort of communities did the early Anglo-Saxons choose to live?
Villages and small farming communities
7. What object, which signified power and wealth, did the Anglo-Saxons use to fasten
their clothing?
Gold brooch
8. Which Anglo-Saxon ship burial site from the 7th century was found in 1939?
Sutton Hoo
9. What was the most famous object to be found in this 7th century ship burial?
Helmet
10. What do you call someone who examines objects and locations from the past, often
through excavation?
Archaeologist
Chapter 2: Anglo-Saxon rule

1. Name three of the kingdoms that made up Anglo-Saxon Britain.
(three from) Sussex, Wessex, Essex, Kent, East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria
2. Which two counties in England are named after the Anglo-Saxon for northern and
southern ‘people’?
Norfolk and Suffolk
3. What term is used to describe someone who believes in many different gods?
Pagan
4. From where do four of the English days of the week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday, get their names?
Anglo-Saxon gods (Tiw, Woden, Thor, and Freya)

5. Who converted the Anglo-Saxon King of Kent to Christianity and became the first Archbishop
of Canterbury?
Augustine
6. What country did the monk Aiden, who brought Christianity to Northumbria, come from?
Ireland
7. What are the richly decorated religious manuscripts from the medieval period called?
Illumination
8. What material, made from the skin of sheep and calves, was used for manuscripts before the
invention of paper?
Vellum
9. Which English monk completed the first history of England in AD 731?
Bede
10. Which king of Mercia built a 149-mile long earthwork between England and Wales?
King Offa
Chapter 3: The Vikings

1. Where did one of the first recorded Viking attacks on English soil take place in AD 793?
Lindisfarne
2. What type of buildings did Viking raiders target for their gold and treasures?
Monasteries
3. What part of Europe did the Vikings originally come from?
Scandinavia
4. What name is given to the Viking ships that combined oars and sails?
Longboat
5. How far east and west did the Vikings travel?
East as far as Russia, and west as far as Canada
6. What was a large sum of money, given to Vikings to prevent further invasions, called?
Danegeld
7. What large Viking force invaded and settled England from 865 onwards?
Great Heathen Army
8. What did Viking warriors name their heaven?
Valhalla
9. What city was the centre of Viking power in England?
Jorvik (York)
10. What Viking method for killing their enemies involved ripping out the victim’s lungs?
Blood eagle
Chapter 4: Alfred the Great

1. Of which Anglo-Saxon kingdom did Alfred the Great become king in AD 871?
Wessex
2. Which Viking king did Alfred defend his kingdom against, and eventually defeat?
King Guthrum
3. When Alfred went into hiding in Somerset, what was the landscape like?
Marshes / swamp
4. At what battle did Alfred the Great defeat the ‘Great Heathen Army’?
The Battle of Edington
5. What name was given to the territory given over to Viking rule by Alfred?
Danelaw
6. What were the fortified towns that Alfred built across Wessex called?
Burhs
7. What part-time Anglo-Saxon army, called to fight at times of war, did Alfred organise?
Fyrd
8. What language did Alfred learn at around the age of 40?
Latin
9. What contemporary record of English history began during Alfred’s reign?
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
10. In what year did Alfred the Great die?
899
Chapter 5: The Anglo-Saxon Golden Age

1. Which of Alfred the Great’s children helped to win Mercia back from the Vikings?
Æthelflæd
2. After the death of her husband, what name was given to Alfred the Great’s daughter?
Lady of the Mercians
3. Which Anglo-Saxon king unified England as a single country?
Æthelstan
4. Victory at what battle in 937 confirmed Anglo-Saxon rule of all England?
The Battle of Brunanburh
5. What name was given to the collection of Anglo-Saxon noblemen and clergymen who advised
the king?
Witan
6. What did Anglo-Saxon kings send throughout their kingdom to ensure their rule was followed?
Royal Charters
7. What were the individual counties that the Anglo-Saxons divided England into called?
Shires
8. What noble title did the Anglo-Saxons use to describe the ruler of a county?

Earl
9. Which Viking king of England was famously unable to hold back the tide?
King Canute
10 How much money did this Viking king pay to ensure that his own army returned to Denmark?
£90 000

Quiz questions
Chapter 1: Saxon, Norman or Viking?
1. Which Anglo-Saxon king died in 1066 with no clear heir?
Edward the Confessor
2. Which Anglo-Saxon Earl was crowned following the death of the King?
Harold Godwinson
3. This claimant to the throne was Earl of what area of England?
Wessex
4. William was Duke of what area in northern France?
Normandy
5. What did William claim happened in 1051, which lay at the root of his claim?
Edward the Confessor promised him the English throne
6. Who sent a banner to William showing support for his cause?
The Pope
7. Which Viking king of Norway also claimed the English throne?
Harold Hardrada
8. Who betrayed Harold Godwinson by joining the Vikings?
Tostig (his brother)
9. For how long did the Anglo-Saxon army march to meet the Vikings, once they had invaded
north-east England?
Four days
10 At what battle did the Anglo-Saxons defeat the Vikings in September 1066?
Stamford Bridge
Chapter 2: The Battle of Hastings

1. In what month and year did the Battle of Hastings take place?
October, 1066
2. What suddenly changed at the end of September, allowing William’s Norman army to invade?
The winds
3. What were William’s heavily armoured soldiers on horseback called?
Knights
4. What were Harold’s force of 3000 professional soldiers and body-guard called?
Huscarls
5. What 70-metre long embroidered cloth depicting the Norman conquest of England?
Bayeux Tapestry
6. On top of what did Harold’s army position themselves at the start of the battle?
Senlac Hill

7. What did Harold’s army form, which the Normans found it difficult to break through?
Shield-wall
8. What did the Normans carry out, to tempt the Saxons away from their high ground?
A fake retreat
9. How did Harold Godwinson die, according to the Bayeux Tapestry?

An arrow to the eye
10. How did Harold Godwinson die according to the first account of the battle?
Disembowelled by Norman knights
Chapter 3: The Norman Conquest

1. When was William the Conqueror crowned king of England?
Christmas Day, 1066
2. Where was William the Conqueror crowned king of England?
Westminster Abbey
3. What type of castles did Norman nobles first build on their newly acquired English land?
Motte-and-bailey
4. What collection of nobles and clergymen would advise the king?
Royal court
5. What event took place in 1069, following an Anglo-Saxon rebellion in Durham?
The Harrying of the North
6. How many people are claimed to have starved to death following this event?
10 000
7. Which Anglo-Saxon noble led a last stand against Norman power in East Anglia?
Hereward the Wake
8. In what town did he base his rebellion?
Ely
9. According to legend, what was the name of his sword?
Brainbiter
10. What did William force all surviving Anglo-Saxon nobles to do?
Swear him an oath of loyalty
Chapter 4: The feudal system

1. What form of social organisation ranks people according to status or power?
Hierarchy
2. What did you call anyone below you in the feudal system?
Vassal
3. Which rank came just below the king in the feudal system, and ruled land on his behalf?
Baron

4. Roughly how many people of this rank existed in medieval England?

200
5. What did this rank of people have to do for the king, in return for being granted land?
Fight
6. What term describes a title that is passed through a family, from parents to their children?
Hereditary
7. What pledge of loyalty would a vassal have to swear to their lord?
Fealty
8. What rank, usually a farm labourer, was at the bottom of medieval society?
Peasant
9. What vitally important book did William the Conqueror commission in 1086?
The Domesday Book
10. For what primary purpose did William the Conqueror have this book written?
Taxation
Chapter 5: The Norman monarchs

1. Who became king of England after the death of William the Conqueror in 1088?
William II
2. Where did this king die?
The New Forest
3. Who killed him with a stray arrow?
Walter Tirel
4. Who became king of England from 1100 to 1135?
Henry I
5. Which of his brothers did the new king of England defeat and imprison in 1106?
Robert
6. What area of land, formerly ruled by his father, did victory in 1106 give him?
Normandy
7. What boat sank in 1120, killing the king’s heir and many Anglo-Norman nobles?
White Ship
8. Who became king of England in 1135?
Stephen
9. Who also claimed the throne, leading to a 19-year civil war?
Empress Matilda
10. What name is used to describe the lawlessness and disorder of this civil war?
The Anarchy

Quiz questions
Chapter 1: The medieval village
1. What proportion of people worked the land as peasants during the medieval period?
90 percent
2. What was the average age of death for a medieval peasant?
30
3. What house stood at the centre of a medieval lord’s lands?
Manor
4. What form of farming divided large fields into sections to be worked by different peasants?
Strip farming
5. What was the lord’s land, which had to be worked by peasants each week, called?
Demesne
6. What medieval tax involved paying one tenth of all farm produce to the Church?
Tithe
7. What event would occur in the late summer, and involve the work of the entire village?
Harvest
8. What stew, made out of vegetables and grains, was eaten by peasants as their main meal?
Pottage
9. What area of land, surrounding their home, could peasants grow crops or keep livestock?
Croft
10. What material, made out of woven sticks and mud, was used to build a peasant’s hut?
Wattle and daub
Chapter 2: The medieval castle

1. From what material were the first motte-and-bailey castles mainly built?
Wood
2. What was the ditch dug to prevent attackers from reaching the walls of a castle called?
Moat
3. What were the gaps running along the top of the wall of a medieval castle called?
Crenellations
4. What large stone building lay at the heart of a medieval castle?
Keep
5. What was a gap in a wall or a line of defence, made by an army attacking a castle, called?
Breach
6. What advanced form of catapult used a counterweight and a sling to fire large missiles?
Trebuchet

7. What was the practice of surrounding a castle and allowing nobody to come in or out called?
Siege
8. What practice involved digging beneath a castle wall, and lighting a fire which causes the walls
to fall in?
Undermining
9. What form of castle had rings of two or more curtain walls to improve its defence?
Concentric castle
10. What new technology led to the castle becoming obsolete towards the end of the
medieval period?
Gunpowder
Chapter 3: The medieval knight

1. What distinguished a knight from other soldiers on the medieval battlefield?
Fighting on horseback
2. How many knights did Henry II have at his service, during their peak in numbers?
6000
3. What code of behaviour for medieval knights emphasised bravery and good manners?
Chivalry
4. What was a personal servant to a knight, normally aged between 14 and 21, called?
Squire
5. What name was given to the ceremony that saw a young man become a knight?
Dubbing
6. What form of armour consisted of small interlocking metal rings?
Chain mail
7. What colourful piece of clothing would a knight wear over his suit of armour?
Surcoat
8. What piece of clothing might a knight throw to the ground if his honour had been offended?
Gauntlet
9. What was a fight, often to the death, between two people used to settle an argument called?
Dual
10. What was the symbol or design to show the identity of a knight on the battlefield called?
Heraldic crest
Chapter 4: The medieval Church

1. Who led the (Catholic) Christian Church during the medieval period, usually from Rome?
Pope
2. What privilege was enjoyed by clergymen, meaning they could stand trial in Church courts?
Benefit of the Clergy

3. What proportion of the land did the Church own in medieval England?
One third
4. What was a building housing a religious community of monks or nuns called?
Monastery
5. What is a large and impressive church that contains the seat of a bishop called?
Cathedral
6. What were most medieval people unable to do, which meant medieval Christianity was vivid
and dramatic?
Read and write
7. What paintings showed people being sent to heaven or tortured in hell on the Day of
Judgement?
Doom paintings
8. Which medieval English poet wrote the Canterbury Tales?
Geoffrey Chaucer
9. What was a religious journey, typically taken to a shrine or a site of religious importance,
called?
Pilgrimage
10. What is an object of religious significance, often the physical or personal remains of a saint,
called?
Relic
Chapter 5: Crime and punishment

1. Where would a peasant, who had committed a petty crime such as theft, be tried?
Manorial court
2. Where would a more important vassal, such as a knight, be tried by their local baron?
Court of honour
3. What sort of trial involved a painful test, where will of God was believed to decide the verdict?
Trial by ordeal
4. Give an example of this sort of trial.
(one of) Trial by boiling water / trial by hot iron / trial by water
5. What was a wooden chair attached to a lever, used to submerge a criminal under water,
called?
Ducking chair
6. What form of punishment for petty criminals used wooden boards to lock a criminal in place?
Stocks
7. Which king significantly reformed the English legal system from 1154 onwards?
Henry II
8. What form of trial allows 12 people to consider the evidence and decide on the verdict?
Trial by jury

9. What expectation states that penalties for crimes should be consistent throughout the country?
Common Law
10. Who outlawed trial by ordeal in 1215?
The Pope

Quiz questions
Chapter 1: Henry II (1154–1189)
1. What period in English history did Henry II’s reign directly follow?
The Anarchy
2. What area of land in France did Henry II gain through his marriage to Eleanor?
Aquitaine
3. What name was given to the Empire that Henry II ruled?
Angevin Empire
4. What position did Henry II give to his friend Thomas Becket in 1162?
Archbishop of Canterbury
5. What did Thomas Becket wear to show how religious he was?
Hair shirt
6. What offence caused Thomas Becket to go into exile in France for four years?
Calling Henry II’s brother a ‘bastard’
7. In what year was Thomas Becket murdered?
1170
8. Where was Thomas Becket murdered?
Canterbury Cathedral
9. What is a person who is killed for their beliefs, often religious, called?
Martyr
10. What did Henry II order the monks and bishops of Canterbury do to him in 1174?
Whip him
Chapter 2: King John (1199–1216)

1. From whom did John try to steal the English throne whilst he was fighting a crusade?
Richard I (the Lionheart)
2. Who did King John imprison, and possibly kill, for being a rival to the throne?
His nephew Arthur
3. What term describes expulsion from the Catholic Church by the Pope, as happened to King
John in 1209?
Excommunication
4. What did the Pope order in 1209, which caused English churches to close for five years?
Interdict
5. What nickname did King John gain for his defeats on the battlefield?
‘Softsword’ / ’Lackland’
6. What is a ruler who refuses to share their power, and governs in a cruel and oppressive
way, called?

Tyrant
7. What series of promises, meaning ‘the Great Charter’, did the barons force King John to sign?
Magna Carta
8. In what year did John sign this series of promises?
1215
9. Where was this series of promises signed?
Runneymede
10. What group of people in particular wrote negative accounts of King John following his death?
Monks
Chapter 3: Edward I (1272–1307)

1. Where was Edward I when he received news that his father, Henry III, was dead?
Fighting a crusade
2. What nickname was given to Edward I due to his height?
‘Longshanks’
3. What were Welsh princes expected to pay to the English king to show they were his vassal?
Homage
4. Which Prince of Wales did not attend Edward I’s coronation, and resisted his authority?
Llywelyn ap Gruffyd
5. What horrible new execution did the brother of the last Prince of Wales suffer?
Hanged, drawn and quartered
6. What title did Edward I grant to his son and heir, in a practice that continues to this day?
Prince of Wales
7. What nickname was Edward I given due to his brutality towards the Scots?
Hammer of the Scots
8. What did Edward I take from Scotland, and place underneath his throne in Westminster
Abbey?
The Stone of Destiny
9. Which Scottish rebel leader did Edward I capture and execute in 1305?
William Wallace
10. What collection of people did Edward I call in 1295 to approve taxes for his military campaigns?
Parliament
Chapter 4: Henry V (1413–1422)

1. What did Henry V learn to do, which greatly aided royal administration?
Read and write in English
2. What conflict between England and France was being fought during Henry V’s reign?
Hundred Years War

3. What was happening in France during Henry V’s reign, which gave him the opportunity
to invade?
Civil war
4. In what year did Henry V invade France?
1415
5. What disease were Henry V’s men suffering from following the siege of Harfleur?
Dysentery
6. What was the name of Henry V’s greatest battlefield victory against France?
Agincourt
7. How many French soldiers did the English face at this battle?
12 000
8. What did the English make out of sharpened wooden stakes, to defend against French
cavalry charges?
Palings
9. Which part of the English army fired on the French army once they were trapped?
Longbowmen
10. What did the Treaty of Troyes say would happen when King Charles VI of France died?
Henry V would become King of France
Chapter 5: Medieval queens

1. Eleanor of Aquitaine’s first husband was king of which country?
France
2. On what journey did Eleanor of Aquitaine accompany her first husband?
(The Second) Crusade
3. Who did Eleanor marry after the end of her first marriage?
Henry II
4. How many sons did Eleanor of Aquitaine have with her second husband?
Five
5. What role did Eleanor of Aquitaine play when Richard I was on crusade?
Regent
6. For whom did Eleanor of Aquitaine travel to France and Spain for, negotiating alliances?
King John
7. With who was Edward II already in love when he married Isabella of France?
Piers Gaveston
8. In what year did Isabella of France invade England from France?
1326
9. Isabella of France is the only queen in English history to have done what?
Deposed her own husband

10. What nickname did Isabella of France gain for her ability to wield political power?
She Wolf of France

Quiz questions
Chapter 1: The Islamic world
1. In what city did the Prophet Muhammad live?
Mecca
2. In what year did the Prophet Muhammad die?
632
3. What term is used to describe an Islamic Empire, with power over both religious and
political life?
Caliphate
4. What two different forms of Islam emerged during the 10th century?
Sunni and Shia
5. What was the capital city of the powerful Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled from 750?
Baghdad
6. What did the Abassid caliph al-Ma’mun found in Baghdad?
House of Wisdom
7. What did much of the Islamic world have in common, allowing ideas to spread easily?
Arabic language
8. Which Greek-speaking empire was situated between the Islamic world and Christian Europe?
Byzantium
9. What was the capital city of this empire?
Constantinople
10. What religion did the inhabitants of this empire belong to?
Eastern Orthodox Church
Chapter 2: The First Crusade

1. What name is often given to the area of religious significance surrounding Jerusalem?
Holy Land
2. What church is built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been buried and resurrected?
Holy Sepulchre
3. What shrine is built on the site where Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven?
Dome of the Rock
4. Which Sunni Muslim tribe conquered Jerusalem in 1079?
Seljuk Turks
5. Which Pope began the First Crusade with his speech at Clermont?
Urban II
6. What did the Pope promise to medieval knights who took part in his crusade?
Forgiveness for their sins

7. How many men, women and children departed for the First Crusade?
60 000
8. Through which stretch of land did the First Crusade travel, between Constantinople and
Jerusalem?
Asia Minor
9. In what year did the First Crusade capture Jerusalem?
1099
10. Which crusader knight broke through the walls of Jerusalem?
Godfrey of Bouillon
Chapter 3: Crusader states

1. What Islamic term meaning ‘struggle’ is often used to describe a holy war?
Jihad
2. Which crusader state was captured in 1144, prompting the Second Crusade?
Edessa
3. The kings of which two countries led the Second Crusade?
France and Germany
4. Which city did the knights of the Second Crusade attack, but fail to take?
Damascus
5. Which Muslim leader captured Jerusalem from the crusaders in 1187?
Saladin
6. Which English king ended up leading the Third Crusade?
Richard I (the Lionheart)
7. When did the Third Crusade end?
1192
8. The crusaders kept control of which coastal town, and its surrounding land, after the Third
Crusade?
Acre
9. What were Christians given permission to do, following the Third Crusade?
Visit Jerusalem on pilgrimage
10. What did the Muslim leader of the Third Crusade give the English king whilst he was suffering
from a fever?
Peaches and sherbet cooled with snow
Chapter 4: Life as a crusader knight

1. How many times their annual income might a poor knight have to have paid to go on crusade?
Four
2. What proportion of knights who left for the First Crusade died?
One in three

3. Name one disease a crusader knight risk facing?

(One of) dysentery / cholera / malaria
4. What term did crusaders use to describe Muslim soldiers, taken from the Greek for ‘Arab’?
Saracen
5. What punishment did men who had love affairs with Muslim women face, according to a law
of 1120?
Castration
6. Which military order of crusader knights was named after Temple Mount in Jerusalem?
Knights Templar
7. Who ruled this military order?
‘Grand Master’
8. Who, jealous of their power, ordered this military order to disband in 1312?
Pope
9. Which military order of crusader knights was originally formed to run a hospital for pilgrims?
Knights Hospitaller
10. Where did this military order move after they were driven from the Holy Land?
Cyprus
Chapter 4: The end of the Crusades

1. Who agreed to fund the Fourth Crusade’s journey to the Holy Land, in return for their help?
Alexios Angelos
2. What city did the crusaders sack during the Fourth Crusade?
Constantinople
3. In what year did the Fourth Crusade take place?
1204
4. What unusual crusade took place in 1212?
Children’s crusade
5. In what year did the final crusader stronghold of Acre fall?
1291
6. Which Islamic dynasty, formed by slave-soldiers, took Acre from the crusaders?
Mamluks
7. Which board game came to Europe via the Middle East during the crusades?
Chess
8. What instrument came to Europe via the Middle East during the crusades?
Lute
9. What common mathematical term, used in English, comes from Arabic?
Algebra / Algorithm

10. What form of religious persecution worsened in Europe during the crusades?
Anti-Semitism

Quiz
Chapter 1: The Black Death
1. What proportion of England’s population is thought to have died during the Black Death?
One third to one half
2. In what year did the Black Death arrive in England?
1348
3. What swellings were usually the first symptom of the Black Death?
Buboes
4. What variant of the plague was named after the swellings on a victims’ bodies?
Bubonic plague
5. What more lethal variant of the plague attacked the lungs of its victims?
Pneumonic plague
6. The plague was probably spread by what insect, living on what animal?
Fleas living on black rats
7. The plague was most commonly explained as a punishment from whom?
God
8. What theory suggested the plague was caused by a spreading cloud of ‘bad air’?
Miasma
9. Which country invaded England in 1350, seeing that it was suffering from the plague?
Scotland
10. What religious sect whipped themselves in punishment for their sins to avoid the plague?
Flagellants
Chapter 2: The Peasants’ Revolt

1. What 1351 law attempted to fix the maximum wage for peasants at pre-Black Death levels?
Statute of Labourers
2. What effect did the plague have on land and house prices in England?
Made them much cheaper
3. What new class of commoners who farmed their own land arose in late medieval England?
Yeomen
4. What 1363 law established the clothing different ranks in society could wear?
Sumptuary Laws
5. Which powerful nobleman ruled on behalf of his nephew, Richard II, at this time?
John of Gaunt
6. What flat rate tax paid by all adults helped to spark the Peasants’ Revolt?
Poll Tax

7. In what two counties did the Peasants’ Revolt begin?

Essex and Kent
8. Who led the Peasants’ Revolt?
Watt Tyler
9. What leading member of the Church, named Simon Sudbury, did the peasants execute?
Archbishop of Canterbury
10. How many participants in the Peasants’ Revolt did Richard II execute in retaliation?
200
Chapter 3: The Wars of the Roses

1. Henry VI was the first medieval king not to do what?
Lead his army on the battlefield
2. What happened to Henry VI in 1453, which made him incapable of ruling his country?
He went mad
3. Which nobleman ruled England on Henry VI’s behalf?
Richard, Duke of York
4. Which side came to be represented by a red rose during the Wars of the Roses?
Lancastrian
5. Which side came to be represented by a white rose during the Wars of the Roses?
Yorkist
6. Who led the supporters of King Henry VI during the early stages of the Wars of the Roses?
Queen Margaret (of Anjou)
7. What setback occurred following the Queen’s victory at Wakefield in December 1460?
Refused entry to London
8. Who was crowned king of England in 1461?
Edward IV
9. What brutal battle confirmed the new King’s rule in 1461?
Battle of Towton
10. What record does the Battle of Towton hold?
England’s bloodiest ever battle
Chapter 4: Yorkist rule

1. Which powerful nobleman secured support of Edward IV’s reign?
Earl of Warwick
2. What was this powerful nobleman’s nickname?
The Kingmaker
3. Who did Edward IV marry in 1464?
Elizabeth Woodville

4. Why was Edward IV’s marriage controversial?

His wife was a commoner
5. How did Edward IV die?
Caught a cold whilst fishing
6. Who was next in line to the throne following the death of Edward IV?
Edward V, his son
7. Who seized the throne following the death of Edward IV?
Richard III
8. Where were Edward IV’s two sons imprisoned?
Tower of London
9. Who wrote a play about these events in 1592?
William Shakespeare
10. What was found in the building of the prince’s imprisonment by labourers in 1674?
The skeletons of two children
Chapter 5: The Battle of Bosworth Field

1. Who did Henry Tudor’s grandfather, Owen Tudor, marry?
Henry V’s widow
2. What ‘House’ did Henry Tudor belong to during the Wars of the Roses?
House of Lancaster
3. Who was Henry Tudor’s mother?
Margaret Beaufort
4. What English king was Henry Tudor’s mother descended from?
Edward III
5. In what year did Henry Tudor invade England to claim the throne?
1485
6. Who knocked Richard III off his horse during his cavalry charge?
A French pikeman
7. Who intervened to tip the balance of the battle in Henry Tudor’s favour?
Lord Stanley
8. Who did Henry VII marry having become king?
Elizabeth of York
9. What symbol was developed to represent the new ruling dynasty of England?
Tudor Rose
10. In what city was Richard III found buried beneath a car park in 2012?
Leicester

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KS3 Knowing History Medieval Britain 410–1509 Teacher Guide

Text © Robert Peal 2016; Design © HarperCollinsPublishers Limited 2016 1

Collins. Freedom to teach

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Author: Robert Peal

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Knowledge-based history teaching

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Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon England

AD Used to record historical dates as number of years after Christ’s birth:

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Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon England

Blood eagle A notorious Viking method for killing their enemies

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Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon England

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle A contemporary history of England, begun during the reign of

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2. On what day did Guthrum’s army first attack Alfred in 878?

Thinking deeper questions

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Unit 1: Anglo-Saxon England

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Unit 2: Norman England

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Unit 2: Norman England

Bayeux Tapestry A 70-metre long embroidered cloth depicting William of Normandy’s

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