Stone Age to Iron Age Assembly or Class Play

Stone Age to Iron Age Class Play
Cast of 30 – easily adjustable up or down
Duration: 15 to 20 minutes not including music suggestions
This is one of two scripts written by Sue Russell and was written for upper Key Stage II (9 – 11 year olds).
The second, Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age - also available off this website - was written as a simplified version of this one, for lower Key Stage II i.e. 7 – 9 year olds.
This script has a truly wide-ranging cast that includes a hunter gatherer, a farmer, some guys with ropes from Stonehenge, a 'Rolling Stone', a caveman, ape, cast of Ice Age, a Celt, Iron Man ... and a Narrator and Archaeologist that just can't seem to get on!
Starting 9 million years ago and running through all three 'ages': Stone, Bronze and Iron (yes, the play does take 'ages'!) this is an informative but, as usual, fun romp through history - with one long-suffering narrator!
I chose to try to explain a little about evolution and how Stone Age Man 'came about' so as to put the aforementioned Ages into context. There is a phenomenal amount of information to cover in this 'Unit' but I hope I have covered the most important changes in this class play. The guided reading scripts, which can be read in the classroom, to accompany this class play, will I hope offer a more comprehensive coverage of the subject, with the usual quizzes to assess knowledge gained.
Sample Text:
Whole Cast: (Together) The Stone Age!
Narrator: Ah! There we are! Now, that’s progress for you!
(Enter Hunter Gatherer)
(Narrator looks him up and down)
Narrator: Hmm. Well, maybe not that much progress!
(Exit Hunter Gatherer, shrugging his shoulders)
Child 9: (To Narrator, angrily) Patience! Evolution takes time! It doesn’t just happen overnight, you know!
Narrator: (Looking at his watch) I’m beginning to realise that. Now, where are we on that timeline?
Child 8: (To Narrator, impatiently) Around 2 and a half million years ago! Weren’t you listening? When man starting using stone tools! That’s why it’s called
Whole cast: (Together) The Stone Age!
Narrator: OK! We got that! But how do we know that’s when stone tools were used?
(Enter Archaeologist)
Archaeologist: (To Narrator) You asking more questions again?
Narrator: Well,
Archaeologist: (Interrupting) That’s OK! That’s why I’m hired to do my job! To give people like you evidence!