CGP Study Guides
The basis of every KS2 topic we’ve done has been the relevant KS2 CGP study book. We loved these books as they cover a broad range of areas within a topic but there is enough detail to really get to know the era. It was a bonus that our local library had copies so we could get a second copy for free. We also branched off and used extra resources according to what sparked most intrigue and interest; we always tried to get something practical in there too (and we got extra bonus points for making it something edible!).
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: Stone Age to Celts Study Book
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: Romans in Britain Study Book
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: Anglo-Saxons Study Book
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: Mayan Civilisation Study Book
There are accompanying CGP activity books which match the study guides for each topic. We started off using these but then it felt a bit too schooly for us, so we didn’t bother for the later subjects. As our confidence in home ed grew, we realised we didn’t have to have written proof of what we were learning.
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: Stone Age to Celts Activity Book
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: Romans in Britain Activity Book
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: Anglo-Saxons Activity Book
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: Mayan Civilisation Activity Book
CGP Teacher Books
We also purchased the accompanying teacher books which I did find helpful. As well as providing answers to the study books (which wasn’t why I bought them) they also provide some extra background to each double page and suggest other activities, some of which I’d never have thought of on my own. Each book covers several of the study books so it’s a worthwhile purchase if you’re going to use several of those.
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: British History Teacher Book
- KS2 History Discover & Learn: Civilisations Teacher Book
We comprehensively covered The Anglo-Saxons, The Mayans, The Stone Age and The Romans in Britain using the CGP books and we dabbled in Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt and the Vikings using other resources. We did plenty of additional activities at home and around the UK too.
More History
History KS2 related posts
Chedworth Roman Villa, Gloucestershire
While we were away in Malvern we took a trip to this quaint Roman villa tucked away in the middle of Gloucestershire. It gave us a glimpse into the everyday life of a Roman settler in Britain.
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Classical Civilisation | History | Romans in Britain | Trips | UK Trips – rest of UK
Anglo-Saxon Experience at Tatton Park
Last week we went to an Anglo-Saxon day at Tatton Park. We learnt how to make a shield wall, learnt where a lot of sayings come from and how to hunt and cook. I had a lot of fun going back to the basics. It was by the farm so, while we were having our … Read more
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Anglo Saxons | History | Trips | UK Day trips – near Manchester
Stonehenge at sunrise (well, in the fog)
I always struggle to think of things I want for my birthday (I don’t do “stuff”) so this year I asked for an experience instead. And what an experience it was! We had a VIP tour of Stonehenge at sunrise before members of the public arrived. There were about 15 of us but, as you … Read more
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Down in the woods with Stone Age Pete
Since we’ve been looking at the Stone Age ready for our trip to Stonehenge, I was on the hunt for any interactive Stone Age days we could take part in. Forest Explorers at Delamere Forest very helpfully had several such sessions and so we went to spend the day with Stone Age Pete. Pete ran … Read more
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You CAN build Rome in a day!
I spotted this class on Outschool and thought it would fit with our Roman topic brilliantly whilst also including Minecraft which is a big thing in our house whether we like it or not! The girls were talked through the coding steps patiently and expertly by the teacher and, by the end of the session, … Read more
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Roman Baths in Bath
No study of Romans would be complete without a trip to the Roman baths in Bath itself. We went down for a weekend and used the YHA Bath as our base for a couple of nights. Our room was smart and comfortable with a private en-suite and the breakfasts were fabulous too! It was a … Read more
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Colchester Castle and Roman Circus
On a week-long trip “down-south” with Grandma, we went to Colchester, the place where Boudicca and her Iceni tribe defeated the Romans. It used to be the capital of Roman Britain and the current castle sits on the foundations of the famous Temple of Claudius. We visited Colchester Castle which well and truly exceeded our … Read more
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West Stow Country Park
We feel it’s really good, when we’ve learned about a particular subject or event, to try to give the girls some hands-on experience, so they can see for themselves that learning is not just about reading books, looking at the internet and the theory of things; it’s about things that actually happen in the real … Read more
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Kentwell Home Ed History festival – amazing!
During our road trip to East Anglia last spring, we spent a day at Kentwell Hall at one of their Hands-On History Days. We attended a special home-ed edition on a Friday so were lucky enough to dodge any really large crowds. And what a day we had. The event takes place throughout the grounds … Read more
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Trips | Anglo Saxons | History | Stone Age | UK Trips – rest of UK
Boudica Bites back (in a cartoon)
The girls already knew quite a bit about Boudica thanks to Horrible Histories so we decided to write up her rebellion, after reading the CGP Study Guide pages 20-21, as a cartoon storyboard to channel our inner HH comedy skills. Here is Agatha’s cartoon.
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Mosaic making
I found this kit for sale on one of the Facebook home ed resources for sale groups and snapped it up. They’re magnetic foam triangles which you use to make whatever pictures you like. We used our mini whiteboards to stick the pieces to. The girls spent a long time creating various pictures and patterns … Read more
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Gladiators!
We had a look at the different kinds of gladiators using this Twinkl resource and then we had a go at designing our own. We thought about what weapon we’d choose and what clothes they’d wear. We decided it would be horrible to be a gladiator whatever you had! The girls then set to on … Read more
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Edible Roman Architecture
We never fail to get baking into a topic somehow so here we are having a go at Roman architecture using Victoria sponge cake! We cut the cake into identical wedge-shaped stones and then piled them together to make an arch. It was easier than I expected and the arches tasted delicious with custard afterwards … Read more
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Roman weapons in Lego
After learning about Roman weapons (CGP study book pages 10-11) we had a go at making our own catapults out of Lego. It took quite a few modifications and trial runs to get them firing far without falling apart. The girls then had great fun filming them in action using the slow-motion setting on my … Read more
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Hadrian’s Wall v other famous walls
After reading about the building of Hadrian’s Wall (CGP study book pages 24-25), we did some research to compare Hadrian’s Wall with The Great Wall of China and The Berlin Wall. I love bringing different eras together in one activity as it helps the girls understand the timeline of history. It also means we can … Read more
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Roman shield designing
After looking at the different roles in the Roman army (CGP Study Book pages 12-13) we had a go at designing our own shields. We googled what shields looked like, what designs and colours were included on them and what certain things symbolised. The girls then set to on coming up with their own version … Read more
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Mayans – religion and stars
We looked at the Mayan creation story, their Gods and about their thoughts on life after death. The girls were very interested in Pok-A-Tok, the game the Mayans used to play. Aggie tried to do it in the garden but found it really hard. We watched several YouTube videos of modern Mayans playing it. It’s … Read more
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Mayan – trade and food
The most important topic when the Wints do history is food! The main crop for the Mayans was corn so we made some tortillas with homemade chilli and guacamole followed by hot chocolate with cinnamon, again using recipes from Twinkl (and all whilst wearing their PJs!). The tortillas tasted nicer than they looked! We would … Read more
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Mayan – Rulers and Fashion
We looked at the responsibilities of Mayan rulers and were very happy to see some city states had female rulers. The girls were especially interested in the strange fashion ideas the Mayans had. The Mayans thought a pointed and flattened head was beautiful and so parents would press their babies heads between boards which over … Read more
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Mayan Maths!
The Mayans invented a new number system using only three symbols : a shell for zero, a dot which meant one and a dash which meant five. The girls were fascinated with this and so we spent a whole session doing maths the Mayan way. There were several worksheets on Twinkl which we used within … Read more
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Mayans – Cities
We read through what Mayan cities would have looked like and then recreated our own out of Lego. We also had a look on Google Earth to see the ruins as they are today. That clearly showed how easily these huge structures could have been hidden for so long in the rainforests. We then watched … Read more
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Anglo-Saxon oatcakes
We had a go at a recipe off Twinkl for Anglo-Saxon oatcakes. They went down pretty well, especially with Devon Custard (not very Anglo-Saxon, I know)!
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Anglo-Saxon lunchtime!
We’ve been learning today about the daily life of a villager in the Anglo-Saxon times. What better way to stand in their shoes for a bit than eat the type of food they used to eat. We therefore made some pottage (Twinkl recipe) using seasonal vegetables and herbs which was delicious; the entire pan load … Read more
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Anglo-Saxon runes
We decided to use some giant goose feathers we found on a day out in Buxton to have a go at making feather quills. We used a crafting knife to create a nib at the end of the feather and used poster paint for ink (a lot less messy than real ink). We had a … Read more
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