Harold Godwinson's Rise and Challenges

Active learning works for this topic because students need to experience the physical demands of medieval warfare and the interpretive challenges of visual evidence. Moving beyond a simple retelling of dates and outcomes helps students grasp how military tactics, endurance, and chance shaped the outcome at Senlac Hill.

• Year 7
• History
• 3 activities
• 25 min–40 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare the competing claims to the English throne in 1066, identifying key figures and their justifications.
2. Analyze the political and personal implications of Harold Godwinson's oath to William of Normandy.
3. Evaluate Harold Godwinson's decision to accept the crown, considering the immediate threats he faced.
4. Explain the significance of Harold's coronation in the context of Anglo-Saxon succession practices.

Simulation Game

⏱ 40 min·Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Shield Wall Challenge

Using masking tape on the floor to represent the ridge at Senlac Hill, students arrange themselves into a tight shield wall. They must react to 'Norman' tactical shifts (archers, cavalry, retreat) to feel how difficult it was to maintain discipline and communication during the day-long battle.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between Harold Godwinson's claim to the throne and those of his rivals.

Facilitation Tip: During the Shield Wall Challenge, remind students to time how long they can hold their line to highlight the physical toll of the real battle.

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

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: Decoding the Tapestry

Place large prints of key Bayeux Tapestry scenes around the room. Students move in pairs with a 'detective sheet' to find evidence of Norman bias, specific military equipment, and the mysterious death of Harold, noting where the images might be misleading.

Prepare & details

Assess the political implications of Harold's oath to William of Normandy.

Facilitation Tip: Ask students to circle the Bayeux Tapestry scenes they find most ambiguous before the Gallery Walk to focus their discussions on interpretation.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 25 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The 'What If' Matrix

Groups are given different variables: 'What if the wind hadn't changed?', 'What if Harold had waited in London for reinforcements?', or 'What if the shield wall hadn't broken?'. They must use their knowledge of the battle to predict a likely alternative outcome and present it to the class.

Prepare & details

Justify Harold's decision to accept the crown despite potential challenges.

Facilitation Tip: Have groups assign roles for the What If Matrix activity to ensure all students contribute to the counterfactual analysis.

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

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by balancing tactical analysis with critical thinking about evidence. Avoid presenting Harold or William as clear heroes or villains, and instead focus on the constraints each leader faced. Research shows that students retain more when they engage with primary or near-primary sources, so use the Bayeux Tapestry and battle accounts to ground discussions in specifics rather than generalities.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students explaining how Harold’s shield wall functioned, interpreting the Bayeux Tapestry’s visual clues, and weighing the role of luck in William’s victory. They should use evidence from activities to support their reasoning and challenge oversimplified narratives.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Shield Wall Challenge, watch for students assuming the battle was over quickly.

What to Teach Instead

Use the timed holding exercise to estimate how long Harold’s forces maintained their line, then compare it to the historical timeline of nine hours to emphasize the endurance required.

Common Misconception

During the Gallery Walk: Decoding the Tapestry, watch for students treating the Bayeux Tapestry as a factual, objective source without considering its biases.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to compare the tapestry’s depiction of Harold’s death with written accounts from the time, then discuss how visual shorthand and propaganda shape our understanding.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the What If Matrix activity, ask small groups to present their strongest argument for or against Harold accepting the crown in January 1066, using evidence from their matrix to support their claims.

Quick Check

During the Gallery Walk: Decoding the Tapestry, provide students with a Venn diagram template to label 'Harold's Claim' and 'William's Claim,' filling in points of agreement and shared justifications in the overlapping section.

Exit Ticket

After the Shield Wall Challenge, have students write two sentences explaining why Harold’s oath to William was politically significant and one sentence justifying his decision to be crowned king, using their notes from the activity.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to design a three-step recruitment poster for Harold or William, using only evidence from the activities to justify their claims.
• Scaffolding: Provide a partially completed timeline for students to fill in during the Shield Wall Challenge to help them track key moments of the battle.
• Deeper exploration: Ask students to research another medieval battle with a similar tactical feature, such as Agincourt or Hastings, and compare it to Senlac Hill using the What If Matrix structure.

Key Vocabulary

Oath	A solemn promise, often invoking a divine witness, regarding one's future action or behavior. Harold's oath to William was a significant factor in William's claim to the throne.
Succession	The action or process of inheriting a title, office, property, or the like. The English throne had complex succession rules, leading to disputes.
Earl	A high-ranking nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, holding significant land and authority. Harold was the Earl of Wessex, one of the most powerful earldoms.
Coronation	The ceremony of crowning a monarch. Harold's coronation took place shortly after Edward the Confessor's death.
Claimant	A person or group who asserts a right to something, in this case, the English throne. William of Normandy and Harald Hardrada were other claimants besides Harold Godwinson.