Edward the Confessor had no children. Some say it was due to a vow of celibacy as he was pious and devoted to God, some say it was because he despised his wife. His wife, Edith, was the daughter of Godwin, one of the most influential noblemen in the country at the time. Now, Edward was a Norman; he spent his childhood in Normandy, France and was brought back over to England by his brother when his father died. When Edward became King, due to his brother passing away after drinking too much at a party, he became King and was expected to marry Edith.
In 1051, there was an incident in Dover involving some of Edward's allies. Godwin was tasked to punish those who went against Edward, though Godwin decided instead to rise against Edward. This didn't go in Godwin's favour though and he ended up being exiled as opposed to going to trial. It was with his son, Harold, that he moved his family to Flanders, France.
Back to Edward. His Norman background led to him having many Normans in his court to advise him on state matters; something his English advisors did not like. This meant that there was was discontent. Godwin was called back to England by his supporters to tackle Edward about these issues. Harold came too. The army that Godwin had raised was much stronger than Edward's and so Edward had to concede to not having his Norman advisors who were shipped back to Normandy. Godwin was allowed to stay and was given back all his estates.
On Godwin's death, his son Harold took his title and was henceforth called Harold of Wessex. This was to his advantage when Edward died. He was swiftly made King in 1066, just as William of Normandy was ready to fight for the crown himself.
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To help with this lesson, I would use pictures on a powerpoint. I think the reinforcement of this topic would be done through a story board or a play. I think it would be fun for Year 7's to do this topic with a hands on approach rather than a text book approach.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/normans/background_01.shtml#four
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/edward_the_confessor.htm
Schools History Project: Discovering the past Y7 - Contrasts and Connections.
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