Life in the Stone Age

Curriculum Area: History

UK Curriculum Connection: Key Stage 1 - Pupils should be taught about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.

Focus Level: Year 2 pupils, focusing on understanding the daily lives and survival strategies of early humans during the Stone Age.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

1. Understand the basic needs of Stone Age people and how they met these needs.
2. Explore the concepts of hunting, gathering, and shelter-building.
3. Participate in an interactive activity to reinforce their learning.

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Materials Needed

• Images or drawings of Stone Age tools, shelters, and clothes (printed or displayed on the board).
• A set of “mystery objects” (real or representations) from the Stone Age – e.g., a flint stone, a “wooden” spear, nuts/berries, a pretend fur pelt.
• Large sheets of paper and coloured crayons/pens.
• Role-play props: small pieces of rope, toy food items, (pretend) stones, feathers, or other natural elements where possible.

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Time Breakdown

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Recap/Hook Question: Start by asking: “Can you imagine living in a time where there’s no electricity, no grocery shops, and no houses? How would you survive? Let’s go back in time to the Stone Age to find out!”
2. Set the Scene: Use storytelling to introduce what life was like during the Stone Age. “Thousands of years ago, people didn’t have what we have today. They were incredibly smart and creative to survive using only what was around them in nature!”
3. Show pictures of Stone Age tools, clothing, and shelters to spark curiosity. Briefly introduce the terms hunter-gatherer and nomad.

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Main Activity (25 minutes)

Part 1: Mystery Objects (10 minutes)

• Group Work: Divide the class into small groups of 4-5 pupils.
• Task: Pass out the “mystery objects” used during the Stone Age (real or replicas like toy models). Each group must discuss what the object might have been used for in the Stone Age.
• Discussion: Go around as a class and discuss the objects, linking each one to survival needs (e.g., flint for making tools and fire, spears for hunting, nuts/berries for gathering food).

Part 2: Build a Shelter Challenge (15 minutes)

• Scenario: “You are Stone Age people, and it’s getting dark. You need to work as a team to build a shelter to keep warm and safe!”
• In small groups, pupils will use large sheets of paper to design/draw their own Stone Age shelter.
• Encourage them to think about where they would find materials (e.g., sticks, leaves, animal skins) and how the weather might impact their shelter.
• Once complete, pupils can share their ideas with the class. Optional tactile element: If physical materials are available (e.g., toy sticks, ropes, and cloth), let teams “build” the shelter models in class.

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Plenary (15 minutes)

Reflection and Role Play

1. Step into the Stone Age: Ask children to use the props provided (pretend stone tools, toy foods, ropes, etc.) to act out being Stone Age people for the last 10 minutes. Prompts for their role play could include:
   • Gathering berries and nuts to eat.
   • Hunting an imaginary mammoth with sticks or spears.
   • Building and huddling in their shelters for warmth.
2. Discussion Reflection: What was fun? What was difficult about surviving during the Stone Age? Encourage pupils to compare it to how we live today.

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Key Vocabulary

• Hunter-gatherer
• Flint
• Shelter
• Nomad
• Adapt

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observe group discussions during the “mystery objects” activity to assess understanding of Stone Age tools and their uses.
• Review pupils' shelter designs for creativity and understanding of how Stone Age people used their environment to survive.
• Use the final discussion to gauge whether pupils can articulate how life during the Stone Age was different from today.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For pupils who need extra support, pair them with a classmate during group work or provide hints for the purpose of the objects.
• For pupils needing more challenge, ask them how the Stone Age tools and strategies changed as time went on. Encourage them to think about how early humans “invented” new tools.

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Teacher’s Note

This highly interactive lesson incorporates movement, art, and role-play, which are ideal for keeping Year 2 pupils engaged and helping them grasp abstract historical concepts. Remember to encourage creativity and imagination while grounding the lesson in historical fact.