Lesson Plan Education 405

Teacher Candidate Jamie Sparks Date_04-21-14 ______________

School _______________________________ Grade/Subject _7th

grade/Social Studies

Lesson Topic _Vikings Title Who were the Vikings?

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is for students to gain an understanding of where the

Vikings came from and what their beliefs were.

Background: This lesson will serve as an introduction to the Vikings Unit and a way to gain

student interest in Vikings.

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES/ STUDENT OUTCOMES

Students will identify the countries of Scandinavia, where the Vikings originated.

Students will be able to identify key Viking beliefs and mythology.

BIG IDEAS: The overall concept of this lesson is to understand where the Vikings came from

and what were their beliefs.

GUIDING QUESTIONS :

1. What part of the world did the Vikings originally come from?

2. What did Vikings believe in?

WV CSOs

1. SS.7.G.2 identify, locate, and draw conclusions about information on a variety of

maps (e.g., seven continents, bodies of water, countries, cities, climate regions,

transportation routes and natural resources).

2. SS.6-8.L.4 determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,

including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

NATIONAL STANDARDS/NCSS Theme(s)

This lesson is associated with NCSS Theme #1 Culture. It addresses the Viking beliefs and

myths. This lesson will address the role that the Viking beliefs and myths played in Viking

society.

This lesson is associated with NCSS Theme # 3 People, Places, and Environments. It addresses

the countries that Vikings were originally found. This lesson will address the origination of the

Vikings and will show the routes that Vikings traveled to find more fertile environments.

WV 21ST CENTURY LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Information and Communication Skills-21C.09-12.1.TT7-Student uses advanced features and

utilities of presentation software (e.g. slide transitions master slides, narrations and timings,

creating web-enabled presentations, creating a non-linear presentation) to communicate ideas to

multiple audiences.

FACTS/CONCEPTS

1. Viking’s originated from Scandinavia which includes Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.

2. Mythology and Beliefs of Vikings were comprised of both Gods and Goddesses.

MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

Overall Time

Describes how time is set to accommodate the lesson. Just give time and not details. For

example:

Overall Time – 50 minute lesson

Time Frame – 5 min. introduction

10 min. pre/post handout

10 min. vocabulary activity/Power Point Presentation

15 min. student activity

10 min. regroup for assessment pre/post handout and closure

STRATEGIES – Teacher/student led discussion, independent/group practice, Jig Saw

CONTEXTUAL TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

LT: Learning Together-students will be placed into groups to complete a project.

TAI: Teams-Assisted Individualization-students will be placed into mixed ability groups to assist

one another.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION/ ADAPTATIONS/ INTERVENTIONS

Students with Special Needs will be included into a TAI group for assistance in completing the

assignment. The amount of work that these students complete will be adjusted to fit their needs.

.

PROCEDURES

Introduction/ Lesson Set

I will begin the lesson with questions. Who were the Vikings, Where did they come

from, and what did they believe in? I will allow students time to respond. I will give

students a pre/post worksheet to assess prior knowledge of Vikings and gain interest for

the lesson.

Body & Transitions

Pre/Post handout (see attachment)

Use Power Point to introduce the Viking Vocabulary Hoard(see attachments) for

this lesson

Power Point Presentation on Vikings

Scandinavia group work—place ½ of the class into groups. Each group will

complete a detailed informative summary of Denmark, Norway, or Sweden.

Mythology group work—place the remaining ½ of the class into groups. Each

group will complete a detailed informative summary of a God or Goddess.

Odin(God), Thor(God), and Freya(Goddess)

Students will use their computers to create a short power point presentation.

Students will be asked to present their presentation to the class.

Each member of the group will speak.

Complete pre/post handout.(see attachment)

Closure

Summarize the importance of the Vikings origination and beliefs. Give students an

opportunity to ask questions concerning the lesson or any of the presentations given by

classmates.

ASSESSMENT

Diagnostic:

Students complete pre/post handout (objectives 1, 2)

Formative:

Students will complete group research and discussion on a Scandinavian country,

a God, or a Goddess and present information to class (objective 2)

Summative:

Students complete pre/post handout (objectives 1,2)

MATERIALS

Power Point, Pre/Post handout, Viking Vocabulary Hoard worksheet, Computer, Smart Board

.

EXTENTED ACTIVITIES

If Student Finishes Early

Students will be able to use their computer to play an interactive Viking game.

If Lesson Finishes Early

Students will use their computers to research a list of all of the Gods and Goddesses of Norse

Mythology. They will then choose one. They will research this God or Goddess and write a

short essay on why that God or Goddess was important to the Vikings, and why he/she chose that

particular God or Goddess.

If Technology Fails

I will have an article for students to read concerning Vikings. Students will read the article and

write a summary of the article and their opinion of the article.

DATA BASED DECISION MAKING

Data will be collected from the pre/post handout. The pre and post answers will be compared

and data collected will be used as a grade, as well as looking at questions that were missed by

several students. This will be a time to re-word questions, or decide a better way to convey

information the next time the lesson is taught.

POST-TEACHING

Reflections

Viking Vocabulary Hoard

Lesson 1

1. Viking- meaning “pirate raid”

2. Old Norse-ancient language spoken by the Vikings

3. Pagan-to worship many gods.

4. Thor- the” God of Thunder” ruled the skies, storms

and thunder. He had iron gloves, a magic belt and a

hammer.

5. Odin- ruler of the gods, and the god of magic, poetry

and war.

6. Cremation-when a Viking died his or her body could

be burned and turned back to ashes.

7. Valhalla-warriors killed in battle went to a great hall

where dead heroes feasted at long tables.

8. Valkyries-Odin’s warrior maidens who brought the

dead Viking warriors to Valhalla by riding through

the skies.

9. Midgard-middle earth where people (Vikings),

giants, elves, and dwarfs lived.

10. Asgard-The sky world where the gods and goddesses

lived.

11. Sleipnir-Odin’s magic horse who had eight legs.

12. Rainbow-is a bridge that links Midgard and Asgard.

Pre/Post Handout

Name_________________________________________________________

Vikings

Lesson # 1

Complete your answers Yay for yes and Nay for no

Pre Post

1. _______ _______ Odin is a Viking Goddess

2. _______ _______ Viking means “pirate raider”

3. _______ _______ Old Norse is the name of Odin’s eight legged

horse

4. _______ _______ If you are a Pagan you worship only one god

5. _______ _______ Thor is known as the “God of Thunder”

6. _______ _______ Vikings are buried at sea in their boats

7. _______ _______ Vikings believed in giants, dwarfs, and elves

8. _______ _______ Asgard is where the Vikings lived

9. _______ ________ When a Viking warrior died he went to Valhalla

10. _______ ________ Thor carried an ax

Vikings

From around A.D. 800 to the 11th century, a vast number of Scandinavians left their

homelands to seek their fortunes elsewhere. These seafaring warriors–known

collectively as Vikings or Norsemen (“Northmen”)–began by raiding coastal sites,

especially undefended monasteries, in the British Isles. Over the next three centuries,

they would leave their mark as pirates, raiders, traders and settlers on much of Britain

and the European continent, as well as parts of modern-day Russia, Iceland, Greenland

and Newfoundland.

Contents

Who Were the Vikings?

Early Viking Raids

Conquests in the British Isles

Viking Settlements: Europe and Beyond

Danish Dominance

End of the Viking Age

Who Were the Vikings?

Contrary to some popular conceptions of the Vikings, they were not a “race” linked by

ties of common ancestry or patriotism, and could not be defined by any particular sense

of “Viking-ness.” Most of the Vikings whose activities are best known come from the

areas now know as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, though there are mentions in

historical records of Finnish, Estonian and Saami Vikings as well. Their common ground–

and what made them different from the European peoples they confronted–was that

they came from a foreign land, they were not “civilized” in the local understanding of

the word and–most importantly–they were not Christian.

Did You Know?

The name Viking came from the Scandinavians themselves, from the Old Norse word

"vik" (bay or creek) which formed the root of "vikingr" (pirate).

The exact reasons for Vikings venturing out from their homeland are uncertain; some

have suggested it was due to overpopulation of their homeland, but the earliest Vikings

were looking for riches, not land. In the eighth century A.D., Europe was growing richer,

fueling the growth of trading centers such as Dorestad and Quentovic on the Continent

and Hamwic (now Southampton), London, Ipswich and York in England. Scandinavian

furs were highly prized in the new trading markets; from their trade with the Europeans,

Scandinavians learned about new sailing technology as well as about the growing wealth

and accompanying inner conflicts between European kingdoms. The Viking

predecessors–pirates who preyed on merchant ships in the Baltic Sea–would use this

knowledge to expand their fortune-seeking activities into the North Sea and beyond.

Early Viking Raids

In A.D. 793, an attack on the Lindisfarne monastery off the coast of Northumberland in

northeastern England marked the beginning of the Viking Age. The culprits–probably

Norwegians who sailed directly across the North Sea–did not destroy the monastery

completely, but the attack shook the European religious world to its core. Unlike other

groups, these strange new invaders had no respect for religious institutions such as the

monasteries, which were often left unguarded and vulnerable near the shore. Two years

later, Viking raids struck the undefended island monasteries of Skye and Iona (in the

Hebrides) as well as Rathlin (off the northeast coast of Ireland). The first recorded raid in

continental Europe came in 799, at the island monastery of St Philibert’s on

Noirmoutier, near the estuary of the Loire River.

For several decades, the Vikings confined themselves to hit-and-run raids against coastal

targets in the British Isles (particularly Ireland) and Europe (the trading center of

Dorestad, 80 kilometers from the North Sea, became a frequent target after 830). They

then took advantage of internal conflicts in Europe to extend their activity further

inland: after the death of Louis the Pious, emperor of Frankia (modern-day France and

Germany), in 840, his son Lothar actually invited the support of a Viking fleet in a power

struggle with brothers. Before long other Vikings realized that Frankish rulers were

willing to pay them rich sums to prevent them from attacking their subjects, making

Frankia an irresistible target for further Viking activity.

Conquests in the British Isles

By the mid-ninth century, Ireland, Scotland and England had become major targets for

Viking settlement as well as raids. Vikings gained control of the Northern Isles of

Scotland (Shetland and the Orkneys), the Hebrides and much of mainland Scotland.

They founded Ireland’s first trading towns: Dublin, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow and

Limerick, and used their base on the Irish coast to launch attacks within Ireland and

across the Irish Sea to England. When King Charles the Bald began defending West

Frankia more energetically in 862, fortifying towns, abbeys, rivers and coastal areas,

Viking forces began to concentrate more on England than Frankia.

In the wave of Viking attacks in England after 851, only one kingdom–Wessex–was able

to successfully resist. Viking armies (mostly Danish) conquered East Anglia and

Northumberland and dismantled Mercia, while in 871 King Alfred the Great of Wessex

became the only king to decisively defeat a Danish army in England. Leaving Wessex, the

Danes settled to the north, in an area known as “Danelaw.” Many of them became

farmers and traders and established York as a leading mercantile city. In the first half of

the 10th century, English armies led by the descendants of Alfred of Wessex began

reconquering Scandinavian areas of England; the last Scandinavian king, Erik Bloodaxe,

was expelled and killed around 952, permanently uniting English into one kingdom.

Viking Settlements: Europe and Beyond

Meanwhile, Viking armies remained active on the European continent throughout the

ninth century, brutally sacking Nantes (on the French coast) in 842 and attacking towns

as far inland as Paris, Limoges, Orleans, Tours and Nimes. In 844, Vikings stormed Seville

(then controlled by the Arabs); in 859, they plundered Pisa, though an Arab fleet

battered them on the way back north. In 911, the West Frankish king granted Rouen and

the surrounding territory by treaty to a Viking chief called Rollo in exchange for the

latter’s denying passage to the Seine to other raiders. This region of northern France is

now known as Normandy, or “land of the Northmen.”

In the ninth century, Scandinavians (mainly Norwegians) began to colonize Iceland, an

island in the North Atlantic where no one had yet settled in large numbers. By the late

10th century, some Vikings (including the famous Erik the Red) moved even further

westward, to Greenland. According to later Icelandic histories, some of the early Viking

settlers in Greenland (supposedly led by the Norwegian Viking hero Leif Eriksson, son of

Erik the Red) may have become the first Europeans to discover and explore North

America. Calling their landing place Vinland (Wine-land), they built a temporary

settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows in modern-day Newfoundland. Beyond that, there is

little evidence of Viking presence in the New World, and they didn’t form permanent

settlements.

Danish Dominance

The mid-10th-century reign of Harald Bluetooth as king of a newly unified, powerful and

Christianized Denmark marked the beginning of a second Viking age. Large-scale raids,

often organized by royal leaders, hit the coasts of Europe and especially England, where

the line of kings descended from Alfred the Great was faltering. Harald’s rebellious son,

Sven Forkbeard, led Viking raids on England beginning in 991 and conquered the entire

kingdom in 1013, sending King Ethelred into exile. Sven died the following year, leaving

his son Knut (or Canute) to rule a Scandinavian empire (comprising England, Denmark,

and Norway) on the North Sea.

After Knut’s death, his two sons succeeded him, but both were dead by 1042 and

Edward the Confessor, son of the previous (non-Danish) king, returned from exile and

regained the English throne from the Danes. Upon his death (without heirs) in 1066,

Harold Godwinesson, the son of Edward’s most powerful noble, laid claim to the throne.

Harold’s army was able to defeat an invasion led by the last great Viking king–Harald

Hardrada of Norway–at Stamford Bridge, near York, but fell to the forces of William,

Duke of Normandy (himself a descendant of Scandinavian settlers in northern France)

just weeks later. Crowned king of England on Christmas Day in 1066, William managed

to retain the crown against further Danish challenges.

End of the Viking Age

The events of 1066 in England effectively marked the end of the Viking Age. By that

time, all of the Scandinavian kingdoms were Christian, and what remained of Viking

“culture” was being absorbed into the culture of Christian Europe. Today, signs of the

Viking legacy can be found mostly in the Scandinavian origins of some vocabulary and

place-names in the areas in which they settled, including northern England, Scotland

and Russia. In Iceland, the Vikings left an extensive body of literature, the Icelandic

sagas, in which they celebrated the greatest victories of their glorious past.

Article Details:

Vikings

Author

History.com Staff

Website Name

History.com

Year Published

2009

Title

Vikings

URL

http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/vikings-history

Access Date

April 27, 2014

Publisher

A+E Networks

This copy is for you personal, non-commercial use only.

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