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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




Section 4: Life in the Bronze Age




Section 5: The advent of the Iron Age




Section 6: An Iron Age experience





© 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!).

http://www.teachitprimary.co.uk/

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http://www.teachitprimary.co.uk/3796?CurrMenu=3796&resource=23717



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


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

https://www.teachitprimary.co.uk/resources/y3/prehistoric-britain/the-stone-age-true-or-false/23719



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.





http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29415716



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?


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





A timeline of Ancient Britain





Animals of Stone Age Britain


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





world today.








Cave Bear





world today.


Hippopotamus





world today.


Giant Deer (Elk)





world today.


Hyena





world today.








Wild Boar





world today.


Wolf





world today.


Sheep





world today.


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.




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.


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).


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

http://www.teachitprimary.co.uk/?CurrMenu=985&resource=23721






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?


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.





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?


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


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.



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.



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.



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


bank.

Your tribe finds a new

source of fresh water.

Choose a seashell or

new tribe member


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


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.



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.



Tribe member tokens:



Seashell tokens:



Spearhead tokens:



The Spirit World bank

Tribe members Seashells Spearheads

How to make a fortune teller


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


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




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.


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?


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







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?


https://www.heritagedaily.com/2017/11/seven-must-see-long-barrows-in-england/100889

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2017/11/seven-must-see-long-barrows-in-england/100889



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?


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


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!



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.



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!



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



death

flood

disease

accident

raid fire

storm

theft



A B

C

D

E F

G H

I

J

K

L



1 2

3

4

5 6

7 8

9

10

11

12

A Neolithic visitor


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


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





Stone Age sorting – animal domestication


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.



Name: ................................................................ Date:

...........................................................................

Goat

Cow

Dog



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


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.




Purpose: To explore an ancient historical site in order to infer what this tells us about

the beliefs and habits of Bronze Age people.


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


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


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6oxmxPKoSE



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







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.


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


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?

https://flic.kr/p/4sDx98



Method of transportation:

Equipment and number of men I would need:

Diagram:



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


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


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


14 billion years ago The universe expanded following a

gigantic release of energy called the

Big Bang.



4 billion years ago The planet Earth began to form as

part of our solar system.



225 million years ago The first dinosaurs roamed the land

and seas. Icthyosaurs, megalosaurs

and pteranodon could all be found in

Britain!



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.



1 million years ago There were no humans in Britain.

Gigantic animals roamed the land

including mammoths and sabre-

toothed tigers!



800 000 years ago Humans first arrived in Britain.

They travelled over land as Britain

was not an island at this time.



200 000 years ago Humans hunted animals using

spearheads made from carefully

sharpened flint.



70 000 years ago Bone tools – called awls – were

commonly made to create holes in skins

for making clothes and shelters.



7500 years ago Humans began to form settlements

rather than moving from place to

place. They built farms and began

to keep animals.



4500 years ago Bronze was first used to make tools

and weapons marking the beginning

of the Bronze Age.



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.



1900 years ago The Roman army, having conquered

everyone in its path, arrived in

Britain and drove out the Celts.




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.


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





https://www.heritagedaily.com/2018/04/10-british-iron-age-hill-forts/118900




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.


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.






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.


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?





Iron Age shopping


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?


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


Name: .......................................................... Date: ............................................................

How many iron bars are needed for a new helmet, sword, shield and breastplate?


....................... 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?


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


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


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


A cast-iron argument


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


Letter to parents – preparing for an Iron Age experience


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,




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.

http://www.teachitprimary.co.uk/numeracy-latest-additions?CurrMenu=985&resource=23728





‘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.





23728 Iron Age activity cards ........................................................................................................ 83

24240 Iron Age recipes .................................................................................................................... 91

24243 The bravest warrior – an Iron Age tale .............................................................................. 92




Iron Age activity cards


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



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

!



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?



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.



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?



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.



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.



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


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


The bravest warrior – an Iron Age tale


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.



“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.



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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