UKS2 Topic: Earliest Civilisations Ancient Sumer Block E: Literature
Learn about the earliest recorded story; Gilgamesh and his battles with demons; compare to other flood myths
including Noah’s ark and conclude this block by writing your own myth inspired by the ancient stories of this
region.
Block E: Ancient Sumer
Literature
[4 Sessions]
Main outcome: History
Other outcomes: English

By the end of this block
you will have achieved
the following outcomes:
Session 1 History and
English
Gilgamesh
Explore the oldest recorded
story: The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Discover how fact and fantasy
are often interwoven.
Session 2 History and
English
Flood myth
Explore the similarities
between The Epic of Gilgamesh
and the story of Noah’s Ark
from the Bible.
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 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.
 Read an increasingly wide range of fiction and poetry.
 Increase their familiarity with a wide range of books including myths, legends and
traditional stories from other cultures and traditions.
 Participate in discussion about books they have read.
 Infer characters feelings, thoughts and motives.
 Summarise the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph.
 Make comparisons across books.
 Identify themes and conventions in a range of writing.
 Identify how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.
 Select the appropriate form and use other similar writing as models for their own.
 Note and develop initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary.
 Describe settings, characters and atmosphere and integrate dialogue to convey
character and advance the action.
 Assess the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing.
 Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors.
 Perform others’ compositions.
Children will:
 Explain that the Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest recorded story.
 Retell the story of Gilgamesh.
 Understand that the story does contain factual information as well as fantasy.
Children will:
 Compare two stories about a great flood that were written in different cultures.
 Explain how the finding of a story similar to a Bible story caused a sensation in
Victorian times.
© 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 Ancient Sumer Block E: Literature
Children will:
Session 3 History and
 Listen to an adult reading a myth and make notes.
English
The City of Rainbows
Explore the Ancient Sumerian
myth entitled The City of
Rainbows, recognise what a
myth entails then write their
own mythical story.
Session 4 History and
English
Debate poems
Discover the Ancient Sumerian
concept of debate/dispute
poems and how chn can use
this to write their own
debate/dispute poems about
modern life.




Recognise and list the features of a myth.
Write their own myth set in Ancient Sumer.
Evaluate another child’s myth.
Edit and redraft their myth.
Children will:
 Explain that the Ancient Sumerians wrote debate/dispute poems that reflected
daily life.
 Understand that the things used as opponents were personified.
 Write their own debate/dispute poem.
Resources
Session 1
Provided: Information sheet about the Epic of Gilgamesh.
You will need: Access to the Internet; Gilgamesh the Hero retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, OUP,
ISBN: 9780192741868 (if available); Gilgamesh the King, The Revenge of Ishtar, & The Last Quest of
Gilgamesh retold by Ludmila Zeman, Tundra Books, ISBN: 9780887764370, 9780887764363 &
9780887763809; Oxford Reading Tree TreeTops Myths and Legends: Level 17: The Legend Of Gilgamesh
by Geraldine McCaughrean, OUP, ISBN: 9780198446439.
Session 2
Provided: Information sheet About the Flood tablet.
You will need: Access to the Internet; The Last Quest of Gilgamesh retold by Ludmila Zeman, Tundra
Books, ISBN: 9780887763809; Gilgamesh the Hero retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, OUP, ISBN:
9780192741868 (if available); Oxford Reading Tree TreeTops Myths and Legends: Level 17: The Legend
Of Gilgamesh by Geraldine McCaughrean, OUP, ISBN: 9780198446439.
Session 3
Provided: Information sheets covering: City of Rainbows Summary & How to plan a myth.
You will need: The City of Rainbows retold by Karen Foster, University of Pennsylvania Museum, ISBN:
9780924171703.
Session 4
Provided: Information sheets covering: Ancient Sumerian Debate Poems, A more recent example of a
debate poem; Debate poem scaffold sheet.
You will need: Access to the Internet.
© 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.