Cave Dwellers’ Stonehenge Takes The Biscuit.

That’s what young ‘builders’ at Ramsgate Arts primary did as they investigated the world-famous standing stones and the meaning behind their layout and positioning on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.

The inter-active task saw the Year 3 group really engaged with the whole process of what the henge looked like and how it was laid out, particularly when they were cementing the biscuit building blocks into place using icing – and tasting it after completing construction.

It was all part of the children’s introduction to exploring the Stone Age and how civilisation developed from prehistoric times.

Pupil observations included ‘Stonehenge is old rocks that were put into a circle’, and ‘we don't really have evidence for what they used it for, but we think they could have used it for praying or a sun dial maybe?’

To get into the mood of the period children came to school dressed as cave dwellers in a fun day of learning activities that began with flint knapping and discovering how Stone Age people used this process to sharpen flint and create their weapons and other objects. They used wooden tools to shape bars of soap to mimic the ancient skill – some then turned their creations in to necklaces.

The children then designed outfits that they thought would be most useful for the cave dwellers.

 

The busy schedule was completed with parents and carers invited in to share the topic’s ‘art to start’ project which was cave painting.

Together they crushed up berries and spinach to create colour and used charcoal for darker lines to replicate cave drawings that we discussed. The children loved getting messy and exploring art through a different medium.

When asked what their favourite part of the day was, the children were spoilt for choice.

Comments included: ‘I loved making Stonehenge, especially when we got to eat it afterwards,’ ‘making weapons out of soap was a lot harder than it looked’ and ‘my favourite part was the cave painting, it looked so awesome’.

Teacher Kate Maclean said: “Stone Age day was an amazing way to fully immerse the children in their learning. They had so much fun and it will be a core memory for them - we are so lucky to be able to give our pupils enriching experiences to enhance their education."

*Stonehenge Facts – it is perhaps the world's most famous prehistoric monument. It was built in several stages: the first monument was an early henge monument, built about 5,000 years ago, and the unique stone circle was erected in the late Neolithic period about 2500 BC.

It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet high, seven feet wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting horizontal lintel stones.

Ramsgate Arts Primary School is part of the Viking Academy Trust with Upton Junior School and Chilton Primary School.

*For more information, contact Head of School Nick Budge on 01843 582847