5 best free online resources for teaching about Vikings
Quality teaching resources don’t need to break the bank. There are several great websites, videos and downloads you can use to supplement your unit and keep your students engaged. Here are five websites we recommend checking out if you are teaching about the Viking Age.
1. Viking Runestones - ted.com
This short animated video about the secret messages of Viking Runestones explains how Viking runes represented sounds, why objects were carved with runes, and what we can learn from these remnants.
2. Viking Facts and Myths - livescience.com
This website contains some interesting facts about the Viking age, ships and expeditions as well as pointing out some common myths, dispelling the notion that Vikings were filthy savages who wore horned helmets.
3. Vikings settled in North America in 1021AD, study says - bbc.co.uk
This article explains how a new technique used to analyse tree rings has revealed the exact date when Vikings lived in North America, showing that our knowledge of history is always changing.
4. 10 Facts About the Vikings - natgeokids.com
Did you know there is a connection between the Harry Potter books and the Vikings? This site has ten short but interesting facts about the Vikings that might surprise you.
5. Who Were The Vikings - primarytopicshop.com
Our own introduction to the Vikings topic is a free PDF that explores the Vikings as Scandinavians, explorers, warriors and farmers. In addition to the illustrated information handout, there is a Cryptic Word Search (fill in the blanks and find the answers in the word search) and a standard word search activity.