The Vikings?

Question

Can anyone suggest a innovative and exciting activity on Viking Ships, that can be put in a lesson plan?

To be done in the lesson which runs for 80 minutes

They are a year nine class so that would make them 14/15 years of age.

Answer 1

What age are you students? -- Answer: 14/15 y.o.

OK, Here are a couple ideas:

1. Give them a creative writing assignment looking at why some of the longships were called Serpent ships and others were called Dragon ships.

2. Have the students navigate a course the way the vikings would have done: by following a series of landmarks. Then see if the students arrive at the right place. That would be more innovative and exciting than just writing. Add an element where some directions are included inside a saga tale told only once. Some preparation at the school area required to make this work.

3. Of course, the Norse didn't navigate *solely* by landmarks. Include physical demonstrations of bearing dial, latitude disk, 'house stick', sun stone (if you can get one). Explain WHY these work.

4. Sailing a knarr or drakkar (the two main kinds of Norse ships) required "sea legs" and good balance. If you can take the kids out doors, try this game:

"Norse Rope Pull"
Items required:
- two wooden blocks or logs approximately 4 x 4 inches square by about 8 to 12 inches long (I am not sure exactly so you will need to experiment).
- one length of rope, approximately 20 feet of about 1/4 to 1/2 inch diameter.

The blocks are placed on the ground on their small end. Each player stands on a block and balances there. The rope is laid slack on the ground between the two of them and they are each handed an end.

When the command to start is given they each start pulling in the rope drawing it taut between them all the while balancing on the block. The objective is to cause your opponent to fall off of the block before you fall off of your block. In effect it is a tug of war that does not involve strength but rather balance and skill.

5. Another fun physical activity: "Oar Dancing" - a variation of Musical Chairs where you have to be standing on one oar when the music stops or you are out. Make the “oars” out of Kraft paper and place them on the “boat” (marked out full size with masking tape on the floor).

6. More directly related to the construction of the ships:
Have the students try their hand at the skills needed for Norse ship-building - bring in some short sections of wood (10-14" dia x 2 - 3 long) timbers, some wedges, axes and froes. Undertake a group activity splitting out planks. Also bring some thin boards and ship rivets and let them actually join some planks together. Need a couple of hammers, drill. You could fake the correct rivets and roves by using ordinary round head rivets and making roves by drilling and cutting off from 1/8 x 1/2 or 3/4 flat steel. Obviously a set of period tools would be best to at least show them.

Answer 2

I'm not sure how much time you have for an activity. . .but here are a few ideas.

Make a viking longship--have the kids work in groups to build model ships.

Map it--Send students out in the schoolyard, and have them navigate from point A to point B using nearby landmarks. This will require some preparation. Prepare the navigation sheets ahead of time, and use descriptive language to describe the landmarks rather than the item. For example, a pole would be "silver post standing tall" or some such thing. Afterward, process what was difficult/easy with the kids and explain how the vikings navigated by day.

Keep a journal--assign roles to students, walk them through the routes a viking ship would have taken, show them images of the ship, and then have students write a journal as if they were a viking (be ready for the token--"i didn't write anything because vikings were illiterate)

Measure out a ship---have them imagine the size of the ship by measuring it out in the room or courtyard. Then have them stand in the space and imagine what it would be like to be a viking.

Make a prow--The prow was designed for a purpose. Show students several examples of the prow of viking longships. Explain the purpose, and have them design their own version that would strike fear in modern people.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

You can ask them to research about important Vikings such as Erik the Red and them to do a role play.

Answer 5

I always thought it was pretty much row or get beaten, maybe you've found a way around the corporal punishment laws there!