'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important? - Presentation' is a resource from 'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?', a Year 3 History lesson from the unit Stone age. This lesson uses an enquiry-approach method, and will facilitate students answering the question 'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?'

The creation of Iron Age hill forts represented a significant development in Britain's prehistoric period. These structures were crucial for the security and organisation of Iron Age communities. The hill forts served as fortified settlements, strategically located to provide a vantage point against potential invaders. They were necessary due to the increasing need for defence and the rise of territorial disputes during the Iron Age. Life within these hill forts was communal and structured, with families living in roundhouses made from wattle and daub. These homes centred around a fire pit for cooking and were furnished with simple items like food storage jars and straw beds. Apart from daily domestic life, the community engaged in farming, raising animals such as cows, sheep, and pigs, and practised trades like pottery, carpentry, and metalworking.

In exploring how these hill forts were constructed, students are encouraged to research and create detailed diagrams to visualise their complex layouts. Essential components of a typical hill fort included defensive ditches, gateways for controlled access, solid walls for protection, and internal structures like roundhouses for dwelling and granaries for storing harvests. These features illustrate the sophistication of Iron Age engineering and the importance of these forts in sustaining large communities. The study of hill forts offers valuable insights into the social and military advancements that occurred from the beginning of the Stone Age to the end of the Iron Age, marking a period of significant transformation in Britain's ancient history.

'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important? - Teacher notes' is a resource from 'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?', a Year 3 History lesson from the unit Stone age. This lesson uses an enquiry-approach method, and will facilitate students answering the question 'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?'

Teacher notes

Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important? - Teacher notes

'The importance of Iron Age hill forts' is a resource from 'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?', a Year 3 History lesson from the unit Stone age. This lesson uses an enquiry-approach method, and will facilitate students answering the question 'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?'

The importance of Iron Age hill forts

'Iron Age hill forts - Writing task' is a resource from 'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?', a Year 3 History lesson from the unit Stone age. This lesson uses an enquiry-approach method, and will facilitate students answering the question 'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?'

Iron Age hill forts - Writing task

Create an Iron Age Hill fort Diagram is an invaluable teaching resource for helping to explain the importance of Iron Age hill forts. This resource encourages students to explore the question through engaging practical activities, such as creating a diagram of a hill fort. This lesson will draw on previously taught knowledge of Iron Age history, including Bronze and early Iron Age, the construction of Maiden Castle, the development of hill forts in the South West of England, and their use as fortified refuges or small towns following Roman conquest. This activity is part of the lesson, “Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?”.This interactive teaching resource includes features that make lesson planning simpler for teachers. These features include a discussion of the evidence for hillforts from the period, such as wooden walls, thatched roofs, and external ditches, as well as details about the defensive advantages of a hill fort, like one or more lines of ramparts, such as at Wat's Dyke and Cadbury Castle, and linear earthworks. The resource also provides background information about the late Bronze and early Iron Age in Britain for a comprehensive understanding of the period, such as weapons and enemies the people of the time faced, and what was needed to attack and defend a hill fort.Using this teaching resource, teachers can easily engage their students in exploring the key question by guiding them through the creation of a hill fort diagram. By providing students with a practical activity, they will gain a greater understanding of the shape and construction of hillforts, and what enabled them to be effective in protecting people, land, and tools in a complex and turbulent period. As an extension, teachers can also introduce archaeological evidence for hill forts, such as graves and temples, to further expand the students’ understanding of the period.Features:<ul><li>Discussion of evidence from the period, such as wooden walls, thatched roofs, and external ditches</li><li>An exploration of the defensive advantages of a hill fort, like one or more lines of ramparts, such as at Wat’s Dyke and Cadbury Castle</li><li>Linear earthworks</li><li>Background information about the late Bronze and early Iron Age in Britain, such as weapons and enemies the people of the time faced, and what is needed to attack and defend a hill fort</li><li>Practical activities, such as creating a diagram of a hill fort</li><li>Archaeological evidence for hill forts, such as graves and temples</li></ul>This teaching resource not only expands the students' knowledge of Iron Age hill forts, but also makes lesson planning easier for teachers. By providing features like background information, discussions of evidence from the period, and practical activities, teachers can easily guide their students through an exploration of Iron Age hill forts. The interactive nature of this teaching resource also encourages students to think critically and deepen their understanding of the topic in an engaging and enjoyable way.

Create a diagram of a hill fort

Year 3 History lesson from the unit Stone age. This lesson uses an enquiry-approach method, and will facilitate students answering the question 'Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?'

Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important?

Year 3

History

Stone Age

Why was the creation of the Iron Age hill forts so important? - Presentation

Awarded an OBE for Services to Education, Clive Davies has designed and built these schemes around progression and enquiry. Focus Education resources are of the highest educational quality.