Overview

In this 45-minute lesson, Year 3 students will be introduced to the Anglo-Saxons, focusing on who they were, where they came from, and the timeline of their arrival and settlement in Britain. This introductory lesson will lay the foundation for the rest of the unit by developing students’ understanding of chronology and historical storytelling while linking closely to the National Curriculum for History (England).

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National Curriculum Links

History - Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4):

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Understand the chronology of Britain’s past and place events and artefacts in order.
  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world - the Anglo-Saxons, including where they came from and when they settled in Britain.
  • Develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time.
  • Ask and answer questions, find out about the past through a range of sources of information.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain who the Anglo-Saxons were and identify their origins.
2. Place key events related to the Anglo-Saxons’ arrival in Britain on a simple timeline.
3. Use historical vocabulary such as “settle,” “invade,” “timeline,” and “chronology” confidently.

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Resources

• Large classroom timeline banner or strip of paper (at least 2 metres)
• Pre-prepared key event cards (images and dates) about the Anglo-Saxon arrival (e.g., Roman Britain end, arrival of Anglo-Saxons, settlements founded)
• Sticky Tack or Blu-Tack
• Individual mini timeline sheets for each student (blank timeline with space for 4-5 events)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Globe or world map showing Europe and Britain
• Historical picture/video clip (carefully selected age-appropriate animation or images of Anglo-Saxon life and sailing ships)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (5 minutes)

• Engage curious minds: Show the class a large colourful world map or globe focused on Europe and Britain.
• Briefly ask: "Who do you think lived in Britain after the Romans left?" Encourage quick guesses.
• Introduce the Anglo-Saxons as the people who came next after the Romans.

2. Input / Teaching (10 minutes)

• Explain in child-friendly language that the Anglo-Saxons were a group of tribes from modern-day Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands who sailed to Britain around 1,400 years ago (early 5th Century).
• Use a short animated clip or a series of images illustrating their journey on boats to Britain.
• Write key terms on the board: invade, settle, tribe, timeline. Define and discuss briefly.
• Show a large empty timeline strip to the class and explain how timelines help us see what happened first, then next, and so on.

3. Guided Group Activity (15 minutes)

• Hand out pre-prepared event cards with images and dates (e.g., end of Roman rule in Britain 410 AD, arrival of first Anglo-Saxons 410–450 AD, foundation of Anglo-Saxon villages).
• Invite small groups (5 groups of 6 children) to discuss each event and then place them on the large classroom timeline in the correct order with sticky tack.
• Encourage reasoning with questions: “Why do you think this event happened before that one?”
• Teacher circulates to scaffold, reinforce vocabulary, and support chronological understanding.

4. Individual Activity (10 minutes)

• Distribute mini timeline sheets for students to draw or write three main events from the lesson in order, adding simple illustrations if they wish.
• This consolidates learning and checks understanding individually.

5. Plenary / Review (5 minutes)

• Ask several students to share one event from their timeline and say why it is important.
• Summarise: “The Anglo-Saxons came after the Romans left Britain. They came from Europe and settled here. We use timelines to understand when things happened.”
• Check understanding with a quick “thumbs up/down” on terms like invade and settle.

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Assessment and Differentiation

• Formative Assessment:
  • Observe participation during timeline card activity for understanding of chronological order.
  • Use mini timeline sheets to check individual grasp of key events and ordering.
• Differentiation:
  • Support lower ability pupils with fewer events or paired work.
  • Challenge higher ability pupils to add one extra fact or draw an additional event related to Anglo-Saxon life from memory or prompt.
• Extension Suggestion for Early Finishers:
  • Draw a small map tracing Anglo-Saxon migration routes from Europe to Britain.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Literacy: Introducing historical vocabulary and storytelling skills.
• Art: Drawing simple illustrations for timelines.
• Geography: Locating countries of origin on maps.

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WOW Element to Impress Teachers

Interactive Timeline Building: Instead of just visual timelines on paper, this lesson uses a hands-on, collaborative classroom timeline that grows throughout the unit. This tactile and social approach to chronology enhances engagement and memory retention. Combining storytelling with movement and discussion helps different learning styles.

Use of multimedia (age-appropriate animation) to bring history to life captures the imaginations of young learners while embedding important chronological concepts.

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End of Lesson 1 Plan