Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Saxon Settlers Map Trail: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 4
- ForYear 4
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Saxon Settlers Map Trail is a free printable history worksheet for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9). Children match Saxon place name endings to their meanings, then use them to solve clues about where settler families chose to live. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children start by matching Saxon place name endings to their meanings. Then they meet settler families, each choosing a home at an English town such as Oxford, Preston, Nottingham, Canterbury or Bromley. Each clue asks what a family wanted, set up, built or found. To answer, children spot the ending in the town name and think about what it tells them. There is space under each question to write.
- The Ceol family settled at Oxford. What did they want nearby?
- The Wulf family settled at Preston. What did they set up?
- The Eadric family settled at Nottingham. What did they build?
- The Hild family settled at Canterbury. What did they build for safety?
- The Osric family settled at Bromley. What did they find in the woods?
Why look at place names in history?
The Anglo Saxons came to Britain from across the North Sea and settled in many parts of England. They spoke a language we now call Old English, an early form of the English we speak today. Many towns and villages across England still carry names that began in that language, so the past is on road signs and maps all around us.
Many place names are built from two parts. One part is often a person, a family or a feature of the land. The ending usually describes the kind of place it was. Reading the ending is like cracking a small code. Historians use place names as one kind of clue, alongside other evidence such as objects found in the ground.
Quick facts about place names
- Many English town names began as Old English words.
- Old English is an early form of English, but it looks very different on the page.
- A place name can be split into parts, and each part can carry a meaning.
- Place names can give clues about what a place was like long ago.
- You can find Saxon style place names on maps, road signs and railway stations today.
Skills and curriculum link
- Decoding place names
- Using historical clues
- Linking past to present
- Reading carefully
- Explaining reasons
Ideas to help you guide the trail
- Split the nameShow your child that a town name can be cut into parts. Look at the ending, which is the last part of the word. Draw a line between the parts before answering.
- Say it aloudReading names out loud helps children hear where one part stops and the next begins. Try it slowly, then at normal speed.
- Think about the landAsk what a settler family would look for when choosing a home. Water, shelter, food and safety all matter. Link each clue back to those needs.
- Ask for the reasonAfter each answer, ask, "Which part of the name told you that?" This keeps children reasoning from the clue, not guessing.
Key words
- SettlerA person who moves to a new place to make a home there.
- Anglo SaxonsPeople who came to Britain from across the North Sea and settled in England long ago.
- Place nameThe name of a town, village or other place.
- EndingThe last part of a word. In a place name it often says what kind of place it is.
- ClueA small piece of information that helps you work something out.
- EvidenceSomething that helps us find out what happened in the past.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the place name endings together before starting. Ask your child what they notice about how the names are built.
- Let your child match each ending to its meaning. Talk about any they are unsure of and leave those until last.
- Read each settler clue aloud. Ask your child to find the ending in the town name, then say why it fits the clue.
- Check together using page 2. Come back another day to repeat the trail, because a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Cover the start of each town name with a finger so only the ending shows. Say the ending and its meaning aloud, then read the clue again. Do the matching part first and take a short break before the clues.
To stretch confident children
Choose a town or village near you and look at its name on a map. Split it into parts and guess what each part might mean. Then write a short clue about a settler family, like the ones on the sheet, for a friend to solve.
Make it a game
Take turns to be the map reader. One player says a town name from the sheet, and the other calls out the ending and what it means. Score a point for each correct answer, and swap roles after every turn.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child looks at the first part of the town name and ignores the ending.
Try thisUnderline the ending in pencil first. Remind them that this sheet is about the last part of the name.
Watch forA child answers from what the town is like today, not from what the ending means.
Try thisAsk, "What would a settler have wanted when they first arrived?" Then go back to the meaning of the ending.
Watch forA child matches endings to meanings by guessing and stops checking.
Try thisWork through the matching one at a time. Ask them to say each ending aloud and give a reason for their choice.
Talk about it
- Why might a family choose one spot to settle and not another?
- What would you want near your home if you had to start again somewhere new?
- Which part of a town name gave you the best clue?
- Do you know any place names near you that sound old? What do you think they mean?
- How can a name be a kind of evidence about the past?
- What other words around us come from long ago?
Take it off the page
Name detectives
Go for a walk or a drive and spot place names on signs. Write down any that look old. At home, split them into parts and guess what each part might mean.
Invent a settlement
Draw a map of an imaginary Saxon village. Invent a two part name for it and add the land around it, such as water, woods and fields, so that the name fits.
Ending cards
Write place name endings on small cards and their meanings on others. Turn them face down and play a matching game, taking turns to find pairs.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first clue, then let them lead. Short sessions work best. If they get stuck, ask them to point to the ending and say what they think it means.
Teachers
Use it as a starter or plenary in a unit on the Anglo Saxons, as an early finisher task or as homework. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas, so it suits mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a map or atlas of your area and a library book about the Anglo Saxons. Children can look for place names nearby and talk about what they notice.
Where this fits in history learning
Before this sheet, children meet the idea that people came to Britain and settled, and that we learn about the past from clues. Reading simple maps and talking about why people live where they do also helps.
After this sheet, children can look at other groups who settled in Britain and the names they left behind. They can also use local maps to explore the history of their own area, and practise asking how we know what we know.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Saxon Settlers Map Trail for?
It is written for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9), in Key Stage 2. Older or younger children can try it too, with more help or more challenge as needed.
- What will children practise?
Children practise using the meanings of Saxon place name endings to work out where settler families chose to live. They read clues carefully, give reasons and link the past to places they can find on a map today.
- Do children need to know about the Anglo Saxons first?
No. The sheet works as an introduction, because children match the endings to their meanings first. Some background talk before starting can help, and a short book or classroom lesson is a good way to add it.
- Does the sheet include answers?
Yes. Page 2 is for the grown-up and includes the answers, notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, and a stretch idea. Keep it back until your child has had a go.
- How long does it take?
There is no set time. Children can finish it in one sitting or split it over two short sessions. Stop when concentration fades and come back later. The notes on page 2 help you adjust the challenge.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. You do not need colour. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so it is easy and cheap to use.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or as part of a wider history plan. It needs no preparation beyond printing.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.