Year 8 History: The Vikings Subject Outline
Syllabus Dot Points
Students learn about:
• The way of life in Viking society (social, cultural, economic and political features) and the roles and relationships of
different groups in society
• Significant developments and/or cultural achievements that led to Viking expansion, including weapons and
shipbuilding, and the extent of their trade
• Viking conquests and relationships with subject peoples, including the perspectives of monks, changes in the way of life
of the English, and the Norman invasion
• The role of a significant individual in the expansion of Viking settlement and influence
Unit Outline
1. Introduction and Geography
2. Sources and life of a farmer
3. Travel and Trade
4. Viking Ships and Raiding
5. Exploration and Settlement
6. Society and Government
7. Housing and Clothing
8. Men, Women, Children
9. Food
10. Runes
11. Viking Religion, Gods, and Burial
12. Legacy
Metalanguage List
Asgard
Athing
battle axe
berserker
eddas
fjord
Lindisfarne
longhouse
longships
monastery
Norsemen
Odin
plunder
runes
sagas
Scandinavia
shield maiden
Valhalla
Valkyries
warrior
Kick start questions
1. Locate the Viking homelands
2. Identify the geographical features that helped shape Viking society and history
3. Using a range of sources, eg the Viking sagas, outline key social, cultural, economic and political features of viking
society
4. Describe the everyday life of men, women and children in Viking society
5. Discuss the role of the Norse gods in Viking society
6. Identify the extent of Viking exploration and trade
7. Identify the regions conquered and/or settled by the Vikings
8. Explain how and why Viking expansion occurred, including developments in weaponry and shipbuilding technologies
9. Discuss the theory that Vikings discovered America
10. Explain and assess the impact of the Vikings on subject peoples in England and northern Europe, including the Dane
law
11. Discuss the significance of the Norwegian (Viking) and Norman invasions of England in 1066
12. Outline what sources reveal about different perspectives on the Vikings, for example those of English monks
13. Investigate and assess the role of significant individuals involved in the expansion of Viking settlement and influence,
eg Erik the red or Leif Ericson
14. Use sources to identify different perspectives on the chosen individual
15. Discuss how the Vikings have influenced the world today