Let's Go a'Viking!: Unit Overview

My good friend told me that she was super excited to see my Viking unit.  She shouldn't have been.  Since my kids have been obsessed with Vikings and all things Thor (no, they haven't seen any of the movies) for ages, I cut this part of Medieval history pretty short.

Day One:

• Read Viking Warriors by Tony D. Triggs 
• play on the BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/vikings/who_were_the_vikings/.

Day Two:

• Read about "Aud the Deep-Minded" in Outrageous Women of the Middle Ages by Vicki Leon
• Play Timeline (just for fun, but it is on my official schedule so I included it here)
• Color and put in order the timeline found at http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/worksheets/vikings/cut_out_make_timeline.pdf
• Add other important events we've covered into the timeline (Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire, the Fall of Rome, Byzantine Empire and spread of Islam, Barbarians--Attila the Hun)
• Look at this map: http://historymedren.about.com/library/atlas/blateurodex.htm and discuss where Normans/Franks, Saxons, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings should be located on the map
• Look at these maps: http://www.timeref.com/mapindx.htm 
• Print off copies of this map: http://www.timeref.com/blankmaps/crusade_master.jpg and have kids fill it in with the right people and places for Viking times

Day Three (this works out to a short day for us because of Miriam's sewing class):

• Read The Vikings by Robert Nicholson and Claire Watts

Day Four

• Read Eric the Red by Neil Grant
• Play Timeline (I'm a bit obsessed :)), have each child fill out a Viking Travel Journal that can be  purchased from Teachers Pay Teachers.  Here's the linky: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Vikings-Students-Create-a-Viking-Travel-Journal-69903

Day Five

• Play Timeline
• Make a Viking longship as described here: http://www.looledo.com/index.php/viking-ship.html

I laugh at myself for my obsession with having my children play Timeline, but I always had (have) such a weak grasp of the historical timeline that I want my childrne to have a better chance of seeing the big picture so they can fill in the gaps later, rather than only having a lot of specific knowledge and no big picture.