LEARNING THROUGH NATURE
"The children learnt so much in a variety of ways, not just about Stone Age people but respecting animals and an unexpected for us was not to judge people by their appearance. Some children were initially a little apprehensive, but you were so friendly which lead to a discussion about people looking different and therefore being open-minded.
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Lots of teachers also brought their classes around for a peek and said this is what we should be doing so much more of. Your visit had a great ripple effect and by far exceeded our expectations. We have passed your details onto another school who have already booked with you and we will certainly be booking you again next year!" (St Bernards C of E School)
stone age experience for small Schools
Into Wilderness delivers a curriculum of Prehistoric skills and outdoor learning aimed at children from KS2 upwards.
Our interactive display of the prehistoric Peak District introduces students to tools ( some of which are original neolithic artifacts ) and everyday items of the stone age - with the expert knowledge of experimental archaeologist lewis to hand, the journey into the Peak Districts wild prehistoric heritage is explored giving students and teachers alike a valuable insight into stone age Britain.
Woodcraft
&Archery
​Into Wilderness is lucky to have a professional ex GB archer on hand to deliver archery have a go's and coaching, providing students with an memorable time practicing Britain's oldest target sports. with a selection of professional quality bows, arrows and targets we can provide Archery for up to 200 students per day, or for smaller schools an in depth archery class that even provides replica stone age bows and arrows for students to handle.
ANCIENT ways experience
The 'ANCIENT ways experience'
is perfect for small schools looking for a stone age experience that offers a blend of hands on skills, where students can try their hand at various stone age skills, even having the opportunity to handle original prehistoric artifacts found within the peak district as well as thought provoking knowledge that is imparted from experimental archaeologist lewis during exciting demonstrations of various skills for everyday life during the stone age.
So what does an 'Ancient Ways' day look like?
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Introduction to the stone age - Timeline dress up
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Hunting and Gathering
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Q & A
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Tools of the stone age
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Ancient skills and crafts
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Ancient fires ( outside )
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Shaping bone, antler and edale shale
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Stone age show and tell
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Break
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Natural cordage making
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Archery ( Outside )
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Cave art story line
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Stone Curriculum subjects such as 'Wild Human'
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Prehistoric Peak District; Arbor low stone circle and Rushup edge. 'Stories from the stone age"
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​( Optional plant and tree identification walk in school grounds )​
Students per day: 30 - 130
Age range: 5 - 15
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Practical Considerations:
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Group sizes will determine how long each student has to participate in each activity throughout the day.
Archery: For archery to take place, a pre visit to the school to observe a safe area for archery to take place would be vital.
Our Archery range Specifications: 10m Waiting line, 10m shooting line, 15m each side of the furthest targets, 40m minimum overshoot.
Fire Lighting requires a outdoor area. We provide a steel fire pit so no scorched ground will occur. If we are inside then we can still talk about and show our toolkits.
Setting up: We need to have vehicle access to the outside space or as close as possible in order for us to setup all of our equipment.
We have a Yurt which can be setup on the school field measuring 11m by 11m. Inside spaces can be dressed to fit the theme with all the artifacts displayed in a similar manner to how it is set up in the yurt.
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So what does an 'Ancient Ways' day look like?
Once students are familiar with where the stone age fits into our time line and the periods of time that classify the stone age from the paleolithic through the mesolithic and into the neolithic ​and what all the terminology means which will be achieved through a timeline dress up. The group will be gathered to explore everyday life during the stone age with in particular focus towards the late meso and early neolithic a period between 6000 and 10,000 years ago when the moorlands of the Peak District were cleared but the Derwent valley was still home to nomadic people as well as herds of wild Red Deer.
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Sparks from iorn pyrites and the glow from a new ember will encompass the sounds and smells of the stone age as we delve into the stone age toolkit. Now students can handle original artifacts, and after a demonstration of ancient crafts, try their hand at shaping bone and antler to make an creative assembly of stone age tools which they can show to the group at the end of the first half of the day.​
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Upon reconvening, (Students will split into two groups - One to have a go at archery and the other to try out making cordage from plant / animal fibers) Natural fibers were an essential part of stone age life used in the making of bow strings, fishing line and clothing.
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After this students will be shown how stone age people in britain expressed their lives through cave art as well as natural pigment which were available during the period. Split into groups of 5-10, each group will be given a prehistoric character - It is their job to create a peice of cave art on canvas using natural pigments depicting a typical day of their character.
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Finally, with the group together we will end the day with discussion about the 'Wolf Brother' book tieing in some of the Peak Districts well known prehistoric sites.
Visiting us ...
Coming to the Peak District Heratage Centre?
Book your visit here and enjoy a day of prehistory in our outdoor classroom or inside workshop. With everything that the Ancient ways experience offers and more...
bOOK READING BY AUTHOR LEWIS AVAILABLE
frequently asked questions
Do you need vehicle access to the setup space?
Yes, as close as possible. Some of the equipment is very heavy.
Can you do the living history display indoors?
Yes, but this does restrict what I can offer. For example I could not do fire lighting or have a cooking fire. I could still do everything else on the 'Ancient ways' experiance package. I can work with the space, if there is a space concern then i will simply bring fewer things.
Do you provide risk assessments and have Public liability insurance?
Yes, risk assessments will be provided after a booking has been made. I have Public liability insurance with an indemnity limit of £10,000,000.
Do you have a day rate for school visits?
Yes, our day rate is £350 including all activiteis on the 'Ancient ways' experiance. Travel costs are not included in my day rate.
