A Step Back in Time

This week, Year 3 embarked on an exciting exploration of the Stone Age. With some prior knowledge in hand, they were eager to delve deeper into one of the most intriguing periods in human history. Inspired by the topic, many children enthusiastically drew pictures to showcase what they already knew about the Stone Age. Together, we uncovered how scientists divide the Stone Age into three major periods: the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic.

We began by creating a mind map, where the children brainstormed what they already knew about the Stone Age and what they were curious to learn. Questions like, "How did people live?" and "What kind of tools did they use?" emerged, giving us a clear starting point for our journey.

One of the most engaging activities was when we explored cave paintings. We studied images from ancient caves, noticing how the art was often simple, using basic shapes and shading. The children were eager to recreate these early human expressions themselves.

To make their work feel authentic, they experimented with techniques to give the paper an aged, distressed look. They crumpled it and used chalk pastels along with charcoal pencils. Carefully, they shaded their drawings to mimic the appearance of ancient cave walls. Through this process, the children realised that although the paintings were primitive, the use of simple shapes and shading made them powerful storytelling tools.

As we continue our exploration we will dive deeper into the different periods of the Stone Age, uncovering how tools, communities, and daily life evolved over time. This initial step into the world of early humans has already sparked curiosity and excitement in our classroom!