The Vikings
Who the Vikings were: seafaring warriors and traders from Scandinavia; longships; Viking raids on Britain; that Vikings also settled and farmed
What a learner can do afterwards
- Describe who the Vikings were and where they came from
- Explain what made longships special (fast, could sail in shallow water, dragon prows)
- State that Vikings were not just raiders but also farmers, traders, and settlers
The lesson
Long, long ago, the Vikings lived far in the north. Their homes were in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. We call these cold lands Scandinavia. Farming was hard there, so many Vikings turned to the sea.
Vikings built long wooden boats called longships. Longships were fast, light, and easy to row. They could sail in the sea, and up shallow rivers too. A carved dragon head sat on the front to scare enemies.
Picture a Viking named Bjorn sailing his longship to Britain. His ship landed quietly on the shore at dawn. Bjorn and his crew raided a small village for gold and food. People in Britain feared the sight of a dragon-headed ship.
Not every Viking was a raider like Bjorn. Many Vikings were farmers who grew crops and kept animals. Other Vikings were traders who sailed far to buy and sell. Some Vikings settled in new lands and built new homes there.
Vikings came from Scandinavia, sailed fast longships, and were raiders, farmers, traders, and settlers.
Watch it
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
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Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.