Historic England has created a new free online resource designed to help teachers explore the story of Britain’s prehistory with their pupils, which can be used on school trips.
Spanning the period from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, the online interactive timeline gives teachers and pupils a vivid visual representation of how Britain’s landscape and inhabitants changed in the 400,000 years from the Palaeolithic era to 43AD.
Using the timeline for LOtC
Teachers can make use of the online resource on school trips by setting tasks to look out for objects that feature on it, or visit attractions that focus on a similar period of time.
The timeline features images of the kind of evidence that exists for Britain’s oldest inhabitants: footprints, bones and tools, as well as interactive maps showing important archaeological sites around the country.
Through a series of visuals, the resource illustrates the changing climate and geography of Britain - as it evolved from being a part of the same landmass as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, to its eventual isolation as an island.
Pair the timeline with other resources
The timeline works alongside other Historic England online resources, such as teaching notes, presentations and activities exploring life in Bronze Age Britain. There is also a range of images for the period featuring archaeological sites around the country, tools and remains and modern reconstructions of homes and settlements.
These resources can be used to support a school trip and will develop pupils’ understanding of certain heritage points and locations that have historical importance.
More about Historic England
Historic England aims to inspire children to learn more about their local history and provides a range of resources in order to make learning outsider the classroom, as well as in, easier.
It also offers young people the chance to do work experience, which is helpful for those interested in a career in heritage.
For more information, visit historicengland.org.uk.
Lead image: from Historic England timeline (Photo credit: Paul Birkbeck. Source Historic England Archive)
