Anglo-Saxons activity 6: Anglo-Saxon warrior school

Learning objectives
Increased knowledge and understanding of archaeology, Anglo-Saxon warriors and fighting techniques, and Anglo-Saxon Folkestone.

New craft skills (making arms and armour)

Curriculum links

KS1-2 History (Anglo-Saxons, Local History Study).

KS1-2 Design technology (make Anglo-Saxon arms and armour)

KS1-2 English (write instructions for Anglo-Saxon Warrior School)

Explore evidence for Anglo-Saxon warriors by looking at Learn with Objects Anglo-Saxons 1: Dover Hill, 5: used by a warrior, 6: sharp metal point, and 8: rusty piece of iron.

Ask the children to research Anglo-Saxon warriors and their role in society. The research should focus on the different kinds of weapons and armour, how they trained and fought in battle, and whether it evolved from the time of the Dover Hill burials to that of King Harold’s army at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, as witnessed in the Bayeux Tapestry.

Use the warrior graves at Dover Hill Anglo-Saxon cemetery as your starting point. Think about the following questions.

• Why do archaeologists think some of these graves are warriors?
• What weapons and armour were buried with them? Why?
  
• Why does one have a sword and spear and the others just spears?
  
• Is the place the warrior with the sword is buried significant?
  
• What did warriors do?
  
• Could anyone become a warrior? Why not?
  
• What were weapons and armour made from? Why?
  
• Did weapons and armour change over the Anglo-Saxon period?
  
• Were weapons and armour in 1066 different from Dover Hill?

Challenge the children to design a cardboard sword, shield and helmet. They can search online for some good ideas of how to do this.

Materials needed:

• large sheets of corrugated card (recycled boxes)
• kitchen foil
• glue or sellotape
• poster paint
• pencils
• rulers

Ask each table group to research Anglo-Saxon fighting techniques and draw up a set of simple instructions to train warriors how to fight in battle, including in the shield wall.

This can then be tried out as an Anglo-Saxon warrior school with one of the other groups using the cardboard armour and weapons.