Download our complete unit of work for primary history including lessons plans, pupil resources and teacher’s guide. The Shang Dynasty is now a study unit for KS2 on the new curriculum for history. This ten-lesson unit is designed for upper KS2 and it covers the following questions: 1. What was the Shang Dynasty? 2. What was it like in settlements around the Yellow River Plain? 3. How did Shang farmers provide food for their society? 4. What were the religious beliefs of the Shang Dynasty? 5. What was the Shang system of writing like? 6. What did the rulers of the Shang Dynasty do? 7. What do archaeological findings tell us about the Shang Dynasty? 8. Why is Lady Fu Hao’s tomb significant to historians? 9. Why did the Shang Dynasty fall in 1046 BC? 10. What have we learned about this period of history? #lovehistory

Lesson 2. Settling Down: What was it like in settlements around the Yellow River Plain? This lesson invites pupils to consider the problems faced by people in early Shang settlements. Pupils will discover how Shang people overcame issues of flooding and irrigation problems and they will find out how Shang cities were organised, with an opportunity to design their own Shang city. This PDF file contains the full lesson plan and two pupil activity sheets. For upper KS2.

A full lesson for KS2 about Anglo-Saxon food, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. What was Anglo-Saxon food and drink like? This lesson allows pupils to think about the foods they like to eat and compare them to the foods available in Anglo-Saxon Britain, both in terms of everyday meals and feasting foods. Pupils will design an Anglo-Saxon menu and have the opportunity to make and taste Anglo-Saxon honey bread. Objectives: To find out which foods were available in Anglo-Saxon times To follow an Anglo-Saxon recipe for honey bread The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. You may also like: Anglo-Saxons Unit for KS2: A fully-resourced unit of 10 history lessons for KS2, covering the Anglo-Saxon topic. What was it like in an Anglo-Saxon village? A complete lesson for KS2 Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? A complete lesson for KS2

A lesson for KS2 introducing Roman bathhouses and exploring their key purposes - including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and printable activity sheets. This lesson is part of our popular Romans unit for Key Stage 2. Lesson: How did bathhouses provide leisure for Romans in Britain? In this exciting lesson, pupils will study how people might have spent their spare time in Roman Britain. Pupils will find out about the different parts of a public bathhouse and then work in groups to turn their classroom into a Roman bathhouse ready for a Roman day trip! Objectives: To describe how the bathhouse was typically used by Romans in Britain To explain the function of the different parts of the bathhouse This primary history resource is created by KS2History. You may also like our other Romans topic resources: Roman Britain Planning Pack Escape from Pompeii Literacy Planning Pack Romans Literacy Pack (Instructions Unit)

A full lesson for KS2 about how Anglo-Saxon Britain was organised, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. How was Anglo-Saxon Britain ruled? This lesson looks at five major kingdoms from Anglo-Saxon Britain. Pupils will learn about the social hierarchy and will use character cards to rank different people in order of importance. Then they will look at how their local area relates to the kingdom structure and investigate the meaning of local place names that originate from Anglo-Saxon times. Objectives: To find out how Anglo-Saxons kingdoms were organised To investigate Anglo-Saxon place names The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. You may also like: Anglo-Saxons Unit for KS2: A fully-resourced unit of 10 history lessons for KS2, covering the Anglo-Saxon topic. What was it like in an Anglo-Saxon village? A complete lesson for KS2 Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? A complete lesson for KS2

A full lesson for KS2 about the introduction of the railways to Victorian Britain, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. How did the Victorians respond to the new railways? This lesson looks at the introduction of the railways during the Victorian period. Pupils will think about their own experiences of rail travel and consider what travel was like before the railways were built. They will learn about how the new railways impacted people in positive and negative ways using case studies and role play activities, before writing a letter to explain one character’s perspective on the new railways. Objectives: To find out how the introduction of the railways changed travel and trade To explain different viewpoints about the new railways The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. You may also like: Introduction to the Victorians: (FREE): A full lesson for KS2 introducing the Victorian period, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Who Was Queen Victoria?; A full lesson for KS2 exploring the life and significance of Queen Victoria, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Victorian Inventions: A full lesson for KS2 about famous Victorian inventions, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Industrial Revolution A full lesson for KS2 exploring the impact of the Industrial Revolution, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Victorian Working Children A full lesson for KS2 exploring the topic of jobs for Victorian children, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Victorian Schools A full lesson for KS2 about Victorian schools, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Victorian Clothing A full lesson for KS2 investigating Victorian clothing, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Victorian Crime and Punishment A full lesson for KS2 about crime and punishment in the Victorian period, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.

A full lesson for KS2 about the Anglo-Saxons settling in Britain, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Why did the Anglo-Saxons want to settle in Britain? In this lesson pupils learn the difference between invading and settling. They explore some of the key reasons the Anglo-Saxons wanted to settle in Britain, looking at push and pull factors. Pupils will then write a letter from British King Vortigern to persuade a group of Anglo-Saxons to move to Britain. Objectives: To understand the terms ’invaders’ and ‘settlers’ To explain some of the reasons the Anglo-Saxons wanted to settle in Britain The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. You may also like: Anglo-Saxons Unit for KS2: A fully-resourced unit of 10 history lessons for KS2, covering the Anglo-Saxon topic. Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? A complete lesson for KS2

A lesson for KS2 about key Ancient Greek philosophers and their influence, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and printable activity sheets. This lesson is part of our popular Ancient Greece Pack for Key Stage 2. Lesson: What were the Ancient Greek philosophers famous for? This lesson allows pupils to find out about key thinkers from Ancient Greece. After getting into some philosophical debates of their own, pupils will compare three famous Greek philosophers and choose one to focus on in detail for a museum exhibition, with an optional clay modelling challenge. Pupils will finish the lesson by performing a song about famous Ancient Greek thinkers. Objectives: To find out about famous thinkers from Ancient Greece To explore key ideas and questions from Ancient Greek philosophy You may also like: Ancient Greeks Lessons Pack for KS2: A fully-resourced unit of 10 history lessons for KS2, covering the Ancient Greece topic. This primary history resource has been created by KS2History.

A full lesson for KS2 about Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. What did Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics mean? In this lesson, pupils will look at historical sources containing Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and look closely for familiar symbols among the writing. Pupils will learn about what kind of messages were written in hieroglyphics, discuss some of the issues around translation and use a hieroglyphics key to make their own Egyptian cartouche. Objectives: To discover what Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs looked like To explore the issue of translating hieroglyphics The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. This lesson is part of the KS2History Ancient Egyptians Planning Pack for KS2. This primary history resource is created by KS2History.

A full lesson for KS2 exploring some of the evidence and artefacts that tell us about the Bronze Age. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. What do grave goods tell us about the Bronze Age? In this lesson pupils will find out about how people in the Bronze Age were buried alongside some objects that were important to them. Pupils will reflect upon how artefacts found in Bronze Age burial sites can give us information about what life was like in this period. This lesson also introduces the idea that not all artefacts survive over time and invites pupils to sum up their learning by exploring the grave of the Amesbury Archer. Objectives: To understand how grave goods can give us information about the past To think about what type of objects survive over time The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. This is the eighth lesson in the popular Stone Age to Iron Age Unit for KS2.. This primary history resource was created by KS2History. You may also like: Bronze Age (Lesson for KS2) Iron Age Hillforts (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Hunter-Gatherers (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Cave Art (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Artefacts & Evidence (Lesson for KS2) Stonehenge Mysteries (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Boy Literacy Planning - 2 Weeks Stone Age to Iron Age Planning Bundle for KS2

A full lesson for KS2 introducing Iron Age hillforts. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. What was life like in an Iron Age hill fort? Pupils will discover what life was like in an Iron Age hill fort in Britain. This lesson encourages pupils to engage imaginatively with this historical setting and reflect on how life in this period might have been different to life today, making a storyboard to record their ideas. As an extension activity pupils are challenged to find out about archaeological sites like Maiden Castle. Objectives: To understand how British society changed in the Iron Age To imagine what life might have been like in an Iron Age hill fort The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. This is the ninth lesson in the popular Stone Age to Iron Age Unit for KS2.. This primary history resource was created by KS2History. You may also like Iron Age Art (Lesson for KS2) Bronze Age (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Hunter-Gatherers (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Artefacts & Evidence (Lesson for KS2) Stonehenge Mysteries (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Boy Literacy Planning - 2 Weeks Stone Age to Iron Age Planning Bundle for KS2

A lesson for KS2 introducing Britain just before the time of the Roman invasion - including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and printable activity sheets. This lesson is part of our popular Romans unit for Key Stage 2 and helps to set the context for the Roman invasion of Britain. Lesson: What was Britain like before the Romans invaded? This lesson explores what Britain looked like just before the Roman invasion and it provides a key background before analysing the impact of the Roman invasion in subsequent lessons. Pupils will explore an Iron Age tribal map and consider how the geography affects invasion strategies. Then pupils will become Roman ‘spies’, reporting on key aspects of the culture, landscape and lifestyle of Iron Age Britain. Objectives: To explain what Britain looked like just before the Romans invaded To evaluate how different aspects of life in Iron Age Britain might have affected the success of the Roman invasion This primary history resource is created by KS2History. You may also like our other Romans topic resources: Roman Britain Planning Pack Escape from Pompeii Literacy Planning Pack Romans Literacy Pack (Instructions Unit) Romans Planning Bundle of all three planning packs

Stone Age Boy Planning (2 Weeks): The official KS2History planning pack for the book Stone Age Boy, downloaded by hundreds of teachers. Download the original Stone Age Boy resource pack from KS2History. This two-week unit of English work, based on the book 'Stone Age Boy', works well alongside the topic Stone Age to Iron Age for Year 3 and Year 4. The PDF pack contains ten full lesson plans and accompanying pupil resources. The lessons in this Stone Age Boy Planning Pack use drama, discussion and debate to help pupils to engage with the text and then gives them the opportunity to write and edit their own Stone Age narratives. There is also a grammar focus on using adverbials of time and place and a chance to develop thesaurus skills. The English objectives covered in this unit are: - To ask and answer questions about a text - To use a thesaurus to improve my writing - To use adverbials of time and place - To prepare a short drama piece based on a text - To take part in a class debate - To make a story plan - To write my own narrative - To edit my writing - To make decisions about how to present my writing If you like this Stone Age Boy Planning Pack, you may also like: Stone Age to Iron Age Planning Pack How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth Literacy Planning Stone Age to Iron Age planning bundle of all 3 packs #lovehistory

A lesson for KS2 investigating the evidence around whether the Ancient Greek story of the Trojan Horse was based on real events, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and printable activity sheets. This lesson is part of our popular Ancient Greece Pack for Key Stage 2. Lesson: Did the events of the Trojan Horse story really happen? In this lesson, pupils will learn about the tradition of oral storytelling in Ancient Greece. Pupils will listen to the Trojan Horse story and analyse the evidence to decide which parts of the story are likely to be based on true events. Pupils will use their analysis to form a structured response to the question Did the story of the Trojan Horse really happen?, before being left with a challenge to imagine their own trick to break through the walls of Troy. Objectives: To draw my own conclusion about the Ancient Greek story of the Trojan Horse To evaluate stories from history by examining sources of evidence You may also like: Ancient Greeks Lessons Pack for KS2: A fully-resourced unit of 10 history lessons for KS2, covering the Ancient Greece topic. This primary history resource has been created by KS2History.

A full lesson for KS2 exploring the importance of the River Nile to the Ancient Egyptian civilisation. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Why was Ancient Egypt the ‘Gift of the Nile’? In this lesson, pupils will play a map-work game in pairs to help them to investigate the basic geography of Ancient Egypt. Then they will learn about the important natural resources provided by the River Nile and its role in farming. Pupils will use their new knowledge to create an information poster about the Nile and an optional extension activity will challenge pupils to explore modern-day maps of Egypt to make comparisons. Objectives: To understand the importance of the River Nile in Ancient Egypt To give examples of the natural resources The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. This primary history resource is created by KS2History.

A full lesson for KS2 introducing the British prehistoric period covering the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. What does prehistory mean? This lesson introduces the period of British history from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. Pupils will make a timeline to set this period into the wider context of British History and they will discover how we break up this period into distinct ages. Objectives: To put events in chronological order To understand how the period from the Stone Age to the Iron Age fits into a wider picture of British history The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. This is the first lesson in the popular Stone Age to Iron Age Unit for KS2.. This primary history resource was created by KS2History. You may also like: Stone Age Hunter-Gatherers (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Cave Art (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Artefacts & Evidence (Lesson for KS2) Stonehenge Mysteries (Lesson for KS2) Bronze Age (Lesson for KS2) Stone Age Boy Literacy Planning - 2 Weeks Stone Age to Iron Age Planning Bundle for KS2

A lesson for KS2 exploring how the Romans built up Britain with roads and other structures - including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and printable activity sheets. This lesson is part of our popular Romans unit for Key Stage 2. Lesson: What did the Romans build after they settled in Britain? This lesson looks at the different buildings and structures that the Romans introduced to Britain to improve the efficiency of society. Pupils will be introduced to new vocabulary and then research Roman roads and aqueducts. There is a choice of activities; pupils will either map out some key Roman roads or they will make their own aqueduct model and test it out with running water. Objectives: To explain how the landscape of Britain was changed by what the Romans built To give examples of how the Romans designed buildings and structures to make a more efficient society This primary history resource is created by KS2History. You may also like our other Romans topic resources: Roman Britain Planning Pack Escape from Pompeii Literacy Planning Pack Romans Literacy Pack (Instructions Unit)

A full lesson for KS2 exploring how Lord Shaftesbury worked through the Factory Act and other campaigns to improve the lives of Victorian children. This resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. How did Lord Shaftesbury improve the lives of Victorian children? In this lesson, pupils will learn how Lord Shaftesbury campaigned to improve children’s lives. After learning about the Factory Act, pupils will write a letter from Lord Shaftesbury to the government proposing changes to the law. Finally, pupils will have the opportunity to link Lord Shaftesbury’s work to the legacy of other significant figures from history. Objectives: To explore why Lord Shaftesbury was an important figure To find out how Lord Shaftesbury’s campaigns improved children’s lives during the Victorian period The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. You may also like: Victorians Full Unit for KS2: A fully-resourced unit of 10 history lessons for KS2, covering the Victorians topic. Introduction to the Victorians: (FREE): A full lesson for KS2 introducing the Victorian period, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Who Was Queen Victoria?; A full lesson for KS2 exploring the life and significance of Queen Victoria, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Victorian Inventions: A full lesson for KS2 about famous Victorian inventions, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Industrial Revolution A full lesson for KS2 exploring the impact of the Industrial Revolution, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Victorian Railways A full lesson for KS2 about the introduction of the railways, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Victorian Working Children A full lesson for KS2 exploring the topic of jobs for Victorian children, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.