Alfred the Great Fact File

Year 5 HistoryVikings and Anglo-Saxons3 pages

About this worksheet

Alfred the Great, the King of Wessex who lived from 849 to 899 AD, is the subject of this Year 5 history fact file. Pupils research his life and fill in six labelled rows, from 'Born & Died' to 'Education & Laws'. Prompts point them to the peace of 878 AD and to how he reorganised the army, forts and ships. A 'Did You Know?' box asks for one legend, such as his time in the Somerset marshes, and the last task is a 2 to 3 sentence summary of why he was called 'the Great'. It is matched to KS2 history in the England National Curriculum. The answer page names Guthrum, Edington, the Treaty of Wedmore and the burhs.

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Page 1 of 3

Alfred the Great Fact File: Vikings and Anglo-Saxons - page 1
Alfred the Great Fact File: Vikings and Anglo-Saxons - page 2
Alfred the Great Fact File: Vikings and Anglo-Saxons - page 3

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Curriculum objectives covered

Vikings and Anglo-Saxons

“The Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor”

The Main Rival and Key Battles & Treaties rows cover Alfred's fight with Guthrum, Edington and the Treaty of Wedmore. Defending the Kingdom covers the burhs and new warships.

What's inside this worksheet

Key Historical Facts

Pupils fill in six rows: birth and death, the kingdom he ruled, his main Viking rival, the battles and treaties of 878 AD, how he defended Wessex, and his work on learning and laws. A box on page 1 asks them to draw an Anglo-Saxon coin, shield or crown.

Did You Know?

Pupils record one legend or surprising fact. The prompt suggests the Somerset marshes story or the way he measured time with candles.

Historical Significance

Pupils write 2 to 3 sentences on why Alfred earned the title 'the Great'.

Answers

A model entry for every row, from his birth at Wantage in 849 AD to the burhs, the fyrd and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, plus a sample summary.

How teachers use it

Research lesson

Give pairs two or three books or approved websites. The row prompts keep their notes on 878 AD, Guthrum and the army reforms.

Fact or legend

Read the burnt cakes story aloud before the 'Did You Know?' box, then ask pupils how a historian would decide if it is true.

Hot seating

Once the file is done, put one pupil in role as Alfred and one as Guthrum to argue over the terms of the Treaty of Wedmore.

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