Homeschool Vikings Unit Study

Have you always wanted to teach a homeschool Vikings Unit Study to your children, but don’t know where to start? I’ve got you sorted! I’ve done all the hard work so that you don’t have to. This fun, hands on unit offers a variety of resources from which you can pick and choose. If you’re looking for an assortment of creative activities culminating in a wonderful enriched Viking presentation, you’ve come to the right place!

As one candle can light another, so too can greatness of mind be transferred amongst men. To remain in solitude is to deprive oneself of this kindling. “

Norse Mythology

This homeschool Vikings unit study has something for everyone. Make your own Viking costume; learn about Viking Runes and do some maths-based map-making.

Resources for your Homeschool Vikings Unit Study

Non Fiction Books

These tend to be books that I keep in a box for the children to use alongside their computer when they are researching something. I may read one or two out loud depending on the children’s interest. Eye Witness guides are always my favourite and this Vikings book is no exception. I try to find books from ‘People of the Ancient World’ because they are so full of information. Their Vikings book is probably more interesting for ages 12 plus. The Anglo-Saxons and Vikings book from Usbourne is always a hit! And of course, who doesn’t love a Horrible Histories? Their Vicious Vikings is a perfect light-hearted addition to a Vikings Unit:

Fiction Books for Younger Students

These are fun books for the younger age set, perhaps 7-10 years. Viking Ships at Sunset and the Time Travelling Cat are both well known time travelling adventure books. You Wouldn’t Want to be a Viking Explorer takes a tongue in cheek look at the less desirable aspects of being viking explorer. If You Were Me and Lived in Viking Europe is part of a set about living in different time periods. The Viking Adventure is a staple among the homeschooling community and is as excellent as all of Clyde Robert Bulla’s books.

Fiction Books for Older Children

The following books are perfect for age 8-12. I cannot recommend the Viking Quest series enough. They need to be read in the following order as the main characters age five years over the series: Raiders of the Sea; Mystery of the Silver Coins; The Invisible Friend; Heart of Courage and the Raider’s Promise. This is a fast pace, exciting book series which all of my children could not put down. Leif the Lucky is a tale of Leif, son of Erik the Red, who sailed with his Viking father to Greenland and then farther west to America. The Saga of Erik the Viking is all about a group of Viking explorers who set sail in search of the mysterious lands with many adventures along the way.

Viking Unit Study: How to Make a Viking Brooch

This second post describes exactly how to make your own Viking brooch for pennies.  The instructions are accompanied by clear photos throughout:

Viking Unit Study Part 3: Putting together a Viking Costume

Following quick on the heels of the previous post is one which shows how we created our very own Viking dress up from various items in our dressing up box.  This detailed post on putting together a Viking costume includes instructions for both male and female costumes:

Viking Unit Study Part 4: Exploring Angles and Triangles Viking Style

I’d had some interesting ideas about including some maths into our Viking Unit Study.  Viking runes are very angular and I thought we could probably have some fun learning about both them and angles and triangles Viking style!

Viking Unit Study Part 5: Viking Runes

Adding to our previous work with runes, we focuses a whole lesson on Viking Runes.  The children learnt to decipher them, as well as creating their own rune stones and some leather drawstring bags to pop them in.  They designed their own Viking rune monograms, and monogrammed their own wooden spoons (to go with their dressing up):

Viking Unit Study Part 5: Making an Aged Viking Map

This was a great lesson.  We used our huge paper mache map to create an amazing aged Viking map.  The children photocopied the map, added a grid and a key, finishing it off by aging the map using a match and some tea bags 🙂  These were in preparation to use with the amazing Viking maths book discussed in the next post:

Viking Unit Study Part 6: Co-ordinate graphs Viking Style!

In this excellent maths lesson, the children used their maps to learn about co-ordinate graphs Viking style, how to work out the perimeter of a country using a map and how to work out the area of a country using the map.

Viking Unit Study Part 7: Viking Rune Stones and Probability I

Another maths lesson using the Viking Runes stones to learn about probability, the children loved how visual this was:

Viking Unit Study Part 8: Viking Rune Stones and Probability II

The second of a self-penned lesson, the children learnt even more about Viking rune stones and probability:

Viking Unit Study Part 9: End of Viking Unit Presentation

My final post brings together everything the children had learnt about the Vikings as they put on an end of Unit Viking presentation.  This is an incredibly detailed post which covers everything from the preparation, the cooking and the invitations to the transformation of our living room into Viking living quarters, straw and all!

This was a great little unit study, ending in a fabulous presentation of all things Viking 🙂