Upper Key Stage 2 Stone Age to Iron Age Britain
Iron Age life

Investigate life as an Iron Age villager. Research daily tasks. Recreate a round house. Weave with wool. Cook oatcakes and make cheese. Make a game (dice/knucklebones). Share learning with others using whole-class role-play.

Session 1 Iron Age life in a round house

Objectives

History

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

Design and Technology

  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose.

Lesson Planning

Children will learn about Iron Age villages and houses and create their own miniature round house!

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To gain an understanding of what an Iron Age village would have looked like, researching round houses and what happened inside them.
  • To understand the functions and structure of a round house by creating a model with a lifting roof.

Children will:

  • Understand how a round house was made and occupied.
  • Identify with the Iron Age people and empathise with life in a round house.
  • Construct a round house out of a range of art materials.

You Will Need

  • A5 card
  • Art straws
  • String
  • Air-drying clay or play dough
  • ½-cm strips of brown paper
  • PVA glue
  • Brown and green tissue paper

Session 2 Iron Age jobs

Objectives

History

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

Design and Technology

  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose.

Lesson Planning

Children will learn about the different jobs that Iron Age people would have had. They recreate woven material using historic techniques.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To research different occupations of the Iron Age people; to look at different weaving and spinning techniques used during the Iron Age.
  • To recreate woven material using Iron Age techniques; to research loom designs and spinning

Children will:

  • Understand what Iron Age people did during the day.
  • Understand different weaving techniques used by Iron Age people and understand some of the processes involved in spinning and weaving.
  • Understand how woven materials were created in the Iron Age and what it feels like to weave wool.

You Will Need

  • Twigs featuring a ‘V’ shape
  • Different colours of wool
  • Wool needles
  • Forks

Session 3 Being an Iron Age child

Objectives

History

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

Design and Technology

  • Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose.

Lesson Planning

Children learn about life as Iron Age child and learn to play an Iron Age game!

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To consider what life would be like for an Iron Age child; to research an Iron Age game and experience playing it.
  • To make the Iron Age game of knucklebone jacks and have a go at playing different variations of the game.

Children will:

  • Have some empathy with what life was like for children in the Iron Age.
  • Experience playing the Iron Age game of knucklebone jacks.
  • Discuss what it is like to play the game and discuss its variations.

You Will Need

  • Air drying clay, in 1 cm square cubes

Session 4 Cooking Iron Age food

Objectives

History

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

Science

  • Explore changes that are difficult to reverse.
  • Observe and compare the changes that take place when baking bread or cakes.

Lesson Planning

Children discover what Iron Age food would have been like by making their own examples!

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To gain an understanding of Iron Age food, through research and by making oatcakes and soft cheese.
  • To gain an understanding of the changes involved in turning milk into cheese.

Children will:

  • Understand first-hand what some Iron Age-type food would have tasted like.
  • Understand some of the processes involved in making Iron Age foods .

You Will Need

  • 1 tbsp. pearl barley
  • Boiling water
  • A large container
  • 1 litre (2 pints) whole milk
  • 250ml (9 fl oz) sour cream
  • Sea salt
  • Muslin or loose-weave cloth & a bowl
  • 500g (18oz) medium oatmeal
  • 250g (9oz) stone-ground wheat flour
  • 60g (2oz) lard
  • A griddle or oven

Session 5 Visitors from the modern age

Objectives

History

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

English

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

Lesson Planning

Children share their knowledge and experience of Iron Age life by sharing their understanding with modern day visitors.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To explore the different daily tasks of Iron Age people through research and role-play.
  • To perform to another group of people, answering questions and role-playing an Iron Age village life scene.

Children will:

  • Have some empathy with what life was like in the Iron Age.
  • Be confident in knowledge of Iron Age life through presenting it to others .

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Logs (previously burned if possible)
  • Fire-coloured card
  • Cooking pots
  • Sugar paper
  • Paints
  • Cups
  • The round houses
  • Weaving samples
  • Knucklebones
  • Food and drink made in sessions 2,3 and 4
  • Rosemary and other strong-smelling herbs