Unit 1: Stone Age,

Bronze Age, and

Iron Age
Lesson 5: What does
Stonehenge tell
us about prehistoric
Britain?

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 Lesson 5: Knowledge quiz
Retrieval
1. What is the definition of a conflict?
________________________________________________________________
___________

________________________________________________________________
___________

2. Which period followed the Bronze Age?

Stone Age Iron Age Neolithic Mesolithic
3.What did Iron Age people build for defence?
(Circle two.)
hillforts mud huts roundhouse river forts
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 Lesson 5: Knowledge quiz
Retrieval
1. What is the definition of a conflict?
________________________________________________________________
___________

________________________________________________________________
___________

2. Which period followed the Bronze Age?

Stone Age Iron Age Neolithic Mesolithic
3.What did Iron Age people build for defence?
(Circle two.)
hillforts mud huts roundhouses river forts
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 Enquiry question
How did life change for people living in
the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages?

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 Learning journey
How do artefacts inform us What was life like in Iron
1 4 Age Britain?
about prehistory in Britain?

What does Stonehenge tell

How did life change during
2 the Stone Age in Britain?
5 us about prehistoric
Britain?

What was life like in How did prehistoric beliefs

3 6
Bronze Age Britain? and rituals change?

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 Lesson 5: Lesson statement
In this lesson we will learn what
Stonehenge is and how it might have been
used.

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 Lesson 5: Key term
The key term for this lesson is
monument.
A monument is a statue
or structure built for an
important reason.

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 Lesson 5: Key knowledge
What does Stonehenge tell us about prehistoric Britain?

Key knowledge Key vocabulary

• Stonehenge is a monument built from different • druids
stones. • monument
• Monuments can be built to celebrate or remember • Stonehenge
something or someone. • theories
• Historians have an idea about when and how
Stonehenge was built.
• There are different theories about why
Stonehenge was built and how it was used.

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 Lesson 5: Talk task
This is a monument called Why do you think it was
Stonehenge. Have you heard of it? built?

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 Lesson 5: Read
What is a monument?
A monument is a type of structure
built by humans that is important
historically.
Examples are statues, buildings and
war memorials.
They are often built to celebrate or
remember a significant person or a
significant event.

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 Lesson 5: Read
What is a monument?

The picture below is a famous monument in France.

Do you know what it is called?

Monuments tell us a story or give us

clues about what life was like for
people in that place and at that time.

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 Lesson 5: Investigation
Tick the images that show monuments.

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 Lesson 5: Answers
Tick the images that show monuments.
 

 

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 Lesson 5: Talk task
Can you think of any other I have heard of a
monuments? monument called…

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 Lesson 5: Read
What do we know about Stonehenge?
Stonehenge is a prehistoric
monument near Salisbury,
England.
Historians think it
was first built around the end of
the Neolithic period, over 5000
years ago.
They can also tell that stones
were added for over 1000 years.
This means that parts of the
monument were added during the
Bronze Age.
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 Lesson 5: Read
What do we know about Stonehenge?

What happened at Stonehenge? - BBC Bitesize

Watch
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 Lesson 5: Read
Why was Stonehenge built and how was it used?
We don’t know how Stone Age people moved the heavy stones to
Stonehenge. Historians have many different theories for why it was
built and how it was used.
1. Stonehenge is a burial site and a monument to the
dead. Cremated (burned) bones have been found around the site.
2. Stonehenge acts as a calendar to work out important dates for
farming. The stones were placed to show people when the longest and
shortest days of the
year happened.

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 Lesson 5: Read
Why was Stonehenge built and how was it used?

3. Stonehenge was a holy place, where people would come to worship

and to celebrate festivals. These would take place when the stones
lined up with the Sun and the Moon each year.
4. Stonehenge was a place of healing. Some of the stones were brought
many miles from a place in Wales where people believed there was
healing water.

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 Lesson 5: Group task
Choose a theory that you are interested in.
Write in the evidence to support this theory.

Theory Evidence Do you believe the theory?

A monument for the dead

A calendar for farming

A holy place for festivals and

worship

A healing place

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 Lesson 5: Answers
Complete the table with evidence that supports each theory about
why Stonehenge was built and whether you believe it.

Theory Evidence Do you believe the theory?

Cremated (burned) bones

A monument for the dead
have been found around the
site

The stones were placed to

show people when the longest
A calendar for farming
and shortest days of the year
happened

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 Lesson 5: Answers
Complete the table with evidence that supports each theory about
why Stonehenge was built and whether you believe it.

Theory Evidence Do you believe the theory?

These would occur when

A holy place for festivals and some of the stones lined up
worship with the Sun and the Moon
each year.

Some of the stones were

brought many miles from a
A healing place place in Wales where people
believed there was healing
water.

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 Lesson 5: Write
Challenge:
Which theory do you think is most likely?
Explain your answer.

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 Lesson 5: Learning review
What does Stonehenge tell us about prehistoric Britain?

Can you tell your partner an What key learning helps you
answer to the lesson to answer the lesson
question? question?

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 Lesson 5: Key knowledge
What does Stonehenge tell us about prehistoric Britain?

Key knowledge Key vocabulary

• Stonehenge is a monument built from different • druids
stones. • monument
• Monuments can be built to celebrate or remember • Stonehenge
something or someone. • theories
• Historians have an idea about when and how
Stonehenge was built.
• There are different theories about why
Stonehenge was built and how it was used.

© Ark Curriculum+ 2023