9. Coming to an End: Why did the Shang Dynasty fall in 1046 BC? Pupils will discover the story of the last Shang king, King Zhou, and they will find out why his behaviour lead to the fall of the Shang Dynasty. Pupils place themselves in the shoes of the Shang fighters at the Battle of Muye and they will take part in a debate about whether or not they should defect to the opposing army. Pupils will then have the opportunity to learn about the Dynastic Cycle and the concept of the Mandate of Heaven. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and three activity sheets including the story of the Battle of Muye.

Lesson 4. Dynasty Drama: Why did the first dynasty of Ogiso end in AD 1180? In this lesson pupils will find out how things changed in Benin Kingdom when the last Ogiso king was exiled from the kingdom and the second dynasty of Obas took charge. Pupils will listen to the dramatic series of events before making their own comic strip version of the story. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and three

Lesson 5. Obey the Oba!: What were the rulers of Benin Kingdom like? In this lesson pupils will use the Benin Bronze Plaques as historical sources to find out about the 'Obas' who ruled Benin Kingdom. Pupils will use their online research skills to discover more information and then use what they have learned to design their own bronze plaque depicting a powerful Oba. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and two pupil activity sheets. For Upper KS2.

An activity to help pupils describe 2 contrasting settings from the story of Beowulf. Pupils will use the diagram to record words and phrases from the Danish moors outside Heorot and the warm feasting hall inside the palace.

This is a really useful sheet to use with pupils when they are editing their writing. They colour in each piece of the puzzle as they edit their work. Designed for Year 3 & 4, but could also be used with other year groups.

This is an activity designed to help pupils understand how tension mounts in the story Beowulf. Focusing on the scene where Beowulf journeys through the lake to battle Grendel's Mother, pupils should discuss where each card should be placed on the diagram to show how tension is built and relieved by the storyteller.

Lesson 7. Picturing the Kingdom: What was Benin Kingdom art like? In this lesson, pupils will consider what its surviving artwork tells us about Benin Kingdom. They will develop their ability to analyse art work and they will learn the technical vocabulary associated with it. Then pupils will prepare and record their own podcasts about one peice of art from Benin Kingdom and have the opportunity to use what they have learned to create their own works of art. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and a pupil activity sheet. For upper KS2.

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.

Lesson 8. Who was Fu Hao?: Why is Lady Fu Hao's tomb significant to historians? Pupils will investigate who Lady Fu Hao might have been by looking at some of the artefacts found in her tomb. They will learn about how people in Shang times were often buried with a tomb full of treasures to take with them to the afterlife. Pupils will engage imaginatively with a scenario about a slave being taken to the grave with his master and they will write a persuasive letter to escape such an unfortunate destiny. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and a pupil activity sheet. For upper KS2.

Lesson 3. Coming out of its Shell: What did the people of Benin Kingdom believe? This lesson addresses how important storytelling was in Benin culture. Pupils will discover some of the mythologies of Benin Kingdom and will look in detail at its creation story - a fabulous tale involving a snail shell and a talking hornbill! They will take on the role of storyteller and find their own ways of retelling the creation story. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and two pupil activity sheets. For Upper KS2.

Lesson 9. Benin Bronze Debate: What was left after Benin Kingdom was destroyed? In this lesson, pupils will evaluate the types of evidence left that tell us about Benin Kingom. Then they will research the looting of the Benin bronzes and will take part in a class debate to decide whether or not the bronzes should be returned to Nigeria. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and two pupil activity sheets. For Upper KS2.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with this mini history project on the Shang Dynasty of Ancient China. This bundle includes lessons plans, pupil resources and teacher's guide. It is designed for KS2 and includes cross-curricular activities like cooking Shang recipes, investigating ancient tombs and designing oracle bones with ancient Chinese messages on. This nine-lesson unit 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?

This is a simplified version of the story of Boudica. You can use this to read aloud or for pupils to use their comprehension skills to read for themselves.

Lesson 1. Introduction: What was the Shang Dynasty? This lesson introduces the Shang Dynasty and encourages pupils to generate research questions about their new topic. Pupils will make a factfile after researching key facts to set the Shang Dynasty into its wider context of world history. This PDF includes the full lesson plan and two pupil worksheets. For Upper KS2

Lesson 7. Piecing it Together: What do archaeological findings tell us about the Shang Dynasty? Pupils will become familiar with the different types of artefacts that help us to know about life in the Shang Dynasty. They will be introduced to the concept of making deductions from evidence and they will fill in a table to show what information different artefacts give us about the Shang period. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and two pupil activity sheets. For upper KS2.

Lesson 2. The Makings of a Kingdom: How was the Kingdom of Benin first established? This lesson invites pupils to discover how the Kingdom of Benin was born when a group of rainforest villages joined together as a conglomerate. Pupils will learn about some of the ways that the early kingdom protected itself so well and will research the famous Benin moat. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and two pupil activity sheets. For Upper KS2.

Lesson 8. Lasting Legacy : What happened to Benin Kingdom after the period AD 900-1300? In this lesson, Pupils will consider how the period AD 900-1300 fits into a bigger picture of Benin's history. They will find out how historians classify Benin's history into three main periods. Pupils will discover what happened when British troops destroyed Benin City in 1897 and will develop an argument to show whether or not the invasion was justified. The PDF file contains the full lesson plan and two pupil activity sheets. For Upper KS2.

This bundle contains 6 weeks' worth of Literacy planning and resources for Year 3 and 4 based on the 2014 National Curriculum. It is made up of 3 separate 2-week unit plans from KSResources - narrative, poetry and instructions. Each unit also has focusses on Y3 and 4 grammar skills and contains all of the worksheets and activities that you need to accompany the full lesson plans. Unit 1: Narrative (10 lessons) A two-week unit of work for Years 3/4 based on the book 'Stone Age Boy', with full lesson plans and pupil resources. This unit uses 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. Unit 2: Performance Poetry (10 lessons) A two-week literacy unit of poetry planning for Years 3 and 4, based on performing poems set in imaginary words and built around the new curriculum literacy objectives. In this unit, pupils will read and listen to magical world poems by Lewis Carroll and they will consider how the sounds and language patterns come alive when the poems are read aloud. Children will work towards creating their own magical poems set in imaginary worlds and then they will perform them aloud, adding sound effects. Unit 3: Instructions (10 lessons) The ten lessons in this unit aim to give children the opportunity to understand the features of instructions as a genre. In the first week, children will engage with the text type by following instructions to make edible Roman roads out of biscuits, chocolates and custard! There is also a grammar focus on using prepositions and imperative verbs. In the second week, pupils will use drama to develop ideas and extend their vocabulary. They will then plan their own set of instructions about becoming Roman gladiator champions and they will then have the opportunity to draft, edit and present their final instructions. All lessons and resources are created by Ofsted-rated outstanding teachers. Save valuable time with this bundle!

A template for pupils to plan their own storyboard.

This activity invites pupils to learn about some of the ways that the early kingdom protected itself so well through the famous Benin moat. Pupils will use the worksheet to help to focus their research and then they can use it as a planning template for a report.