UKS2 Topic: Earliest Civilisations: The Indus Valley Block E: Farming
Discover the daily tasks of the Indus Valley farmers, the crops that were grown and the animals that
were raised; act out the activities that they might have undertaken. Look at the evidence we have for
Indus Valley farming.
Block E: Farming
[3 sessions]
Main outcome: History
Other outcomes: English, D&T and Science
By the end of this block you will
have achieved the following
outcomes:

Session 1 History and English
Farmers
Discover the daily tasks of Indus
Valley farmers, the crops that
were grown and the animals
that were raised; act out
activities that Indus Valley
farmers might undertake.
Session 2 History and D&T
Buffalo, bullock and oxen carts
Design and make a wooden cart
in the Indus Valley civilisation
style; make storage pots and
animals to complete the cart.
Session 3 History and Science
Evidence
Find out about the importance
of ‘rubbish’ to archaeologists;
investigate some ‘rubbish’
thrown away by a family today.
Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the
nature of ancient civilisations and characteristic features of past non-European
societies.
 Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change.
 Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different
contexts, understanding the connections between economic and social history.
 Use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring
ideas.
 Participate in discussion and role play.
 Generate, develop and communicate their ideas through discussion and annotated
sketches.
 Select from and use a range of tools and equipment.
 Select from and use a range of materials and components.
 Apply their knowledge of how to strengthen and reinforce complex structures.
 Compare and group everyday materials on the basis of their properties (perishable
or not).
 Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions.
 Record results using tables.
 Draw conclusions.
Children will:
 Describe the activities carried out by Indus Valley farmers.
 List the crops grown and livestock raised.
 Use role play to investigate the daily lives of Indus Valley farmers.
Children will:
 Describe the carts used by the Indus Valley people.
 Make a wooden cart in the Indus Valley style.
Children will:
 Explain that some materials in the Indus Valley have not survived being buried for
thousands of years.
 Understand that ancient rubbish tips can be good sources of information for
archaeologists.
 Set up and carry out an enquiry to find out how quickly different materials perish.
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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.
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UKS2 Topic: Earliest Civilisations: The Indus Valley Block E: Farming
Resources
Session 1
Provided: Image of simple ard.
You will need: Compost; Seeds; Pots (the chn can plant these at the start of the session and take them
home to look after).
Session 2
Provided: Images of model carts.
You will need: Materials for making wheeled-carts, including wood of various shapes & sizes, e.g.
dowelling, square section strips, off-cuts, matchsticks, lolly sticks, card; Glue (&/or glue gun with adult
help); Wheels (wooden preferably, though two card wheels could be glued together with small pieces
of wood to hold them apart to create thickness); Hacksaws; Scissors; Plasticine/air-dried clay to create
storage pots for cart and model animals; Steel rulers; Pencils.
Session 3
Provided:
You will need: Black bin liner with some selected clean ‘rubbish’ from your home, e.g. food packaging,
bus/train ticket, broken plastic fork, lengths of wool, an old cotton T-shirt, an old jumper, newspaper,
chipped mug, photos that are surplus to requirements, old mobile phone, light bulb (care needs to be
taken!), plastic comb, broken toy, jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece, plastic drinks bottle, key, plastic
shopping bag, an old paperback, toy car, etc.; Garden soil or compost, sand, water, containers; Clay
objects, both fired and unfired if possible; Bake some wheat & barley grains, chickpeas & lentils in a
low oven for 12 hours to represent carbonisation; Seeds, pieces of wood, leaves, vegetables, paper,
cardboard, fabrics (cotton, linen & woollen if possible), clean food packaging, small unwanted toys,
newspaper, paper written on with different media (biro, pencil, felt tip, etc.), plastic items, drink cans,
broken ceramics; Disposable gloves for handling soil/sand.
© 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.