Prehistoric Britain primary resource

This primary resource explores prehistoric Britain. Discover more about what defined life in Britain in the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. Why is our knowledge of these times entirely dependent on archaeology? What were tools used for in the Stone Age? Which two metals were used to make bronze?

Pupils will learn about the use of materials and tools over time, and how they helped to shape the behaviour of these prehistoric civilisations in our National Geographic Kids’ Stone Age to Iron Age primary resource sheet.

The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for a simple explanation of significant events during prehistoric Britain, as a printed handout for each pupil to read themselves, or for display on the interactive whiteboard, as part of a whole class reading exercise.

Activity: Ask the children to use the information in the comic to create a timeline of Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, plotting significant events and adding notable archaeological finds and illustrations to their timeline. Pupils could use the resource as a starting point for their own research about Britain’s first farmers and the farming techniques they used. Children could choose one of these three stages of British history and create their own comic strip, giving a more in-depth look at that time.

N.B. The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the English National Curriculum and Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email: schools@ngkids.co.uk

This History primary resource assists with teaching the following History objectives from the National Curriculum:

• Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind. 

• Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.

• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

National Curriculum Key Stage 1 History objective:

• Pupils should be taught significant historical events, people and places in their own locality

National Curriculum Key Stage 2 History objective:

• Pupils should be taught about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age

This History primary resource assists with teaching the following Social Studies Early level objective from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence:

• I am aware that different types of evidence can help me to find out about the past 

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence First level Social Studies objective:

• I understand that evidence varies in the extent to which it can be trusted and can use this in learning about the past

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Third level Social Studies objective: 

• I can use my knowledge of a historical period to interpret the evidence and present an informed view

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