Vikings - Research and Create a Sea Captain (Years 6-9)

• What do you know about Vikings? Write approximately 100 words.
• Name and describe your favourite character from film, TV or novels. Why is this character your favourite? Write 50 words in total.

Background information

Authors conduct research for their stories. Let's learn more about the Viking world before we create our character and story…..

Learning Objects:

Web Designer: Viking Britain Level 1 (LO ID L3268) and/or

Web Designer: Viking Britain Level 2 (LO ID L3267)

Websites:

The Vikings: PBS (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vikings/)

BBC Vikings (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/)

• write down 5 interesting pieces of information you learnt about Vikings
• now join two others in your class and compare your lists. Explain why you chose your five. Which pieces are the same? Which are different? Add the different ones to your list
• move around the class and collect another 10 pieces of information that are different from the ones you have written down
• now select your favourite five pieces from your new list, and explain why they are your favourites.

Create a character

Authors create characters - appearance, personality, past life, beliefs…

Use these two websites to help you create a Viking sea captain:

Character Trading Cards (http://readwritethink.org/materials/trading_cards/)

ReadWriteThink: Student Materials: Story Map ( http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/storymap/index.html) Click on Character Map.

Create a setting

In a story, characters face problems that they need to solve. Your Viking sea captain experienced a frightening episode on a sea journey - the ship almost sank in a dangerous area!

Authors explore settings in which their character can be found. What does the setting tell us about this character?

Create a map which shows the sea journey and dangerous area. Use this Learning Object to help you: Learning Object: Sea Rescue: Plotting the course - devising a map with a key.

Write at least 3 log entries which describe what happened in this dangerous area. Your captain's thoughts and feelings and your knowledge about Vikings should come out in the writing. Use this Learning Object to help you: Learning Object: The Circle: The journey - keeping a log.

Self assessment

Open and complete the Self assessment (Word - 31Kb) questions and table.

Which elements of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards are addressed in this unit?

• Physical, Personal and Social Learning - Personal Learning - The individual learner; Managing personal learning
• Discipline-based Learning - English - Reading; Writing; Speaking and listening
• Discipline-based Learning - The Humanities - Geography - Geographical knowledge & understanding; Geospatial skills
• Discipline-based Learning - The Humanities - History - Historical knowledge & understanding
• Interdisciplinary Learning - Information and Communications Technology (ICT) - ICT for Visualising Thinking (Learning Objects); ICT for creating; ICT for communicating (if correspondence via blog, email, etc is used)
• Interdisciplinary Learning - Thinking Processes - Reasoning, processing and inquiry; Creativity; Reflection, evaluation and metacognition (self assessment)

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