Stone Age Life

Overview

This 60-minute session explores how people lived during the Stone Age, focusing on daily life, survival, and community. It is designed for Year 3 students following the 2014 National Curriculum for England for History, addressing key learning objectives on prehistoric life.

---

National Curriculum Links

History – Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4)

• Pupils should develop:
  • a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.
  • the ability to explain how people’s lives have shaped Britain and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
• Pupils should be taught about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.

Specific Learning Objectives for this lesson:

• To understand what life was like in the Stone Age (people’s homes, food, tools).
• To identify key differences between the Stone Age and modern life.
• To begin appreciating how and why early humans adapted to their environment.

---

Learning Outcomes

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

• Describe aspects of daily life in the Stone Age, including shelter, food, and tools.
• Explain how people survived and adapted during the Stone Age.
• Compare Stone Age life to their own lives today.

---

Resources Needed

• Large images/posters of Stone Age homes, clothing, tools, and cave paintings
• Replica or pictures of Stone Age tools (stones, bones, spears)
• Clay or playdough for creating simple clay tools
• Large timeline on the board showing Stone Age to Iron Age
• “Stone Age Life” worksheet for drawing and simple writing
• Whiteboard and markers

---

Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

“Imagine a Day in the Stone Age” Discussion

• Show a dramatic, colourful image of a Stone Age camp.
• Ask guided questions:
  • How do you think people lived here?
  • What might they eat?
  • What tools would they need to survive?
• Collect ideas and note key vocabulary on the whiteboard (hunter-gatherer, shelter, tools, cave paintings).

Assessment: Observe pupils’ prior knowledge and vocabulary use.

---

2. Main Teaching (15 minutes)

Interactive Mini-lecture & Visual Tour

• Present key facts about Stone Age life aligned with National Curriculum objectives:
  • Shelter: caves, huts made from wood, bones, animal skins.
  • Food: hunting animals, gathering plants, fishing.
  • Tools: made from stone, bones, wood.
  • Art: early cave paintings as a form of communication and story-telling.
• Use images and realia to bring examples to life.
• Place Stone Age on the timeline for chronological understanding.

Check comprehension by asking simple questions after each section.

---

3. Activity (25 minutes)

Clay Tool Making & Roleplay

• Pupils create their own Stone Age tool (e.g., a spear tip or scraper) using clay/playdough.
• Explain the function of their tool and how it might help survival.
• In pairs, roleplay a short scenario demonstrating how Stone Age people might have worked together to hunt or build shelter.

This kinaesthetic activity supports varied learning styles and deepens understanding.

---

4. Plenary (10 minutes)

“Then and Now” Venn Diagram

• On a large class diagram, pupils contribute ideas comparing Stone Age life with their own lives (e.g., homes, food, tools, clothes).
• Discuss similarities and differences briefly and highlight key learning points.

Assessment: Collect completed worksheets and observe contributions to the Venn diagram to assess understanding.

---

Differentiation

• Support: Provide simplified vocabulary cards and sentence starters for writing tasks.
• Challenge: Encourage higher ability pupils to think about why Stone Age people had to adapt when climates changed or animals became scarce.

---

Cross-Curricular Links

• Art: Creating simple Stone Age tools and looking at cave painting images.
• Science: Understanding materials (stone, bone) and adaptation to environment.
• English: Using descriptive language and sequencing events during roleplay.

---

Assessment Opportunities

• Listen and record pupil responses during discussions.
• Evaluate clay tool creations for understanding of purpose.
• Review “Stone Age Life” worksheet for comprehension and ability to compare life then and now.
• Observe participation in the roleplay for collaboration and oral communication skills.

---

Extension Ideas

• Set up a “Stone Age experience day” with dressing up and storytelling.
• Research different cave paintings from around the UK and Europe.
• Create a class Stone Age timeline with important events and inventions.

---

This lesson plan ensures a dynamic and multi-sensory approach that connects directly to the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum for England, engaging Year 3 students in understanding the Stone Age in a meaningful, memorable way.