Stone Age to Iron Age School Visits

This exciting school visit takes your class through thousands of years of early mankind.  It can be booked for one – three classes for a full day, reduced full day or half day.

In local schools, two Specialists can attend.  In this case, two form entry schools will get Specialist-led sessions for all children all day.  Further afield, two and three form entry schools can be accommodated with some teacher-led sessions and we have enough resources for all children to be occupied on relevant sessions all day.

Below is an outline of a typical Stone Age to Iron Age Visit.

Introduction

The Stone Age man or woman tries to communicate with the class.  They are surrounded by their cherished tools, weapons and every day objects which comforts them but they become frustrated by how little the children understand of their basic language.  They eventually retreat to the safety of their home.

Cheddar Man Hunting

Neolithic Tools & Weapons

Neolithic Tools and Weapons

In this session, the Specialist will return in an adjusted costume as the Bronze Age man, Gragar or woman, Lille.  Their language is much more developed and they readily share the weaponry and tools of their ancestor, the Neolithic man, explaining each item as they go.  Optionally, this session can also include flint arrowmaking.

Flint Arrow Making

Building Stonehenge

Stonehenge & The Bronze Age

This session is structured in three sections.  The introduction features a range of resources some of which can be handled.  In groups, children are asked to problem-solve, working together to build wooden models of Stonehenge.  Using unique kits, made especially for our day,  children must determine the correct size for the model and complete certain maths challenges relating to it.

Each group is then issued with a bow drill firestarter to see if they can make smoke and a bull roarer to try to make sound.

Cave Painting

Cave Painting

This simple, teacher-led session incorporates Art/DT and facilitates the Specialist policy of working with large numbers of children throughout the school day at no extra cost.  Teacher Notes are emailed, explaining how to run the session.

Stone Age Board Games

This session can sometimes be delivered by ourselves where we are booked for a single class or can be teacher-led on days with multiple classes.  Alternatively, the session can be left as a follow up as it is easy to deliver from Teacher Notes provided.

Bronze Age Replica Artefacts

The Iron Age

The Iron Age including Archery

The Iron Age man, Garrai, or woman, Luigsech, introduce themselves in a different costume and displays a range of Iron Age resources most of which can also be handled by the class.  They then instruct the children in the use of our class set of child friendly bows and arrows.  In fine weather, this session will take place outdoors but to guarantee the session can go ahead, we require the booking of a large indoor space such as a hall.

The session ends with an exciting race as children are allowed to use flint and a steel fire starter!

Storytelling

Celtic Myths & Storytelling

We end the day with a myth told in oral tradition and, if time allows, combine this with more interactive storytelling as a whole group.  All of the children can join in, playing simple parts in a light-hearted tale.

We, Greg and Lisa, work fully in role as Stone Age to Iron Age people. This means that we use our subject knowledge to respond to questions and talk as they would do.  To achieve this we use a monosyllabic approach early in the day, progressing to more fluid speech moving into the Bronze Age and onwards. 

Our focus is on the educational experience for the children and what serves them best, so the sessions are interactive and involve everyone.  The sessions are interactive and involve all of the children.

The day is fully risk assessed and this can be emailed upon request.  Confirmation of booking is taken as a contract between the school and The Specialists and acceptance of our T & C’s.

Greg and Lisa McCarthy have many years of experience working with children. Greg is a teacher and Lisa a former Occupational Therapist in learning disabilities. Both have DBS  and public liability insurance.

Resources are meticulously researched and authentic to the period.  We will bring real animal hide and animal bone objects.  We understand if anyone is sensitive to this (Lisa is a vegetarian in real life!) but please be prepared.  Our bone replica artefacts really are made of bone – not plastic! 

Stone Age to Iron Age school visits for education.  We provide a living history and reenactment service as historical interpreters focusing on the topic.  As re-enactors, we use storytelling, artefacts such as toys and games to bring the excitement of real history to your classroom.

Some of the locations we travel to for our Stone Age to Iron Age workshops are:

East-Midlands, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Leamington, Leicester, Hinckley, Nottingham, Coventry, Birmingham, Tamworth, Derbyshire, , Chesterfield, Ilkeston, Swadlincote, Nottinghamshire, Derby, Mansfield, Worksop, Newark, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Coalville, Lutterworth, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Nuneaton,  Solihull, Warwick, Rugby, West Midlands.