Edward the Confessor and the Succession Crisis

Active learning works for this topic because Year 4 students need to engage with the complexity of the succession crisis through multiple perspectives. By analyzing visual sources, simulating events, and discussing claims, students move beyond memorizing dates to understanding cause and consequence in history.

• Year 4
• History
• 3 activities
• 20 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the reasons for the succession crisis following Edward the Confessor's death in 1066.
2. Compare the claims to the English throne made by Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardrada, and William of Normandy.
3. Analyze the key events and figures leading up to the Battle of Hastings.
4. Predict potential alternative historical outcomes if a different contender had won the English throne.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Bayeux Tapestry

In small groups, students are given sections of the tapestry. They must act as 'detectives' to find clues about the weapons used, the importance of horses, and the moment King Harold was killed. They then present their 'scene' to the class.

Prepare & details

Explain why there was a succession crisis in 1066 after Edward the Confessor's death.

Facilitation Tip: During the Bayeux Tapestry activity, assign small groups specific sections to analyze so every student contributes to the visual evidence discussion.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Simulation Game

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Shield Wall at Hastings

The class forms a tight shield wall at the top of a 'hill' (a designated area). A few 'Norman' students try to tempt them to break the line by pretending to run away. They discuss why the wall was so hard to beat and why breaking it was a fatal mistake.

Prepare & details

Compare the claims of the three main contenders for the English throne.

Facilitation Tip: For the Shield Wall simulation, circulate with a ‘fatigue meter’ to adjust the difficulty based on how quickly students tire, modeling the Anglo-Saxons’ exhaustion.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Three Claimants

Students are given the 'CVs' of Harold, William, and Harald Hardrada. They pair up to decide who had the strongest claim to the throne and who they would have supported if they were on the Witan in 1066.

Prepare & details

Predict how different outcomes of the succession crisis might have changed English history.

Facilitation Tip: In the Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence stems for the ‘think’ phase to scaffold weaker students’ responses about each claimant’s background.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing narrative with source analysis. Start with a clear timeline of events, then use activities to unpack how different groups interpreted the crisis. Avoid oversimplifying the Normans’ victory as solely due to their fighting skill; instead, focus on the Anglo-Saxons’ prior battle at Stamford Bridge. Research shows that role-play and visual analysis help young learners grasp abstract concepts like ‘legitimacy’ and ‘chance’ in history.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students explaining why Edward’s death caused a crisis, comparing the three claimants’ arguments, and identifying how luck and timing influenced the outcome. They should use evidence from activities to justify their reasoning.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Collaborative Investigation: The Bayeux Tapestry activity, watch for students repeating the idea that Harold was killed by an arrow in his eye.

What to Teach Instead

During the Collaborative Investigation, have groups focus on the last panel showing a figure with an arrow-like object in the eye and ask them to describe what they see without labeling it. Then, guide them to discuss alternative interpretations, such as the figure being struck by a sword, using the tapestry’s unclear details.

Common Misconception

During the Simulation: The Shield Wall at Hastings activity, watch for students attributing the Normans’ victory solely to superior fighting skills.

What to Teach Instead

During the Shield Wall simulation, use the ‘fatigue meter’ to mark how many turns students can hold their line before tiring. After the activity, discuss how the Anglo-Saxons had just fought at Stamford Bridge and were exhausted, linking the simulation’s outcomes to historical timing and chance.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Collaborative Investigation: The Bayeux Tapestry activity, give students three slips of paper. On the first, they write one reason Edward the Confessor’s death caused a crisis. On the second, they name one contender and their main claim. On the third, they write one question they still have about the events of 1066.

Discussion Prompt

During the Think-Pair-Share: The Three Claimants activity, pose the question: ‘If you were a member of the Witan in 1066, whose claim would you have supported and why?’ Encourage students to use evidence from their discussions about each contender’s background and arguments to justify their choice.

Quick Check

After the Simulation: The Shield Wall at Hastings activity, display images of the three main contenders (Harold, Hardrada, William). Ask students to write down the most important reason each person believed they should be king. Review their answers to identify any misconceptions about their claims.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to draft a speech as William of Normandy persuading the Witan to support his claim, using evidence from the tapestry and their prior knowledge.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide a word bank with key terms (e.g., ‘battle’, ‘claim’, ‘Witan’) and sentence frames to structure their responses during the Think-Pair-Share.
• Deeper exploration: Offer a ‘decision tree’ template where students map out the possible outcomes if Harold had not marched north to Stamford Bridge, using the map activity to visualize consequences.

Key Vocabulary

Succession Crisis	A situation where there is uncertainty or dispute over who should inherit a throne or position of power, often leading to conflict.
Contender	A person or group who is competing with others for a prize, position, or power, in this case, the English throne.
Heir	A person legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death.
Claim	An assertion of a right to something, such as ownership or inheritance, in this context, the right to be king.
Witan	A council of leading men in Anglo-Saxon England, who advised the king and played a role in electing a successor.