Primary schools

In this page you will find learning and teaching resources that have been developed primarily for primary school pupils (KS1 and KS2 in the UK).

Resources can vary in their layout and complexity, as they have been developed over time by staff members of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology and the School of Arts and Cultures at Newcastle University, as well as by the Great North Museum in Newcastle.

Classroom activities (teaching and learning packs)

Prehistory: Stone Age and Iron Age

Age group: KS2

Videos and printable resources on the Stone Age and the Iron Age:

You can discover more by visiting the Prehistory gallery at the Great North Museum, Newcastle:

Resources for visiting the Prehistory gallery: https://greatnorthmuseum.org.uk/learning-resources
Experience a family friendly Ice Age to Iron Age Great North Museum virtual gallery tour: https://greatnorthmuseum.org.uk/visit-us/virtual-tours

Ancient Greece: Reimagining Ancient Greece

Age group: KS2

A whole pack of learning and teaching resources on ancient Greece that will lead you and your class through a journey of discovery of Greek mythology, sports, warfare, daily life, thought and architecture.

The resources can be used for single lessons or over longer periods of time. However you choose to use them, these resources will enable you to create a bespoke and engaging project that will develop your students' knowledge of and interest in the world of the ancient Greeks.

Explore the resources here: Reimagining Ancient Greece

Ancient Rome: Roman Wall Painting in Pompeii and Herculaneum

Age group: KS2

How are Roman Art and Archaeology still relevant today? The main aim of the teaching pack is to encourage pupils to research ancient Roman wall painting and learn more about life in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The Teaching and Learning resources stem from the Expanded Interiors project, a joint Fine Art and Archaeology project at Newcastle University.

Explore the project website: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/expandedinteriors/

Explore the teaching and learning resources: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/expandedinteriors/resources/learningandteachingresources/

Victorian Era: Exploring the World with Gertrude Bell

Age group: KS1-2

Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) was an extraordinary woman. She was born into a wealthy family in the North East of England and chose to spend much of her life as a traveller, explorer and archaeologist. During and after WWI her extensive knowledge of the Middle East as well as Arabic language and culture led to her working for the British Government. She was a key figure in the discussions that led to the creation of the state of Iraq following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire. Frequently she was the only woman contributing to decisions that shaped the political map of the Middle East. Towards the end of her life she devoted herself to the heritage of Iraq, setting up the National Museum in Baghdad and writing the country’s first antiquities laws. Her legacy as a diplomat, archaeologist and writer is still of great significance today, not least in the political situation in the Middle East.

Gertrude Bell has left extraordinary accounts of her numerous adventures in her books, but you can also look at her photos, letters and diaries to know more about this extraordinary woman!

The Gertrude Bell research website: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/gertrudebell/
The Gertrude Bell teaching and learning resources: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/gertrudebell/schools/

Family History: Modern Greece

Age group: KS2

Check out the Greek Family History website to develop your research on this topic.

You can use the Greek Family History project to encourage your pupils to research their family's history and to create their family tree. Working on family history will encourage transgenerational communication and promote childrens' individual identity. It will also help with connecting their family history to local and national history, enhancing pupils’ understanding of the past.

The databases available on this webpage can also be used to research topics about local history (such as occupations on Mykonos and Hermoupolis in the 19th century, demographic characteristics of the Kythera population in the 18th and 19th centuries or the migration links between island populations, for example Mykonos and Hermoupolis or Chios and Hermoupolis).

To discover more on Greek Family history, click here.

Museum activities

Prehistory: Fossils and Dinosaurs

Age group: KS2

A series of resources to help prepare for your visit to the fossil and dinosaur gallery at the Great North Museum in Newcastle.

The Great North Museum resources webpage: https://greatnorthmuseum.org.uk/learning-resources

Antiquity: Egypt

Age group: KS2

A series of resources to help prepare for your class’ visit to the Egyptian collection at the Great North Museum in Newcastle.

The Great North Museum resources webpage: https://greatnorthmuseum.org.uk/learning-resources

Ancient Rome: Roman Britain

Age group: KS1-2

A series of resources to help prepare for your class’ visit to the Roman collection at the Great North Museum in Newcastle.

The Great North Museum resources webpage: https://greatnorthmuseum.org.uk/learning-resources

Middle Ages: Anglo Saxons

Age group: KS2

A series of resources to help prepare for your class’ visit to the Anglo-Saxons collection at the Great North Museum in Newcastle.

The Great North Museum resources webpage: https://greatnorthmuseum.org.uk/learning-resources

Additional resources

Archaeology: Roman Finds

Age group: KS2

A series of short videos that will introduce you and your pupils to Roman small finds: why they are relevant in our understanding of the past and what they can tell us about Roman life.

Explore the videos here: Roman Finds Group Videos

Classics and Ancient History: ClassicsNCL Outreach Hub

Age group: KS1-2

Visit the ClassicsNCL Outreach Hub to explore more Classics and Ancient History resources and to book talks and interactive workshops on the Greeks and Romans: www.classicsncl.blog

Contemporary History: Martin Luther King

Age group: KS2

Discover more about the visit of Martin Luther King to Newcastle in 1967 with a teaching pack that includes lesson plans, hand-outs, worksheets, music recordings and presentation slides for lessons across a broad spectrum of subjects, including History, RE, Geography, English, PHSE, Music, Drama, Art and even Chemistry. It also includes material for assemblies.

Visit the Martin Luther King website: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/martinlutherking/activities/mlkinuk/

Archives Alive: Education Outreach at Newcastle University

Age group: KS1-2

Discover the learning and teaching resources developed by Newcastle University Library Archives.

Archives Alive website: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/services/education-outreach/#archives_alive

After school activites

Archaeology: Young Archaeologists’ Club

Check out this fabulous opportunity for young learners in your area: the Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) offers opportunities for 8-16 year olds interested in archaeology, with a network of local clubs across the UK.

Click here to discover more and find a YAC in your area.