Life Long Ago

Overview

This 60-minute session explores Britain before the Romans, focusing on the Celtic way of life. Designed for Reception children (ages 4-5), it links to the National Curriculum for England History objectives, introducing the concept of the past through engaging, hands-on activities about round houses, farming, clothes, warriors, and Celtic hobbies.

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National Curriculum Links

History - Understanding the Past

• Reception Early Learning Goal: Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members.
• Understanding History Objectives: Use words and phrases like ‘old’, ‘new’, ‘then’, ‘now’, ‘before’ to talk about the past. Describe similarities and differences between life now and life in the past.
• Develop an awareness of the past, using stories and pictures.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Use simple historical vocabulary to describe Celtic life in Britain before Roman invasion (round houses, farming, clothes, warriors).
• Recognise how people lived and what they enjoyed doing.
• Compare daily life now with daily life in Celtic Britain.
• Communicate their understanding through talking and creative activities.

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Resources

• Large colourful flashcards showing Celtic round houses, warriors, farms, clothes, and leisure activities
• Toy models or pictures of farming equipment and Celtic round houses
• Dress-up clothes or paper costume templates (simple Celtic-style tunics or cloaks)
• Drawing materials (paper, crayons)
• A storytelling area with a Celtic picture book or storyteller script
• A large Venn diagram for comparing past and present (drawn on paper or whiteboard)

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Starter discussion: Ask pupils what they know about a long time ago. Use prompts: “Who remembers hearing stories about people who lived a very long time ago?”
• Show a picture of Britain today and then a map of Britain before the Romans. Explain we’re going to find out about the Celts who lived here first.
• Introduce key vocabulary with flashcards: round house, farming, warrior, clothes, game. Model pronunciation and ask pupils to repeat.

2. Storytelling and Visualisation (10 minutes)

• Tell a simple, vivid story about a day in the life of a Celtic child (highlighting round houses, helping on farms, dressing in simple clothes, playing).
• Use props and picture flashcards to support understanding. Encourage the pupils to imagine they are in the story.

3. Hands-on Exploration (15 minutes)

• Activity 1: Round House Model
  Pupils explore a small model or picture of a round house, discussing what it is made from and how it is different from their own house.
• Activity 2: Dress Up
  Pupils try on (or colour in) Celtic-style clothes and describe what they feel like.
• Activity 3: Farming and Warriors
  Using small toy figures or pictures, pupils act out farming and warrior roles, naming the tools and clothing.

4. Comparative Discussion (10 minutes)

• Use a simple Venn diagram with the teacher’s help to compare activities from Celtic life and their own lives (e.g., farming vs. supermarket shopping, round houses vs. brick houses).
• Talk through similarities and differences, reinforcing use of past vocabulary.

5. Creative Drawing and Expression (10 minutes)

• Pupils draw a picture of daily life in Celtic Britain, choosing one aspect they liked best (house, clothes, farm, warrior, or activities).
• Share drawings and encourage pupils to explain their picture using key vocabulary.

6. Plenary and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Quick recap quiz using flashcards: Show a card and ask “What is this? Was this from a long time ago or now?”
• Ask pupils to say one new thing they learned about how people lived a long time ago in Britain.
• Teacher observes language use, historical understanding, and engagement for assessment against Early Learning Goals (ELG).

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Differentiation

• For less confident speakers, use simple one-word responses and show more visual prompts.
• For more confident pupils, encourage fuller sentences and ask them to describe or explain in more detail during the story and discussion.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a small “Celtic corner” role-play area for independent or future group play with round house structures, crops, and costume.
• Explore Celtic music or simple traditional games as a follow-up session.

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Notes for Teachers

• Use plenty of positive reinforcement and celebrate curiosity.
• Ensure all activities are sensory-rich and language focused to build confidence with new vocabulary.
• Maintain a relaxed pace to suit Reception attention spans while keeping pupils active and engaged.

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This lesson plan harnesses storytelling, role-play, and creative art to gently introduce Reception pupils to historical concepts aligned with the UK National Curriculum. It will help young learners develop foundational historical awareness and vocabulary in an age-appropriate and memorable way.