Anglo-Saxons and Vikings: the struggle for England quiz game: what children learn
After the Romans left Britain, Anglo-Saxon settlers built kingdoms such as Wessex, Mercia and Northumbria. From 793, when Vikings from Scandinavia raided the monastery at Lindisfarne, the two peoples fought, made deals and lived side by side for more than 250 years. The National Curriculum calls this the struggle for the Kingdom of England, and it runs up to the reign of Edward the Confessor, who died in 1066.
This game checks the people, places and events in that story: Viking raids and longships, Alfred the Great’s victory over Guthrum in 878, the Danelaw, Viking York (Jorvik), Athelstan, often called the first king of England, and Edward the Confessor. Several questions ask which event came first, to build a secure sense of chronology.
This topic covers a Key Stage 2 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Subject content): pupils should be taught about “the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor”. The programme of study sets this for the whole of Key Stage 2, so schools choose when to teach it; we have placed this game in Year 5 (ages 9–10).
There is no direct equivalent in the US Common Core State Standards.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Who, from where?. Anglo-Saxons came from what is now Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands after the Romans left. Vikings came later, from Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
- Build the timeline. 793 Lindisfarne; 878 Alfred defeats Guthrum; the Danelaw; the 920s Athelstan; 954 Eric Bloodaxe driven out of York; 1042 Edward the Confessor; 1066 Edward dies.
- Use a map. Shade Wessex and the Danelaw on a map of England. Find Lindisfarne, York and Edington.
- Raiders and settlers. Vikings were not only raiders. Many came to farm and trade, and Viking words such as “sky” and “egg” are still in English.
- Ask about evidence. Much of what we know comes from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written by monks, and from archaeology at places such as York. Ask whose side the monks were on.
Worked examples
Example 1: Which monastery was raided in 793?
Working: It is on Holy Island, off the coast of Northumbria, and the raid shocked people across Europe.
Answer: Lindisfarne.
Example 2: What was the part of England ruled by the Vikings called?
Working: It was the area where Danish law applied after Alfred made a deal with the Vikings.
Answer: The Danelaw.
Example 3: Which came first: Athelstan becoming king or Alfred defeating Guthrum?
Working: Athelstan was Alfred’s grandson, so Alfred came first. Alfred beat Guthrum in 878.
Answer: Alfred defeating Guthrum.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Thinking Vikings wore horned helmets. There is no evidence for this. The idea comes from costumes made in the 1800s.
- Thinking the Anglo-Saxons were already in Britain when the Romans were. Large-scale Anglo-Saxon settlement came after the Romans left around AD 410.
- Thinking 1066 is the end of the Vikings in this unit. The curriculum unit ends with Edward the Confessor, whose death in 1066 led to the Norman Conquest, which is studied later.
Activities to try at home
- Look for Viking place-name endings near you, such as “-by” (Whitby, Derby) and “-thorpe”.
- Visit York or look at the Jorvik Viking Centre website.
- Draw a longship and label the sail, oars and dragon prow.
- Print the game sheet and play it after reading about the Vikings.
Ideas for the classroom
- Mark the Danelaw on a map and find local Anglo-Saxon and Viking place names.
- Read a translated extract from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle about Lindisfarne and discuss its point of view.
- Debate: were the Vikings raiders or settlers?
- Use the quiz before and after the unit.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a colour-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
Why is Athelstan called the first king of England?
He was the first king to rule all of the English kingdoms together, after pushing English power north into the Viking lands.
Why does the game stop at Edward the Confessor?
That is where the National Curriculum statement ends. The Norman Conquest of 1066 can be taught as a later study.
Which year group studies this?
Schools choose. Many teach the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings in Year 4 or Year 5.