Description

Stone Age to Iron Age Assembly

Stone Age to Iron Age Assembly is based on ‘Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age’, this script has a truly wide-ranging cast that includes a hunter-gatherer, a farmer, some guys with ropes from Stonehenge, a ‘Rolling Stone’, a caveman, ape, cast of Ice Age, a Celt, Iron Man … and a Narrator and Archaeologist that just can’t seem to get on!

Cast of 30. Duration: 15 to 20 minutes not including music suggestions

Starting 9 million years ago and running through all three ‘ages’: Stone, Bronze and Iron (yes, the play does take ‘ages’!) this is a informative but, as usual, fun romp through history – with one long-suffering narrator!

I chose to try to explain a little about evolution and how Stone Age Man ‘came about’ so as to put the aforementioned Ages into context. There is a phenomenal amount of information to cover in this ‘Unit’ or whatever the Sept 2014 guidelines now call such things! I have I hope covered the most important changes in this assembly. But the guided reading scripts, which can be read in the classroom, to accompany this assembly, will I hope offer a more comprehensive coverage of the subject, with the usual quizzes to assess knowledge gained.

Quite a challenge this one for me – I didn’t do this subject at school – or university! But I found it fascinating. And I will be writing more scripts on the subject – the next one being a simplified version, for Lower Key Stage Two; plus those guided reading scripts.

I have however provided TEACHING NOTES including TIMELINE and Key Areas/Changes that I included in this assembly. These can be found at the end of the script, after the Production Notes. I thought these might be useful.

I am conscientiously working my way through the Sept 2014 Guidelines but if anyone has any immediate requests, please feel free to contact me – always happy to help!

I have just written a second script – similar title but just words ‘Changes in Britain from’ added on – and has Stonehenge picture. Normally I just write one assembly per subject  but with the new curriculum it’s a little less specific so I am  writing for both Upper and Lower Key Stage II. i.e. two separate scripts. In the case of the Stone Age, the script entitled Changes in Britain From the Stone Age ot the Iron Age is for lower Key Stage II (picture of Stonehenge); Stone Age to Iron Age Assembly (picture of stone age man) is for upper Key Stage II – it’s double the length – though I think the script is easy enough for younger children to cope with. Sample scripts are indicative of level of reading required.

* IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE PURCHASE OF SCRIPT!

This script was written for UPPER KEY STAGE II i.e. YEARS 5 & 6.

If you want a script for Years 3/4 you need to buy the other script entitled Changes in Britain from Stone Age to Iron Age Assembly

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Please note: The script is available in word document format on purchase of Performing Rights Certificate. The scripts remain free of performance rights for staging in the class room but as an assembly in front of a non-paying audience you need to buy a single Performance Rights Certificate to cover you for the play you are purchasing.

Stone Age to Iron Age Assembly Sample Text:

Whole Cast:                (Together) The Stone Age!

Narrator:                     Ah! There we are! Now, that’s progress for you!

(Enter Hunter Gatherer)

(Narrator looks him up and down)

Narrator:                     Hmm. Well, maybe not that much progress!

(Exit Hunter Gatherer, shrugging his shoulders)

Child 9:                       (To Narrator, angrily) Patience! Evolution takes time! It doesn’t just happen overnight, you know!

Narrator:                     (Looking at his watch) I’m beginning to realise that. Now, where are we on that timeline?

Child 8:                       (To Narrator, impatiently) Around 2 and a half million years ago! Weren’t you listening? When man starting using stone tools! That’s why it’s called

Whole cast:                (Together) The Stone Age!

Narrator:                     OK! We got that! But how do we know that’s when stone tools were used?

(Enter Archaeologist)

Archaeologist:            (To Narrator) You asking more questions again?

Narrator:                     Well,

Archaeologist:            (Interrupting) That’s OK! That’s why I’m hired to do my job! To give people like you evidence!

Narrator:                     Well, that’s very decent of you!

Archaeologist:            Not at all! It’s quite necessary! You see, when you’re dealing with ‘pre-history’ – that is, before anything was written down, we only have what we can find in the way of ‘artefacts’ to go by.

Narrator:                     So. What do you have for us as proof of those earliest Stone Age tools?

(Archaeologist holds up handful of flints)

Archaeologist:            These!

Narrator:                     Is that it? A handful of stones?

(Archaeologist shakes his head in disgust and addresses audience)

Archaeologist:            I’m tempted to call back that ape! (Pointing to Narrator) Reckon the ape’s got more brains than this one!

Narrator:                     (To Archaeologist) That’s quite enough! I’m guessing the ape would also have far better developed manners than you have! Now go!

(Exit Archaeologist)

Child 10:                     That ‘handful of stones’ as you called them just happen to be 2 million years old! They were found at the Olduvai Gorge; and if you’d looked closely you’d have seen they had very sharp edges – for cutting.

Narrator:                     Oops! Well, as the Rolling Stones once said

Music 3 It’s only Rock n Roll (Chorus)

(Narrator struts around like Mick Jagger)

Narrator:                     (Looking a little embarrassed) Oops! Again!

Child 11:                     That’s all right! We all want to be rock stars!

Music 4 Rock n Roll – Led Zeppelin

(Whole cast ‘perform’)

(Narrator applauds)

Narrator:                     Yes, very good. We all love Rock n Roll! But .. (pauses) back to the Stone Age! Time we got a bit serious!

(Enter Historian)

Historian:                    And I think you need me for that!

Narrator:                     And you are?

Historian:                    An extremely well qualified Historian!

Narrator:                     (Aside to Audience) And I’m guessing, not exactly  life and soul of the party?

Historian:                    Listen carefully and I’ll try and educate you!

Narrator:                     (Aside to Audience, sarcastically) I told you we were in for a treat!

Historian:                    The Stone Age was made up of three parts. The Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age; the Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age; and the Neolithic or New Stone Age.

(Narrator starts to doze off; Historian walks over, prods Narrator who then wakes up with a start)

Narrator:                     Oh! And it lasted how long?