Planning and resources for primary teachers from http://www.ks2history.com. Our history topics include Stone Age to Iron Age, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Victorians, Shang Dynasty etc and the list is expanding each month, with literacy units to link to the topics too.
Our popular resources have been tried and tested in hundreds of classrooms.
Planning and resources for primary teachers from http://www.ks2history.com. Our history topics include Stone Age to Iron Age, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Victorians, Shang Dynasty etc and the list is expanding each month, with literacy units to link to the topics too.
Our popular resources have been tried and tested in hundreds of classrooms.
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.
Pupils read and sort the statements arguing for or against the return of the Benin Bronzes. This activity is good preparation for a class debate or for planning a written argument.
A full lesson for KS2 about life in an Anglo-Saxon settlement, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What was it like in an Anglo-Saxon village?
This lesson explores life in an Anglo-Saxon settlement. Pupils will take a video tour and think about how the Anglo-Saxons used natural resources to make their settlements safe and self-sufficient. Pupils will design their own settlement maps and think about what different people might be doing in the settlement on a day-to-day basis.
Objectives:
To explore the features of an Anglo-Saxon settlement
To consider what life might have been like for different people living in an Anglo-Saxon village
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.
Why did the Anglo-Saxons want to settle in Britain? A complete lesson for KS2
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? A complete lesson for KS2
A full lesson for KS2 about Anglo-Saxon religion, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
How did the Anglo-Saxons find out about Christianity?
This lesson is designed to help pupils to understand key concepts of paganism and Christianity and how the two religions existed side by side in the Anglo-Saxon period. Pupils will complete a dictionary challenge to become familiar with associated vocabulary and then they learn about three important Christian missionaries. They will watch a video to reflect on how Christianity spread across Anglo-Saxon Britain and then design commemorative stained glass windows depicting key figures.
Objectives:
To find out about Anglo-Saxon religious beliefs
To learn about key figures who helped the Anglo-Saxons to find out about Christianity
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
Download our popular Escape From Pompeii English Planning Pack for KS2.
This is a ten-lesson unit of work based around the book ‘Escape from Pompeii’ by Christina Balit, designed for Year 3 and Year 4.
The ten lessons in this unit aim to give children the opportunity to read and listen to the Escape from Pompeii story a number of times. In the first week, children will engage with the text through discussion, drama and even creating a parachute volcanic eruption in order to increase their familiarity with the story. They will have the opportunity to articulate ideas about the text using an increasingly varied vocabulary. There is a grammar focus on using powerful verbs and a chance to develop thesaurus skills.
In the second week, pupils will plan their own story based on the structure of Escape from Pompeii and they will then have the opportunity to draft, edit and present their final narrative.
The literacy objectives covered in this unit are:
To use sensory descriptions
To use a thesaurus to improve my writing
To perform a poem as a group
To use powerful verbs
To prepare a short drama piece based on a text
To write a descriptive recount
To make a story plan
To write my own narrative
To edit my writing
To make decisions about how to present my writing
The PDF file contains ten full lesson plans and all pupil worksheets/resources.
#lovehistory
You may also like the following planning for Year 3/ Year 4:
Roman Britain Planning Pack
Romans Literacy Pack (Instructions Unit)
Romans Planning Bundle of all three planning packs
A full lesson for KS2 introducing the Bronze Age, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
How did bronze replace stone in the Bronze Age?
This lesson looks at the changes between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age, including the implications of the discovery of bronze and the process of how bronze was made. Pupils will find out why bronze was so important and they will create their own flowcharts to record the ‘smelting’ process of how it was made.
Objectives:
To know how the Bronze Age was different to the Stone Age
To explain how the smelting process was used to make bronze
The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class.
This is the seventh lesson in the popular Stone Age to Iron Age Unit for KS2..
This primary history resource was created by KS2History.
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Bronze Age Grave Goods (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 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
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
A full lesson for KS2 about Victorian clothes, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What kind of clothes did the Victorians wear?
This lesson is designed to help pupils to understand how clothing and class status were linked in Victorian times. Pupils will engage with historical sources to make observations about clothing, and then compare rich and poor clothing. Pupils will learn how sewing and clothes making were important skills and will have a go at making their own Victorian sewing sampler.
Objectives:
To use historical sources to make observations about Victorian clothing
To compare clothes for rich and poor people from Victorian times
To design a sewing sampler
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.
Download our popular Anglo-Saxon lesson planning bundle containing 10 full lessons.
This resource contains a bundle of history lessons that make up a complete unit covering the Anglo-Saxons topic. Each file contains a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint slides and pupil resource sheets.
The planning pack covers the following lessons:
Who were the Anglo-Saxon invaders?
Why did the Anglo-Saxons want to settle in Britain?
What was it like in an Anglo-Saxon village?
What kind of clothes did the Anglo-Saxons wear?
How was Anglo-Saxon Britain ruled?
Who was Alfred the Great?
What was Anglo-Saxon food and drink like?
How did the Anglo-Saxons write things down?
How did the Anglo-Saxons find out about Christianity?
What was the mystery of Sutton Hoo?
These lessons are written for KS2 and are aligned to the National Curriculum in the UK but can be easily adapted to other curriculums too. The lesson plans include differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class.
This bundle is brought to you by KS2History.com.
You may also like our Beowulf Literacy Resource Pack.
A fully-resourced unit of 10 history lessons for KS2, covering the Maya Civilization history topic. This KS2History planning pack includes 10 detailed lessons plans, each with accompanying pupil resource sheets and Powerpoint slides.
The ten sessions in this unit aim to give an overview of the history of the Maya Civilization, with a particular focus on the period leading up to the height of the civilization in AD 900. As with all KS2History.com units, there is an emphasis on allowing pupils to consider the sources of evidence that form our understanding of this period of world history. The unit also takes the opportunity to draw contrasts with comparable themes from British history.
The aims of the unit for pupils are:
To gain an overview of significant people, places and events from the Maya Civilization
To explore how the geography of the Maya area impacted trade, daily life and the growth and decline of the civilization
To consider broader historical context and draw links with British history and other familiar aspects of world history
To become familiar with historical sources and debates, to address misconceptions and to use accurate vocabulary relating to the Maya Civilization.
This pack contains everything you need to teach this unit, including differentiated activity ideas so that it can be adapted to the needs of your class. The Powerpoint text is also editable.
The planning pack covers the following lessons:
What was the Maya Civilization?
How did the landscape of the Maya area affect trade?
How did Maya settlers survive and thrive in the rainforest?
What do Maya ruins tell us about city-states?
How useful are the pictures of Frederick Catherwood as a source of information about the Maya?
Did the Maya invent football?
Why was maize so important to the Maya people?
Who was Pakal the Great?
How did the Maya keep track of time?
What is the mystery of the abandoned Maya cities?
This resource includes 1 x PDf file (containing all lessons and resources) and 10 x separate PPT files.
A lesson for KS2 introducing the Roman Empire - including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and printable activity sheets.
This lesson is part of our popular Romans unit for Key Stage 2.
Lesson: Where did the Roman Empire come from?
This lesson introduces the Roman Empire in its historical and geographical contexts. Pupils will make a timeline to set this period into the wider context of world history. Then they will learn two contrasting stories about the founding of Rome, discussing the difference between legends and historical fact.
Objectives:
To find out where the Roman Empire originated
To place the beginning of the Roman Empire onto a timeline
To evaluate stories about the founding of Rome
This primary history resource is created by KS2History.
You may like our other resources for the Romans topic:
Roman Britain Planning Pack
Escape from Pompeii Literacy Planning Pack
Romans Literacy Pack (Instructions Unit)
Romans Planning Bundle of all three planning packs
A lesson for KS2 looking at the story of Boudica’s rebellion against the Romans - including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and printable activity sheets.
This lesson is part of our popular Romans unit for Key Stage 2.
Lesson: Who was Boudica and how did she rebel against the Romans?
In this lesson, pupils will develop their skills of working with historical sources in order to find out about the character of Boudica. They will be introduced to primary and secondary sources to help them to learn the story of Boudica’s rebellion against the Romans. Then they will have the opportunity to make a comic strip of the story and to learn a humorous song about Boudica.
Objectives:
To use historical sources to find out about Boudica
To explore the story of Boudica’s rebellion against the Romans.
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
Download our popular ten-lesson unit of work based on reading and writing instructional texts with a Romans theme. Pupils will make a chocolate Roman road and then create instructions based on becoming gladiator champions!
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.
The English objectives covered in this unit are:
- To give and follow verbal instructions
- To use prepositions
- To read and follow written instructions
- To identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
- To use a range of imperative verbs
- To prepare a group performance
- To make a plan for my writing
- To write my own instructions
- To edit my writing
- To make decisions about how to present my writing
The PDF file contains ten lesson plans and all accompanying pupil resources. Perfect to link literacy and history in your Romans topic!
You may also like:
Roman Britain Planning Pack
Escape from Pompeii Literacy Planning Pack
Romans Planning Bundle of all three planning packs
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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
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 full lesson for KS2 about Anglo-Saxon runes, writing and manuscripts, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
How did the Anglo-Saxons write things down?
In this lesson, pupils will look at the runic alphabet and learn about how writing changed from runes to manuscripts after the Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity. Pupils will work in groups to research famous Anglo-Saxon manuscripts and then they will have a go at reading and writing secret messages written in runes.
Objectives:
To discover what runes looked like
To explore how writing changed during the Anglo-Saxon period
To find out about some famous Anglo-Saxon manuscripts
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 exploring the fascinating topic of mummification. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What was mummification in Ancient Egypt?
In this exciting lesson, pupils will find out all about the process of making mummies! After they have been introduced to the reasons behind mummification in Ancient Egypt, pupils will work in teams on a hands-on challenge to make their own mummified dolls following the different steps of the ancient process and then write their own instructions. They will finish the lesson with a quiz about animal mummies.
Objectives:
To find out why the Ancient Egyptians mummified people
To understand the different stages of the mummification process
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 lesson for KS2 comparing types of houses in Roman Britain - 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 were houses like in Roman Britain?
Pupils will learn about the different houses found in Roman Britain and what sort of people might live in each house type. After comparing house types, pupils will consider what sort of evidence survives today from Roman building, with a focus on floor mosaics. Pupils will then design their own floor mosaic fit for a wealthy Roman villa.
Objectives:
To compare different types of houses from Roman Britain
To give examples of evidence that survives from Roman buildings
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)