TeacherLessonPlans

Standard/Objectiae
d< Explain how language,literature,the arts, architecture,artifacts,traditions,beliefs, values,and
behaviorscontributeto the developmentand transmissionof culture. (NCSS)

4< Studentswill investigatethe different views of who built Stonehengeand then write a magazine
story aboutthe builders and their reasonsfor building it.

Materials
copiesof AttentionGrabber(page47); copiesof Graphic Organizer(page48); overheadof Drawing of
StonehengeToday(page49); copiesof BackgroundInforntation (pages50-52); copiesof Stonehenge
Mop (page53); copiesof Recipefor a PerfectNews Story (pages54); copiesof A Conversationat
Stonehenge (page55)

Di,scussionQuestions
# What do you think this quote is about?

ilK Does this quoteseemlike fiction or nonfiction? How do you know?

* Who is Geoffrey of Monmouth?

# Are there any real monumentsthat this quote can describetoday?

* How long ago do you think this was written?

TheActiai,ty: Day 1
Make severalcopiesof Attention Grabber (page47). Before studentscome to class,place a copy on
each desk so that the studentswill seeit. Don't provide studentswith any answersaboutit. Read it
aloud as a ciassand ask the discussionquestionsabove. Tell studentsthat even when the answerto a
mystery seemsto be quite obvious,there could be other answers.Tell studentsthat this quote is about
the famousmonumentcalled Stonehenge.

Distribute Graphic Organizer(page48) to each student. Have studentswrite down the information that
they know under the title "What I Know." Tell studentsto keep this graphic organizerin a safeplace,
becausethey will useit again as they record importantinformation that they will learn.

#3049 Mt,sterie.s
in Ancient Histot't' OTeacherCreatedRe.rources,
lrtc
 TeacherLessonPlans kont)
TheActiui.ty: Day 1 kont.)
Placean overheadtransparencyof Drawing of StonehengeToday(page49) so that studentscan get a
picture of it in their minds. Have studentstalk aboutwhat they seein the picture.

Then distributecopiesof BackgroundInformation (pages50-52) and have studentsread it togetherin

small groups. Bring studentsback as a classand take time for studentsto ask and clarify questions.
Then have studentstake out their graphic organizersagainand record notesaboutwhat they have
learnedunder the title "What I Learned."

TheActiaity: Day 2
Put this questionon the board: "Who built Stonehenge?"Distribute copiesof the Stonehenge Map
(page53) for studentsto reference. Have studentslook back at their noteson their graphicorganizer
pages. Try to get studentstalking about all the possibilities. Tell studentsthat they will choosea view
and write a news story aboutit. For example,studentscan choosethe ancientBriton, Roman,Druid, or
Greek view. This view doesnot necessarilyhave to be their personalopinion. Studentsshouldalso
give a reasonin their articlesfor why Stonehengewas built.

This solutionto who built Stonehengeand why will be written in a kids' news magazine. It would be
helpful to bring in a copy of a news magazineso that studentscan get a first-handlook at the types of
storiesprinted in it. (It shouldbe notedthat someof thesemagazinescould have inappropriatestories,
so teachersshouldpreview the printed materialsand censorsomeof the storiesby tearingthem out.)
DistributeRecipefor a PerfectNews Story (page54). This activity sheetwill help studentsorganize
their news stories. Let studentsspendthe remainingtime organizingthe points of their stories.

TheActiaity: Day 3
Tell studentsthat they will begin writing their storiestoday. Have them use information on their
graphicorganizers,backgroundinformation, and studentactivity sheetsto help them write. Each story
shouldbe at leastone pagein length and have at leastone picture.

@TeacherCreatedResources.Inc. 45 #3049 Mysteries in Ancient History

 TeacherLessonPlans @ont)
TheActiui,ty:Day 4
Let studentsfinish writing their stories. Before turning in their stories,let studentssharetheir stories
with the class. Thesewould also make a greatdisplay on a bulletin board.

Ask the following questions:

* Who had the most convincing story? What madeit convincing?
* How much power doesthe printed materialhave over its readers?
* Do you think a news.magazineis reliable information?

Have studentstake out their graphic organizers.Each studentshouldfill in the spacetitled "What I
Still Want to Know." Then collect eachstudent'sgraphic organizenYou should also collect the student
activity sheets.

TheActiaity: Day 5
Finally, distributethe studentactivity sheetA Conversation
at Stonehenge(page55). Studentswill be using this pageto A ConvcNa{on cl Stonebeng€

write their opinionsaboutthe mystery of Stonehenge'

Studentswill be writing their opinionsof Stonehengefrom E
the Stonehenge'sperspective.This activity not only makes n
studentsusehigher-levelthinking skills as they make n
judgments,they are also using their creativity as they make
E
'otrue"story. If time permits,let n
the monumenttell the n
studentssharetheir storiesin small groups,having students E
readthe variousparts. Thesestoriesalso make a great class n
booklet that can be copied,bound together,and then n
distributed to the studentsand the library.

#3049 Mysteriesin Ancient Histo6: 46 @TeacherCreatedResources,Inc.

 AttentionGrabber

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@TeacherCreatedResources,Inc. #3049 Mysteries in Ancient History

 GraphicOrganrz'er
who buil why wasit built?
mystery of Stonehenge? ili:d titled
Directions: what is the answerto the rt""*.iuo"t monuli::t d the stone
,,wr,uri Know," *rl v"., {is about
Underthe title " "uJrv"'tting Luu"' find out moreinformation
the-qu""'i"it' V"t t:'yoo is complete'
"What I Wantto Krow"' write *J"*i"r t il""ryg.irrrr.^er*t all yotu research
Stonehenge, r..ord your notesunder r" "what I still want to
Know'"
yo,r'riJord rt* ,o *o* oni"r.-,t*i
write what
"rr.

Inc'
@TeacherCreatedResources'
48
in AncientHistory
#049 Mt'ster"ie's
 Today
Drawingof Stonehenge

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@TeacherCreatedResources,Inc. 49 #3049 Mysteries in Ancient History

 BackgroundInformation
of its most spectacular sites,Stonehenge'It is
ever.miss one
Travelersto Englandhardry structur.r or modern-dayhighways'
Some
plain, right in between days ot
locatedon Salisbury have fallen down' Even before the
standing, ;;h;'s
of the stonesare sti1l "t; knew it was very o1{' ]l:l said that it was built
radio carbondating, archaeologists it from
archaeor;;;;; hoy ,t u, ii took 2,000 yearsto complete
before 1500e.c. ioday,
circular ,,on"-*octure, and why did they build it?
this masJve
start to finish. who built A
times people were wonderingaboutthesequestions'
Even back during medieval uy Merliri, the famouswizard in
the King
created
wersh writer saiJ that Stoneheng.';u, Ambrosius'
In his explanatior, [. *io.ttralertirur's uncle' Aurelius
Arthur tales. over the invadingAng10-
his way of celebratinga victory
commissioned it. It was
,rr.*r*v strorito guitr.r"rrongs frgl lreland,createthe
saxons.MerlintoldAmbrosius to Britain. Merlin said that thesestones
monument,and have the monu*;;nout"o powers'
had magical
,t oufObe usedbecausethey
during Shakespeare.,s time, also wonderedabout Stonehenge.
King JamesI, who lived the Romans
architect to ti"i^out uuo"t it' His archi':tl::T1"ded that
He senthis court the Romansdid not arrive in
Britain until
of their Romun godr-uut
built it for one
100e.c.

Inc'
@TeacherCreatedResources'
History
#3049MYsteriesin Ancient
 BackgroundInformation ftont)
For yearsothershad tried to credit Stonehengeto the Celtic priestscalled Druids. But
the Druids did not arrive before 500 s.c. Otherssaid the Danesor the Anglo-saxons
built it. In fact, it was creditedto almost anyoneother than the ancientBritons. But the
radio carbondating has confirmedthat it was built long before any of thesegroupswere
in Britain. So, it is known that they did not build Stonehenge.

In 1953,an archaeologistnamedRichardAtkinson was inspectingthe site and taking

pictures. He was especiallyinterestedin some l7th-century graffiti. When he looked
throughhis camerato photographthis, he noticed someother carvingsthat had been
previouslyoverlooked. He saw a daggerthat pointed to the ground and four axes.
Theseaxeswere the type found in Englandduring the time of Stonehenge'screation.
The dagger,however,was not somethingcommon in Englandduring that time. It was
the sort of daggerfound in ancientGreece. In fact, it was similar to the daggersfound in
the royal graveslocatedin Mycenae,Greece. And the daggersin Greecedatedback to
1500e.c. For a while it seemedas if the archaeologist had a big clue to this mystery.
Atkinson believedthat Stonehengewas designedand built by a visiting architectfrom
the MediterraneanareanearGreece. He even speculatedthat a Mycenaeanprince might
be buriedat the site.

In the 1960s,a new form of radio carbondating was invented,and Stonehengewas put
to the test again. It revealedthat the building at Stonehengebegansometimearound
2950 s.c. Scientistswere facedwith the reality that the primitive peoplewho lived near
SalisburyPlain were the lone buildersof Stonehenge.Somethingevenmore amazing
was the fact that thesepeoplegatheredat least,85stonesfrom 150 miles away. The
stonesusedare calledbluestones,and they are from the PreseliMountainslocatedin
southwestern Wales.

Someof thesestonesweigh five tons each,so archaeologists beganto wonderhow the

peoplemoved them to SalisburyPlain. To answerthis question,archaeologists took
anotherlook at the Merlin story. They thought theremight be someanswersin this story
that was passeddown in the oral tradition. In the story,the stoneswere floated to
SalisburyPlain. Archaeologistswonderedif the stoneswere Shippedto SalisburyPlain
in the sameway.

@TeacherCreatedResources,Inc. #3049Mysteriesin AncientHistory

 BackgroundInformationftont)
of Stonehengewent so far to get the
Archaeologistsalso wonderedwhy the people
stonesnearby,so why.weren't they used
stonesto build. There were otherkinds of
agarntothe Merlin story. Maybe the
instead?To answerthis question,somelooked
in Waleshad magicalpowers'
peoplebelievedthat the ,ion., from the mountains
and get them to SalisburyPlain'
somehow they managedto ship thesestones
Stonehenge,too. In the 18th century'an
Astronomersmade some amazingclaimsabout
with the rising of the sun' especially
astronomernotedthat Stonehenge*u, utigned In
arignedwith the moon and stars,as well'
during the solstices. others believedit was
of pits aroundStonehengeknown as
the 1960s,an astronomefarguedthat the circle
predicf eclipsesof the moon' But
Aubrey Holes were usedby the ancientsto and
pits were nrid for cremationsat one time
archaeologistsshowedevidencethat these
the runar ecripseidea completely' some
then were coveredup. They urgu.o aguinsi
to be an obseivatory. One astronomersaid
astronomersbelievedStonehengewaJbuilt
that correlatedwith the sun' others
that therewere 165 key points in Stonehenge
provide argumentsto the contrary'
to
Over the past few years,archaeologists and astronomelshave found common ground
celestialarignmentsregardingthe sun
agree. They have toncrudedthat ttere are afew
cannotbe mererya coincidence'
with Stonehenge.Many think that thesearignments
builders of Stonehengecreateit? was it
So, the questionremains: why did the ancient
for somethingelse?
usedas an observatory,for sacredrituals, or

52 @TeacherCreatedResources,Inc'
#3049 Mtsteries in Ancient History
 Stonehenge
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@Teacher
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Inc. 5-l #3049 Mysteries in Ancient Histoty
 Recipefor a PerfectNewsNlagazine
on in the world' what
tune into the news eachday to find out what is going print'
Directions: Many people
ql tt'"1 n*'i Most likely it wouldhaveto be in
would;;"nt"
if televisiondid not exist? How oi stoneh"nge.your storyw'l be
pubrishedin a news
you will be crearing a story about ,t."iv
story'
belowto helpyou organizeyour
"""
magazine.Fill in,ii. inrornration

Recipefor a Perfect lt{ewsMagazine

# CatchYTitle
# InterestingPictures
* ExclusiveInterviews
* Accuratelnformation

Nameof mY news magazine:

Title of mY storY:
Stonehenge:
Theory on the reasonsfor building

What kind of Picturewill I use?

interview?
Who will be featuredin an exclusive

Describethekindofpersonthatwouldbeinterestedinreadingthisstory'

Whatinformationwillyouusetomakeyourreadersdrawacertainconclusion?

Inc'
@TeacherCreatedResources'
#3019 NltsteriasirtAncientHiston'
 A Conversation
at Stonehenge
Directions: Who do you believebuilt Stonehenge?Why did they buiit it? Why do you believethis?
Is it basedon the best evidence? Only the monumentitself really knows. Pretendthe stonesat
Stonehengecan talk and tell the story. First, decideon how many speakingpartsyou will have. Then
label the stonesand write their conversationin the spacebelow.

@TeacherCreatedResources.Inc 55 #3049 Mysteries in Ancient History