Anglo-Saxon Settings

Overview

Duration: 60 minutes
Class: Year 3 (age 7–8)
Class size: 26 students
Unit: Diary Adventures: Anglo-Saxon
Lesson: 4 of 15
Title: Setting the Scene: Anglo-Saxon Life

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National Curriculum Links

The lesson supports the following English National Curriculum objectives and related areas for Year 3:

Reading - Comprehension (Years 2–3)

• English Programme of Study:
  • Listen to and discuss a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks.
  • Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding by discussing words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination.
  • Retrieve and record information from non-fiction.

Writing - Composition

• English Programme of Study:
  • Draft and write by... organising paragraphs around a theme.
  • In narratives, creating settings, characters and plot.

Spoken Language

• English Programme of Study:
  • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates.

History (Cross-Curricular Links)

• Understand some of the ways we find out about the past and identify different ways it is represented.
• Learn about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age including the Anglo-Saxons.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will:

1. Identify and describe key settings in the prologue of Anglo-Saxon Boy, developing comprehension of descriptive texts.
2. Use imagination and visualisation skills to create a detailed map illustrating Anglo-Saxon locations from the story.
3. Work collaboratively to share ideas and produce visuals that demonstrate understanding of setting and context.
4. Begin to organise ideas spatially, linking description with visual representation.

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Resources Needed

• Copies of the Anglo-Saxon Boy prologue extract (age-appropriate).
• Large A3 paper or card for map-making (one per pair or group of three).
• Colouring pencils, markers, rulers, sticky notes.
• Visual prompts/photos of Anglo-Saxon villages, farms, landscapes (to inspire understanding).
• Magnifying glasses or “explorer hats” as props (for engagement).
• Whiteboard and pens.
• Visual writing frames with vocabulary banks (for differentiation).

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Lesson Structure

1. Engage & Activate Prior Knowledge (10 mins)

• Gather children in a circle. Briefly recap previous lessons and the story so far, revisiting what an Anglo-Saxon was and key plot points.
• Show images/photos of Anglo-Saxon settings (e.g., village, farmland, forest).
• Ask: What kind of places do you imagine when you think of Anglo-Saxon life? Record ideas on whiteboard for later use.
• Quick vocabulary brainstorming: gather descriptive words from pupils about Anglo-Saxon homes or nature.

Differentiation: Use picture cards or word prompts for EAL and SEND students. Encourage less confident learners to use key words from the list.

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2. Read & Visualise (15 mins)

• Distribute copies of the prologue excerpt. Teacher reads aloud expressively and slowly, encouraging children to close eyes and imagine the scene.
• Pause to discuss: what places did they ‘see’ in their minds? Which details stood out?
• In pairs, pupils discuss what locations were described and what features (trees, buildings, rivers) were included. Make notes together.

Differentiation: Provide audio recording of the prologue for children who struggle with reading or EAL learners. Use simplified text alongside.

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3. Create the Visual Map (25 mins)

• Explain the activity: pupils will work in pairs/small groups to draw a map of the Anglo-Saxon world from the prologue using their imaginations and notes.
• Each group is assigned a particular “zone” from the text (e.g., village, forest, river area).
• Use large A3 paper, rulers, colouring materials, sticky notes with labels. Children include landmarks, homes, fields, etc. on their map.
• Encourage children to add descriptive words around their map to explain key features, incorporating some vocabulary from the whiteboard brainstorm.
• Teacher circulates to prompt ideas, ask questions, and support language development.

Differentiation:

• For less confident pupils: Provide partially pre-drawn maps where they fill in labels and decorate.
• For advanced learners: Challenge them to add historical symbols (e.g., Anglo-Saxon patterns, simple runes) or write a few sentences describing a setting.

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4. Gallery Walk & Discussion (8 mins)

• Groups display their maps around the classroom.
• Children rotate quietly visiting each map, leaving one positive sticky-note comment or question about the location depicted.
• Gather back in a circle and invite a few pupils to share insights or surprises from the other maps.

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5. Plenary & Reflection (2 mins)

• Ask verbal questions to check understanding:
  • Can you name one place from the map and describe it?
  • How does imagining the setting help you understand the story?
• Briefly link to next lesson focus: writing diary entries from an Anglo-Saxon boy’s perspective based on these settings.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative assessment: Through observation during paired and group work and oral responses during discussions, assess pupils’ understanding of setting and descriptive detail.
• Mark/annotate maps with attention to inclusion of key locations and use of vocabulary from the text.
• Peer assessment: Sticky note feedback promotes evaluation and reflection.
• Provide verbal feedback praising creativity and detail, reinforcing learning objectives.

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Differentiation Summary

Learner Type	Supports
EAL & lower ability	Simplified text, audio support, visual vocabulary prompts, partially completed maps
SEND	Visual aids, paired work, scaffolding with sentence frames, sensory props (hats, magnifiers)
Advanced learners	Extension writing task, add historical symbols, detail in descriptions, independent research

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Extension Activities

• Home Learning: Children research an Anglo-Saxon village or home online with family and bring one interesting fact or picture to share.
• Creative Writing: Using their maps, pupils write a short diary entry describing an Anglo-Saxon day, incorporating descriptive language and sensory detail.
• Art & Design: Create a 3D model of part of the village using recycled materials or natural items found outdoors.

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Teacher’s Notes & Tips

• Use expressive reading to engage imagination.
• Model visualising by drawing simple sketches on whiteboard during reading.
• Try “thinking aloud” to discuss how you picture settings.
• Encourage collaborative talk; it deepens comprehension.
• Use props to make the setting “real” (explorer hats, magnifying glasses).
• Allow time for children to move during gallery walk for kinesthetic learners.

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This lesson fosters strong oral language skills, visual literacy, and empathy by encouraging children to "step into" Anglo-Saxon life, setting a strong foundation for future narrative writing in the unit.