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 Athens and Sparta, 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: Why were Athens and Sparta so different?
In this lesson, pupils will learn how Ancient Greece was divided up into ‘city-states’, each with its own laws and armies. They will draw contrasts between two of the most powerful city-states – Athens and Sparta – and use their knowledge to develop a balanced argument about which one they would prefer to live in.
Objectives:
To know what city-states were
To compare the city-states of Athens and Sparta
To make a balanced argument based on historical knowledge
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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.
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 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 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.
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
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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 full lesson for KS2 exploring the types of historical evidence that tell us about the Stone Age. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What kind of sources tell us about the Stone Age?
This lesson addresses the question of how we can know about a period of British history with a lack of written primary sources of evidence. Pupils will be introduced to the concept of making deductions from evidence and they will use an information table to record what different artefacts tell us about the Stone Age.
Objectives:
To examine non-written sources of evidence about the Stone Age
To make deductions from primary sources
The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class.
This is the fourth lesson in the popular Stone Age to Iron Age Unit for KS2..
This primary history resource was created by KS2History.
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Prehistory Timelines (Lesson for KS2)
Stone Age Hunter-Gatherers (Lesson for KS2)
Stone Age Cave Art (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 full lesson for KS2 about crime and punishment in , including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What was Victorian Crime and Punishment like?
In this lesson pupils will learn about typical crimes from the Victorian period and different kinds of punishments that were given. Pupils will have the opportunity to act as Victorian judges and will read a series of case studies, awarding appropriate punishments for each. Pupils will link what they have learned to wider issues about modern day crime and punishment.
Objectives:
To find out about typical crimes and punishments in the Victorian period
To compare Victorian punishments to the modern day justice system.
The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class.
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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.
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.
A full lesson for KS2 about Sutton Hoo (an Anglo-Saxon burial site discovered in England), including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What was the mystery of Sutton Hoo?
In this lesson, pupils will learn about the mystery of Sutton Hoo. Pupils will go on a treasure hunt to find out about some of the grave artefacts discovered at Sutton Hoo and they will discuss what deductions can be made from them. Pupils will look at the evidence and decide what kind of person was at the heart of the burial.
Objectives:
To explore the significance of the Sutton Hoo discovery
To investigate artefacts from an Anglo-Saxon grave
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 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.
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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 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.
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
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)
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Stone Age Artefacts & Evidence (Lesson for KS2)
Stonehenge Mysteries (Lesson for KS2)
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A full lesson for KS2 about Victorian schools, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
What were Victorian schools like?
In this lesson pupils will compare their own experiences of school to life in a Victorian classroom. Pupils will learn about key changes in the Victorian period regarding who could go to school. Then they will have the opportunity to role play being a Victorian school pupil, completing three different activities from Victorian classrooms: drill, nature drawing and handwriting in the copperplate style.
Objectives:
To find out how rules about who could go to school changed over the Victorian period
To compare Victorian schools with modern day schooling
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 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 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 life and significance of Queen Victoria, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
Who was Queen Victoria?
In this lesson, pupils learn about Queen Victoria and the impact of her reign. After exploring the facts about her monarchy, pupils will consider the legacy she left behind and create newspaper reports from the week of her death. Pupils will finish the lesson by pretending to be directors of a new film about Victoria’s life.
Objectives:
To find out about the life of Queen Victoria
To think about why Victoria became such a popular monarch
The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class.
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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.
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.
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.
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 to Iron Age planning bundle of all 3 packs
Download our popular Roman Britain lesson planning bundle containing 10 full lesson plans for KS2.
This resources contains a bundle of history lessons that make up a complete unit covering the topic Roman Britain. Each file contains a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint slides and pupil resource sheets. There are also there extra comprehension resources included.
Lessons in this unit include:
Where did the Roman Empire come from?
How did the Roman army help to expand the Roman Empire?
What was Britain like before the Romans invaded?
How did Britain become part of the Roman Empire?
Who was Boudica and how did she rebel against the Romans?
What did the Romans build after they settled in Britain?
What were houses like in Roman Britain?
What can archaeological sites tell us about Roman Britain?
How did bathhouses provide leisure for Romans in Britain?
What lasting impact did the Romans leave in Britain?
This lesson is brought to you by KS2History,
A full lesson for KS2 about Stone Age hunter-gatherers, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
How did hunter-gatherers survive in the Stone Age?
In this lesson pupils find out who the ‘hunter-gatherers’ were and how they survived in Stone Age Britain. Pupils will learn the difference between ‘threats’ and ‘assets’ provided by the natural habitat and then they go on their own survival treasure hunt around the school grounds.
Objectives:
To find out about how hunter-gatherers lived in Stone Age Britain
To explore how Stone Age people survived against threats
The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class.
This is the second lesson in the popular Stone Age to Iron Age Unit for KS2.
This primary history resource was created by kS2History.
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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 King Alfred the Great, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets.
Who was Alfred the Great?
In this lesson, pupils will find out why Alfred was a significant figure in Anglo-Saxon history. Pupils will listen to Alfred’s story and consider why he left a legacy as a ‘great’ king. They will then design a commemorative statue and be challenged to think about why historians sometimes doubt the truthfulness of the historical sources that tell us about King Alfred.
Objectives:
To explore the story of Anglo-Saxon King Alfred
To consider why Alfred is remembered as ‘The Great’
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
