Celtic art, the Snettisham Great Torc and the Battersea Shield
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe some of the features of Celtic La Tène art.
Key learning points
- Iron Age Britain was dominated by a group of people called the Celts, who had spread across Europe.
- Art was very important to the Celts, who made large numbers of metal objects in a style known as La Tène.
- The Snettisham Great Torc shows the incredible artistry and craftsmanship the Celts were capable of.
- The Battersea Shield made of bronze shows incredible craftmanship and the distinctive swirling patterns of La Tène.
- Archaeologists have worked out that it was too thin for protection, and so was probably an offering to the gods.
Keywords
Celts - the Celts were groups of Iron Age people in Europe who shared similar languages and culture
La Tène - a popular later style of Celtic art which uses curves, swirls and leafy patterns is called La Tène
Torc - a torc is a large solid ring worn around the neck
Common misconception
Pupils may think that all of our knowledge of the Iron Age is definitely correct.
Explain that archaeologists use artefacts to learn about the past, they get ideas and clues from the artefacts and build up a picture of what they think the past was like. There is very little written evidence about the Celts.
Teacher tip
Encourage children to create their own Celtic artwork. They could design their own shields in the La Tène design.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When was the Iron Age?
Q2.Archaeologists use artefacts to learn about the past. True or false?
Q3.Art is only created on paper. True or false?
Q4.Match the word to the correct definition.
pieces of art, created to express ideas and feelings
ancient items created by humans
someone who studies human history
someone who creates art
Q5.Prehistoric humans created art. True or false?
Q6.What is metalwork?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which group of people lived in small farming settlements during the Iron Age?
Q2.Which are features of the La Tène style of Celtic art?
Q3.What is a torc?
Q4.Which statement is describing the Battersea Shield?
Q5.Match the artefact to the correct description.
made from gold alloy, it has metal rope and decorative terminals
made from bronze, the cover has red glass beads and three circles
Q6.What did archaeologists learn from the Battersea Shield and the Snettisham Great Torc?
To help you plan your 3 history lesson on: Celtic art, the Snettisham Great Torc and the Battersea Shield, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 history lesson on: Celtic art, the Snettisham Great Torc and the Battersea Shield, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the Iron Age Britain: what have historians learnt about Iron Age Britain? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.