ANGLO-SAXON DISCOVERY
Journey through Anglo-Saxon life and death

Anglo-Saxon Clothes

Lesson Plan 1 – Who Wore What?

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Children will be able to describe what Anglo-Saxon men, women and children wore.
• Children will be able to name and identify specific objects and understand how they were used (e.g. brooch, buckle, beads, ear scoop, toilet set, cosmetic brush).
• Children will be able to deduce information about the use of these objects and about their owners.
• Children will understand how archaeologists use objects as evidence for life in the past.

National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 2 History 6a, Art and Design 6b, ICT, Literacy, Reading

Duration   1 hour

Material and Resources

Computers (including internet access and interactive whiteboard / demonstration computer)
Object record activity sheet
Relevant books
Handling materials/objects (not essential)
Pencils, paper, colouring pencils, etc.

Activity

Teachers Notes

Introduction
(15-20 minutes)

Whole Class activity

• Whole class gathered so teacher can introduce Anglo-Saxon clothes using website.

• How do we know what we know? What is our evidence?
• Teacher introduces types of questions archaeologists ask about the evidence (i.e. objects) to find out about Anglo-Saxon clothes.

• Teacher works through all or some of the following objects and questions on website:

  Buckles Beads Brooches Comb Toilet Set including ear scoop, pick, tweezers and cosmetic brush.

Start on Anglo-Saxon clothes page

Key Questions:

What materials are these objects made of?
How were these objects made?
How were these objects used?
Who would have used these objects?

Further information:

• Archaeologists have not found a whole Anglo-Saxon outfit, but find artefacts which they use to ‘guess/deduce’ what Anglo-Saxon clothes may have looked like.
• Objects made of organic materials (e.g linen/wool cloth, leather, horn) do not survive very will since they rot in the ground.  Archaeologists most often find objects made of metal, pottery, stone and sometimes bone (refer to objects on website).
• There are lots of gaps in the evidence.

Group Activity
(30 minutes)

Class divided into 4 groups

• The children are to be cast in the role of archaeologists.

• Each group is given a person (man, woman, girl, boy) that they have to research.
  They discover the evidence for the clothes that person would have worn using the resources available. The character being researched could also be given a name (examples are available on the website).

• Groups can then split further to investigate using particular types of resources (e.g. internet, books, handling materials)

• Children use the ‘Object Record Sheet’ to record the evidence they find. Children can select particular objects and record them.

• The Anglo-Saxon Discovery website can be used for this activity especially the further information pages leading from the object pages:
• 
  
• e.g. The Thurlow information pages on Buckles, Beads, Brooches, Combs and Toilet sets.
• 
  
• e.g. Object information pages on Wallingford Buckles, Wheatley Necklace, Abingdon Brooches, Sutton Courtenay Comb, Frilford Toilet Set and Tweezers.

• Additional resources such as books, websites, and handling materials will need to be used for this activity.

• What did you discover?
• What surprised you most about the things you discovered?
• What is your most ‘fantastic fact’ about Anglo Saxon Clothes?
• What is your favourite object?

Extension Activities

Children can design there own Anglo-Saxon brooches using patterns on those they have seen as inspiration.

Children can make their own Anglo-Saxon beads.

Children can draw what they think an Anglo-Saxon man, woman or child may have worn and looked like.