Teach-Primary-Issue-19.3

WEEK 5 Learning objective l Why did Iron Age people build hill forts? Start by recapping what settlements were like in the Stone Age. Explain that in the Iron Age people began to become more technologically advanced and were able to smelt iron – this meant they could make better tools and weapons. Next, explain that Iron Age people lived in different types of settlements from before. Show the pupils images of different hill forts ( slides 29-31 ) and ask them to discuss what they notice about these. Draw pupils’ attention to the type of landscape they are looking at (this is a great opportunity to make links with possible geography work) and the ridges carved into the landscape. Explain that these settlements were called hill forts and were built at the top of hills, on the highest part of the landscape. Tell the children that people lived in tribes, but that there could often be battles between neighbouring tribes. Show pupils images of reconstructions of hill forts (if possible, look at pages 6-7 of A Street Through Time ) and discuss what is different about hill forts compared with earlier settlements. Draw attention to the fact that houses are grouped together centrally, that there is a wooden palisade to protect people inside the hill fort from attack, and that the forts are made from stronger materials than previous settlements. Watch the video about hill forts and look at images of reconstructions ( slides 32-34 ). Ask pupils to discuss the following questions: what would be the advantages of living in a hill fort? What might the disadvantages be? Ask pupils to discuss these together, and create a list of advantages and disadvantages of living in a hill fort. When they have had time to discuss, compile a class list. Children could then create a written response, using stem sentences to explain their ideas ( slides 35-36 ). Assessment Can pupils summarise why people built hill forts in the Iron Age? Lindsey Rawes is a primary teacher and history lead. She is also a chartered teacher of history for the Historical Association. should work in pairs or threes to order what they think Stonehenge was used for from the most likely to least likely. Explain that they should take it in turns to rank one of the possibilities on the diamond grid – they are allowed to disagree and move one of their partner’s ideas, but they need to explain why they are changing it. Emphasise that there is no right or wrong answer, but that they must explain their choices based on what they have learnt so far this lesson – get them to think about the layout of the site. At the end of the session, ask the children to report back on which reasons they thought were most and least likely, and to explain why they think this. Get pupils to explain their ideas using the stem sentences ( slide 44 ). They could follow this up by writing a short response in their books using the same stem sentences. Assessment Can pupils explain what Stonehenge is, and what it might have been used for? TP F EATURE S S C I ENC E WEEK 6 Learning objective l What was Stonehenge and what might it have been used for? Begin this lesson by explaining that Stonehenge is one of the world’s most famous monuments that can be still visited today. People began building it around 3,000BCE, in the late Neolithic era, but it took hundreds of years to finish. Show the pupils images of Stonehenge ( slides 39-42 ) and look at the virtual tour from English Heritage website ( tinyurl.com/tp- VirtualStonehenge ). After discussing some initial ideas, show pupils the plan of the site as it would have been in the Iron Age ( slide 43 ) and explain that Stonehenge is made up of a circular ditch with a six-foot-high bank. Later, the circle of Sarsen stones and smaller bluestones was added. Draw pupils’ attention to the Altar stone and the Heel Stone. Explain to the children that historians have different theories about what Stonehenge might have been built for and no one knows for certain its real purpose. Ask pupils if they have any theories of their own about what it might have been used for based on the images they’ve looked at so far, and the plan of its layout. After discussing their ideas together, give pupils the resource sheet with different theories about Stonehenge’s purpose and read through them together ( L6 ). Introduce the Diamond Nine task from the L6 resources sheets – children @LindsRoars theprimaryhistorian.substack.com @lindsroars.bsky.social www.teachwire.net | 25