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Topic title: Did the Normans bring a ‘truckload of trouble’ in 1066?

Year group: 7

When taught: September to October

What are we learning?

  • What England was like before the Norman Conquest (in Anglo-Saxon England).
  • Who the contenders for power were in 1066 and who claimed the throne.
  • How William I won at the Battle of Hastings.
  • How the Normans controlled England after the invasion focusing on the Harrying of the North, the building of castles, the feudal system and the Domesday Book.
  • Understand what a PEEL paragraph is and how to use it to answer historical questions.

Why is this important to know? 

  • 1066 was a key turning point in British history.
  • It is important to understand key concepts about how and why power is distributed throughout time i.e. the feudal system.
  • Helps our understanding about what was required of medieval monarchs and the characteristics of good government.

Where does this link into our past and future learning? 

  • At primary school students will have learnt about some historical concepts such as chronology. This topic starts to build on those skills.
  • Our later topics in Year 7 build on the concepts covered – we will consider other monarchs and the concept of power and authority. We will also consider the theme of ‘power and the people’ in Year 8.

How will we be assessed on this topic?

  • The end of topic assessment will begin with a ten minute knowledge test (including some multiple choice questions, some non multiple-choice questions, a chronology task and a key word task). Students will then write an extended response to: Explain how William I controlled England. Sentence starters will be provided to support the structure of student written work.

What makes a strong piece of work in this topic?  What are teachers hoping to see?  

  • Attention to detail and use of specific examples
  • Using correctly key terms such as monarch (see below)
  • Giving balanced answers that look at different viewpoints
  • At the highest level, pupils will begin to see that experiences of the Norman coquest were complex and different for different people, places and time periods
  • Consideration of the long or short term nature of the causes/ impact/ interconnections

What key words are there in this topic?

Quizlet: Click here 

  • Cavalry: Soldiers who fought on horseback.
  • Chronicle: An account of important historical events, most often written by a monk.
  • Conqueror: A person who takes over a place, often by invasion.
  • Feudal system: A way of organising society into different groups based on their roles. A system where land is rented or loaned in return for soldiers.
  • Fyrd: Untrained soldiers who fought for Harold at Hastings.
  • Heir: The person who is next in line to become king or queen.
  • Harrying: To attack a place lots of times and very aggressively.
  • Monarch: The king/queen of a country.
  • Peasant: A poor person who works in the countryside.
  • Shield-wall: A long line of shields used for defence in battle.

What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?

  • Study more about what was happening at the same time in other parts of the world, such as the Song Dynasty in China – what comparisons and contrasts can you make?
  • Read more in depth on later medieval monarchs and consider how William I was similar and different to them.

What wider reading can be done on this topic?

  • The Normans and the Battle of Hastings (available in the Aird library): Click here
  • A Brief History of the Normans: The Conquests That Changed the Face of Europe (available in the Aird library): Click here 
  • BBC Bitesize Claimants to the throne in 1066 – Click here 
  • BBC bitesize the Battle of Hastings – Click here
  • The Harrying of the North – Click here
  • The Domesday Book – Click here 

Supporting document/links:

  • Knowledge organiser students will be given at the end of the topic to revise for the end of topic assessment.

Normans KO