History · Year 5

Active learning ideas

The Battle of Hastings: Key Moments

Active learning helps Year 5 students grasp the Battle of Hastings by moving beyond dates and names to experience the strategic decisions and physical realities of the fight. When students physically simulate formations and roles, they connect abstract tactics to concrete outcomes, making the turning points of the battle memorable.

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

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

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 50 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Tactics Stations

Prepare four stations: one for shield wall (build with chairs and shields from cardboard), feigned retreat (practice luring and pursuing with ropes), archery range (paper bows targeting models), and cavalry charge (discuss horse advantages with toy models). Groups rotate every 10 minutes, noting strengths and weaknesses at each. Conclude with a class share-out.

Describe the battle formations and weaponry used by both the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans.

Facilitation Tip

During Tactics Stations, circulate with a checklist to note which students grasp the purpose of each formation and which confuse shield walls with cavalry charges.

What to look for

Provide students with a Venn diagram template. Ask them to compare and contrast the Anglo-Saxon and Norman armies, listing at least two distinct features for each side and one similarity in their description.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 35 min · Pairs

Pairs: Role-Play Key Figures

Assign pairs one key figure each, such as Harold, William, or a housecarl. Pairs research decisions via Tapestry images or summaries, then debate 'What if?' scenarios like no feigned retreat. Switch roles and present findings to the class.

Analyze the impact of the 'feigned retreat' tactic on the battle's outcome.

Facilitation Tip

When pairs role-play William and Harold, provide script prompts that include specific battle commands to keep discussions focused on evidence.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Was the Norman victory at Hastings more about William's brilliant tactics or Harold's bad luck?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to use evidence from the lesson to support their arguments.

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

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Human Timeline

Students line up as key moments: Harold's arrival, first retreat, shield wall break, Harold's death. Narrate the sequence while class moves positions. Discuss how each event linked to tactics and leadership.

Evaluate the role of leadership and luck in the Norman victory at Hastings.

Facilitation Tip

For the Human Timeline, assign each student a distinct event to place, ensuring the sequence reflects both time and causality.

What to look for

Show images of different weapons (axe, spear, bow and arrow) and formations (shield wall, cavalry charge). Ask students to identify which army used which, and briefly explain why a particular weapon or formation was effective or ineffective in the context of the battle.

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

Activity 04

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Map the Battle

Provide outline maps of Senlac Hill. Groups mark formations, arrows for retreats, and labels for weapons. Add annotations on turning points, then gallery walk to compare interpretations.

Describe the battle formations and weaponry used by both the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans.

Facilitation Tip

In Map the Battle, ask guiding questions like 'Where would the shield wall have the best advantage?' to prompt spatial reasoning.

What to look for

Provide students with a Venn diagram template. Ask them to compare and contrast the Anglo-Saxon and Norman armies, listing at least two distinct features for each side and one similarity in their description.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by prioritizing movement and perspective-taking to correct common misconceptions. Avoid front-loading the narrative; instead, let students discover why the shield wall failed through simulations. Research shows that embodied cognition—using the body to understand abstract concepts—deepens retention of historical events, especially in primary settings.

Students will explain how formations, terrain, and decisive moments like feigned retreats contributed to the Norman victory. They will accurately describe the roles of key figures and the sequence of events, using evidence from role-play and map work.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Tactics Stations, watch for students who claim the Normans won because their weapons were superior.

  During Tactics Stations, redirect students to the station cards that explain feigned retreats and how these drew English forces downhill, breaking their defensive line. Ask them to demonstrate the shield wall’s vulnerability when troops leave the hill.

• During Human Timeline, watch for students who describe the battle as lasting several days.

  During Human Timeline, provide event cards with specific times (e.g., 'Harold’s death at dusk') and ask students to place them in order on a single timeline strip. Prompt them to explain how long the battle lasted in daylight hours.

• During Role-Play Key Figures, watch for students who describe Anglo-Saxon cavalry charges.

  During Role-Play Key Figures, hand students a prop shield and ask them to show how housecarls stood in formation. Prompt them to explain why foot soldiers on a hill would not charge downhill like cavalry.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Simulation Game