What's included in the Vikings History Stem Sentences resource and why is it useful?

UKS2 The Vikings History Stem Sentences is a set of sentence stems that give children a clear starting point for discussion and written answers about the topic. The content includes 24 stem sentences across 6 pages, covering where the Vikings came from, the raid on Lindisfarne, Alfred the Great, Viking society and beliefs, the battle for power with the Anglo-Saxons and the Viking legacy today.

Each stem gives children the first part of a sentence, so they can focus on the history rather than how to begin. Children practise using topic vocabulary, explaining causes and consequences, and giving reasons with "because". This builds the oracy and extended writing skills they need to show what they know.

Raids and Evidence

Stems about the Viking raids and what the evidence tells us, such as "If a Viking was asked about Lindisfarne, they might say..."

Alfred the Great and the Battle for Power

Stems that help children explain how power changed hands between the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, such as "The Anglo-Saxons regained power when..."

The Viking Legacy

Stems about Viking influence on language, place names and culture, such as "Viking culture is still visible today in..."

How do our history stem sentences work?

Our stem sentences sit alongside our history scheme. Display a stem on the board or print the pages for tables, and children finish the sentence aloud or in writing. You can also use them:

• as a lesson starter to recap learning from the previous lesson
• with talk partners, who finish a stem together and then share their answer
• as a writing frame for extended answers in books
• on a working wall, so children can refer back to them across the topic
• at the end of the unit, to see what children can explain on their own

Stretch confident learners by asking them to add a second reason or a piece of evidence. Support others by modelling a complete sentence first.

Teach the full unit with our six Vikings lessons.

Supporting Children with EAL and SEND

Stem sentences reduce the language load of a task, so every child can take part in the discussion. Read stems aloud together, point to the photo on each strip and give a word bank of key vocabulary from the topic. Children can answer with a single word or a drawing before building to a full sentence.