Year 3: Time Travel, Willow Plates & Oracle Bones

First, we started by simulating a ‘dig’, just like real archaeologists uncovering artefacts from the past. We discovered parts of a beautiful and intricate ‘Willow Pattern’ plate and glimpsed a strange tale retold on blue and white porcelain.

In English,  we read more about the Willow Pattern Plate Story and found ourselves travelling back in time to a beautiful garden in ancient China. Inspired by the magical and bitter-sweet story, Year 3 created their own Willow Pattern Plates. Have a look at some of their amazing designs. Can you spot two flying birds, a small boat, a bridge, a pagoda and of course, a beautiful willow tree in a walled garden? What do you think happens in the story?

Next, we headed to Anyang, the capital of ancient China, to learn more about the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1000 BC) one of China’s earliest and most influential bronze- age civilizations. The highlight has been researching the remarkable life of Lady Fu Hao – Warrior Queen, Landowner, Priestess and the owner of 755 Jade artefacts… and not forgetting, her ‘personalised’ bronze axe weighing in at a whopping 9Kg! We’ve used evidence from her incredible Tomb and from Oracle Bones to find out more about her history-making achievements and we are now getting ready to write her remarkable biography in English.

In Art, we’ve enjoyed making our own Oracle Bones from clay and learning how to write in ancient Chinese scripts. We’ve written our own messages to send to the gods – just like they did in the Shang Dynasty. Have a look some of our oracle dispatches – can you work out the questions we have been asking?