Knowledge: Why "The Viking Age" is Important:

This unit will build upon what students have already learned about ancient civilizations. Students will be introduced to the people of the Viking Age: the men, women, and children who spoke the Old Norse language and lived in an area of northern Europe called Scandinavia, the countries we now call Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Students will learn about the culture, region, and everyday life of the Norse people, who made a living through farming, fishing, and trading. Students will also learn about the Viking explorers who traveled across the ocean to settle in new lands, including Greenland, Iceland, and Newfoundland. 

This unit also includes a Quest. A Quest is an interactive learning experience where students learn key content in a problem-based learning environment.  The Quest for Grade 3 is called Far From Home: A Viking’s Journey, and is comprised of five 45-minute lessons. In each lesson, the class lands in a new place where there was a Viking settlement in history, starting with Vinland, stopping at Greenland, Iceland, and England, and then arriving in Norway. 

Students who have received Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) instruction in Grades K-2 will already have pertinent background knowledge for this unit. For students who have not received prior CKLA instruction, introductory knowledge is addressed at the beginning of each unit. 

Students have many opportunities to write in a variety of ways and for different purposes. The formal writing piece for this unit is a short, informational writing piece that focuses on character descriptions. Students do a variety of activities to help them analyze a character and then create a paragraph that incorporates those activities.

Everyday writing opportunities come in many forms, including short and extended responses requiring evidence from the text. Students will also use graphic organizers to gather and categorize information from reading or from the read-aloud, or to plan for writing. Many lessons provide opportunities for students to collaborate, share ideas, and give feedback on their writing.

The Primary Focus Objectives in each lesson are carefully structured and sequenced throughout the unit to help build student understanding. Additionally, formative assessments are provided to help keep track of their progress toward objectives and standards.