History · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Edward the Confessor and the Norman Link

Active learning makes this topic tangible for Year 5 students because the succession crisis is not a distant historical event but a series of human choices and relationships. By role-playing, collaborating, and discussing, students see how Edward’s personal ties shaped England’s future, turning abstract dates into lived decisions.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: History - Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England
• KS2: History - Political History

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 45 min · Whole Class

Role Play: The King and the Earl

Divide the class into 'Team Edward' (the King and his Norman friends) and 'Team Godwin' (the powerful English Earls). They must act out a meeting where they argue over who should have the best jobs in the government, highlighting the tension between the King's foreign tastes and the nobles' local power.

Explain why Edward was called 'the Confessor'.

Facilitation Tip

During the role play, give each student a card with their character’s name, personality, and key concern to keep the dialogue focused on Edward’s Norman links and the Earl’s power.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are an Anglo-Saxon Earl in 1060. How would you feel about the growing influence of Norman advisors at court? Explain your reasoning, considering the potential impact on your own power and position.' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their perspectives.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Contenders for the Throne

As Edward lies 'dying', groups are assigned one of the four main contenders for the throne: Harold Godwinson, William of Normandy, Harald Hardrada, and Edgar the Atheling. They must create a 'campaign poster' explaining why their candidate has the best claim to be the next king.

Analyze how Edward's relationship with Normandy created a problem for England.

Facilitation Tip

For the collaborative investigation, assign each group one contender and provide a shared document where they must record evidence and reasoning before presenting their claim.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, unlabeled timeline of key events from Edward's reign (e.g., Edward's exile in Normandy, his coronation, appointment of Norman bishops, Earl Godwin's exile, his death, the Battle of Hastings). Ask students to label each event and briefly explain its significance in the context of the succession crisis.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why build Westminster Abbey?

Students learn about Edward's greatest project: building a massive new church in London. They think about why a king would spend so much money on a church rather than an army, discuss in pairs (e.g., to show his love for God, to leave a legacy), and share their ideas with the class.

Identify the main contenders for the throne in 1066.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, ask students to first jot down their own thoughts on sticky notes before pairing to compare ideas, then share with the class to build collective understanding.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, ask students to write two sentences explaining why Edward was called 'the Confessor' and one sentence identifying the main problem his lack of an heir created for England.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by focusing on relationships and promises rather than battles alone, using evidence to show how Edward’s Norman ties were built over decades. Avoid presenting 1066 as inevitable; instead, help students see it as a consequence of Edward’s choices and the Earls’ reactions. Research shows that when students trace personal connections through role play, they retain the political significance of the events more deeply.

Successful learning looks like students understanding that leadership includes diplomacy as well as strength, that family and promises matter in politics, and that 1066 was the end of a long process rather than a sudden shock. Students should be able to explain why Edward’s choices mattered and how they led to the Norman Conquest.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Role Play: The King and the Earl, watch for students assuming Edward was a weak ruler because he avoided war. Redirect by having students refer to the character cards to identify Edward’s strategies for keeping peace and managing powerful Earls.

  During the Role Play: The King and the Earl, redirect by asking students to rate Edward’s leadership on a checklist with criteria like ‘kept England peaceful,’ ‘managed powerful advisors,’ and ‘secured allies,’ using evidence from their role-play dialogue.

• During the Collaborative Investigation: The Contenders for the Throne, watch for students thinking the Norman Conquest happened suddenly in 1066. Redirect by having groups present their contender’s claim with a timeline showing how long Edward’s Norman ties had been growing.

  During the Collaborative Investigation: The Contenders for the Throne, ask each group to add Norman family links to their contender’s claim board, showing how these ties influenced the succession crisis over time.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share