Virtual Visit   Peek into prehistory

• Virtual Visits are live interactive workshops linking your classroom to an expert in one of the British Museum's learning rooms.
• They have been designed to incorporate a broad range of learning techniques.
• Your students will take an active role throughout the Virtual Visit.
• Virtual Visits acknowledge that learning is not only about knowledge and understanding. It encourages students to be inspired and excited to visit museums, to develop their close observation competency, and to enhance their communication skills to express and share their own thoughts. 
• This workshop does not involve virtual reality, augmented reality or a virtual tour of the galleries.

• The Virtual Visit begins with an introduction to the British Museum and its collection of eight million objects.
• Students explore materials and their durability by touching materials close to them and around the classroom. They are then asked to articulate their ideas verbally about which materials are longer-lasting. The Museum expert shows some photographs of different objects to illustrate this. 
• Students explore a timeline of British history in order to find out how far in the past prehistory was in Britain and how long it lasted. Students learn that prehistory refers to a time period before widespread use of written language. The Museum expert demonstrates through a timeline that different cultures began using writing at different times, in different locations around the world.
• Using photographs and an animation to illustrate, the Museum expert explains how archaeologists discover objects from different time periods. Students use actions to respond to an activity that reinforces this concept. 
• Students watch a video reconstruction of a prehistoric settlement with roundhouses. They compare prehistoric and modern homes by identifying similarities and differences and are then asked to articulate their ideas verbally. 
• Students respond to a quiz which will aid their discovery of prehistoric objects and what they can tell us about the people who made and used them. 

England, The National Curriculum in England, Key stage 2, History

• Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
• The Roman Empire and its impact of Britain.
• A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils' chronological knowledge beyond 1066.
• The achievements of the earliest civilisations.

Northern Ireland, The Northern Ireland Curriculum, Key stage 2, The world around us

• Place
• Change over time

Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence, second level, social studies: people, past events and societies

• I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to research events in the past. 
• I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and differences. 
• I can discuss why people and events from a particular time in the past were important, placing them within a historical sequence.

Wales, The National Curriculum for Wales, Key stage 2, History

• Chronological awareness
• Historical knowledge and understanding 
• Interpretations of history 
• Historical enquiry 
• Organisation and communication

Archaeologist, archaeology, bronze, Bronze Age, ceramic, gold, iron, Iron Age, Latin, Neolithic, object, prehistory, Roman, roundhouse, stone, Stone Age, timeline, wood.

You can discover more ancient Britain classroom resources, either before or after your Virtual Visit