Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 ii
Contents
Finding your way around the curriculum pack ............................................................................. 1
Curriculum coverage and mapping .............................................................................................. 2
Section 1: Timelines and geographical contexts
Teaching sequence ........................................................................................................................ 3
Resource listing ............................................................................................................................. 5
Resource printouts ........................................................................................................................ 6
Section 2: What was life like in the Stone Age?
Teaching sequence ...................................................................................................................... 13
Resource listing ........................................................................................................................... 15
Resource printouts ...................................................................................................................... 16
Section 3: Settlements and farming
Teaching sequence ...................................................................................................................... 30
Resource listing ........................................................................................................................... 32
Resource printouts ...................................................................................................................... 33
Section 4: Life in the Bronze Age
Teaching sequence ...................................................................................................................... 48
Resource listing ........................................................................................................................... 50
Resource printouts ...................................................................................................................... 51
Section 5: The advent of the Iron Age
Teaching sequence ...................................................................................................................... 69
Resource listing ........................................................................................................................... 71
Resource printouts ...................................................................................................................... 72
Section 6: An Iron Age experience
Teaching sequence ...................................................................................................................... 80
Resource listing ........................................................................................................................... 82
Resource printouts ...................................................................................................................... 83
Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 1
Finding your way around the curriculum pack
The pack aims to provide creative teaching ideas within a structured sequence of activities complete
with supporting resources. The pack contains six sections made up of starter activities, main
teaching activities, plenary sessions, assessment opportunities and home learning tasks. Where
appropriate, cross-curricular learning opportunities are incorporated into each of the teaching
sessions.
There are four main aspects covered within the teaching sequence:
understanding the time lines of these civilisations;
everyday life, culture and beliefs;
evidence and inferences from the archaeological record about life in these times;
the importance of technological change, cultural heritage and their influences on modern day
Britain.
The pack lends itself to be used in different ways. It could form the basis of a project or it could be
used as the basis of a teaching sequence for a term’s work. Some of the activities are designed to
take place over a half-day or a whole day.
We’ve included links to each separate resource included in this pack so that you can access the
resources directly on www.teachitprimary.co.uk. We’ve also included the file number for each
original resource – just pop this into Teachit Primary’s search engine. Lots of the resources in this
pack are Word documents, but we’ve also included links to PowerPoints and interactive activities.
Please log in first in order to access any of these resources on Teachit Primary.
We hope you enjoy using this pack. If you have any questions, please get in touch: email
[email protected] or call us on 01225 788851. Alternatively, you might like to give
some feedback for other Teachit Primary members – you can do this by adding a comment on the
Primary curriculum pack Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age page on Teachit Primary
(please log in to access this!).
Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 2
Curriculum coverage and mapping
This pack matches the requirements of the statutory guidance in the New Curriculum for September
2014 as follows:
Key Stage 2 Programme of Study for History:
Statutory requirements
Pupils should be taught about:
changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
Examples (non-statutory) which are also explored in this pack:
Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early farmers, religious beliefs (sections 1 to 3)
Bronze Age technology (section 4)
Iron Age hill forts: tribal kingdoms, farming, art and culture (sections 5 and 6).
This pack also links to the following aims of Curriculum 2014 History:
know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from
the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how
Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
gain and deploy a historically-grounded understanding of abstract terms such as
‘civilisation’
understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence,
similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts,
analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts,
including written narratives and analyses
understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to
make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations
of the past have been constructed
gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts,
understanding the connections between local, regional and national history; between
cultural, economic, military, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term
timescales.
Section 1: Timelines and contexts
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 3
Section 1: Timelines & geographical contexts
Purpose: To place this ancient period of early human history on a timeline and to
understand how early humans arrived in Britain. To establish how geography and
climate affected human migration and animal life.
Teaching point:
An important point that is not covered in detail in this pack is that up to 30 000 to 40 000 years ago
there was more than one species of human on Earth. Homo sapiens (thinking human), or modern
humans as they are referred to in this pack, are the only remaining species. There were as many as
16 species of human. Evidence seems to point to a combination of Homo sapiens interbreeding and
conflict as the cause of the other species’ extinction. Neanderthals were the last other surviving
species of human. Evidence of this period of history comes from fossil records and archaeological
investigation, including modern science such as DNA sequencing. The evidence changes all the
time and the debate over this is a lively one which can be shared throughout the topic as news
articles arise.
Starting things off:
What do children understand by the term Stone Age? How long ago do they think it was?
Ask pupils to draw and label pictures representing their ideas about the Stone Age, to write
sticky notes or simply to share ideas with a partner. How do children think we know about
people who lived so long ago? Display these sketches and notes on a ‘Cave wall’ where
progress and learning through the topic will be recorded. In designing the cave wall, leave
space for a broad timeline string where you can peg up key events and dates.
There are many misconceptions about the Stone Age! Uncover these misconceptions and
assess children’s starting points with resource 23719: The Stone Age – true or false? Any
misconceptions can be amended on the Cave wall as the children discover for themselves
whether or not the information they gave was correct.
Getting into the detail:
As we know, Britain is an island. So how do children think humans arrived here? (Did they
come by boat? Did they swim?) Ask for suggestions and write them onto large pieces of
card or paper. Stick them around the room and invite children to stand in front of the
suggestion they think is the most likely. (If you don’t have a lot of space you could simply
get children to vote for idea they prefer.) Put the children into groups according to their
votes and ask them to plan a short presentation explaining why their idea is the most
Section 1: Timelines and contexts
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 4
plausible. Encourage questions from the floor. Take a final vote before revealing the
answer via resource 23718: The arrival of Stone Age man which also poses and answers
questions about how Britain looked in the Stone Age and how it became an island.
Take children on a whistle stop journey through time, starting a million years ago through to
the Iron Age and looking at how life and the landscape changed. Resource 23720: A
timeline of Ancient Britain supports this activity.
(Cross-curricular learning opportunity: Science) What perceptions do children have about
the animals living in Britain during the Stone Age? Use books or the internet to research
animals of the Stone Age and compare them to animals living in Britain today, noting how
they have evolved and why. Resource 23716: Animals of Stone Age Britain is a useful
prompt.
Pieces of light, neutral-coloured fabric or creased sugar paper to look like cave walls make a
lovely basis for cave paintings or drawings of Stone Age animals. There are some great
examples on the internet, including a useful video from the BBC Science and Environment
article. Use charcoal or go one step further and make some Stone Age paint with charcoal,
vegetable oil and a rock to grind them together.
(Cross-curricular learning opportunity: Science) Britain was hit by one of many Ice Ages
in the middle of the Stone Age, about 10 000 years ago. How do children think this affected
the animals living in Britain at the time? Ask pupils to make a Stone Age food web that
would have been affected by the Ice Age. e.g. 20 000 years ago, there were giant mammoth,
hyena, lions and bears inhabiting Britain. Humans were not the top carnivore. When the Ice
Age came, food sources were badly affected, resulting in mass extinctions. Ask children to
illustrate how a food chain can be affected by a rapid and sustained temperature drop. For
example, removing the green plant means the animals below it starve.
Rounding things up:
Remember to add key dates to the timeline on your cave wall! Children will enjoy
designing appropriate templates for each significant date or event. It is important to
establish that even 800 000 years ago, early humans were behaving quite differently to the
animals around them – they had skills for making fine, sharp tools, for example.
Section 1: Timelines and contexts
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 5
Keeping track: assessment opportunity
Revisit resource 23719: The Stone Age – true or false? Ask pupils to write a sentence for
each statement either expanding on it or setting the record straight. The clearest
explanations could be added to the cave wall.
Taking it home:
Ask children to do a little Ice Age research and to bring their findings in to share with the
class. This may be in the form of a newspaper or internet article, a book or even a television
programme. Would their home have been affected by the Ice Age?
Resources contained within Section 1
23719 The Stone Age – true or false? ............................................................................................... 6
23718 The arrival of Stone Age man ................................................................................................ 7
23720 A timeline of Ancient Britain ................................................................................................. 8
23716 Animals of Stone Age Britain ............................................................................................... 10
The Stone Age – true or false?
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23719 6
To access this resource please log in to the Teachit Primary website
and type 23719 into the search bar.
The arrival of Stone Age Man
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23718 7
To access this resource please log in to the Teachit Primary website
and type 23718 into the search bar.
A timeline of Ancient Britain
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23720 8
To access this resource please log in to the Teachit Primary website
and type 23720 into the search bar.
A timeline of Ancient Britain
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23720 9
Animals of Stone Age Britain
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23716 10
Name: ...................................................................................... Date: .............................................................................................
Cave paintings and bones from 800 000 years ago reveal a greater variety of animals in Britain then than there are today.
This was because Britain was land-locked so animals would wander much more widely.
Here are some examples of Stone Age animals. Do these animals still exist?
Can you think of a modern day animal which is similar?
Stone Age animal Would you find this animal roaming Britain today?
Tick all the statements you believe to be true.
If the animal reminds you of one we see today,
which is it? Can you draw it here?
Woolly Mammoth
It is still found in Britain.
It is not found in Britain but it is found elsewhere in the world.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists in Britain today.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists elsewhere in the
world today.
This animal is extinct.
Woolly
Rhinoceros
It is still found in Britain.
It is not found in Britain but it is found elsewhere in the world.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists in Britain today.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists elsewhere in the
world today.
This animal is extinct.
Animals of Stone Age Britain
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23716 11
Stone Age animal Would you find this animal roaming Britain today?
Tick all the statements you believe to be true.
If the animal reminds you of one we see today,
which is it? Can you draw it here?
Cave Bear
It is still found in Britain.
It is not found in Britain but it is found elsewhere in the world.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists in Britain today.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists elsewhere in the
world today.
This animal is extinct.
Hippopotamus
It is still found in Britain.
It is not found in Britain but it is found elsewhere in the world.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists in Britain today.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists elsewhere in the
world today.
This animal is extinct.
Giant Deer (Elk)
It is still found in Britain.
It is not found in Britain but it is found elsewhere in the world.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists in Britain today.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists elsewhere in the
world today.
This animal is extinct.
Hyena
It is still found in Britain.
It is not found in Britain but it is found elsewhere in the world.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists in Britain today.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists elsewhere in the
world today.
This animal is extinct.
Animals of Stone Age Britain
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23716 12
Stone Age animal Would you find this animal roaming Britain today?
Tick all the statements you believe to be true.
If the animal reminds you of one we see today,
which is it? Can you draw it here?
Wild Boar
It is still found in Britain.
It is not found in Britain but it is found elsewhere in the world.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists in Britain today.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists elsewhere in the
world today.
This animal is extinct.
Wolf
It is still found in Britain.
It is not found in Britain but it is found elsewhere in the world.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists in Britain today.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists elsewhere in the
world today.
This animal is extinct.
Sheep
It is still found in Britain.
It is not found in Britain but it is found elsewhere in the world.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists in Britain today.
This animal reminds me of an animal that exists elsewhere in the
world today.
This animal is extinct.
Extension activity: Choose a Stone Age animal which reminds of you an animal we see in Britain today and sketch both
versions, labelling the similarities and differences.
Section 2: What was life like in the Stone Age?
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 13
Section 2: What was life like in the Stone Age?
Purpose: To develop ideas about early human culture; to discover what Stone Age
humans looked like, what their eating habits were and the ways in which humans began
to alter the landscape of Britain. This section will also identify sources of historical
information.
Starting things off:
Resource 23721: Stone Age survival – a board game is a great way to introduce children to
the daily routines, beliefs and perils of Stone Age life. Ask pupils to make a note of
anything that they discover about life in the Stone Age as they play, plus any questions they
have. These can be addressed in the next activity (see below).
Getting into the detail:
What have we learned or deduced so far about everyday life in the Stone Age? Consider the
ideas and questions raised by resource 23721: Stone Age survival – a board game and the
images of tools from slides 5 and 6 of resource 23720: A timeline of Ancient Britain. What
can we learn from these? (For example, these images are evidence that tools became more
precisely made and refined over time. This indicates that during the Stone Age people were
capable of learning, refining and passing on skills through some form of language. It also
proves that the people of this time made other things, which may not have survived over
time, such as clothing, shelters and perhaps even decorations – why else would they make a
needle?) Invite children to come up with questions they would like answered about how
people lived. For example, what did they eat? What were their homes like? How long did
they live? Did they worship? Allocate a question to pairs or small groups and ask them to
research the answer to their question, to be shared with the rest of the class. Their research
could take the form of a fact file or a PowerPoint or each fact could be written on templates
to be added to the cave wall.
Stone Age humans consulted a Shaman to help them make important decisions. A shaman
was a tribe member who was believed to communicate with animals and spirits for advice.
Hold a Stone Age Tribe role play session and elect a tribe leader, representing the shaman
with a fortune teller. Resource 24246: How to make a fortune teller provides step by step
instructions. (Categories might include ‘Food’, ‘Shelter’, ‘Conflict’, ‘Dangers’ and
questions might include ‘Will we have a successful hunt today?’ ‘Should we stay here or
move on?’) Ask children to dress in animal print cloth and decorate it with shells, fake
berries and fake teeth. Explore the grounds of the school and find a good spot to stop and
rest. Make some simple shelters from sheets and broken branches or rolled up, painted
newspaper tubes and build a pretend camp fire from twigs and leaves or paper. Stage a
Section 2: What was life like in the Stone Age?
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 14
treasure hunt of sweets or luxury items, which the hunters and gatherers would bring back to
camp to share. One group of pupils could even represent a herd of mammoth or bison to be
hunted down by the tribe! Finally, gather around the fire to share spoils and retell stories of
the day’s hunt and any dramatic encounters with Stone Age animals! Consult the spirits and
ask them for something that you need to make the tribe successful. Finally, decide whether
the tribe should move on and why. Remember to consult your shaman throughout the
activity for any useful insights!
(Cross-curricular learning opportunities: PE) Hone those hunting skills! Using foam
javelins or spears made from newspaper tubes, challenge the children to see whether they
can hunt down some Stone Age animals. Ask some children to act as the prey and see
whether the hunters can hit a moving target with their spears! Or practise throwing a small
ball (to represent a rock) at targets of varying distances to emphasise how difficult this was.
What skills can children use and refine to improve throwing skills? Who is the most
accurate member of the tribe? Would they make a good tribe leader?
(Cross-curricular learning opportunities: PE) Beat the mammoth – a woolly mammoth
could run at nearly twelve metres per second. Hold some time trials to see whether any of
the children could have outrun one of these impressive creatures! Mark off a point in a
straight line 120 metres away to show where a mammoth would get to after 10 seconds.
Give pupils a beanbag and ask them to run as fast as they can. After 10 seconds blow a
whistle and get them to drop their beanbag to mark where they have stopped. Record the
results and compare times. Who is the fastest member of the tribe? Could he or she have
outrun a mammoth?
Design a crown of stones and shells for the victor of the hunt or mammoth race.
Rounding things up:
What have children learnt that they didn’t know before? Review the Cave wall and address
any gaps or areas of misunderstanding. Do children need to make any corrections to their
notes and sketches from previous sessions?
Keeping track: assessment opportunity
Ask children to write a short account of a day in the life of a Stone Age tribe member. This
could be based upon the role play as described above. Remind them to include detail about
the settlement, hunts, food and any perils or successes. Alternatively they could retell their
day as a cartoon strip. Resource 24128: A day in the life of Stone Age man – a planning
grid supports this writing activity.
Section 2: What was life like in the Stone Age?
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 15
Taking it home:
Ask the children to find more images of Stone Age tools for the cave wall. Can they find
any examples of Stone Age art?
Resources contained within Section 2
23721 Stone Age survival – a board game ..................................................................................... 16
24246 How to make a fortune teller ............................................................................................... 28
24128 A day in the life of Stone Age man – a planning grid ........................................................ 29
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 16
The aim of the game:
Be the last tribe standing in a game of survival! Players contend with everyday life and events in the Stone Age.
This is a game for 3-6 players. Each group will need:
A game board (enlarged to A3 and laminated)
A die
A set of tribe member cards, a set of seashell cards and a set of spearhead cards
A set of good news and bad news cards
A copy of the Spirit world bank
Coloured counters
How to play:
Place the good and bad news cards on their designated places on the board.
Give each player 3 tribe member cards, 3 seashells and 3 spearheads. Place the remaining cards in their designated places on the
Spirit World bank.
Players place their counters on the Start position. Youngest player starts by rolling the die and moving clockwise unless
directed otherwise.
Follow the instructions on the board, picking up good news or bad news cards as directed and reading them aloud. Follow the
instructions and replace the cards at the bottom of the pile.
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 17
Penalties:
A player who runs out of seashells or spearheads must pay the whole penalty with ONE tribe member card. A player who runs
out of seashells must pay with spearheads. A player who runs out of spearheads must pay with seashells. When a player loses a
tribe member, a seashell or a spearhead, he or she must put them back in the Spirit World bank, unless otherwise directed.
A player who runs out of tribe members must join with another tribe – this must be the next tribe to play.
Tribal Battle: players who land here will battle against all of the other tribes playing the game. Each player shakes the die. The
player with the highest score wins a spearhead and a seashell from the Spirit World bank. All of the other tribes lose one tribe
member. Players who tie shake again until one tribe finally wins!
Battle the Next Player: the rules are the same as above, except it is between you and the next player only.
Give a Tribute: this can be a spearhead, a seashell or tribe member.
How the game ends:
As you approach the end of the game, there will be several players who have joined into bigger tribes. The game is over when
there is only one tribe left with surviving tribe members.
The largest tribe always wins at this game as it would in the Stone Age; they had enough tribe members to hunt or gather food
from the land and to survive battles with other tribes.
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 18
Start: hunting
and
gathering
The spirits bid you to shake
again!
Tribal
battle!
Accident
while hunting!
Lose one of
your tribe!
Lose one
spearhead or
a seashell.
Seek shelter
from the bad
weather.
Miss a turn.
Barter shells
or spearheads
with another
tribal leader.
Sacrifice one
tribe member
to the Spirit
World bank.
Good
new
s for y
our trib
e
Stone Age
survival!
Bad
new
s fo
r you
r tr
ibe
Battle
against the
next player!
The Wise Tree Spirit allows you to see the
next bad news card
– take a peek and see the fate of another
tribe!
Successful fishing trip.
Add another
person to your tribe.
Battle
against the
next
player!
You find
two
seashells.
Give a
tribute to the
spirits.
The spirits tell you to shake
again and go
backwards!
Tribal
battle!
You find
two
spearheads.
Take one tribe member from
the next
player.
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 19
Good news cards:
The spirits have
smiled upon you
today! Add one more
member to your tribe.
Your tribe has
domesticated two dogs
to protect you at night.
Shake again.
While fishing, you
discover two precious
seashells. Take them
from the Spirit World
bank.
You complete the
building of a henge
ceremonial site. Take
a seashell or
spearhead from each
tribe as a tribute.
The spirits have filled
your shaman with
powers! The other
tribes give you one of
their own tribe each.
You discover a secret
stash of spearheads.
Take two and shake
again.
After a long battle,
you defeat the next
tribe – take one
spearhead or one
seashell from the next
player.
A new tribe member
is born! Take one
from the Spirit World
bank.
Your tribe finds a new
source of fresh water.
Choose a seashell or
new tribe member
from the Spirit World
bank.
Whilst foraging, you
come across a crop of
fruit trees. Add
another person to your
tribe from the Spirit
World bank.
Your tribe’s hunt
brings in a huge haul –
enough to support
another member of the
tribe from the Spirit
World bank.
You win in a tribal
conflict and claim two
spearheads from the
enemy. Take them
from the Spirit World
bank.
You find a spearhead
whilst out foraging.
Take one from the
Spirit World bank.
A spell of rain makes
for a plentiful supply
of frogs to eat! Take
one seashell or
spearhead from the
Spirit World bank.
Will the spirits be on
your side? Shake
again: an even number
adds another tribe
member.
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 20
Bad news cards:
A mammoth tramples
one of your tribe
during a hunt. Lose a
tribe member.
Bad weather means
you cannot hunt
today. Miss a turn.
Despite leaving an
offering for the tree
spirit, the fruit was
eaten by another tribe.
Lose a tribe member.
One of your tribe is
injured in a fall. Shake
again: an odd number
means they’ll survive,
an even number
means you lose them!
Another tribe attacks.
Shake an odd number
to win or an even
number to lose one of
your tribe.
The shaman of your
tribe warns of an
animal attack. Miss
one turn to stay safe.
The tribal Chief is
killed in a hunt.
Reduce your tribe by
one and pay a shell or
spearhead to the
spirits for guidance.
Your cave dwelling is
flooded in the night.
Lose one of your tribe.
Another tribe attacks.
You all survive, but
the battle means you
lose a spearhead.
A woodland fire
means you must flee.
You lose one member
of your tribe.
A dry spell means
there are no vegetable
roots, frogs or fruits to
eat. Lose two
seashells or two
spearheads.
High winds and
storms destroy your
animal skin shelters
overnight. Miss a turn
to make repairs.
One of your tribe is
lost when creating a
long barrow burial
mound.
While meeting other
tribes at a henge
monument, you lose a
seashell.
You have an
unsuccessful hunt.
Lose a seashell.
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 21
Tribe member tokens:
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 22
Tribe member tokens:
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 23
Seashell tokens:
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 24
Seashell tokens:
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 25
Spearhead tokens:
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 26
Spearhead tokens:
Stone Age Survival – a board game
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23721 27
The Spirit World bank
Tribe members Seashells Spearheads
How to make a fortune teller
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24246 28
How to make a simple fortune teller
1. Make your piece of paper into a square by folding one
corner to the side and cutting off the section below.
2. Fold your square in half.
3. Fold one corner to the centre of the other side.
4. Fold the other corner to the centre of the other side.
5. Turn over and do the same for the other two corners.
6. Open up the piece of paper from a triangle to a square,
with four flaps in the centre.
7. Turn it over and fold the four corners into the centre.
8. Fold it in half with the flaps inside to make a
rectangle.
9. Put your first fingers and thumbs under the flaps.
Practise opening and closing the fortune teller in both
directions.
10. Flatten it out (as in step 7) and write numbers 1-8 on
the triangular flaps. Turn it over and write 4
categories on each of the four corner flaps
11. Now think of eight relevant questions to write under
the number flaps.
12. Working in pairs, ask your partner to choose a
category. Open and close the fortune teller for each letter of the category e.g. S – P – E – L – L
– I – N – G, and then open the numbered flap relating to the category they have chosen, reading
what’s written underneath. They should try to answer the question or complete the task. Take it
in turns to choose a category and answer questions using your fortune tellers.
Suggested uses
Key words for topics
Revision
Summarising key facts
Character development
Story starters and endings
A day in the life of Stone Age man – a planning grid
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24128 29
Name:...................................................... Date: ......................................................
Use your knowledge of the lifestyle and habits of Stone Age man to
plan a diary entry. Make notes on the grid below. Remember, diary
entries are written in the first person and are a personal response to
events.
What is your home
like? Are you a hunter
gatherer or a settler?
Who do you live with?
What tasks did you
have to complete
today? Did you hunt?
What did you eat
today?
Did you worship? To
whom?
What has been the
most challenging part
of your day?
What has been the best
part of your day?
Anything else you
would like to include
in your diary entry
Section 3: Settlements and farming
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 30
Section 3: Settlements and farming
Purpose: To describe how late Stone Age life changed from one of a roaming hunter-
gatherer tribal system to a more settled, village-based farming existence.
Starting things off:
Explain how, in the late Stone Age, tribes began to form settlements rather than roaming the
land. Why do children think this was? Stage a tribal meeting and debate the advantages and
disadvantages of settling in one place. (Advantages included access to a regular source of
water, tribes could claim land for their own and protect it, they could build stronger and
more permanent buildings, tribes could grow crops and keep animals. Disadvantages
included vulnerability: other tribes knew where the settlement was making them susceptible
to attack, animals that they hunted may actively avoid the settlement.) Which geographical
features and locations would tribes need to consider when settling?
Getting into the detail:
Develop the concept of a settlement being a place where there was useful land, a water
supply and suitable places to build using resource 23722: Design a Stone Age settlement
which allows pupils to create a settlement on a grid and justify positioning of buildings,
crops and grazing animals. The resource includes a battleships-style game to help children
understand the hazards facing Neolithic farmers. This can be played in pairs on paper or on
a screen using the Excel version, either independently or as a teacher versus pupils
challenge! To consolidate children’s understanding of successful Stone Age settlements try
resource 23724: A Neolithic visitor which asks pupils to persuade a visitor to their farm to
stay and work with them.
Hold a quick straw poll of the pets children have. Which are the most common? Why do
children think these pets are particularly popular? (Although it may well be the case that
guinea pigs and gerbils are more common in your class than dogs, dogs are likely to come
up at some point.) Most children will know that dogs were domesticated from wolves
(although they may well be unfamiliar with the term ‘domestication’). Ask pairs to jot down
three possible reasons for this on whiteboards. Resource 24046: The domestication of dogs
supports this activity. Which other common animals do children think were domesticated
during the Stone Age? Resource 23723: Stone Age sorting – animal domestication requires
children to identify these animals and consider why they were domesticated.
Bring in an expert! Ask a local farmer or someone connected to the Fair Trade industry to
visit. Local Co-operative Societies can be of help here. They could explain how the Farm to
Fork initiative works and how a farm operates from season to season. A visit to a local farm
Section 3: Settlements and farming
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 31
would be a great opportunity to explore the crops, foodstuffs and animal products we make
use of.
Neolithic farmers became adept at making pottery to store their grain and keep pests out.
The humans from this period are sometimes called The Beaker People because there is so
much archaeological evidence of storage solutions. Can children make a vessel with a lid
that would keep the rats and mice out?
Rounding things up:
Take a look at the well-known Neolithic structures of Stonehenge, Skara Brae, Silbury Hill
and Newgrange in County Meath. What were they used for? Why might those locations
have been chosen? Resource 24072: Comparing Stone Age structures provides a useful
template for this and asks children to decide what we can learn from these structures.
Much of the evidence of the beaker culture comes from the excavation of long barrows
(Neolithic burial chambers). Why do children think Stone Age man buried their dead?
What do children think we can learn from the excavation of long barrow burial sites and the
study of the remains? A mock-up of a human skull or a complete skeleton would enable you
to discuss the information that can be gathered from such a find. The state of the teeth tells
us about diet, age and is often the site of everyday injuries. The size of the brain cavity
indicates intelligence and capacity to learn. Injuries would be apparent in the form of scars
and could teach us a lot about dangers faced by Neolithic man. Some skeletons were found
with axe wounds or spearheads still embedded in them! The first serious and highly
infectious diseases only began to affect humans once they started to keep animals. Heritage
daily have some lovely photos and details of seven long barrow sites in the UK.
Assessment opportunity:
(Cross-curricular link: Geography) Can pupils make links with how settlements developed
to how towns and cities are planned? For example, new developments have to take into
account flood plains, public transport and suitable roads. In Stone Age times, rivers were
essential for water, but settlements would be built at a safe distance. Display a map of the
UK with major cities marked. Why might settlements have sprung up in these particular
locations? What geographical features lend themselves to human settlement? Sometimes
the names of towns give clues, for example, ‘ley’ means meadow. Which other ancient
words feature in these place names?
Section 3: Settlements and farming
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 32
Taking it home:
Ask pupils to consider their own town or village and to explain why it may have sprung up
on that particular site. Is the name a clue? Which ancient words feature in local place
names?
Resources contained within Section 3
23722 Design a Stone Age settlement ............................................................................................. 33
23724 A Neolithic visitor .................................................................................................................. 41
24046 The domestication of dogs .................................................................................................... 43
23723 Stone Age sorting – animal domestication .......................................................................... 44
24072 Comparing Stone Age structures .................................................................................. 47
Design a Stone Age settlement
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23722 33
Teaching notes:
The Excel document linked to this resource provides an interactive version of this
activity along with a completed village grid. Instructions for how to create a paper
based version of this activity are outlined below, along with notes on how to plan out
the village settlement.
Before you start:
This is a game for 2 players. Each player will need:
a copy of the grid (page 4)
a set of guidelines for creating their settlement (page 2).
Each pair will need:
a set of 3 laminated spinners.
How to play:
Each player creates a settlement according to the guidelines. They then take turns to
spin each of the 3 spinners: the green spinners generate the grid references and the
red spinner generates the ‘disaster’.
Each time one of their features is affected by a disaster the player crosses it out. The
game ends when one player has had all their villagers wiped out!
Design a Stone Age settlement
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23722 34
Your job is to create a settlement using the grid provided.
Remember, a good settlement needs:
a supply of water – usually a river or natural spring
land suitable for growing crops – farmers would clear all the forest away for
this
land for animals such as sheep, pigs, goats and cows to graze
a space for huts for people to live in
a space for a grain store.
Use symbols or letters to represent the following features on your grid. Remember,
you will need to include a key!
Animals 6 cows, 6 pigs, 6 sheep, 4 goats, 4 dogs
Land 8 plots of barley, 8 of wheat
Buildings 10 dwellings and 1 grain hut
People 12 villagers
During the late Stone Age (Neolithic Age), tribes began to settle in one place
rather than moving around. They built farms (called settlements), planting
crops and keeping animals.
Design a Stone Age settlement
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23722 35
Name: ..................................................... Date: ......................................................
Choose a name for your settlement: ...............................................................................
When planning your settlement, consider the most sensible sites for each feature.
Start by plotting the river. Next consider where to put your buildings. What are the
advantages and risks of being close to the river?
Advantages:
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
Risks:
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
Where will you place your crops and your grain store? What do you need to
consider?
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
Where should your animals go? What do you need to consider?
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
Now you have planned carefully, you should be ready to create the perfect
settlement!
Design a Stone Age settlement
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23722 36
Key:
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
A B C D E F G H I J K L
Design a Stone Age settlement
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23722 37
death
flood
disease
accident
raid fire
storm
theft
Design a Stone Age settlement
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23722 38
A B
C
D
E F
G H
I
J
K
L
Design a Stone Age settlement
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23722 39
1 2
3
4
5 6
7 8
9
10
11
12
Design a Stone Age settlement
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23722 40
To access this resource please log in to the Teachit Primary website
and type 23722 into the search bar.
A Neolithic visitor
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23724 41
Name:...................................................... Date: ......................................................
Bron has some questions you should address in your persuasive piece:
Imagine you have received a visitor to your Stone Age farm. Bron is strong and
healthy and looking for a new place to live. How will you persuade Bron to live
and work on your settlement? Use the template to plan a piece of writing or a
speech to encourage Bron to settle with you.
Which animals do
you keep?
What do you trade
with?
Do you have a
reliable water
source?
Are the spirits
good to you?
How?
Is your Chieftain a
good leader?
What examples can
you give?
How do you keep
safe?
Which crops do you
grow? Is the land
easy to work?
What do you eat?
A Neolithic visitor
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23724 42
Name:...................................................... Date: ......................................................
Powerful opening line
Water source: what is
it and why is it
reliable?
Animals: what do you
keep and why?
Crops and land: what
do you grow?
Security: how do you
keep your tribe safe?
Trading: what do you
trade and who with?
Food: what food
sources so you have?
Spirits: how do they
help you?
Chieftain: in what
ways is he a strong
leader?
A WOW way to finish
The domestication of dogs
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24046 43
To access this resource please log in to the Teachit Primary website
and type 24046 into the search bar.
Stone Age sorting – animal domestication
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23723 44
Name: ................................................................ Date:
...........................................................................
Pig
Horse
Sheep
About 7000 years ago, people in Britain began to change how they lived. Over
a period of 2000 years, Britain transformed from a land of hunter gatherers into
a nation of farmers. One of the ways they did this was to domesticate wild
animals. So what did they gain? Cut and stick the resources to match the
animal.
Stone Age sorting – animal domestication
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23723 45
Name: ................................................................ Date:
...........................................................................
Goat
Cow
Dog
Stone Age sorting – animal domestication
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23723 46
for fertiliser for meat for milk
for skin for wool for company
for milk for fertiliser for herding
for meat for wool for meat
for protection for skin for ploughing
for meat for milk for fertiliser
for ploughing for transport for fur
for skin for fertiliser for meat
for fertiliser for herding for skin
Comparing Stone Age structures
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24072 47
Name: .............................................................................................. Date: ....................................................................................
Britain is dotted with Stone Age structures. Using books and the internet, complete the table to compare those below.
Location Age Purpose What does it teach us?
Skara Brae
Stonehenge
Silbury Hill
Newgrange
Is there a Stone Age structure near where you live? Research a structure close to you, making notes as above.
Section 4: Life in the Bronze Age
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 48
Section 4: Life in the Bronze Age
Purpose: To explore an ancient historical site in order to infer what this tells us about
the beliefs and habits of Bronze Age people.
Starting things off:
It may be useful to revisit resource 23720: A timeline of Ancient Britain to remind children
of the approximate dates of the end of the Neolithic age and the beginning of the Bronze
Age. It would also serve as a quick assessment opportunity, asking children to summarise
what they have learned so far.
Towards the end of the Neolithic period and during the Bronze Age the people of Britain
began to construct some of the most iconic ancient structures which still fascinate people
today, the famous ‘Henge’ structures which are unique to Britain. Show children this short
film produced by the National Geographic to create atmosphere and to get them asking
questions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6oxmxPKoSE
Getting into the detail:
What was Stonehenge for, why did they build it and what happened here? Hold a thought
shower and note down children’s ideas. (Rituals, religious ceremonies, sacrifice, worship,
astronomical observation and a way to mark the solstices are all theoretical answers. A more
recent theory is that it was a place of healing as the bones of the ill and injured have been
found buried nearby.)
What did Stonehenge look like originally as compared with now? Provide children with two
images: one of how it looked originally and one form the present day. There are plenty
available on the internet. Ask children to annotate the images showing the changes. Are
any of the stones missing or damaged? Have any been moved? How might this have
happened? The changes that have occurred over the past 4000 years should help children to
appreciate both the strength and the vulnerability of the stones.
How was Stonehenge built? Give pupils a large block of modelling clay. Explain that they
have to move it from one side of their desk to the other using only the materials you give
them. They cannot touch it with their hands at any point! Then provide children with twigs
and cotton or wool. The twigs represent the trunks of trees and the cotton represents rope
which would have been made from plant and animal materials. How can children use these
basic materials to move the ‘stones’ they have been given? Pupils could make rollers to
place under the stone and lever it up with the twigs. They might tie the cotton around the
stone and drag it, with the rollers underneath forming wheels. Ask them to perfect a method
and then demonstrate it. Film or photograph them for display or combine models to make a
Section 4: Life in the Bronze Age
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 49
class henge. Resource 23686: The problem with Stonehenge is a useful pencil and paper
task relating to this idea.
The Bronze Age saw an increase in mining for coal which was used in the smelting and
casting process. Ask pupils to create a hand-sized cast of a jewel, a small knife, a ring or a
face using modelling clay. Then pour coloured water (lemon or orange food colouring works
well) into the cast and freeze it. Once frozen, prepare a tray or bowl filled with a flat layer of
crushed ice and place baking parchment or cling film over the layer of ice. Remove the
casts from the freezer. Slowly they will begin to melt and come free of their moulds.
Carefully turn the casts out onto the tray of ice. This should stop them melting too quickly
and give pupils the idea of how casting worked. Take pictures for the Cave Wall before
they melt away! Bronze smiths would have improved their creations by melting and
recasting them so you could ask pupils to evaluate their casts and have a second turn – for
example by improving the depth, thickness and definition of the cast.
Rounding things up:
At the end of a morning or afternoon, borrow a bin from another classroom and empty it
onto a table in your room. Ask the children to identify the rubbish and decide which
classroom it came from. Explain that looking at clues like this is how archaeologists and
historians learn about what life was like in the past. Ask children to list all the ways that
they create evidence of their day to day life (diaries, school work, school websites and
newsletters, the rubbish we throw away, items we keep and look after, photos, receipts,
emails, text messages and so on). Which of these do children think might endure and be
useful evidence for future historians? Then give groups of children a carrier bag full of a
week’s evidence of someone’s everyday life – receipts, food cartons, materials related to a
day trip, tickets, hobby materials, reading matter, a highlighted TV guide, something they
dress in and so on. (You could create these bags yourself based upon famous people or book
characters or you could ask other teachers to save a week’s evidence of their day to day
activities in a carrier bag.) Ask pupils to work out from the evidence who the famous
person / character / teacher is and what their habits are. Resource 23726: Carrier bag
detectives supports this activity.
Keeping track of learning: understanding time measurements and global chronology
Throughout this topic, pupils have been asked to understand very long time scales. Using
resource 23725: From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards, ask
children to peg the dates in order on a washing line. (For some extra maths, ask children to
calculate the exact dates of the events). As each new event is added, ask pupils to consider
the timescale between each – how far apart would we place each date? This will give them
the sense of how far apart the events of history are. It will also give them a sense of how
Section 4: Life in the Bronze Age
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 50
briefly humans have lived on Earth, particularly modern humans. You will need a long line
and lots of space! Take the opportunity to explore the language of chronology: words such
as millennium, era, aeon, age. Which word refers to the longest period of time? What is the
smallest measure of time? You could also ask children to draw on their historical
knowledge to create new cards to add to the timeline. The resource includes an interactive
matching version if you don’t have space for the timeline.
Taking it home:
Ask children to create their own carrier bags full of clues as to their own lives. Invite them
to bring them in to see whether the rest of the class can identify the owner.
Resources contained within Section 4
23686 The problem with Stonehenge ............................................................................................ 51
23726 Carrier bag detectives .......................................................................................................... 54
23725 From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards ............................... 56
The problem with Stonehenge
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23686 51
The facts:
There are 82 bluestones at Stonehenge. These are the smaller stones and they came
from Preseli in Wales, over 170 miles away. The bluestones weigh between 2 and
5 tons each.
The largest stones are called sarsen stones. They come from the Marlborough
Downs about 20 miles away. The sarsen stones weigh, on average, 25 tons each.
The problem:
How were the stones transported to Salisbury Plain and how were they raised to
form the circle?
The challenge:
Use the template to make notes and sketches about how you would have gone about
moving the stones. Remember, you would not have had the help of any machines!
Helpful hint:
Consider how natural geographical features such as rivers and forests may have
featured in the transportation.
Useful vocabulary:
lever, fulcrum (turning point), load, upward force
© Joel Rivlin 2008 https://flic.kr/p/4sDx98
Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain is one of Britain’s most recognisable structures,
dating back to the late Stone Age. However, it remains a puzzle to this day! Can
you help to solve the problem with Stonehenge?
The problem with Stonehenge
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23686 52
Method of transportation:
Equipment and number of men I would need:
Diagram:
The problem with Stonehenge
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23686 53
Method of raising the stones:
Equipment and number of men I would need:
Diagram:
Now share your ideas with your classmates. Between you, have you come up with a
solution to the problem of Stonehenge?
Carrier bag detectives
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23726 54
Teaching notes:
This activity is designed to help children understand how historians and
archaeologists use clues to get a picture of life in the past. It can be carried out as a
whole class activity or in small groups.
Before you start:
Fill a carrier bag with items which would reveal clues about a
particular person or group’s identity and lifestyle. (If you are
working in groups you will need more than one bag.) You may
like to choose a famous person or a book character or you may
want a more generic personality. Items in the bag might include
the following:
a note or card an item of food packaging
a TV guide with programmes
highlighted
a bus or train ticket or a receipt for
fuel
a shopping list an item of clothing
an email or memo a photograph
a postcard or souvenir a newspaper or magazine
a cinema / theatre / concert ticket a drinks carton or plastic bottle
a receipt another carrier bag
Each group or child will also need a copy of the ‘Evidence sheet’.
The activity:
Invite children to remove the items from the bag and to discuss what it reveals about
the person whose bag (or bin) it is. Ask them to complete the evidence sheet and to
draw their conclusions.
Carrier bag detectives
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23726 55
Name:................................................................................................................................... Date: ................................................
Whose belongings are these? ................................................................................................................................................................
Evidence: What it reveals:
Look carefully at each piece of evidence in your carrier bag. What does each item tell you about the person it
belongs to? Complete the table and draw your conclusions.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 56
14 billion years ago The universe expanded following a
gigantic release of energy called the
Big Bang.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 57
4 billion years ago The planet Earth began to form as
part of our solar system.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 58
225 million years ago The first dinosaurs roamed the land
and seas. Icthyosaurs, megalosaurs
and pteranodon could all be found in
Britain!
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 59
66 million years ago A six-mile long asteroid struck
Earth, devastating the environment.
This led to the extinction of nearly
75% of life on Earth.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 60
1 million years ago There were no humans in Britain.
Gigantic animals roamed the land
including mammoths and sabre-
toothed tigers!
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 61
800 000 years ago Humans first arrived in Britain.
They travelled over land as Britain
was not an island at this time.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 62
200 000 years ago Humans hunted animals using
spearheads made from carefully
sharpened flint.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 63
70 000 years ago Bone tools – called awls – were
commonly made to create holes in skins
for making clothes and shelters.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 64
7500 years ago Humans began to form settlements
rather than moving from place to
place. They built farms and began
to keep animals.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 65
4500 years ago Bronze was first used to make tools
and weapons marking the beginning
of the Bronze Age.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 66
2700 years ago The Celts mastered the forging of
iron heralding the start of the Iron
Age. They made weapons, statues,
masks, armour, jewellery and tools.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 67
1900 years ago The Roman army, having conquered
everyone in its path, arrived in
Britain and drove out the Celts.
From the Big Bang to the Roman invasion – British timeline cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23725 68
To access this resource please log in to the Teachit Primary website
and type 23725 into the search bar.
Section 5: The advent of the Iron Age
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 69
Section 5: The advent of the Iron Age
Purpose: To describe how the advent of the Iron Age sowed the seeds for modern
technology and its spread across Britain in the Celtic culture.
Starting things off:
Where do children think iron comes from and what do they know about it? Share some true
or false statements with children to assess their prior knowledge. Resource 24186: What do
you know about iron? – an interactive true or false game – is a useful starting point.
The people who lived during the Iron Age were called Celts. Celts spoke a language called
Gaelic which lives on in parts of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Help bring this to life by
teaching pupils to answer the register in modern Welsh and answer some yes or no
questions: Good morning = Bore da (Bor-eh da); Good afternoon = Prynhawn da (Prun-
hown da); Hello = helo (he-loh); Yes = ie (ee-ay); No = dim (dyim). It is important to
emphasise that this language has changed dramatically over time, just as all languages do, so
this is not an exact replica of the original Celtic words.
Getting in to the detail:
The Iron Age Celts were the first British people to use a token-based currency: people would
pay with iron bars as well as bartering goods and services. Invite children to come up with
their own currency and price list for goods and services. Try resource 23729: Iron Age
shopping for some algebra-based problem solving.
(Cross curricular link: Design technology) Iron Age villages were based around hill forts.
This was a time of expanding populations and the larger the number of people, the more
land they needed, leading to disputes and violent conflict. What do children think were the
advantages of the hill fort over the original settlement style? There are some excellent aerial
pictures of British hill fort sites on heritagedaily.com. Villages that had iron weapons would
almost certainly succeed in battle so iron technology spread across Britain as, one by one,
villages were taken over by either raids or the trading of skills. Ask pupils to use recycled
materials and techniques such as papier mâchè to create an Iron Age village based around a
hill fort. This could be done in small groups or as a class display with roundhouses.
Resource 23730: Make your own Iron Age roundhouse is a useful template. Encourage
children to add trenches and mounds to the settlement (as seen in the photographs) for extra
protection.
As an alternative to the above, children could build a model of a roundhouse. This had a
thatched roof and woven wooden walls covered in daub – a mixture of straw, mud and
animal droppings – but pupils could reconstruct it with their own experimental mixtures of
Section 5: The advent of the Iron Age
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 70
PVA, straw and compost mixed with water or with very wet clay and straw or shreds of
paper. They could practise weaving art straws or twigs to make the round walls and find
ways to tie them together with other natural materials, such as grass to create a circular
shape, which they then cover with daub and a thatched roof.
Rounding things up:
Use iPads to film a virtual tour of the group hill fort and settlement. Ask children to include
information about structures and defences and the reasons for them. Alternatively, ask them
to label the display, again providing information about each structure and defence.
Invite children to present their ideas about how the discovery of better and better metals
changed the future of Britain and the world. Can they see how one simple discovery has led
to improvements in technology that mean we can now build the most amazing and enduring
of structures? Can they represent this visually? You might like to compare this to the
evolution of a modern artefact, a mobile phone – how it has become more and more
sophisticated and powerful over time.
Keeping track: assessment opportunity
Ask children to write an advertisement for an iron sword or iron armour. What are the
advantages? How does it supersede that older technology, bronze? Adverts could be paper-
based or they could be filmed as if for TV. Resource 23727: A cast-iron argument is a
useful planning sheet for such an activity.
Taking it home: preparing for the Iron Age Experience day (Section 6)
Below is a selection of tasks that children could complete in preparation for a Curriculum
Enrichment (or WOW) day as detailed in the next section in this pack. Resource 24238: letter to
parents – preparing for an Iron Age experience is an adaptable letter template which can be sent
home to parents outlining the tasks and requests.
Ask the children to find out what Iron Age Celtic people wore and to prepare a simple
costume to wear for the Iron Age Experience day. Plaid designs work well – especially
darker coloured ones – so a tartan blanket would be a good start. Explain that children will
be accessorising on the day, so a very basic costume is all that is required.
Ask children to collect recycled materials such as cereal packets, cardboard tubes, silver foil,
and swatches of plaid or plain cloth. Even clean hay and dry twigs would be useful.
Section 5: The advent of the Iron Age
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 71
Children might like to bring in food to share for an Iron Age feast. Suggestions might be:
fresh fruit, uncut bread made from wheat or barley, milk, cheese, packets of sliced beef and
boiled ham, ginger beer, any red-currant drink to represent wine.
Resources contained within Section 5
24186 What do you know about iron? ........................................................................................... 72
23729 Iron Age shopping ................................................................................................................. 73
23730 Make your own Iron Age roundhouse ................................................................................ 76
23727 A cast-iron argument ............................................................................................................ 78
24238 Letter to parents – preparing for an Iron Age experience ................................................ 79
What do you know about iron?
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24186 72
To access this resource please log in to the Teachit Primary website
and type 24186 into the search bar.
Iron Age shopping
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23729 73
Name: .......................................................... Date: ............................................................
Your offer of 5 decorated plates for a new shield is accepted. You had previously
swapped one and a half iron bars for each plate. How many iron bars is the shield worth?
Show your workings here:
A shield is worth .................... iron bars.
You need some more armour. A helmet is worth 4 iron bars, a sword is worth 5 iron bars
and a breastplate is worth 4 decorated plates. You have a cup (which you previously
traded for 2 plates and an iron bar), 2 plates and 2 iron bars to trade with. What could you
buy?
Show your workings here:
I could buy EITHER .............................................................................................................
with ........................................................................................................................................
OR .........................................................................................................................................
with ....................................................................................................................................... .
The Iron Age Celts invented the first tokens that had value, using small iron rods to
trade with. Solve these Iron Age shopping problems, showing your workings. As
an additional challenge, make up your own for a classmate to solve!
Iron Age shopping
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23729 74
Name: .......................................................... Date: ............................................................
How many iron bars are needed for a new helmet, sword, shield and breastplate?
Show your workings here:
....................... iron bars are needed.
Let’s imagine an iron bar has been valued at £9.50. How much would all the items have
been worth? How much would the total cost be?
Show your workings here:
A helmet would be worth: ....................................................
A shield would be worth: ......................................................
A sword would be worth: .....................................................
A breastplate would be worth: ..............................................
A decorated plate would be worth: .......................................
Total: .....................................................................................
Iron Age shopping
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23729 75
Solutions:
Your offer of 5 decorated plates for a new shield is accepted. You had previously swapped one
and a half iron bars for each plate. How many iron bars is the shield worth?
Workings:
If one plate = 1.5 iron bars, then 5 plates = 5 x 1.5
A shield is worth 7.5 iron bars.
You need some more armour. A helmet is worth 4 iron bars, a sword is worth 5 iron bars and a
breastplate is worth 4 decorated plates. You have a cup (which you previously traded for 2
plates and an iron bar), 2 plates and 2 iron bars to trade with. What could you buy?
Workings:
We know from the first problem that a plate is worth 1.5 iron bars so:
breastplate = 4 plates = 4 x 1.5 = 6 iron bars
How much do you have to spend?
cup = 2 plates + 1 iron bar = 2 x 1.5 + 1 = 4 iron bars
2 plates = 2 x 1.5 = 3 iron bars
Plus the 2 iron bars you have mean you have the equivalent of 9
I could buy EITHER: helmet and sword
OR: breastplate
How many iron bars are needed for a new helmet, sword, shield and breastplate?
Workings:
We now know that a helmet is worth 4 bars, a sword is worth 5, a breastplate is worth 6 and a
shield is worth 7.5.
22.5 bars are needed.
Let’s imagine an iron bar has been valued at £9.50. How much would all the items have been
worth? How much would the total cost be?
Helmet: 4 x £9.50 = £38.00
Shield 7.5 x £9.50 = £71.25
Sword: 5 x £9.50 = £47.50
Decorated plate1.5 x £9.50 = £14.25
Breastplate: 6 x £9.50 = £57.00
Total: £238.00
Make your own Iron Age roundhouse
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23730 76
Instructions:
1) Using the template, cut out the roof (circle) and the wall (rectangle). Take care
to leave the glue tags attached.
2) Cut out the doorway in the wall. You can make a hinged door or add a piece
of cloth for a door later.
3) Wrap the wall round to create a curved wall and apply glue to fix it in shape.
4) Snip the dotted line on the roof. You can then overlap to make a peak which
fits your walls. Glue it when it’s the right size. Use the glue tabs on the
circular wall to secure the roof.
5) Glue twigs or hay to the roof to make it look authentic. Group your houses
into a larger hill fort or Celtic settlement. Add plastic animals, camp fires and
people to bring the settlement to life.
Make your own Iron Age roundhouse
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23730 77
A cast-iron argument
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23727 78
Name: .............................................................. Date:
.........................................................................
Why is iron easier to use than bronze? What are the advantages of iron swords and
armour over bronze?
Which wow words would you like to
include?
Make any other notes or sketches here:
Can you think of a catchy slogan or tag
line?
You are a Celt living in Britain 2700 years ago. You have discovered a new material
– iron. Design an advertisement promoting the use of iron over bronze to your fellow
villagers. This could be a poster or a TV advert. Plan your advert below.
A cast-iron argument
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23727 79
Letter to parents – preparing for an Iron Age experience
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24238 80
Dear Parents and Carers,
Year ____ has been learning about life in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. On
__________________________ we are holding an Iron Age Experience day to help pupils
understand what life was like in Britain nearly 3000 years ago. There will be several activities for
children to try, from cooking to dressing up. Below we have suggested ways that you can support
your child’s learning and help to make the day both fun and educational!
Dressing up: the Iron Age people were known as Celts. Please help your child find out how
the Celts dressed and provide a simple costume. A belted tartan blanket would be ideal!
Making accessories: pupils will be making bead necklaces, head bands, brooches and bracelets
from cardboard templates, dried pasta, wool and woven strips of plaid fabric. If you have any
of these materials to spare, we would welcome them!
Making armour and weaponry: we are going to ‘forge’ shields and weapons from cardboard
and silver foil. Please provide any foil that you can spare, plus any metallic cloth or paper and
pieces of cardboard such as cereal packets.
Feasting: we will be holding a feast at lunch time and pupils will be preparing some of the
food. You may like to provide some food to be shared such as fresh fruit, uncut bread made
from wheat or barley, milk, cheese, packets of sliced beef and boiled ham, ginger beer and any
red-currant drink (to represent wine!). Please let us know of any food allergies.
Thank you for your support.
Yours sincerely,
Section 6: An Iron Age experience
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 81
Section 6: An Iron Age experience
Purpose: To experience the daily life and crafts of Iron Age Celts, as discovered from
historical sources.
Before you start:
Ensure you have a plentiful supply of the following: card and cardboard, strips of fabric,
silver and gold foil, gold and silver paint, metallic ink pens, PVA glue, blue face paint,
plastic or paper cups and paper plates, twigs.
Arrange the classroom or hall-space into 8 activity stations. Ensure there are tables for each
of these activities and sort the children into about 6 groups. (This way there is always scope
for children to start the next activity should they finish one quickly.) If you can, arrange the
day so that there is at least one adult between the two activities.
Ask the children to dress up in their Celtic costumes. Let them know they will have the
opportunity to enhance their costumes with fine jewellery, strong weapons and appropriate
make-up!
Getting in to the detail:
There are 8 activities to try. Resource 23728: Iron Age activity cards can be used to provide
children with guidance at each station.
Preparing food for the feast: Children could chop fruit and vegetables to serve, grind
barley or wheat with a pestle and mortar and even make oatcakes and soup, although you
will need access to an oven and hob and / or a campfire for this. Resource 24240: Iron Age
recipes supports this activity. If you choose to do the cooking activities children at the food
station could prepare the ingredients. Children could also decorate a paper plate and cup in
a Celtic design. There are plenty of examples online.
Accessorising costumes: Pupils can paint each other’s faces and hands in blue body or face
paint designs called woad. (Examples of this can be seen in the film Braveheart.) They could
make bead necklaces, head bands, brooches and bracelets from cardboard, dried pasta
painted gold and silver and wool.
Weaving: Use twigs, strips of paper or cloth and or wool to weave into mats, belts or
wristbands. (You might even want to allow loom bands in plaid styles.)
Clay work: Use clay to create a pot or plate. Add Celtic patterns and initials with a Celtic
swirl to them. Once dried they could be painted; metallic paints are especially effective.
Section 6: An Iron Age experience
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 82
‘Forging’ weapons: Use cardboard to create swords and shields. Add a layer of silver foil
and cover in a layer of PVA. Add patterns in wool and colour with metallic paint. The
handles were often decorated with gold.
Designing a Celtic pattern: This could be done using a variety of tools and techniques
depending on the resources you have available. Pupils could practise writing their names in
Celtic fonts or design a tapestry on cloth to decorate their round house. There are numerous
examples of Celtic designs and stencils in bookshops and online.
Embroidery: Embroider a Celtic design of your initial letter on a square of embroidery
material using wool and a large blunt needle. This could be added to a necklace in activity
two.
Celtic warrior tales: Ask groups to re-enact a story of great bravery! They could learn
their story by heart and add some action replays while using their pretend weapons. The
gorier the better! Alternatively try a story circle, where one child begins and each child adds
a line to the story. Resource 24243: The bravest warrior – an Iron Age tale is a good
example to share and also provides a planning grid if you want to take this activity a step
further.
Don’t forget to hold your lunchtime feast with the foods children have made and provided!
Round-off the day by inviting children to share their story re-enactments, then finish with a
treasure hunt (silver-wrapped chocolates make good treasure!).
Rounding things up:
Review the day. What did pupils enjoy? What new crafts did they learn? Did they try
something new? Produce a newsletter for parents, where children work in pairs or small
groups to write their own short articles supported by photographs.
Pulling it all together – assess and review:
Ask the children: were there any big surprises for them in this topic or any new
learning? Look again at the Cave wall and consider children’s initial responses at the
beginning of the topic. What have they learnt?
Ask pupils to consider all the customs, inventions or skills that began in these ancient times
that we still do or use today e.g. we continue to rely on metal, people still wage war over
land, we still farm, we domesticate animals and create new breeds, we trade, we have
money, we are creative and like to make things for pleasure as well as commerce, we have
leaders, we live in settlements.
Section 6: An Iron Age experience
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23717 83
Resources contained within Section 6
23728 Iron Age activity cards ........................................................................................................ 83
24240 Iron Age recipes .................................................................................................................... 91
24243 The bravest warrior – an Iron Age tale .............................................................................. 92
Iron Age activity cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23728 84
Prep
are th
e
Fea
st!
It i
s y
ou
r jo
b t
o m
ake
sure
th
at y
ou
r v
illa
ge
has
a w
ond
erfu
l fe
ast
to s
har
e at
lu
nch
tim
e.
Yo
u w
ill
nee
d t
o:
cho
p u
p f
resh
fru
it
cho
p v
eget
able
s fo
r so
up
gri
nd w
hea
t fo
r fl
ou
r
dec
ora
te a
pap
er p
late
an
d c
up
wit
h a
Cel
tic
des
ign
Iron Age activity cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23728 85
Dress u
p tim
e!
The
Cel
ts w
ore
bea
d n
eckla
ces,
bro
och
es
and b
race
lets
. T
hey
dec
ora
ted t
hei
r fa
ces
in b
lue
face
-pai
nt
call
ed w
oad t
o l
ook
fear
som
e in
bat
tle.
U
se c
ard, pas
ta, fo
il,
wool,
str
ips
of
fabri
c an
d m
etal
lic
pai
nts
to
mak
e your
ow
n a
cces
sori
es.
You m
ay
even
lik
e to
use
som
e w
oad
!
Iron Age activity cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23728 86
Wea
ve a
way!
The
Cel
ts w
ere
ver
y c
reat
ive
peo
ple
. T
hey
inven
ted t
hei
r ow
n t
arta
n d
esig
ns.
T
oday
,
tart
an i
s a
ver
y p
opula
r cl
oth
and s
om
e
pat
tern
s bel
ong t
o d
iffe
rent
surn
ames
or
clan
s.
Can
you c
reat
e your
ow
n t
arta
n
wea
ve
from
str
ips
of
fabri
c, p
aper
and
wool?
Iron Age activity cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23728 87
Pla
y w
ith cla
y
The
Cel
ts u
sed c
lay p
ots
to s
tore
gra
in, fo
r
cookin
g a
nd t
o d
rink f
rom
. C
an y
ou
des
ign y
our
ow
n c
lay p
ot
or
pla
te w
ith
som
e C
elti
c des
igns
added
to i
t? O
nce
dri
ed, you c
ould
pai
nt
it w
ith m
etal
lic
pai
nts
to m
ake
it l
ook a
uth
enti
c.
Iron Age activity cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23728 88
Prep
are fo
r
battle!
When
the
popula
tion b
egan
to g
row
, m
ore
land
and a
nim
als
wer
e nee
ded
to s
upport
the
gro
win
g v
illa
ges
. T
his
res
ult
ed i
n
confl
icts
fre
quen
tly b
reak
ing
out
bet
wee
n
trib
es.
The
trib
es w
ith t
he
bes
t ar
mour
and
sword
s w
ould
oft
en w
in i
n t
hes
e bat
tles
.
Can
you c
reat
e a
mag
nif
icen
t ir
on s
word
or
a st
rong s
hie
ld w
ith c
ard
and o
ther
recy
cled
mat
eria
ls?
Iron Age activity cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23728 89
Desig
n a
pattern
Ther
e ar
e m
any s
urv
ivin
g e
xam
ple
s of
Cel
tic
des
igns,
whic
h r
esem
ble
maz
es.
Can
you u
se t
he
art
mat
eria
ls i
n f
ront
of
you t
o
crea
te a
Cel
tic
des
ign?
You c
ould
sta
rt w
ith
the
init
ials
of
your
nam
e, o
r cr
eate
pat
tern
s
for
your
wea
ponry
. Y
ou m
ay w
ish t
o c
reat
e
a des
ign t
hat
you c
ould
han
g a
s dec
ora
tion
in y
our
round h
ou
se.
Iron Age activity cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23728 90
Get stitch
ing!
The
Cel
ts u
sed b
rightl
y c
olo
ure
d
embro
ider
y t
o d
ecora
te t
hei
r hom
es a
nd
cloth
ing.
Can
you
mak
e a
pla
cem
at o
r a
money
pouch
? C
an y
ou e
mbro
ider
it
wit
h a
des
ign w
hic
h i
ncl
udes
your
init
ials
? Y
ou
may
wis
h t
o a
dd a
tar
tan b
ord
er o
r to
mak
e
som
ethin
g t
hat
cou
ld b
e fi
xed
to a
bro
och
,
nec
kla
ce o
r bra
cele
t.
Iron Age activity cards
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 23728 91
Tell u
s a sto
ry
One
of
the
trad
itio
ns
of
this
tim
e w
as t
o t
ell
the
stori
es o
f gre
at b
attl
es o
r su
rviv
al f
rom
an
imal
atta
cks.
C
an y
our
gro
up
co
me
up
wit
h a
sto
ry
to r
etel
l la
ter
in t
he
day
? Y
ou
wil
l n
eed
to
dem
on
stra
te y
our
bra
ver
y!
Her
e ar
e so
me
idea
s:
H
ow
I s
urv
ived
an
att
ack
on
my
vil
lag
e.
H
ow
I s
urv
ived
an
att
ack
fro
m a
pac
k o
f
wolv
es.
H
ow
I g
ot
this
sca
r.
Iron Age recipes
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24240 92
Iron Age recipes
Oatcakes (makes 8-12)
Lentil and mushroom soup (serves 6)
You will need:
500g medium oatmeal
250g stone-ground wheat flour
60g lard
1 tsp sea salt
water
Mix the flour and oatmeal
together, add the salt and rub in
the lard.
Gradually add water, combining
as you do so, until you have a dry
dough.
Shape the dough into flat cakes.
Bake at 190c for 20-30 minutes or
until pale brown.
You will need:
125g pre-soaked lentils
2 cloves of garlic
1 leek
25g butter
1 bowl of mushrooms
850ml water
salt
Crush the garlic cloves, slice the
leek and chop the mushrooms.
Fry the leek and the garlic in
butter.
Add the mushrooms and fry
those.
Add the water and lentils and
simmer for 1 hour.
Season to taste.
Iron Age recipes
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24240 93
The bravest warrior – an Iron Age tale
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24243 94
The Chieftain of Farmley was dying. His son, Radnor, sat in silence by
his side. The fire crackled, its warm light casting long shadows over
Radnor’s sad face. The light was fading in his father’s darkening eyes.
He was being taken by the spirits after thirty long years as tribal leader.
Radnor stared at the fire and begged the spirits he saw dancing within to
allow his father one more day with him. Radnor was not ready to take his
place. He was just a boy, barely sixteen.
“Oh fire spirit. You dance with life. Give my father your warmth and
bless him with one more day, so that I should know how I can be a leader
as great as him!” Radnor whispered to himself over and over. He listened
to the crackling fire talking.
Radnor’s father pulled him close to whisper in his ear and then he felt
something fall into his hands. Radnor looked down. A bright blue gem
rested there, still warm from his father’s touch. The last of his father’s life
was in it.
When the villagers of Farmley found out that their Chieftain was gone
with the spirits, the look that they gave Radnor made him quake. They
looked to him as their leader now.
Beyond their village lay another larger settlement named Bramford. There
had always been trouble between the two villages. The people of Farmley
whispered that now the Chieftain was gone the Bramford warriors would
come and take everything and kill everyone in their path.
The bravest warrior – an Iron Age tale
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24243 95
“I will go to them,” said Radnor. “I will go unarmed.”
The Farmley villagers tried to persuade Radnor not to go. “They will kill
you!” “Who will lead us when you are gone?”
But Radnor was determined. He marched to Bramford without so much as
a blade to protect himself. The Bramford folk were so shocked to see the
son of Farmley’s Chieftain unarmed at their gates they hardly knew what
to do. They brought him before the Chieftain of Bramford.
“My father is dead. The spirits took him and now I am the Chieftain of
Farmley,” Radnor said.
Farmley’s Chieftain towered over him, his iron sword at his side, the gold
handle glinting with the promise of a swift death. “And you come here
unarmed?”
“I come here with the finest of warriors at my side,” said Radnor bravely.
He held out the blue stone his father had given to him on his death bed.
“My father is here. His spirit resides in this stone. In his last dying breath
he told me to bring this stone to you so that there would be peace between
us.”
From that day forth, there was peace between the villages of Farmley and
Bramford. Their Chieftains knew that the spirits awaited them all and they
could only hope to ever be as wise as the elders of their tribes.
The bravest warrior – an Iron Age tale
© www.teachitprimary.co.uk 2015 24243 96
Who is the story about? Will
you tell it in the first person or
the third?
What is the big event in the
story? Does it feature an
animal or a person or tribe?
Who else appears in the story?
How do you survive?
What happens at the end?
Make a note of some powerful
verbs to enhance your story.
Make a note of some powerful
adjectives to enhance your
story.
The bravest warrior is an example of the sort of folk-tale that would have been
told around the fire in ancient times. Whilst this is a story of great bravery, it is
also a story of peace. However, one of the traditions of the time was to tell
stories of great tribal battles or survival from animal attacks!
Use the planning grid to help you plan your own story to be re-told – or even re-
enacted – to the class.
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