LKS2 Topic: Invaders and Settlers - Vikings Block E: Mythology, Art and Culture

Learn about the beliefs of the Vikings, the god and goddesses, the Viking creation myth, the Norse nine worlds and Tree of Life. Find out about their writing, sagas and legacy through a range of tasks including dance, painting, mod-roc modelling, poetry, and message making. Finally, put together a Viking celebration day for younger children.

Block E: Mythology, Art and Culture [8 sessions] / Main outcome: History
Other outcomes: English, Computing, DT, Art and PE
By the end of this block you will have achieved the following outcomes: /
  • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of world history, establishing clear narratives within the periods they study.
  • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • Begin to understand changes in an aspect of social history from the Anglo-Saxons to today.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts.
  • Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
  • Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content.
  • Select, use and combine a variety of software on a range of digital devices.
  • Generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional diagrams.
  • Select from and use a wider range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.
  • Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet.
  • Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques.
  • Choose relevant information to create a non-fiction non-chronological report.
  • Adopt, create and sustain a range of roles, responding appropriately to others in role.
  • Become more familiar with and confident in using language in a variety of situations and for a variety of role play situations.
  • Produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
  • Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art.
  • Be proficient in the techniques of sculpture.
  • Develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.
  • Perform dances using a range of movement patterns.

Session 1: History and PE
The Viking Creation Myth
Learn about Viking mythology and, in particular, their thrilling creation story; Create a Viking Creation story dance. / Children will
  • Understand that Vikings had certain beliefs.
  • Investigate what some of these are.
  • Understand the Viking Creation story and look for similarities and differences with other creation stories they know.
  • Use music as a stimulus for dance and movement.
  • Plan and perform a series of movements to retell the Creation story.
  • Evaluate their performance.

Session 2:History, Art and English
The Norse Nine Worlds
Learn more about Viking mythology and the Norse Nine Worlds myth; Retell the myth as a storyboard and build a mod-roc model of a character from one of the Nine Worlds. / Children will
  • Develop their understanding of the beliefs of Viking mythology.
  • Use ModRoc to build a model of characters from one of the Nine Worlds.
  • Put group’s models together to sequence and retell the Norse Nine Worlds myth.
  • Retell the myth of the Norse Nine Worlds as a storyboard.

Session 3: History andComputing
Viking Gods and Goddesses
Develop your understanding of the Viking Gods and Goddesses; Research facts using the internet and create a Top Trumps game. / Children will
  • Develop their understanding of the beliefs of Viking mythology in relation to the Gods and Goddesses.
  • Create Top Trumps cards based on Viking Gods and Goddesses.
  • Use search techniques to research Viking Gods and Goddesses.

Session 4: History, Art, and English
Odin and the Tree of Life
Learn about the Viking God Odin and the Tree of Life; Write a senses poem; Paint large versions of the Tree of Life to act as a display backdrop. / Children will
  • Explore further the importance of Viking Gods, with a focus on Odin.
  • Understand the Tree of Life and its significance to the Viking people.
  • Write a senses poem based on the Tree of Life.
  • Paint large versions of the Tree of Life in groups to act as a display backdrop, for them to place their own ‘Tree of Life’ thoughts on.

Session 5: History,Computingand English
The Vikings Sagas
Listen to Viking sagas and then plan, write, perform and record your own. / Children will
  • Listen to Viking Sagas and appreciate how sagas were an important part of the Viking culture.
  • Plan and write their own sagas based on the Viking idea.
  • Perform sagas.
  • Use recording equipment to record the retelling of their sagas.

Session 6: Historyand Art and Design
The Vikings make their mark
Consider how Vikings communicated with pictures and writing;Learn about their use of runes; Design your own Viking message foil tile and bookmark. / Children will
  • Describe the style of art from the Viking period.
  • Consider how the Vikings communicated with pictures and writing (runes).
  • Develop their understanding of the role of archaeologists in relation this.
  • Design their own messages as a foil tile.
  • Design their own bookmarks using a Viking pattern.

Session 7: History,Computingand English
The end of an era and the Viking legacy
Appreciate the legacy of the Vikings; Evaluate the topic and create posters. / Children will
  • Appreciate how the Vikings helped shape some aspects of Britain today.
  • Use maps to research places with a Viking history.
  • Understand what modern day equipment is part of the Viking legacy?
  • Use the internet to research place names and their links with the Vikings.
  • Write an evaluation of this topic in the form of a poster(include information they found out and some amazing facts).

Session 8: History,PE, D&Tand English
A celebration of the Vikings (Viking immersion day)
Consolidate your Viking knowledge with a celebration day designed for an audience of younger children or for parents; Choose from a variety of activities including performing your creation dance, telling sagas, playing Viking games, dressing up and sharing a Viking feast. / Children will
  • Consolidate learning from this whole topic to use their Viking knowledge for a celebration day.
  • Become experts on the Vikings.
  • Tell sagas to younger children.
  • Use their ModRoc models as a stimulus for younger children’s art.
  • Perform Creation dance.
  • Dress as Vikings for the event.
  • Play some Viking games.
  • Eat and drink Viking style.
  • Perform Viking creation dance.
  • Plan and explain the food eaten by the Vikings.
  • Create invitations to invite parents in for the session - include Viking pattern and runes.

Resources needed

Session 1

Provided: Evaluation and Feedback sheet

You will need: Music: The Planets Suite by Holst, Dvorak’s New World Symphony (slower), Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream (faster)

Session 2
Provided:Nine Worlds PowerPoint, Instructions on how to make a wire model, ModRoc instructions
You will need: Cardboard tubes, newspaper, ModRoc, wire mesh, PVA glue, paint, artist’s/florist’s wire, sketch books/paper, art pencils

Session 3

Provided: Top Trumps blank template, Top Trumps headings template, Top Trumps Gods and Goddesses research sheet, PowerPoint Gods and Goddesses (printed off)

You will need: Pencils, coloured pencils, scissors

Session 4

Provided: Odin PowerPoint, Tree of Life PowerPoint, Tree poetry

You will need: Large sheets of sugar paper for designing trees, roll of sketch paper or wall lining paper (must be at least 2m high by 1.5m wide, or to fit a wall/door space in the room/corridor), thick felt pens, paint, brushes, pencils, paper for edited versions of poems, pencil crayons

Session 5

Provided: Printed example of one of the sagas; Versions of other sagas from the BBC weblink (you will need to print one off); Storyboard template

You will need: Recording equipmenteither on video/camera or on a tablet

Session 6

Provided:PowerPoint on Viking runes; How to write as message using Runes; How to make a foil rune tile

You will need: cereal boxes, string, foil, tape, paper, permanent markers, black shoe polish, glue, scissors

Session 7

Provided:Simple PowerPoint on Alfred the Great; Detailed PowerPoint on Danelaw;; List of Viking words/place names; Chart for Viking places in the UK

You will need: atlases or maps of the United Kingdom, computers/tablets, A3 paper, pencils, coloured pencils, fine back felt tips

Session 8

Provided: PowerPoint of ‘Up Helly Aa’; Viking menu

You will need: Viking bags made during Block C : Viking Way of Life Session 5, card tiles for game, card for parents to record new facts

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