Life in Saxon or Viking Britain Workshop
Off the Page
Our full-day Key Stage 2 workshop places the children in a settlement in 878 CE. You choose whether they are Vikings or Saxons. As the children work, they will learn about the arrival of the Vikings. They will also learn about the Saxons and their efforts to keep Great Britain as their own. The day’s narrative builds up to the Battle of Edington.
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Where we travel to
We can visit your school in: East Midlands, London & South East, East of England
What activities are available during this school workshop?
The morning session asks the children to imagine themselves as either Viking or Saxon settlers. Your hall becomes their settlement. The children may free-flow between workstations featuring crafts of the era. Activities may include:
• The wise woman
• Rune casting
• Weaving
• Scribes
• Illumination
• Pottery
• Metal working
• Candle making
• Metal cast making
In the afternoon, the children will reexamine the morning’s activities using archaeology. Children will explore dig boxes to determine how we learned so much about the period. They will develop their investigative skills by identifying artefacts, working out the materials they are made from and what they were used for.
• The wise woman
• Rune casting
• Weaving
• Scribes
• Illumination
• Pottery
• Metal working
• Candle making
• Metal cast making
In the afternoon, the children will reexamine the morning’s activities using archaeology. Children will explore dig boxes to determine how we learned so much about the period. They will develop their investigative skills by identifying artefacts, working out the materials they are made from and what they were used for.
Which curriculum topics do we cater for?
Vikings Workshop
Invaders and Settlers Viking Raids and Invasion Mythology and Culture
After years of invasions, Vikings chose to settle in Britain and form the Danelaw. Our workshop explores why they came, where they came from and their day-to-day life. The children will also learn about Norse mythology – especially the gods Odin and Thor – and the Vikings’ battles with the Saxons.
Saxons Workshop
Saxon Settlements Arts and Culture
King Alfred hides in Wessex and seeks to expel the Viking invaders – can he do it? We place your children in a Saxon settlement in 878 CE. They will learn about day-to-day living in Saxon Britain as they prepare for the Battle of Edington. Can they defend their village against the invaders?
What size groups do we cater for?
We can work with three classes (up to 90 children) at one time, provided the school hall is large enough.
Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Please talk to us about your Special Educational Needs so we can accommodate your children’s requirements.
Who are Off the Page?
Off the Page presents history the way you wish you had learned it as a child. Our experienced teachers immerse your children in a topic to create an unforgettable learning experience. Our school workshops are no mere presentation with a bit of artefact handling – we build an atmosphere using authentic materials, allowing children to live the history through drama, roleplay and hands-on activities. The result is an understanding and enthusiasm for a topic that is difficult to create with books alone.
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