UKS2 Topic: Earliest Civilisations: The Indus Valley Block D: Craftspeople and Trade
Find out about the creativity of the Indus Valley people and try your hand at making some of the
artefacts that you study. Learn about the process of trade and the goods involved.
Block D: Craftspeople and Main outcome: History
Other outcomes: D&T, English, Art, Geography and Computing
trade
[4 Sessions]
By the end of this block you
will have achieved the
following outcomes:
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Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the
nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires;
characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of
mankind.
Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used
rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting
arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and
consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make
connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions
and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and
analyses.
Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different
contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and
international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and
social history, and between short- and long-timescales.
Improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including working with clay.
Generate, develop and communicate their ideas through discussion and
annotated sketches.
Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical
tasks.
Select from and use a wider range of materials and components.
Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate and describe
features.
Select and use a variety of software.
Use technology responsibly.
Participate in role play.
Use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring
ideas.
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
The links to the websites and the contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’)
have been checked by Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton
Trust’s knowledge, are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton
Trust website, you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links,
changed such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.
UKS2 Topic: Earliest Civilisations: The Indus Valley Block D: Craftspeople and Trade
Children will:
Session 1 History and Art
Craftspeople
Learn about some of the objects that Indus
valley craftspeople produced; find out how
potters created pots during the Indus Valley
civilisation and then make a pot in the style
of an Indus Valley craftsperson.
Session 2 History and Art
Jewellery
Describe some Indus Valley jewellery; list
the materials that Indus Valley jewellers
used and then make a necklace or bracelet
in the style of Indus Valley jewellery.
Session 3 History, D&T, and
Geography
Trading
Discover the trade routes and modes of
transport used by traders of the Indus Valley
civilisation; learn some of the goods which
were traded; make a set of balance scales in
the style of those used by the Indus Valley
traders.
Session 4 History, Computing, and
English
Bartering
Use role play to try bartering;
list the types of goods that could be
bartered; play and evaluate a simulation
game about Indus Valley traders.
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List some of the objects that Indus valley craftspeople produced.
Explain how potters created pots during the Indus Valley civilisation.
Make a pot in the style of an Indus Valley craftsperson.
Children will:
 Describe some Indus Valley jewellery.
 List the materials that Indus Valley jewellers used.
 Make a necklace or bracelet in the style of Indus Valley jewellery.
Children will:
 Describe the trade routes and modes of transport used by traders of
the Indus Valley civilisation.
 List some of the goods which were traded.
 Make a set of balance scales in the style of those used by the Indus
Valley traders.
Children will:
 Use role play to try bartering.
 List the types of goods that could be bartered.
 Play and evaluate a simulation game about Indus Valley traders.
Resources
Session 1
Provided: Information sheet Indus Valley Artefacts.
You will need: Air-dried clay (unless you have a kiln at school); Black (and red) paint & brushes; Diluted
PVA glue to act as a glaze; Rolling pins; Aprons.
Session 2
Provided: Information sheet on Indus Valley Jewellery.
You will need: Air-dried clay; Needles with large eyes; Thick thread or thin string; Paints, including
silver and gold if possible; Pasta of various shapes.
Session 3
Provided: Information sheet on Indus Valley Trading.
You will need: Wood; Card; Thick thread/thin string; Margarine tubs/yoghurt pots; Scissors, Hacksaws;
Plasticine; World map.
Session 4
Provided:
You will need: Access to the internet; Sufficient PCs/laptops for children to work in pairs.
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
The links to the websites and the contents of the web pages associated with such links specified on this list (hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘Links’)
have been checked by Hamilton Trust (being the operating name of the registered charity, William Rowan Hamilton Trust) and to the best of Hamilton
Trust’s knowledge, are correct and accurate at the time of publication. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other terms and conditions on the Hamilton
Trust website, you acknowledge that Hamilton Trust has no control over such Links and indeed, the owners of such Links may have removed such Links,
changed such Links and/or contents associated with such Links. Therefore, it is your sole responsibility to verify any of the Links which you wish you use.
Hamilton Trust excludes all responsibility and liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any Links.