History · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Viking Raids and Warfare

Active learning helps students grasp Viking warfare and beliefs by engaging them in concrete tasks that reveal how mythology shaped behaviour. When students investigate, debate, and interpret myths collaboratively, they connect abstract spiritual ideas to real Viking actions like bravery in battle and acceptance of fate.

• 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
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Nine Worlds

Divide the class into groups, each responsible for researching one of the Norse worlds (e.g., Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim). They create a 'travel guide' for their world, describing who lives there and what it looks like, then combine them to create a giant map of the World Tree, Yggdrasil.

Describe the typical weaponry and fighting style of a Viking warrior.

Facilitation Tip

During the Collaborative Investigation, assign each group a different world with a visual map to label and describe, ensuring all students contribute to the final presentation.

What to look for

Provide students with three images: a Viking longship, a Dane axe, and a depiction of a shield wall. Ask them to write one sentence for each image explaining its role in Viking raids or warfare.

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

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 40 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Valhalla vs. Heaven

Students compare the Viking idea of the afterlife (Valhalla) with the Anglo-Saxon Christian idea of Heaven. They debate how these different beliefs might change the way a person lives their life, for example, why a Viking might be more willing to take risks in battle to ensure a 'hero's death'.

Analyze the psychological impact of Viking raids on Anglo-Saxon communities.

Facilitation Tip

In the Structured Debate, provide students with a shared criteria sheet to evaluate arguments based on historical evidence, not personal opinion.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are an Anglo-Saxon villager witnessing a Viking raid for the first time. What would be the most frightening aspects of the attack, and why?' Encourage students to use vocabulary related to Viking weaponry and tactics.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Message of the Myth

Read a short Norse myth (e.g., Thor's journey to Utgard). Students think about what lesson the myth was trying to teach (e.g., that even the gods have limits), discuss it with a partner, and then share how these stories helped Vikings make sense of a dangerous world.

Evaluate the effectiveness of Viking raiding strategies.

Facilitation Tip

For the Think-Pair-Share, give each pair a myth card with guiding questions so their discussion stays focused on the myth’s cultural message.

What to look for

Ask students to list two types of Viking weapons and describe one specific raiding tactic. This can be done orally in pairs or as a short written response on a mini-whiteboard.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete artefacts like replica weapons or shields to ground the topic in tangible Viking life before introducing mythology. Avoid presenting the Norse gods as simple heroes or villains; instead, emphasize how these figures embodied cultural ideals. Research shows students better understand abstract beliefs when they first explore visible cultural expressions, like raids or daily tools, before moving to intangible concepts like Wyrd.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining the Nine Worlds, comparing Norse and Christian afterlife beliefs with evidence, and recognizing how myths influenced Viking values and decisions. They should also identify modern myths and articulate why cultural perspectives differ.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation: The Nine Worlds, watch for students assuming horned helmets were real Viking gear.

  Display a gallery of modern images showing horned helmets alongside Viking helmet replicas. Ask groups to sort them and explain why only the replicas are historically accurate, citing evidence from the investigation maps.

• During the Structured Debate: Valhalla vs. Heaven, watch for students describing Vikings as 'evil' because their beliefs differ from Christianity.

  Provide debate roles with prompts like 'Explain how Viking values of courage and honour shaped their view of the afterlife.' Redirect any unsupported moral judgments by asking students to focus on evidence from the myths they’ve studied.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Formal Debate
• Think-Pair-Share