How To Launch A Viking Raid
Interactive, drama-history workshop.
Workshop Summary
Have your students got what it takes to launch a successful Viking raid?
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In this award-winning workshop, our practitioners will use interactive activities and games with a drama and performance twist to teach your students everything they need to know to raid the Anglo-Saxon monastery on Lindisfarne.
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One of the many great things about our workshops is that there are “opportunities for all to take part if they wanted [sic] to.” This is because our drama focus ensures the workshop is accessible to everyone. Even better, your students will be eager to take part, thanks to our “very funny presenters”.
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This Viking Raid workshop has “Great content, presented in a fun and interactive way.” Students will use their newfound performance skills to create a mighty Viking longship – using only their bodies. They’ll also harness their role-play powers to see if they can recreate the voyages of three famous Vikings, including the epic raid on Paris lead by Ragnar Lothbrok.
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All of this fun and action will heighten pupils understanding of the Viking Era, ensuring they are eager to learn more about this fascinating period of history.
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By the end of this remarkable session, you too will agree that our ‘How to Launch a Viking Raid’ workshop is “super!”
Workshop Activities
In our half-day 'How to Launch a Viking Raid' workshop, your students will:
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Create a timeline stretching from the first Viking raid on Anglo-Saxon Britain to the end of the Viking & Anglo-Saxon era in 1066. The students will use their acting chops to recreate characters from the Viking Age and discover more about their centuries-long rocky relationship with the Anglo-Saxons. They will transform themselves to become visual aids to assist in their peers’ learning.
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Construct a Viking Longship using just their bodies. The pupils will discover each element of a Viking Longship, what it was called and what it was for, whilst recreating the object using their performance skills. Can they remember each part of the ship in our memory challenge?
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Use teamwork to uncover the various items a Viking would take on a long journey. Pupils will have the opportunity to inspect historical replicas; including Viking weapons, shields, sunstones, and more. One of the items is fake, the Vikings never used it, will the students be able to don their detective hats and spot the imposter?
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Recreate the expeditions of three famous Vikings to discover all the reasons why they went on sea voyages. Join Erik the Red as he settles in Greenland, Leif Erikson as he establishes trade routes in America and Ragnar Lothbrok as he launches the largest Viking raid in history; the siege of Paris. This enormous group role-play enables all of the students to take part in a thrilling action-packed finale in our ultimate challenge.
Half-Day and Full-Day sessions available.
This workshop contains the following historical replicas for pupils to handle:
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Viking Sword
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Viking Spear
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Hurscarl Armour
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Sunstone
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Drinking Horn
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Viking Shield
Testimonials:
Find out what other teachers think of our workshops:
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'The presenters were very funny and kept the children engaged throughout. There were opportunities for all to take part if they wanted to. A great session!'
- Monks Abbey
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National Curriculum Links:
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The importance of Norse Mythology and how it helps us understand the Vikings
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Understanding of Viking culture of society
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Viking Influence on the Anglo Saxons and Britain
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Story telling through the ages
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The motivation behind Viking raids and invasion
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The Norse gods and their influence on Modern Britain
Looking for more workshops on the Vikings?
Check out our
Viking Mythology - (Un)traditional Storytelling
workshop too.
Or combine the two workshops for a full-day session.