Lesson Plan - Stonehenge: Secrets, Mysteries, and the Story Behind the Stones
Elective Home Education (EHE) lets you explore history at your own pace, guided by your child’s curiosity. Our Stonehenge: Secrets, Mysteries, and the Story Behind the Stones lesson plan gives you a flexible and engaging way to explore one of Britain’s most puzzling ancient sites.
You’ll find reading tasks, thoughtful questions, creative activities, and extension ideas — all designed to encourage curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity. Use this lesson plan as a helpful guide, but feel free to adapt it to suit your learner’s interests. If your child becomes fascinated by ancient monuments, legends, or engineering, follow their lead and expand the topic!
This topic is part of our Info Zone collection. You can read the full topic, once logged in, here: Stonehenge: Secrets, Mysteries, and the Story Behind the Stones
You’ll also find a full Lesson Plan and a handy Parent Q & A sheet, for this topic, ready to use..
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Lesson Plan Stonehenge — Secrets, Mysteries, and the Story Behind the Stones |
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| Overview | This home education lesson explores the mysterious ancient monument of Stonehenge. Learners will investigate who built it, how it was constructed, what it may have been used for, and why it still fascinates people today. Suitable for learners aged 8–16. |
| Learning Objectives |
- Describe the main features of Stonehenge - Explore the different theories about its purpose - Understand the people and technology behind its construction - Reflect on why it still matters today |
| Estimated Time | 45–60 minutes |
| Starter Activity |
Look at a photograph or drawing of Stonehenge together. Ask: - What do you think it is? - Who might have built it and why? - How do you think the huge stones were moved without modern machines? Optional: Use Google Maps to find Stonehenge. Notice where it is and what the land around it looks like. |
| Read and Learn |
Read our Info Zone topic about Stonehenge: Secrets, Mysteries, and the Story Behind the Stones either aloud together or independently. Then discuss:
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| Activities |
Comprehension Questions:
Creative Writing: Write a story or diary entry as a young person living at the time Stonehenge was being built. Describe what your village looks like, what your people believe about the stones, and what you do to help with the building. Mini Engineering Challenge: Use objects (blocks, books, or sticks) to try building your own Stonehenge model. Can you balance the stones like the real monument? Think about how hard it would be to build something big like this without modern machines. |
| Deeper Thinking |
Big Question: "Why do you think people worked so hard to build Stonehenge if we still don't fully understand what it was for?" Discuss different ideas and reasons. Could it be for religion, celebration, science, or even all of these? |
| Creative Projects |
- Draw or paint a picture of what you think a festival at Stonehenge might have looked like 4,000 years ago. - Design your own stone circle. Where would you build it? What would it be used for? Would it line up with the sun, moon, or stars? |
| Review & Reflect |
Ask the learner:
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| Extensions & Homework |
- Watch a video tour of Stonehenge (many are available on YouTube) - Research other stone circles in the UK (such as Avebury) and compare them to Stonehenge - Create a model of Stonehenge using clay, cardboard, or other craft materials |