WULF THE SAXON STUDY GUIDE 1 | P a g e Order the book at this link. Read it online for free at Classic Reader. Listen to a free audio version at Librivox. How to use this study guide: This Study Guide is designed to be used in a variety of situations by teachers, homeschool families or in a homeschool co-op or class setting. It may be used by an individual student or a group of students. It’s suitable for upper elementary and high school (as well as parents who would like to learn along with their children!). I like to read stories like this one aloud to my children, and then have everyone participate in the discussions and activities (according to their ages and abilities). We typically read 1-2 chapters per day (or listen to a quality audio version), look at and mark up the maps, visit a link or two, watch a video clip, or explore other books. Use the RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION sections for further research and fun activities. VOCABULARY WORDS: many of these are medieval terms and may not be easily found in modern dictionaries. For these, an online search with the word “medieval” in front of it will help. Example: “What is a medieval prelate?” By the way, this is a perfect time to learn the spelling of MEDIEVAL. Not every chapter has extensive research topics or vocabulary words. This study guide is not meant to overwhelm with frivolous content. I want every rabbit trail to be fun and to open the mind of students to more excitement and interest! INTERNET LINKS: I have worked to find links that include factual information, enticing illustrations, and family-friendly content. Each link should go to a site that your student could peruse on their own. However, I always advise parental oversight on the web. Of course, you’ll want to do some kind of costuming, eat some Saxon or Frankish foods, listen to their languages, and examine weapons and warfare. At the end of this guide, I’ve included links to additional resources that you might want to add. NOTEBOOKING: I’ve included a set of pintables at the end of this guide in case you only want to print those for hands-on use (instead of having to print the entire guide if you’re using it on a device). Use them for notebooking, lapbooks, or some other method of hands-on work. And explore the web for more maps and photos! WULF THE SAXON STUDY GUIDE 2 | P a g e HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES: Feel free to choose the activities that appeal to your students! If you have budding artists, ask them to draw some of the scenes in the story, or order some of the recommended coloring books (these are very detailed, not the preschool coloring books). If your kids love to cook, try out the recipes and skip the art work. Boys may really want to recreate the weapons and armor or set up a battle scene with Legos. Girls might want to learn embroidery and learn to stitch a historic scene or even recreate a section of the Bayeux tapestry. Let their interests lead the activities and they will get the most out of this study. Please consider purchasing through my affiliate links to support my business! Check out my other Henty study guides! Please do not forward this PDF. However, I’d love it if you shared a link to my site! http://nickitruesdell.com/ If your family uses this guide, I’d love feedback! Comment on my site, email me, or post on my social media pages. I look forward to your input! Library List If you want to get additional resources for this study, look for books about • Saxon England • William the Conqueror • Edward the Confessor • Westminster Abbey • The Bayeux Tapestry • The Battle of Stamford Bridge • The Battle of Hastings • Norman castles • Middle ages Specific resources These are highly recommended, but optional. See if your library has them or if you can get good used copies. They are all useful for several of Henty’s novels on Britain during the Middle Ages. The following four are great for elementary and middle school students. • Manners and Customs in the Middle Ages, Crabtree Publishing • Medieval Costumes: Paper Dolls by Tom Tierny • Looking at History, Book Two: The Middle Ages by R. J. Unstead WULF THE SAXON STUDY GUIDE 3 | P a g e • Draw and Write Through History: The Vikings, The Middle Ages, and the Renaissance • Castles (Usborne Beginners) The following three are perfect for high schoolers and will be referenced in numerous Henty study guides: • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle • The Birth of Britain by Winston Churchill • DK History of Britain: The Definitive Visual Guide Language Arts resources I really like to immerse my students in a time period, so I often pair a study like this with a Language Arts program that focuses on the same time period. Two that I recommend are: • Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons by Institute for Excellence in Writing (middle and high school) • Total Language Plus Novel studies o The Whipping Boy (grades 3 and 4) WULF THE SAXON STUDY GUIDE 4 | P a g e Setting up the Story… Wulf the Saxon: A Story of the Norman Conquest is a fictional retelling of true events that changed the course of history for Europe and the world. The story opens in 1063 but rapidly moves ahead to 1065 when major world events stir up new trouble for Saxon England and its King, Edward. In this story you will meet a few fictional characters, such as Wulf, Osgod, and Beorn as their lives merge with real people like King Edward the Confessor, Earl Harold Godwinson, William – Duke of Normandy, and many other well-known names. You will get a peek at the building of one of the great abbeys in England: Westminster and witness a major turning point in the history of the English-speaking people. 1. Who were the Saxons? After the Roman Empire began to crumble in the 5th century A.D., Roman rule in Britain ended abruptly. New settlers began to arrive from Germany (Saxons), Denmark (Angles), and Holland (Jutes). They spoke Germanic languages. These languages (usually lumped together as "Old English" or "Anglo-Saxon") became dominant in most of England and southern Scotland Read more about Anglo Saxon life at Britain Express. Young kids will enjoy this interactive activity at BBC. 2. Who were the Normans? The Norman race descended from Viking raiders of the 9th century. These Vikings (or Danes) raided up and down the English coast as well as France and along the Mediterranean. Near the end of the 9th century, Vikings sailed up the Seine river and attacked Paris. In an attempt to reduce the raids and make peace for his people, the Frankish King Charles (the Simple) offered a large portion of land to the Viking leader Rollo in return for “obedience” to the Frankish king. The Vikings were known as North Men, or Norsemen. Over the years of Rollo’s reign, the word morphed to “Norman” and so the northern region of France became known as Normandy. Read more at The Normans on Etrusia. WULF THE SAXON STUDY GUIDE 5 | P a g e 3. The English Throne: There were three people in line for the English throne, should anything happen to King Edward. They were Earl Harold, William – Duke of Normandy, and Edgar – a Saxon prince. English Kings were not necessarily chosen by birth. They could be royal descendants, but where ultimately chosen by a counsel of nobles from around the country. That’s why there was so much confusion about who COULD become King upon Edward’s death. Read more at Primary Homework Help. WULF THE SAXON STUDY GUIDE 6 | P a g e Chapter 1: A Quarrel NAMES AND PLACES Meet Wulf: Wulf is the fictional hero of this tale. As our story opens, he is sixteen years old, and serving as a page in the house of Earl Harold. He will become a Thane of King Edward. He has inherited the estate of Steyning from his deceased father. What is a thane? (in Anglo-Saxon England) a man who held land granted by the king or by a military nobleman, ranking between an ordinary freeman and a hereditary noble. “The Anglo-Saxon Kings had needed to raise their own armies and finances at times of external threat. Anglo-Saxon thegns, like Norman knights, gave military service in return for land that had been distributed among them by the lord.” (source) Meet King Edward: Edward was the son of a Saxon King (Ethelred II) and a Norman mother (Emma, sister of Robert, Duke of Normandy), and was raised in Normandy. “Edward was a quiet, pious person without liking for war or much aptitude for administration. According to tradition the King was a kindly, weak, chubby albino…his main interest in life was religious, and as he grew older his outlook was increasingly that of a monk.” (- Winston Churchill) Edward ruled mainly through his Earl, Harold, who was devoted to Figure 1: King Edward the Saxon race and lineage, allowing the King to spend his life in quite worship and study. He was a kind man and ruler and was loved by his subjects. There was an increasing tension building between the Saxons and the Normans, both in King Edward’s court and among the general populace. WULF THE SAXON STUDY GUIDE 7 | P a g e Meet Earl Harold: Harold II, also called Harold Godwineson or Harold Godwinson.