Starter quiz
- Which word describes the language spoken by ordinary people in a region or country?
- 'vernacular' ✓
- Which word describes the ability to choose and appoint bishops and abbots?
- 'investiture' ✓
- Complete the sentence: There are ______ key topics making up the historical context of Norman England.
- one
- two
- three ✓
- four
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- Which topics does 'Life under the Normans' not cover?
- the Church ✓
- economic and social changes and their consequences
- military aspects ✓
- feudalism and government
- establishing and maintaining control ✓
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- Which of the following relate to monasticism in Norman England?
- Archbishop Lanfranc and reform of the English Church
- Latin usage and the vernacular ✓
- the building of abbeys and monasteries ✓
- the Investiture Controversy
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- Which word describes the support that an overlord provided to their vassal in return for homage?
- 'patronage' ✓
Exit quiz
- Which word describes a direct or first-hand piece of evidence from the past?
- 'source' ✓
- Which word describes what is happening at the time of a historical event, possibly shaping it?
- 'historical context' ✓
- The three types of sources most useful for learning about Norman England are __________, text sources and...
- written sources
- visual sources ✓
- material sources ✓
- painting sources
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- Which of the following are limitations of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as a source about Norman England?
- Some events are only described briefly, or vaguely. ✓
- It was written within a year of the events it describes.
- It provides insights as to how the English felt about Normans.
- Accounts are often biased about Norman actions. ✓
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- Who wrote ‘Gesta Guillelmi’?
- Harold Godwinson
- William of Normandy
- William of Poitiers ✓
- William II
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- Which of the following are strengths of Norman material sources?
- not rewritten or recorded by later writers ✓
- have often been remodelled, extended or damaged
- buildings provide evidence of technology and engineering skills ✓
- surviving buildings for ordinary people are very rare
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Different types of sources provide insights into the historical context of Norman England.
- Three types of sources are visual sources, text sources and material sources.
- Each type of source has strengths and limitations.
- The Normans sometimes exploited the Welsh
- Historians debate the extent of the Norman exploitation of Wales
Common misconception
There are relatively few sources for Norman England, so historians have less to say about this period than later periods of English history.
Historians have plenty to say about Norman England because they are able to interpret the sources available in many different ways to support many different theories.
Keywords
Source - a direct or first-hand piece of evidence from the past
Historical context - what is happening at the time of a historical event, possibly shaping it
Contemporary - from the same time as something
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