Six animations exploring the topic Castles and Knights.
William the Conqueror. video
Fatima and Harry learn about William the Conqueror’s invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings.
The Tower of London. video
Fatima and Harry explore one of the most famous castles in the UK: the Tower of London.
The Features of a Castle. video
Fatima and Harry hear about the key features of a castle - such as thick walls, towers, drawbridges and moats.
Famous Sieges. video
Fatima and Harry learn how castles defended against attack by hearing the stories of two famous sieges.
The Legend of King Arthur. video
Fatima and Harry learn the difference between fact and fiction - hence the difference between history and myth.
The Real Life of a Knight. video
Fatima and Harry learn some more of the many ways life in medieval times is different from today.
Castles and Knights
The animations follow two children - Fatima and Harry - and their visits to a Virtual Reality Museum, where they find out about the exciting subject of Castles and Knights. They join one of the museum's guides - Sally - and she reveals some of the museum's exhibits to them, with the aid of virtual reality headsets.
Using the headsets Fatima and Harry are able to witness real events from the past - including the Battle of Hastings, the building of the Tower of London, the siege of Edinburgh Castle etc - and also some 'made up' events - such as King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone.
Further resources
Download / print the Notes including illustrations, photos and worksheets (pdf)
Click to display the image full-size
Sequence the gallery paintings in chronological order
Through the course of the animations Fatima and Harry find out about:
- the development of castles and their purpose
- the design, build and features of a medieval castle
- the inhabitants of a medieval castle
- the lives of two significant individuals highlighted in the KS1 curriculum - William I ('William the Conqueror') and Queen Elizabeth I
- Harold II and the Battle of Hastings
- the design of a motte and bailey castle
- the history and functions of The Tower of London
- the ways castles could be attacked, including by siege
- the development of armour
- the location of castles, including three significant castles in addition to the Tower of London from around the UK: Edinburgh Castle (in Scotland), Caernarfon Castle (Wales) and Warwick Castle (England)
- elements of medieval society and the feudal system
- stories about knights that became popular in medieval times and remain popular today - for example King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
Where next?
Knights, castles and dragons
Justin Fletcher has three KS1 dance sessions supporting this topic and including 'The Sword in the Stone'.
Bitesize
Use these Bitesize resources to set homework, independent study tasks or to consolidate learning for your pupils.
Newsround
The latest news stories from Newsround to share in the classroom.
