This term we are studying Anglo Saxon Britain and I am trying to make the topic as engaging and absorbing as possible. To this end I have decided that homework tasks will be more open ended, variable and within the children’s control. To ensure that momentum is maintained with this different approach, each task will have a value in points. Each child must achieve points every week (i.e. they have to complete ONE task) but how they gain them is up to them. As their points accumulate the children will be able to spend them in our “Anglo Saxon” classroom. Evidence of a task must be handed in as usual each Tuesday. The weekly spelling and maths homework will still be given out as normal. As always, please ask if you need any support for any of the activities. I would appreciate all comments, positive and negative, as to how engaging and useful this type of homework may be! Please, please don’t panic – this is a huge list of activities but only one needs to be done per week. Your child does not have to do them all! For 2 points Make a list of objects that: were used by Anglo Saxons and are still used today. were used by Anglo Saxons but are not normally used today. What objects were used by the Romans but not the Anglo Saxons? Create an Anglo Saxon timeline. Create a piece of Anglo Saxon art (would it normally be on paper?) Draw/paint a picture of something from Anglo Saxons times e.g. an Anglo Saxon banquet, boat, village or funeral. Write a caption to go with it. Write a secret message in Anglo Saxon runes. Draw and describe an Anglo Saxon god. For 5 points Write a report that explains where the Anglo Saxons came from and why they are called this. Include useful extra information about their homeland and history, e.g. maps neighbouring tribes. Write a short newspaper report announcing the invasion and settlement of Britain by the Angles & Saxons (include a catchy headline!) Decide whether you’re an Anglo Saxon or British newspaper first. Write a diary entry from someone in a British village or town which is taken over by the Anglo Saxons. You could write this each week to produce a kind of historical story. Write a Monk’s diary. This could be a weekly activity. Dress up as someone from Anglo Saxon times. Have your photo taken and write a description to go with it. Create a leaflet about an Anglo Saxon exhibit for a museum. Make some Anglo Saxon armour and a helmet - research the style and colours carefully. Find an interesting paragraph about Anglo Saxon life in a book or on the internet. Make notes and write about it in your own words. Don’t forget to write down where you found this information (your source). Design an Anglo Saxon maze or pattern. Write a character portrait for King Arthur, King Alfred, St. Augustine or another historic character. Mint your own Anglo Saxon coins. Anglo Saxons loved riddles. Can you find and record any of their favourites? Design and make an Anglo Saxon outfit for a slave, villager or a rich person. Create an outdoor game for Anglo Saxon children to play. Plan a trip across UK visiting only towns with Anglo Saxon names. Play a game imagining the Anglo Saxons invading - how would you feel as an Anglo Saxon? How were the Anglo Saxons organised? How would you feel as a Briton? For 8 points Make a 3D model of an item from Anglo Saxon times. Create a mini encyclopaedia of Anglo Saxon gods, including drawings and information such as: descriptions, personalities, background stories, festivals & feasts. Write a report on an aspect of Anglo Saxon life that interests you (e.g. games, carpentry, farming, transport). Write a food diary for one day as if you were member of an Anglo Saxon household. Find an Anglo Saxon recipe. Create this recipe and take a photo to show your creation (Write the recipe to go with your photo in case others would like to have a try). Write a report on an Anglo Saxon feast or festival. Does it still exist in any form today? Make your own Anglo Saxon board game – with rules. Beat a parent! Design an advert for an apprentice in a specialised job (e.g. blacksmith, weaver, reeve). Write your own Anglo Saxon poem (for example a kenning). Write your own riddles. Create a work sheet of maths word problems for Anglo Saxon children. Write a description about walking to the great hall of an important Anglo Saxon leader for your first day at work. (think about the early morning sounds and smells of the village as well as your emotions as you approach the huge building and your new job) Imagine you are a member of an Anglo Saxon invasion party. Write a letter home to your family (you could do this each week, describing events such as the boat ride across the North Sea, your landing and what happens in this new country). For 10 points Write a report on the reasons for the Anglo Saxon settlement/invasion of the British Isles. Write your own Old English phrasebook. Create a piece of writing in Old English. It could be a poem, a short story, a description or even a shopping list! Provide a translation on another sheet of paper. With a helper conduct an interview with an Anglo Saxon leader. Before the interview carefully put together the list of questions you might ask them. Perhaps think about what you want to know about their life, the decisions they’ve had to make, how they feel about Briton and its people, and their plans for the future. You could be either the interviewer or the interviewee. Record the interview on paper, as sound, or even as video! Try weaving or dyeing using Anglo Saxon methods. Write instructions for others to follow. Read a book with an Anglo Saxon theme (Beowulf, King Arthur…) and write a review. I have book review sheets. Who would you recommend the book to? Viking novels will also give an excellent sense of the times (e.g. Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece & Jeremy Strong’s books, as well as Terry Gilliam’s “Erik the Viking”) With permission, watch a film or TV program with an Anglo Saxon theme (e.g. Beowulf, Monty Python, The Sword In The Stone or the BBC’s Merlin) Write a review including your feelings on how historically accurate it is. This is probably only worth doing once you feel that you have a good understanding of Anglo Saxon life, so that you can spot excellent details and unfortunate mistakes. Write a story with an Anglo Saxon theme, maybe something linked to an object. This could be set in the present day or in the past. An artefact in a museum or your home could prove to be a gateway to the past… Research and learn an Anglo Saxon song or dance. Write an Anglo Saxon play. This could be performed and videoed for the class to enjoy. You can create your own ideas for projects - please discuss these with me to decide how many points they are worth and whether I can help. Good Luck and enjoy!! Some useful weblinks: Anglo Saxon Names Glossary Early British Kingdoms For Kids St Carranog (re Dunster & King Arthur) Mega Anglo Saxon Site SKILLS: Anglo Saxon Website 1 Lucet weaving Runes Nordic Gods & Rune Translator Recipes & Games (re-enactment site) Beowulf For Beginners GAMES: Your Name In Runes Taefl History of Invasion (inc. details on Wessex) Explore An Anglo-Saxon Interactive Village Nine Men’s Morris Wichamstow – virtual village – High ability info. Fox and Geese Anglo Saxon Life – Teacher Facts Viking Raiders Game Massive Link Site – Teacher Links Anglo Saxon Word List – Originals of English words Old English Vocabulary Old English Vocabulary Etymology – linking English, Germanic, Saxon… History of English Language Anglo Saxon Phrasebook Viking Non Fiction Reading List: The Angles, Saxons and Vikings had many similarities in their cultures, just as you have similarities with the person you sit next to in class. These books are based on the Vikings but will help your understanding of the Anglo Saxons. Just remember the Anglo Saxons weren’t Vikings, just as you are not the person sitting next to you!