Popular searches in the last week:

2025, 2024, 2026, phonics, dinosaurs, rainforest, english, vikings, ancient rome, year 5

Make your own oracle bones

Topics Year 4/5
This unit is part of Earliest Civilisations: Shang Dynasty Writing and the Shang Calendar

Download all files

Objectives

History

  • Children should undertake an in-depth study of The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China.

English

  • Pupils’ Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction.

Lesson Planning

Make replica oracle bones from wood, plastic or bone; inscribe with your own Shang inscription; make a display of all your Shang writing creations.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To learn how and why people in the Shang Dynasty wrote.
  • To transcribe and translate Shang characters.

Children will:

  • Plan a question about the future.
  • Translate it into modern or Shang Chinese characters.
  • Choose which of their pieces of work they want to put on display.

Provided Resources

  • Inscription template
  • How to make an oracle bone

You Will Need

  • Lamb shoulder blades or alternatively pieces of plastic or wood shaped into a bone/tortoise shell shape
  • Inscribing tools, e.g. blunt pencils

Log in or sign up to get access to this resource

School Subscription

Reduce teacher workload

From £155 (+ VAT) per year. Access to all key stages for multiple users.

Sign up

Individual Subscription

For inspirational teaching

Just £45 (£37.50 + VAT) per year to get access to all resources.

Sign up

Early Career Teacher

Develop your teaching

Just £33 (£27.50 + VAT) to get access to all resources for 2 years.

Sign up

Taster Account

100s of resources

Register to access all free resources.

Sign up

Already subscribed?

Log in to get access.