Year 8 Humanities:
The Vikings
Vicious Vandals or Explorers and Entrepreneurs?
RESEACRCH PROJECT
•In this project, you will select and research one
aspect of Viking society
•First you will complete a research grid gathering
information from three sources
•Then you will complete the Remember, Understand,
Apply, Analyse, Evaluate and Design activities for
your research area, recording them as a draft in
your notebook
•Once your teacher has read through and corrected
your draft, you will create a project about your
research area. You can select how you would like to
present it from the list below
•The rubric criteria is attached in this outline and
your teacher will help you understand it
•The grade from this project will appear on your
semester report
GOOD LUCK!!!
This modified version
was taken from an
assessment produced at
Reservoir High School
Possible ways to present your information:
Poster
Wiki space
Report
Medieval Book
Power point
(If you have additional idea’s
negotiate it with your teacher)
Remember
Understand
Apply
Analyse
Evaluate
Design
Who
were the
Vikings?
Where did the
Vikings come
from?
Where does the
word Viking
come from?
Explain why ships
were so important
to the Vikings.
Create a timeline of the
significant events in
Viking exploration
Create a T CHART
writing 3 reasons
why Vikings were
considered
bloodthirsty
vandals and on the
other side, 3
reasons why some
see them as more
than vandals
Using the image
provided at the
back of this booklet
write down 7
questions you
would like to know
about it.
Remember to use
the 3 levels of
historical analysis
Draw either a
Viking male or
female. Label the
pieces of their
clothing and the
jewellery they
would have worn
Community
life, Vikings at
home and
family life
Use a flow
diagram to
explain the
structure of
Viking society
(Jarls, karls and
thralls)
Why do you think
Viking children did
not go to school?
How did they learn
the history of their
people or learn the
skills they needed to
grow up?
Imagine you are a Viking
living in the town of
Jorvik. The circle below
represents a day. Fill in
the circle with what you
think would happen
during a busy day in
Viking times. Now
compare it to your life
and the things you did
today.
Imagine you are a
Viking chief giving a
feast. Create an
invitation which
includes
information about
the entertainment
you are providing
and a list of food
and drink your
guests will enjoy
In your won words
describe a Viking
“Things”. How is it
similar to how we
make laws today?
Use a Venn
diagram to help
you demonstrate
this
Imagine you are a
teenager captured
in Europe by Viking
raiders and taken
back to a Viking
homeland. Write a
diary entry to
explain and
describe what you
see and experience
during your first
day there.
Beliefs and
stories
Explain how the
way Christmas is
celebrated today
as a mix of
Christian and
pagan traditions.
What was the
responsibility of the
following Viking
Gods, Odin, Thor,
Loki, Freya and
Balder. Which of
these Gods would
be associated with
the following
events: A sudden
thunderstorm
An earthquake
A magical spell
involving Runes
Create a Facebook page
(on paper) or wiki-space
for Thor (ask your
teacher for a A4 guide
for the Facebook page
or guidelines for the
wiki space)
Make sure you include
as much information as
possible about Thor’s
powers, where he lives,
his family etc.
Research what a
“saga” was in
Viking times and
why this form of
story telling was so
popular. How did
the Vikings pass
stories on before
they were written
down. What was a
skaid?
Using a Venn
diagram compare
the Pagan Viking
beliefs about
deaths with
Christian of Muslim
beliefs. For
example both
Pagan and
Christians mark
burial sites but they
do so using
different methods.
What were they?
Write your own
Norse myth.
Remember to
include some of the
Gods and the
Hammer of Thor.
Giants, Gods
and Creation
Vikings at Sea:
Trade and
Exploration
Remember
Understand
Apply
Analyse
Evaluate
Design
What was a
Longship? Explain
why its design
made the Longship
a good landing
craft. How did
trading and
transport ships
differ from
Longships?
Imagine you are a
Viking on a
Longship. Using a Y
chart write dot
points about what
it would look like,
sound/smell and
Plan a Viking
voyage. How was
the ship protected?
What stores did the
crew need to
survive a voyage
from Denmark to
England. Write a
“voyage
preparation letter”
(like a school camp
letter). It should
include information
about the trip and
what to pack
Draw a Venn
diagram to
compare the
similarities and
differences
between modern
navigation and
Viking navigation.
Ask your teacher
for a copy of
Humanities Alive.
Look at page 28
and 29. Draw up a
comic strip about
Leif Eriksson using
the information in
“Greenland Gossip”
Design your own
Viking ship and
annotate it.
Remember to
include your own
design dragon head
and what type of
wood you have
used.
Draw, label and
explain the
weapons and
armour the Vikings
used in battle.
Write your own
name as a Runic
message. Then
write a paragraph
explaining runic
language and how
runestones were
used.
A Vikings settled in
lands they brought
with them their
customs and
language. In two
paragraphs
describe how
Norse language has
influenced the
English language.
Imagine you are an
escaped English
ruler who has
escaped a Viking
raid. Write a letter
to a friend
describing what
you saw when the
Vikings attacked.
feel like.
Viking Raiders:
Going Berserk
What was the
Danegeld? How
did Viking
berserkers behave
in Battle? Why
were Viking boats
an effective means
of transportation
for raiders?
Y
Why did some
monasteries like
Lindisfarne have
“treasure for the
Vikings to steal”?
Find some pictures
of the Lindisfarne
monastery and
include them in
your work
Image for:
Who were the
Vikings: Evaluate
PLEASE NOT:
WIKIPEDIA AND ANSWERS.COM WILL NOT BE
CONSIDERED AS AN ACCEPTABLE SOURCE IN YOUR
RESEARCH GRID!!!!
HIGH
(3MARKS)
H
MEDIUM
(2MARKS)
M
LOW
(1MARK)
1. Historical/ Geographical Knowledge
You have included a range of specific
and accurate information related to
your topic
You have included some specific and accurate
information related to your topic
There are errors in your information and it is
not very specific
2. Explanation and conclusions
You have shown understanding through
using accurate explanations and
examples related to the topic and
drawn conclusions
You have shown understanding of information by
paraphrasing it and attempted to draw conclusions
from it
You have shown understanding by
paraphrasing information you have collected
but have not drawn your own conclusions
3. Use of Evidence
In your report you have used and
referred to at least one primary and at
least two secondary sources
You have used or referred to secondary or primary
sources
Your work tells the story of what happened
and uses names and dates as evidence
4. Synthesis of information
You have used evidence to describe,
explain and tell a story
You have used some of your evidence to describe,
explain and tell a story
You have used a secondary source to provide
an explanation, description or tell a story
5. Research Skills and Referencing
You have developed useful research
questions and used suitable planning
tools You have included all
bibliographical information in you
research grid
You have developed some research questions and
attempted to use planning tools. You have written
down the authors and titles of the sources you have
used
You have shown little research questions and
shown little or no planning tools. You have
written down the names of the sources you
have used
6. Expression, Punctuation, Spelling
There are no obvious errors in you
spelling, grammar and expression
You work has some errors in spelling, punctuation
and grammar
There are many errors in your spelling,
expression and punctuation
L
NS (0)