LKS2 Topic Title: Invaders and Settlers: Anglo-Saxons Block E: Art and Culture
Learn about the cultural significance of storytelling, poetry, music, jewellery and feasting to the AngloSaxons. Build towards creating an Anglo-Saxon feast. Create sagas and kennings to perform, cook food
to eat, create jewellery and instruments.
Block E: Art and Culture
[5 sessions]
By the end of this block you will
have achieved the following
outcomes:
Session 1: History and English
Storytelling
The children will find out about the
importance of storytelling in AngloSaxon culture, look at some Old
English and attempt some
translation.
Main outcome: History
Other outcomes: English, Music, Science, D&T and Art

Understand that many different peoples have settled in Britain since the
start of the Common Era and have helped shape the nation.
 Understand connections between cultural, social and military history.
 Become familiar with a range of books, including myths and legends.
 Check that the text makes sense to them, explaining the meaning of words in
context.
 Predicting what might happen from details stated and implied.
 Identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.
 Discuss writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to
learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar.
 Build a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence
structures.
 Organise paragraphs around a theme.
 In narratives, create settings, characters and plot. Read aloud their own
writing.
 Participate in role-play and performances.
 Gain and maintain the interest of the listeners.
 Summarise main ideas.
 Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes.
 Play musical instruments.
 Develop an understanding of the history of music.
 Find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that
produced it.
 Find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the
vibrations that produced it.
 Generate and develop their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches,
prototypes, etc.
 Select from and use a range of materials.
 Prepare and cook a variety of dishes.
 Understand seasonality.
 Know about great craft makers and understand the historical development
of their art forms.
Children will
 Understand the importance of oral storytelling in Anglo-Saxon society:
entertainment, preserving their history, education, social interaction,
inspiration, etc.
 Appreciate that Anglo-Saxons considered storytelling a skill that all
should aspire to.
 Be aware that both the spelling and pronunciation of languages change
over time.
 Become familiar with an epic poem written in Anglo-Saxon times.
The links to the websites and the contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’)
have been checked by Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton
Trust’s knowledge, are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton
Trust website, you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links,
changed such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.
LKS2 Topic Title: Invaders and Settlers: Anglo-Saxons Block E: Art and Culture
Session 2: History, Music and
Science
Music
The children will learn about music
in Anglo-Saxon society and prepare
instruments for their feast.
Session 3: History and English
Kennings and Riddles
The children learn about kennings
and riddles and prepare their own
to perform at their Anglo-Saxon
feast.
Session 4: History, D&T and Art
Jewellery
The children will look at AngloSaxon artefacts, particularly
jewellery, and make their own to
wear at the feast.
Session 5: History, English and D&T
Feasts
A final feast gives the children a
meaningful setting in which to
perform their music, sagas,
kennings and riddles as well as
dressing up and eating Anglo-Saxon
foods.
Children will
 Understand the importance of oral storytelling in Anglo-Saxon society:
entertainment, preserving their history, education, social interaction,
inspiration, etc.
 Appreciate that Anglo-Saxons considered storytelling a skill that all
should aspire to.
 Identify the types of musical instruments that were played in AngloSaxon times. Create some simple musical instruments with a range of
notes.
 Explain how to change the pitch and volume of notes produced by their
own musical instruments.
Children will
 Understand the importance of telling riddles and using kennings in
Anglo-Saxon society: entertainment, preserving their history, education,
social interaction, inspiration, etc.
 Appreciate that Anglo-Saxons saw the use and understanding of riddles
and kennings as a skill that all should aspire to.
 Recognise, understand and write kennings and riddles.
Children will
 Understand that jewellery was used by Anglo-Saxons to fasten their
clothing, as lucky charms (amulets) and as decoration, and that metal
workers (craftsmen) were highly skilled and valued members of society.
 Create some Anglo-Saxon-style jewellery using a range of materials and
tools.
 Understand that Anglo-Saxon metal workers were skilled craftsmen, and
that we still use their designs as inspiration today.
Children will
 Understand the importance of feasts in Anglo-Saxon society:
entertainment, preserving their history, education, social interaction,
inspiration, etc.
 Write a mini-saga in 50 words.
 Perform their mini-sagas, poems and riddles.
 Understand ‘seasonality’
The links to the websites and the contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’)
have been checked by Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton
Trust’s knowledge, are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton
Trust website, you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links,
changed such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.
LKS2 Topic Title: Invaders and Settlers: Anglo-Saxons Block E: Art and Culture
Resources
Session 1
Provided: Translation of the Beginning of ‘Beowulf’.
You will need: ‘Beowulf’ by Kevin Crossley-Holland and Charles Keeping, OUP, ISBN: 9780192723697
or ‘Beowulf’ by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman, Walker, ISBN: 9781406348873.
Session 2
Provided: Extracts from ‘Beowulf’ and information on Anglo-Saxon musicians; Pictures of musicians
from manuscripts; The Story of Caedmon and Caedmon’s Hymn; Instructions for making a whistle;
Instructions for making a harp.
You will need: Large sturdy plastic straws; Scissors; Cardboard boxes; Elastic bands; Pencils; Something
to draw around (optional).
Session 3
Provided: Kennings; Anglo-Saxon riddles; Contemporary riddles; Kenning and riddle answer sheet;
Riddle planning sheet.
You will need: Individual whiteboards and pens.
Session 4
Provided: The English Heritage Dustbin Game or a collection of objects that give glues about the
owner; Pictures of Sussex grave artefacts; Burial descriptions from ‘Beowulf’; Information on Sutton
Hoo and the Staffordshire Hoard; Images of Sutton Hoo and Staffordshire grave goods; 3 instruction
sheets on making necklaces and brooches; Pictures of brooches; Brooch design templates.
You will need: Paper; Card; Clay; Cocktail sticks; Pencils; Needles; Thread; Paints (including metallic
colours); Brushes; Glue; A round cookie cutter; Equipment for drawing geometric designs; Card;
Scissors; Safety pins; Sticky tape; Beads (optional).
Session 5
Provided: Information on Anglo-Saxon feasts; Descriptions of feasts from ‘Beowulf’; Examples of minisaga drafts; List of foods for a feast and recipe for pottage.
You will need: All arts, crafts, and literary projects from Sessions 1–4; Food for the feast (see list).
The links to the websites and the contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’)
have been checked by Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton
Trust’s knowledge, are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton
Trust website, you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links,
changed such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.