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 about the Ancient Greek gods and goddesses, 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 gods known for?
This lesson looks at Ancient Greek gods and goddesses and how they were recognised. Pupils will play a game to find and identify hidden gods and goddesses using their associated symbols, before applying their knowledge to sourcework by identifying the deities on an Ancient Greek wall relief. Then pupils will work in groups to focus on one particular Olympian god in a super-size poster challenge ready for a lightning quiz at the end of the lesson.
Objectives:
To learn about the twelve Olympian gods and their associated symbols
To identify key Ancient Greek gods and goddesses from historical sources
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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.
Download our popular Ancient Greece lesson planning bundle containing 10 full lessons.
This resource contains a bundle of history lessons for KS2 (ages 7-11) that make up a complete unit covering the Ancient Greece topic. Each file contains a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint slides and printable activity sheets.
The planning pack covers the following lessons:
Who were the Ancient Greeks?
Why were Athens and Sparta so different?
What was Alexander the Great’s impact on the Greek empire?
Why did a small Greek army win the Battle of Marathon?
What were the Ancient Greek gods known for?
What happened at the Ancient Greek Olympic Games?
What were the Ancient Greek philosophers famous for?
Did the events of the Trojan Horse story really happen?
What was daily life like for children in Ancient Greece?
How significant is the legacy of Ancient Greece for life today?
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…
A lesson for KS2 about Alexander the Great and the Greek Empire, 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 was Alexander the Great’s impact on the Greek empire?
This lesson explores the life and impact of Alexander the Great. Pupils will look at sources that give clues about Alexander’s global impact and then they will act out the story of his crucial role in expanding the Greek empire. Once familiar with Alexander’s story, pupils will be given a map work challenge to record the four stages of the expansion of Alexander’s empire.
Objectives:
To find out why Alexander the Great was a significant figure
To analyse the historical impact of Alexander the Great’s rule
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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.
Download our popular two-week unit of work for Years 3/4 based on the book ‘How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth’, with a focus on instructional texts. Perfect for linking the Stone Age topic in literacy!
This unit gives children the opportunity to understand the features of instructions as a text type. In the first week, children will engage with the text through research, a hands-on toy washing challenge and the opportunity to create their own ‘Woolly Mammoth Cleaning Kit’. They will become familiar with the text type by following instructions to make their own milk bottle mammoth models and identifying features of the text. There is a grammar focus on using prepositions and imperative verbs.
In the second week, pupils will use drama to develop ideas and extend vocabulary. They will then plan their own set of instructions and they will draft, edit and present their final written outcome.
The literacy objectives covered are:
To retrieve and record information from non-fiction
To participate in discussion about a text
To use a range of imperative verbs
To use prepositions
To read and follow written instructions
To identify the features of instructions
To identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
To prepare a group performance
To use a rich and varied vocabulary
To make a plan for my writing
To write my own set of instructions
To edit and evaluate my writing
To integrate visual devices
The PDF file contains 10 full lesson plans and accompanying pupil resource sheets.
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Stone Age Boy Literacy Planning
Stone Age to Iron Age Resource Pack
Stone Age to Iron Age planning bundle of all 3 packs
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.
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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 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.
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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 exciting discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What was discovered inside Tutankhamun’s tomb?
This lesson is designed to help pupils to understand the significance of Howard Carter’s discovery. Pupils will read an extract from Carter’s diary and take part in an exciting roleplay challenge to recover Tutankhamun’s tomb objects. After cataloguing their finds, pupils will be challenged to think about different viewpoints on removing the tomb objects.
Objectives:
To explore the story of Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb
To investigate some of the contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb
To begin to consider ethical implications of digging up the past
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 KS
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.
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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
The Egyptian Cinderella Pack contains a complete unit of work for Year 3/4, with full lesson plans and pupil resources based on the book ‘The Egyptian Cinderella’ by Shirley Climo.
The ten lessons in this English unit give children the opportunity to read and listen to the story of The Egyptian Cinderella a number of times in order to become familiar with the language and structure of the story.
In the first week, children will engage with the text through fun drama, discussion and debate activities to deepen their understanding of the story and they will have the opportunity to articulate ideas about the text using an increasingly varied vocabulary. There is a grammar focus on using comparative conjunctions, feelings words and action verbs as well as a chance to develop thesaurus skills. In the second week, pupils will plan their own story and they will draft, edit and present their final narrative.
The English objectives covered are:
-To compare different versions of a traditional story
-To predict what might happen in a story
-To use comparative conjunctions
-To use a thesaurus to improve writing
-To infer how a character feels
-To use feelings words
-To identify how verbs can create an action section
-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
#lovehistory
If you like this Egyptian Cinderella Planning Pack, you may also like:
Year 3 Performance Poetry Literacy Pack
Escape from Pompeii Literacy Planning
Stone Age to Iron Age Planning Bundle
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.
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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 full lesson for KS2 that engages pupils in a series of historical questioning about the pyramids of Ancient Egypt. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
4. Why did the Ancient Egyptians build the pyramids?
In this lesson pupils will think about the why, what, how and where of pyramid building. They will investigate different types of pyramids in a hands-on modelling challenge and then they will learn about some of the logistics behind building these gigantic structures, as well as exploring their key purposes. Pupils will present their findings in a 3D pyramid fact file.
Objectives:
To explore what the pyramids looked like
To discover why and how the Egyptians built the pyramids.
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 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.
Download our popular Easter Performance Poetry unit for KS1. One week’s worth of literacy planning!
A five-lesson literacy unit of poetry planning for Years 1 and 2, based on performing Easter poetry and built around the KS1 English objectives.
In this unit, pupils will read a classic Easter poem about a fast white rabbit and they will consider how the sounds and language patterns come alive when the poem is read aloud, particularly reflecting on the use of verbs and similes. Children will work towards creating their version of the Easter poem and turning it into an effective performance, which could be used for an Easter assembly or celebration.
The aims of the unit for pupils are:
• To listen to a classic Easter poem being read aloud
• To identify verbs and similes
• To prepare a poetry performance including actions
• To perform a poem to an audience
The PDF file contains 5 full literacy lesson plans, copies of the poem and all accompanying pupil resources.
You may also like our other KS1 resources
Y2 English Bundle
Y2 SPAG Questions
Going to Sea Poetry Pack
KS1 Sentence Types Poetry
Summer Performance Poetry Pack
A full lesson for KS2 exploring the topic of jobs for Victorian children, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What was life like for working Victorian children?
In this lesson, pupils will find out about the different kinds of work that Victorian children undertook. Pupils will watch videos exploring work in mines, factories and fields and will consider what these jobs would have felt like for children performing the work on a daily basis. Pupils will make a paperchain of Victorian children to present information about different jobs and have the opportunity to hot-seat in the role of a child worker.
Objectives:
To find out what sort of jobs were taken by Victorian children
To explore what life was like for Victorian working children
The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class.
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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 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 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.
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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 clothing, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What kind of clothes did the Anglo-Saxons wear?
In this lesson, pupils think about how their own clothing choices compare to the clothes available to Anglo-Saxons. Pupils will find out about typical clothing for Anglo-Saxon men and women and they will have a go at colouring wool using natural materials for dyes. Finally, pupils will have the opportunity to reflect on the sources of evidence that might inform historians about Anglo-Saxon clothing.
Objectives:
To find out what Anglo-Saxon clothing looked like
To discover how Anglo-Saxons made clothes out of natural materials
The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class.
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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
This is a fun and popular performance poetry unit for KS1, based on creating and performing Autumn poetry about a fieldmouse looking for safety during Autumn time. This pack covers one week of literacy lessons for Y1 or Y2.
The five lessons in this unit aim to give children the opportunity to read and listen to a classic autumn poem and to consider how the sounds and language patterns come alive when it is read aloud, in particular its use of verbs and commands. Children will have the opportunity to engage imaginatively with the poem and to create their own version of an autumn poem to perform aloud.
The aims of the unit for pupils are:
• To listen to a classic harvest poem being read aloud
• To identify verbs
• To use command sentences
• To prepare a poetry performance including actions
• To perform a poem to an audience
The final performances would also be perfect for a harvest assembly.
Christmas Performance Poetry for KS1 or KS2.
A five-lesson literacy unit of poetry planning, based on performing Christmas poetry. The planning is adaptable for Key Stages 1 and 2, with ideas included for how to use it younger or older classes.
In this unit, pupils will read the poem ‘Sly Santa Claus’ and they will consider how the sounds and language patterns come alive when the poem is read aloud, particularly focussing on the use of verbs and onomatopiea. Children will work towards creating their version of the Christmas poem and turning it into an effective performance.
The aims of the unit for pupils are:
• To listen to a classic Christmas poem being read aloud
• To identify verbs and onomatopoeic phrases
• To prepare a poetry performance by planning actions or props
• To perform a poem to an audience
• To identify successful features of a performance
The PDF file contains 5 full literacy lesson plans, copies of the poem and all accompanying pupil resources.
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 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
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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.