Anglo Saxons
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons, designed for Key Stage 2
We base our learning sessions in the time of King Alfred the Great – the only monarch ever to have been awarded the title ‘The Great’ – in the latter days of the ninth century.
A typical day would include a visit from Bryctwulf the Thegn (left).
Students will learn about the migration period of our history after the decline of the Roman empire, poetry and sagas, life in the burgh, medicine and surgery, the differences between rich and poor, food, trade and warfare against the raiding Vikings.
Sessions typically involve two educators, depending on your requirements – so students benefit from a carousel of activities on a variety of topics.
If you’d like your pupils to understand the differences between the cultures at this time, we can also bring in a Viking woman, Helskegga (above).
Our Anglo-Saxon day includes a great selection of objects for study and handling, with Anglo-Saxon names given to all students, role-play of domestic life, and dressing up activities.
We’ll also look at military weapons, tactics and battles, and offer have-a-go activities such as: making butter, striking a coin, grinding corn, fire-lighting with flint and steel, understanding food and diet, and comparisons with our lifestyle today.
We have a superb backdrop of Anglo-Saxon houses to bring focus on homes and lifestyles:
Vikings
Designed for Key Stage 2
Vikings! We visit the school in the personae of Ragnar Eriksson, raider at the time of the first Viking raids, and Helskegga Jomsdottir.
The children will meet Ragnar fully armed and armoured with helmet, shield, sword, two-handed axe, maille shirt, spear and banner, seax, cloak and accessories. Very dramatic as he leaps into action, straight off the dragon boat!
The children are each given a real Viking name for the day and learn how to write their new name using the Futhark (runes).
Then we discuss the known world with a period map, investigate local town and village names with Viking origins, trade goods with Viking lands, examine food and drink, do some object handling, compare and contrast lifestyles then and now, and have dressing up activities with military weapons and armour.
Activities that all the pupils can try include making butter, battle tactics, grinding corn, fire-lighting with flint and steel, and making a real Viking coin (one per child if budget allows). Plus much more, including Viking games Kubb and Hnafetafl, and rune writing.
Children can learn some warrior battle tactics and pose in front of our great battle scene:
Finish the day with myths and legends including the Aesir, Asgard and Midgard, Bifrost, Valhalla and finally Ragnarok.
Battle of Hastings 1066
Journey with us as we head back to that most famous of battles and relive the epic moments through the eyes of two people who were there!
Meet other major players in the story such as Edith Swan-neck (right), Edward the Confessor, Bishop Odo and Harald Hardrada. Find out why Harold Godwineson and William, Duke of Normandy came to savage blows on this fateful day in October 1066.
Our typical day includes studying key elements of the Bayeux Tapestry and re-enacting them with the children dressed up as knights and major characters from both sides.
Your students will examine weapons, real armour and tactics. They can try their hands at activities such as archery, striking a coin, grinding corn, and firelighting with flint and steel; they’ll learn about food and diet, and make interesting comparisons with our lifestyle today.
Medieval times
The development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509
Black Knight Historical are medieval specialists, and we can provide a wide range of medieval characters in your school to assist learning about relevant topics. Suitable for Key Stage 1. 2. 3 and 4 as required – please advise
From a Norman Knight in 1066 to a plague victim of the Black Death; a Benedictine nun (left), to an archer in the Wars of the Roses; and many others as required from our team of excellent medievalists!
Children first meet our characters in role: we can appear to the whole school as a special guest at assembly, or go straight to the classroom or hall as required.
The children are encouraged to immerse themselves in the period being studied, with dressing up activities, roleplay jobs, listening to period music, learning a dance, making art, understanding heraldry and experiencing daily life compared and contrasted with today.
We have a large collection of authentically replicated objects from the time, for handling and examination or wearing. These include: clothing, hats, pottery, cooperage, treen, glass, tapestry, banners, arms and armour, cookery implements, furniture, food and drink, furs, medical and religious objects.
We have presented special study days on the Battle of Hastings 1066, the Wars of the Roses (focusing on the Battle of Barnet in 1471), multiple medieval characters for Black Death workshops, Magna Carta 1215, and Agincourt 1415 / The Hundred Years War.
Castles
Black Knight are delighted to offer a great workshop on castles! We bring our very own castle into the school.
Sessions include:
- Examination of features, moat, construction methods
- Looking at decorations and functionality
- Understanding terms such as portcullis, battlements and so on.
and we’ll be asking the questions:
- Why are they called castles?
- What were they made from?
- Who built them?
- When were castles occupied?
- What happened inside the stone walls?
Making the most of role-play and dressing-up in real medieval clothes and armour, children act out various jobs and duties in a castle, including fetching water in bucket, standing on guard, acting as a lady in waiting to a queen, and saying a Latin prayer as a chaplain.
Turrets and Tiaras
[Knights, Castles and Princesses] designed for KeyStage 1
Our fantastic and colourful workshop (sometimes known as ‘Knights, Castles and Princesses’) is designed for Key Stage 1, and involves lots of dressing up, role play, games and fabulous medieval artefacts! We even have a fire breathing dragon as a grand finale!
We bring a huge castle into the school six metres wide, with working drawbridge and portcullis.
Children learn about life in a castle by acting out jobs and duties, such as carrying a bucket of water, dressing a princess, being a soldier, acting as a stable boy, understanding religion, serving a Lord with food, and learning to dance.
We dress up the entire class for our St. George Knight School activity, [see pic below], learning about medieval knights and the legend of our patron saint. Then children contribute ideas, names and items for their unique legend, such as Hero, Knight, Princess, Dungeon, Tower, Treasure, Monster… Let their imagination flow! All children get to contibute to the story.
