Lesson Plan - Domesday Book and William the Conqueror: How He Controlled England
The lesson plan for How William the Conqueror Used the Domesday Book to Control England is designed to help parents and carers explore this fascinating part of English history with their children. The topic explains how William used a clever survey — the Domesday Book — to gain full control over his new kingdom. Learners will discover how information, rather than just soldiers, gave William power.
This lesson plan provides clear learning goals, discussion questions, creative activities, and deeper thinking tasks to spark curiosity and develop understanding. Parents will find ready-made tasks suitable for a variety of ages and learning styles. You don’t need any specialist knowledge to use this lesson — everything is written clearly to guide you.
It is designed for flexibility, allowing parents to adapt the lesson easily. Whether you use it as a stand-alone history project or as part of a wider study on kingship, the Normans, or medieval England, this resource supports learning at home with confidence.
This topic is part of our Info Zone collection. You can read the full topic, once logged in, here: How William the Conqueror Used the Domesday Book to Control England
You’ll also find a full Lesson Plan and a handy Parent Q & A sheet, for this topic, ready to use..
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Lesson Plan How William the Conqueror Used the Domesday Book to Control England |
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| Overview | This home education lesson explores how William the Conqueror used the Domesday Book to control England after his victory at the Battle of Hastings. Learners will investigate how William gathered information, managed land ownership, and used taxes to secure his power. |
| Learning Objectives |
- Understand what the Domesday Book was and why it was created - Explain how the Domesday Book helped William control England - Explore the effects on ordinary people - Recognise how information and records gave William power |
| Estimated Time | 60–90 minutes (flexible) |
| Starter Activity |
Ask: "If you were a king in charge of a huge country you barely knew, what would you do to stay in control?" Look at a picture of a medieval map or a reproduction of the Domesday Book (search online). Discuss how difficult it would be to rule without knowing who owned land or how much wealth there was. |
| Read and Learn |
Read the learning resource: How William the Conqueror Used the Domesday Book to Control England Then discuss these questions:
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| Activities |
Comprehension Questions:
Creative Challenge: Draw your own "mini Domesday Book" for your home. List who owns which rooms, what objects are there, and what duties each family member has. Role Play: Pretend to be a medieval commissioner. Ask family members questions about your home as if you were making a Domesday survey. Write down your answers in your own notebook. |
| Deeper Thinking |
Big Question: “Was the Domesday Book fair to everyone?” Discuss together. Think about whether ordinary people benefited or if it only helped William and his supporters. |
| Creative Projects |
- Create a comic strip showing how the Domesday Book changed England - Design a medieval tax collector’s handbook based on what you learned - Make a poster showing how information gives power |
| Review & Reflect |
Ask the learner:
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| Extensions & Homework |
- Explore the Domesday Book online (The National Archives has digital pages) - Research medieval taxes in England and compare them to modern taxes - Write a short story about a villager whose land was listed in the Domesday Book |
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