This activity allows pupils to read a recount of the British Invasion of Benin and then sort the statements into arguments for and against the invasion. This activity would be good preparation for a class debate or for planning a written argument.

5. Written on the Bones: What was the Shang system of writing like? This hands-on lesson looks at the different ways in which Shang people used symbols and ideograms as writing. After researching different uses of writing, pupils will be set the challenge of making their own oracle bones from clay and they will use a symbols key to write their own questions on them using Shang ideograms. The PDF file includes the full lesson plan and 2 pupil activity sheets. For upper KS2.

A full lesson for KS2 about the Industrial Revolution, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. What was the Industrial Revolution? In this lesson, KS2 pupils think about the impact of the Industrial Revolution in Victorian Britain. Pupils will engage with historical sources to make observations about a British city before and after the Industrial Revolution. Pupils will learn about changes to cities, employment, living conditions and the landscape and will play a game to reflect on whether the effects of the various changes brought about were positive or negative ones. Objectives: To find out what the Industrial Revolution was To explain how Victorian Britain was changed by the Industrial Revolution 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. 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…

A full lesson for KS2 about Anglo-Saxon food, including a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. What was Anglo-Saxon food and drink like? This lesson allows pupils to think about the foods they like to eat and compare them to the foods available in Anglo-Saxon Britain, both in terms of everyday meals and feasting foods. Pupils will design an Anglo-Saxon menu and have the opportunity to make and taste Anglo-Saxon honey bread. Objectives: To find out which foods were available in Anglo-Saxon times To follow an Anglo-Saxon recipe for honey bread 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 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. 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 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. 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 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. 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 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 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.

A lesson for KS2 about daily life for children in Ancient Greece, 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 daily life like for children in Ancient Greece? This lesson is designed to help pupils to understand more about key areas of daily life for Ancient Greek children. Pupils will play a game to compare elements of their own lifestyles to life for different children in Ancient Greece. They will research information about food, education, clothing and entertainment and then design their own version of an Ancient Greek pull-along toy. At the end of the lesson, pupils will examine how four historical sources from Ancient Greece give more clues about daily life for children. Objectives: To explore different areas of daily life for Ancient Greek children To find out about popular Ancient Greek toys To consider how we can know about what daily life was like so far in the past 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.

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 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.

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 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.

A full lesson for KS2 exploring Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Who were the Ancient Egyptian gods? In this lesson, pupils will play a game to learn about different gods and goddesses from Ancient Egypt, including how they were depicted and areas of responsibility. Pupils will create a set of fact files about three gods or goddesses. Then they will examine a series of historical sources and apply their new knowledge to work out which deity is depicted in each source. Objectives: To compare different Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses To look at some sources depicting Ancient Egyptian gods 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 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 introducing the story of Cleopatra VII and her legacy as the last main Ancient Egyptian pharaoh. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. Who was Cleopatra and how is she remembered? In this lesson, pupils will learn about Cleopatra VII and her legacy as the last main pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Pupils will act out her story, including the defeat of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation. Pupils will read a range of opinions about Cleopatra from historical sources and be encouraged to form their own conclusions about her character. Objectives: To explore the story of Cleopatra VII To investigate Cleopatra’s legacy and some of the different opinions about her. 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 about Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint and pupil resource sheets. What did Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics mean? In this lesson, pupils will look at historical sources containing Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and look closely for familiar symbols among the writing. Pupils will learn about what kind of messages were written in hieroglyphics, discuss some of the issues around translation and use a hieroglyphics key to make their own Egyptian cartouche. Objectives: To discover what Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs looked like To explore the issue of translating hieroglyphics 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 introducing the topic of Ancient Egypt. The resource includes a detailed lesson plan, Powerpoint slides and pupil resource sheets. Who were the Ancient Egyptians? This lesson introduces the Ancient Egyptians topic and helps pupils to set this early civilization into its wider historical context of time and place. After looking at a historical source to find details and generate questions, pupils will create a timeline of key events from the period. Objectives: To find out when and where the Ancient Egyptians lived To use a timeline to explore key events from Ancient Egyptian times The lesson plan includes differentiation ideas to adapt the activities for the needs of your class. This is the first lesson from the KS2History Ancient Egyptians Planning Pack for KS2. This primary history resource is created by KS2History.

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.