Saxons

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/saxons

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geographical origin?West Germanic tribes from the Jutland Peninsula and North German Plain
2. What is the key societal units?Evolved from tribal confederations to kingdoms like Wessex, Mercia, Sussex, and Essex
3. Who were the Saxons and where did they come from?The Saxons were a group of West Germanic tribes that lived on the Jutland Peninsula and the North German Plain. They were known for building strong ships and traveling across the sea to settle in new places.
4. Why did the Saxons move to Britain?When the Roman rule in Britain ended around the mid-5th century, the land was empty and open for new people. The Saxons saw this as a chance to find new homes and bring their own culture to the island.

Wergild: A Germanic legal concept representing the monetary value of a person, paid as compensation for injury or death.
Witenagemot: An Anglo-Saxon council of elders and advisors who assisted the king in governance.
Burh: A fortified settlement or defensive stronghold, crucial for administration and protection against raids, especially Viking ones.
Old English: The West Germanic language spoken in England from approximately the 5th to the 12th century, the direct precursor to modern English.