Educational Workshops

Indoor "Hands on History" sessions

The Classroom/Assembly Hall “hands on history” section of the Iron Age activities has been designed to cover the following topics:-

Chronological Understanding of the 3 Ages.

• An introduction to the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age in Ancient Britain using references to BC (BCE) and AD (CE).

Knowledge and understanding

• The significance of iron in the Iron Age and the differences to Bronze Age.
• Who were the Iron Age tribes, tribal boundaries, where did they live, what did they live in and the structure of an Ancient British tribe.
• Day to day life in Ancient Britain, foods, textiles, skills, tools and technology in the Iron Age.
• Typical dress and weapons worn and used by an Iron Age Warrior.
• Artwork of the Iron Age leading to shield and Spear Tip decorating (materials provided).
• Discussion of the evidence of trade in the Iron Age around the British Isles and Europe prior to the 43AD invasion.

Historical Interpretation

• Archaeological finds and historical records of the Iron Age and Ancient British peoples.
• Quotations and descriptions that shed light on the Iron Age tribes and their cultures.

Warrior Training

The “Warrior Training” sessions have been designed to follow on from the mornings activities, picking up from the discussion on the skills of a Warrior with their weaponry.

The "Warrior Training" is held in the school Hall to give us ample space for safety. The Hall is divided into 2 halves, a safe area and an active area.

Dividing the children into 2 equal groups:

• We provide 2 separate Warrior Training Activities, learning how to use a Spear and a Sword. The children then rotate through both activities.
• There are other quiet activities provided to keep the children occupied while waiting.

If it is a 2 or 3 class booking the other class/group would begin the shield decorating, while one class/group are Warrior Training. The two then swap over mid afternoon to rotate the classes/groups.

The swords and spears are made of wood and are used to hit targets/shields. The children are never in a situation where the weapons could be used in any other way and are supervised on a 1:1 basis. The other children waiting to take part are supervised in a "safe" area of the Hall.

N.Dace St Andrews Primary.

A thoroughly engaging and informative day.  The children really enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about the hierarchy of a tribe; the weapons that they used and the chance to handle many artefacts which brought the Iron Age to life.  The day catered for all children using a range of learning styles with listening, interacting, exploring and, of course, the physical aspect of warrior training!

  And, here are our finished shields!

Picture above the review.

Sun Hill Junior School

Matt was extremely organised, arriving at 7am to set up the field for the afternoon activities. All activities were thought through carefully and an in-depth risk assessment was provided and adhered to throughout the day.

The children enjoyed learning about the Iron Age, what life would have been like, exploring the wonderful artefacts that were on display. The children enjoyed the art activities where they designed their own shields for their own tribes and were keen to take these home to share with their families. The afternoon warrior training was great fun, three activities were organised on the field in a safe environment and talked through in detail with 1:1 tuition. The children threw javelin, attacked shields and attacked the Romans (a punch bag) with wooden weapons. A fun day was had by all.
Thanks Matt.
Ms Lisa Chisnall
English and Lower School Phase Leader
Sun Hill Junior School