The Humanities – History Assessment Map – Sample at 4.75
For Level 3, please see The Humanities Assessment map.
Daily life in a Viking community
Students were asked to adopt the persona of a young person who had been captured by the Vikings during a raid on their village. They were to tell their story of survival to a village scribe so that it could be sent back home. The writing would include a description of their life in a Viking community. They would use a description of community life from a commercial textbook as a guide to helping them describe the village and the activities of the people. A draft was written in class and then the final copy presented following feedback from the teacher.
This activity was undertaken at the end of the unit on the Vikings after studying Viking customs and religious beliefs. Students watched a film The Vikings and constructed a data chart in pairs, listing aspects of Viking life.
The elements of the Historical knowledge and understanding Level 5 standard addressed by the task are:
(Students) describe aspects of daily life in … [ancient and medieval] societies such as work, the division of labour, family, clothing, housing and education.
(Students) explain key features of community life including myths and legends, religious beliefs and practices and cultural expressions such as art and drama.
The elements of the Historical reasoning and interpretation Level 5 standard addressed by this task are:
(Students) use a range of primary and secondary sources including visual sources that record features of the societies in their investigations.
Students use a variety of forms to present their understanding.
Students were given the following guidelines for the task.
Daily Life in a Viking Community
Imagine that you are a 14 year old teenage boy captured when the Vikings raided your small coastal village. The Viking raiders have brought you back to their homeland as a slave. Tell your story to the village scribe who will send it back to your home village.
Your story should be about 350 to 400 words and should describe what you see and experience in the first week after you arrive in the village.
You could mention the following:
Buildings, layout of the village, how the village is run, the tasks performed by different people including women and children, any religious ceremonies, what the people eat and wear, different names used, weapons and tools used and the treatment of slaves like yourself.
Remember to include paragraphs, correct spelling and punctuation, a draft and good copy (which may be typed).
The following work sample, and the related History 4.75 progression point examples, illustrate the kinds of responses that students produce as they progress towards the Level 5 standard.
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Historical knowledge and understanding – 4.75
A. Acknowledges the importance of shipping to Viking society.
B. Lists areas of work in the daily life of Viking society(including construction and manufacturing).
C. Explains use of saunas for personal hygiene.
D. Lists various leisure activities of Vikings.
E. Uses accurate historical terminology when describing social structure.
F. Identifies Viking gods and gives simple explanations of their roles.
G. Provides detail on the diet of Vikings.
H. Demonstrates a basic understanding of a Viking religious belief (Valhalla).
Historical reasoning and interpretation – 4.75
I. Draws on a variety of sources to provide a solid synthesis of information about the daily life of the Vikings.
J. Uses an empathetic piece of writing to present an understanding of Viking daily life.
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