Stonehenge Altar Stone

WORKSHEET

Vocabulary

1. Stonehenge
   A famous prehistoric monument in England.

2. Altar
   A flat surface used for religious purposes, often in ancient times.

3. Archaeologists
   Scientists who study ancient people by examining their remains.

4. Solstice
   The time when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator, marking summer or winter.

5. Minerals
   Natural substances found in rocks.

6. Discovery
   Something that is found for the first time.

7. Sandstone
   A type of rock made of sand.

8. Slab
   A large, flat piece of stone or concrete.

9. Technologically
   Relating to technology or the use of scientific knowledge.

10. Circle
    A round shape, often used to describe the arrangement of stones at Stonehenge.

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Grammar Points

1. Present Simple Tense
   Used to describe general facts and habitual actions (e.g., "People created Stonehenge many years ago").

2. Past Simple Tense
   Used for completed actions in the past (e.g., "New tests on the minerals in the altar stone showed something surprising").

3. Comparatives
   Used to compare two things (e.g., "This discovery makes the mystery of Stonehenge even deeper").

4. Prepositions of Place
   Used to indicate location or movement (e.g., "The stone came from Wales", "over 700 kilometers away").

5. Wh- Questions
   Used for asking information (e.g., "How did the stones get here?").

6. There is/There are
   Used to state the existence of something (e.g., "There are mountains and rivers to cross").

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Activities

Activity 1
True or False

Instructions
Write True or False for each statement. If the statement is false, correct it.

1. Stonehenge is located in Scotland.

2. The altar stone is covered by another stone that fell on top of it.

3. Archaeologists have found out that the altar stone came from Wales.

4. During the summer solstice, the sun shines directly on where the altar stone once stood.

5. Moving the altar stone was easy because it was light.

Activity 2
Multiple Choice

Instructions
Circle the correct answer for each question.

1. How old is Stonehenge? 

   a) 1000 years

   b) 5000 years

   c) 200 years

2. Where is the altar stone from? 

   a) Wales
   b) Scotland
   c) Ireland

3. What is the altar stone mostly covered by now? 

   a) Grass
   b) Another stone
   c) Water

4. What do archaeologists use to learn more about the altar stone?

   a) Old photographs
   b) Chemical tests
   c) Ancient maps

Activity 3
Describe the Journey

Instructions
Write 3-5 sentences describing how the altar stone may have traveled from Scotland to Stonehenge. Use the following words: stone, move, distance, boat.

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Questions

1. What new discovery did scientists make about the altar stone?

2. How far did the altar stone travel to reach Stonehenge?

3. What makes the discovery of the altar stone's origin surprising?

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TRANSCRIPT
Stonehenge Altar Stone

NARRATOR:
Something amazing has been found right at the centre of the mysterious Stonehenge. In the middle of the circle, there is a stone that archaeologists call the "altar stone" because during the summer solstice, the sun shines directly on where it once stood. The altar stone is now mostly covered by another stone that has fallen on top of it. For many years, people thought the stone came from Wales, like many of the other stones in Stonehenge. But new tests on the minerals in the altar stone have shown something surprising.

SOUNDBITE - Richard Bevins:
“That chemical fingerprint we can match up with rocks of similar age from around Britain and then that's where we got the spectacular result. Orcadian Basin in North East Scotland, over 700 kilometres away from Stonehenge. Truly remarkable.”

NARRATOR:
It turns out that this six-tonne sandstone came here about 5,000 years ago from somewhere in the far northeast of Scotland, maybe even the Orkney Islands. That's at least 430 miles away. This discovery is important, but it also makes the mystery of Stonehenge even deeper. How did the stones get here, and why was this place so important to people in ancient Britain?

SOUNDBITE - Nick Pearce:
“When you're trying to move 6 tonnes of rock, a 5 metre long slab that's a metre wide and half a metre thick and quite fragile. If it came from one of the islands, you have to put it on a boat. If it's from the mainland, there are mountains, there are rivers to cross and so on. So whichever way you do, it is a technologically difficult thing to do.”

NARRATOR:
People created Stonehenge many years before England, Wales, and Scotland became countries. But now, it is clear that Stonehenge is part of the shared history of Britain.