DNL Seconde · Three enquiries · English level A2+/B1
Work through the three activities in order, or follow your teacher’s selection. For each enquiry, watch the video twice, use the short background text, complete the worksheet and write a paragraph. Allow about 45–50 minutes per activity.
1. The Norman Conquest · 2. King John and Magna Carta · 3. Everyday life
1. 1066: the Norman Conquest
How did William become King of England?
English Heritage — A Brief History of the Normans
1. Watch and read
Watch once to identify the topic, then again to collect evidence. Pause or replay when needed. Use English subtitles if available.
Edward the Confessor died in 1066 without a direct heir. Harold Godwinson became king, but William, Duke of Normandy, also claimed the English throne. Harold defeated a Norwegian invasion at Stamford Bridge before facing William in the south. On 14 October 1066, William defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Harold died, and William became king. The Normans later used castles to establish control over England. Winning a battle and controlling a country were two different challenges.
Background text written for this activity, based on English Heritage, Teaching Anglo-Saxons and Normans and The Story of 1066.
Vocabulary
heir = héritier; claim the throne = revendiquer le trône; defeat = vaincre; army = armée; rule = gouverner; castle = château fort.
2. Check your understanding
- Who were Harold and William? Give each man’s title and location.
- Put these events in order: Hastings / Edward’s death / Stamford Bridge / William becomes king.
- Why did William cross the Channel? Give a reason, not just a date.
- From the animation, identify one military advantage of the Normans. Describe what you saw.
- How could a castle help a small group of conquerors control a larger population?
- The animation is a modern reconstruction. Explain one difference between a reconstruction and a source made in 1066.
3. Write a short paragraph
Write 6–8 lines answering: How did William become king, and how did the Normans secure their power? Use 1066, Harold, Hastings, castles and at least two linking words.
Useful phrases
In 1066… / William claimed… because… / After… / The victory… / However… / To control England…
Self-check
I have placed events in order, explained a cause and a consequence, and used evidence from the resources.
Explore the illustrated story of 1066
2. King John and Magna Carta
Could a medieval king do whatever he wanted?
British Library — What is Magna Carta?
1. Watch and read
Watch once to identify the topic, then again to collect evidence. Pause or replay when needed. Use English subtitles if available.
John ruled England from 1199 to 1216. He fought expensive wars and demanded money from his barons. His military failures and disputes with powerful groups weakened his position. In 1215, rebel barons forced him to negotiate. John accepted Magna Carta at Runnymede in June 1215. The charter placed limits on royal power and protected certain rights. It did not give everyone equal rights: many protections applied to free men, and most peasants were not free. The settlement soon broke down, although later versions of the charter survived.
Background text written for this activity, based on School History, King John of England, and The National Archives, Magna Carta 1214–1225. Video: British Library.
Vocabulary
baron = grand seigneur; tax = impôt; charter = charte; seal = sceau / sceller; law = loi; trial = procès; free man = homme libre.
2. Check your understanding
- Who opposed John, and why? Identify two grievances using the text or video.
- What does Magna Carta mean? Where and when was it agreed?
- Was the charter signed or sealed? Explain the difference.
- Identify one protection concerning justice. Explain it in your own words.
- Did Magna Carta protect everyone equally? Give one reason for your answer.
- Correct this statement: ‘In 1215, England immediately became a democracy.’
3. Write a short paragraph
Write 6–8 lines answering: Why was Magna Carta an important but limited change? Explain the conflict, one limit on royal power and one limit to the charter’s protection.
Useful phrases
King John… / The barons opposed him because… / In June 1215… / The charter limited… / However… / Therefore…
Self-check
I have distinguished the king from the barons, explained one protection, and avoided claiming that everyone gained equal rights.
Read the public fact file about King John
3. Everyday life in medieval England
Did everyone experience the Middle Ages in the same way?
English Heritage — What Was Life Like? Meet a Medieval Noblewoman
1. Watch and read
Watch once to identify the topic, then again to collect evidence. Pause or replay when needed. Use English subtitles if available.
Medieval England contained very different ways of life. Lords lived from land and the labour and payments of others. Many peasants grew food and owed work or dues to a lord. Towns supported merchants and craftspeople. The Church shaped religious practices, festivals and learning. A noble household also depended on servants and other workers. Wealth, status, gender and location affected people’s opportunities. Evidence about a noblewoman in a castle cannot, on its own, tell us how every medieval person lived.
Background text written for this activity, drawing on English Heritage’s medieval teaching guide and the supplied presentation, How hard was life for medieval people?
Vocabulary
peasant = paysan; dues = redevances; household = maisonnée; servant = domestique; craftspeople = artisans; evidence = éléments de preuve.
2. Check your understanding
- Watch once. Who is presented, and where does she live?
- Watch again. Note two activities, objects or household roles that you can actually identify. Describe each piece of evidence.
- Use the text to compare a noble household, a peasant household and a town: work, resources or obligations.
- Give one example of the Church’s influence in everyday life.
- Which group is missing or less visible in the video? Why does that limit what we can conclude?
- Choose one difficulty and one opportunity in medieval life. Identify whose experience you are describing.
3. Write a short paragraph
Write 6–8 lines answering: Was medieval life equally hard for everyone? Compare at least two social groups and use two precise examples. Finish by explaining one limit of the evidence.
Useful phrases
Life depended on… / Whereas… / For example… / Peasants… / In contrast… / The video shows… but it does not show…
Self-check
I have compared groups, used specific evidence and avoided describing all medieval people as identical.
Explore English Heritage’s medieval resources
Poster challenge
Open How hard was life for medieval people? and use the village, town, food and entertainment slides to create a poster in pairs. Following the slide 12 challenge, use pictures, numbers and symbols, with no more than five written words. Prepare a short oral explanation comparing at least two social groups.
Sources
- English Heritage — Teaching Anglo-Saxons and Normans
- English Heritage — Teaching Medieval History
- School History — King John of England, public fact file
- The National Archives — Magna Carta 1214–1225
- British Library — What is Magna Carta?
The questions and student worksheets were written for this DNL sequence. The School History worksheet packs are separate subscription resources; they are not needed to complete these activities.
