Year 5 History Lesson Plans
3 free Year 5 History lesson plans for KS2. Each includes learning objectives, key vocabulary, a timed lesson structure and common misconceptions, and downloads as an editable Word document.
Year 5 history broadens pupils' historical horizons significantly. After four years largely focused on British history, pupils now engage with two major world civilisations: Ancient Greece, whose democratic ideas, philosophical traditions, and artistic achievements remain influential to this day; and the Kingdom of Benin, a powerful and sophisticated West African state that challenges Eurocentric narratives of history and reveals the richness of African civilisation in the medieval period.
Ancient Civilisations
Pupils explore Ancient Greek civilisation — its city-states, democracy, mythology, the Olympic Games, philosophy, and its lasting influence on the modern world.
Pupils investigate the Kingdom of Benin, a powerful and sophisticated West African state that flourished from the ninth to the nineteenth century.
Year 5 History through the year
Ancient Greece: Society and City-States
Know and understand the history of Ancient Greece, its impact on the wider world, and how it shaped Western civilisation.
Ancient Greece lesson plan →Ancient Greece: Democracy, Philosophy, and Legacy
Understand the birth of democracy in ancient Athens.
The Kingdom of Benin
Know about the Kingdom of Benin (c.900-1300 AD) as a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history.
The Kingdom of Benin: Power, Art, and Trade lesson plan →The Kingdom of Benin: Legacy and the Bronzes Question
Understand the legacy of the Kingdom of Benin on modern Nigeria and African identity.
Crime and Punishment Through History
Know how crime and punishment have changed over time in Britain.
Crime and Punishment Through History lesson plan →