To receive the newsletter by e-mail, sign up today!

1066 - The Norman Conquest Mini Unit Study

The Battle of Hastings in 1066 was a key turning point in the history of Northern Europe. The triumph of William the Conqueror enabled the civilization of Western Europe to spread to Britain, who at that time was more a part of Scandinavia, both culturally and economically.

The battle was fought over the right of succession to the English throne after King Edward the Confessor died and left no heir. With the defeat of Harold and the Anglo-Saxons, William and the Norman successors that followed him were responsible for many societal changes in England that we typically associate with the Middle Ages, such as castle building, knighthood, and feudalism.

In this mini unit study, you can: read about the details of the Norman Conquest - including what happened before, during and after, learn about the Bayeux Tapestry and what it depicts, see a video on the Battle of Hastings, listen to what Anglo-Saxon English and Norman French sounded like, view what the battlefield looks like today, and embroider your own Norman scene.

Reading

For younger kids, a fun site that goes through the Norman Conquest in a step-by-step fashion:

Norman Conquest

For older kids, BBC has a wealth of good articles on the topic:

The Normans

A short, yet accurate, two page summary of the events:

Summary

Primary Sources

Examine the Bayeux Tapestry, frame-by-frame with explanations:

Bayeux Tapestry

Multimedia

Watch a six-minute video on the Battle of Hastings narrated by acclaimed British historian, Simon Schama: (RealPlayer video file)

Battle of Hastings video

Listen to what Anglo-Saxon English and Norman French sounded like in comparison to their modern counterparts:

Old English and French

See a 360-degree look at the battlefield as it looks today: (QuickTime required)

Hastings Battlefield

Writing Activity

Decide who has the best claim to the English throne - Harold, William or Harald? - in this activity:

Claims to the throne (pdf file)

Projects

Embroidery: Sketch on cloth one figure or one small scene from the Bayeux Tapestry. Use an embroidery needle and floss to embroider the drawing using running, satin and back stitches. 

Directions and pictures of types of embroidery stitches:

Embroidery dictionary

Recommended Resource

The Bayeux Tapestry: Monument to a Norman Triumph

The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the world's more unique forms of a historical record. This 230 foot long piece of embroidery tells of the events that lead up to the Norman invasion of England, and provides a detailed description of the battle between the armies of the King Harold of England, and William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy.

This book is filled with rich, graphic images of the entire Tapestry which is presented in the book, along with corresponding facts and narratives that explain what exactly is illustrated in each frame. While the Internet sites on the Bayeux Tapestry are very nice resources, they just aren't able to show the pictures in such detailed resolution.

Book (Paperback)

Author: Wolfgang Grape

Amazon Price: $28.00

Read more about the book on Amazon