Upper Key Stage 2 Stone Age to Iron Age Britain
Stonehenge

Research the meaning and significance of Stonehenge and its religious importance. Construct edible models. Learn about Neolithic problem solving and engineering. Create a burial chamber in the style of a long barrow and a classroom Stonehenge Experience.

Session 1 What do we know about Stonehenge?

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Know about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, including Bronze Age religion, technology and travel.

Computing

  • Become responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Lesson Planning

In this session you will generate questions about Stonehenge and attempt to discover some answers! You will learn about the significance of Stonehenge and speculate about its meaning.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To generate and research the answers to questions about Stonehenge.
  • To use the internet to find out facts about Stonehenge and collate information to share with the class.

Children will:

  • Generate questions about Stonehenge and research facts.
  • Hypothesize about the meaning and significance of Stonehenge.
  • Become more familiar with the physical, geographical and spiritual aspects of Stonehenge.

Provided Resources

  • Aerial shots of Stonehenge
  • Stonehenge questions

You Will Need

  • Strips of paper
  • Marker pens
  • Chalk/masking tape
  • A camera
  • Library resources

Session 2 How did Stonehenge look 4500 years ago?

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Know about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, including Bronze Age religion, technology and travel.

Design and Technology

  • Make from selecting a range of materials, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.

Lesson Planning

Discover what Stonehenge may have looked like when it was originally created and appreciate its details through construction of models.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To understand that the monument we see today does not look as it was originally intended.
  • To use different materials to construct miniature models of Stonehenge

Children will:

  • Understand that Stonehenge does not look today as it was originally intended.
  • Appreciate the details of Stonehenge through constructing it in different materials.

Provided Resources

  • Building Stonehenge images
  • How to make a cheese puff Stonehenge

You Will Need

  • Cheese puffs
  • Pink wafer biscuits or bourbon biscuits
  • Butter/fudge icing
  • Trays (1 per group)

Session 3 How was Stonehenge built?

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Know about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, including Bronze Age religion, technology and travel.

Design and Technology

  • Make by selecting from a range of materials, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.

Lesson Planning

Learn about the materials used in the construction of Stonehenge and explore the challenges facing the builders of this Neolithic monument.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To find out about the materials used in the construction of Stonehenge.
  • To use different materials and instructions to erect a lintel in a similar manner to the Neolithic people.

Children will:

  • Understand that the materials for Stonehenge came from areas a long way from Salisbury Plain.
  • Appreciate that the construction of Stonehenge required great feats of problem-solving and engineering.
  • Discuss different theories about how the stones were moved and constructed.
  • Create stone lintels with clay and reconstruct how Neolithic builders worked.

Provided Resources

  • Stonehenge’s journey
  • Stonehenge’s joints
  • Stonehenge’s stones
  • How to raise a Stonehenge lintel

You Will Need

  • Air drying clay
  • String
  • Toy people
  • A pot of earth/ sand
  • Twigs or bits of cane
  • A camera

Session 4 Who built Stonehenge?

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Know about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, including Bronze Age religion, technology and travel.

Design and Technology

  • Make by selecting from a range of materials, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.

Lesson Planning

Learn about and understand aspects of the lives of the people alive at the time Stonehenge was built.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To think about who built Stonehenge and to investigate and imagine what sort of lives they led.
  • To use instructions and different materials to erect a burial chamber in the style of the Neolithic people.

Children will:

  • Understand and imagine people’s lives in the past.
  • Understand what was involved in creating a burial chamber in the style of the Neolithic long barrow.

Provided Resources

  • How to make your own Stonehenge burial barrow

You Will Need

  • Air drying clay
  • Toy people
  • Square sheets of thick card
  • Grass cuttings

Session 5 The Stonehenge Experience

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of Britain, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Know about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, including Bronze Age religion, technology and travel.

English

  • Identify the audience for and purpose of their role play, noting and developing ideas.
  • Understand the value of speaking.

Lesson Planning

Bring together the learning about Stonehenge to create an informative and interesting exhibition for visitors from outside the class.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To explore the different aspects of Stonehenge through explaining and performing to others.
  • To perform to another group of people, answering questions and exploring Stonehenge through role-play.

Children will:

  • Bring to life the many aspects of their learning about Stonehenge.
  • Communicate their learning to others in an informative and lively way.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Models of Stonehenge (reconstructed as in session 2)
  • Sarsen stone model and photographs (made/taken in session 3)
  • Long barrow model (made in session 4)
  • Stonehenge’s journey (map from session 3)
  • A ball

Weblinks

There are no weblinks needed for this session.