Year 3’s topic this half term has been the Stone Age. In Design and Technology we started by looking at three different types of Stone Age dwelling; a Mesolithic tepee style house, a Neolithic long house and a Neolithic round house. We learnt about the materials and structure each house would have been made from and how shelters changed throughout the Stone Age.
The children then choose one specific structure to recreate. They began by planning how they would construct their chosen dwelling. First thinking about how they would create a strong and stable base for their structure and then how they would decorate it to mimic the materials available in the Stone Age. The children examined models made in previous years and discussed what they thought had gone well and what they though needed improvement.
In groups of 3 the children then began to assemble the base of their structure, showing excellent teamwork and problem-solving skills. They cut materials accurately and safely by selecting appropriate tools and selected appropriate joining techniques to make sure their model stayed standing.
Once their house was structurally sound it was time to decorate, and the children had a great time applying a range of materials, including straw, felt, tissue paper, paint and lolly sticks to ensure the structures looked similar to those in the Stone Age.