KS1 Topic: Changes within Living Memory Block A: Introduction

Think about the rituals and routines of contemporary lives. Contrast these with those of parents and grandparents, prompted by the questions of ‘Little Mouse’ who lives in the corner of the classroom!

Block A: Introduction
[3 sessions] / Main outcomes: English/History Other outcomes: Maths
By the end of this block you will have achieved the following outcomes: / Children will:
·  Write narrative about personal experiences.
·  Use discussion in order to learn and become competent in the arts of speaking and listening.
·  Develop an awareness of the past, use common words and phrases relating to the passing of time.
·  Begin to understand chronological framework.
·  Develop a curiosity about changes within living memory and the ways in which we can find out about these changes.
Session 1 English/History
This is What We Do!
Children think about what they do when they leave school at the end of the day. They create pictures and write captions to represent their lives today and start a timeline to represent a typical day. / Children will:
·  Read and spell the days of the week.
·  Write sentences, beginning to punctuate using capital letters and full stops.
·  Use a capital letter for personal pronoun ‘I’, names of people, places and the days of the week.
·  Develop an awareness of the past, use common words and phrases relating to the passing of time.
·  Begin to understand chronological framework.
·  Learn about changes within living memory and the ways in which we can find out about these changes.
Opportunity for Maths:
·  Use block graphs to find out most common time for bed on a school night, favourite breakfast food, most watched TV programme etc.
·  Tell the time.
Session 2 English/History
What Did Our Parents Do?
Children discuss and write down what they think their parents did at the end of their school day and how this is similar or different to today’s children. Children can be introduced to ‘Travelling Ted’*. / Children will:
·  Use discussion in order to learn and become competent in the arts of speaking and listening.
·  Speak clearly and convey ideas confidently using Standard English.
·  Justify their ideas with reasons.
·  Ask questions to check understanding.
·  Develop an awareness of the past, use common words and phrases relating to the passing of time.
·  Develop a curiosity about changes within living memory and the ways in which we can find out about these changes.
Before Session 3, you will need to create a ‘time capsule’, a metal or plastic box suitably decorated.
Session 3 English/History
PEEPO!
Children read ‘Peepo!’ by Janet and Allan Ahlberg and compare and contrast similarities and differences between then and now. Children then create a time capsule using their pictures and writing from Session 1 for future generations. / Children will:
·  Use discussion in order to learn and become competent in the arts of speaking and listening.
·  Speak clearly and convey ideas confidently using Standard English.
·  Justify their ideas with reasons.
·  Ask questions to check understanding.
·  Begin to understand chronological framework.
·  Identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.


Resources needed

Session 1

Provided: Letter from ‘Little Mouse’, presented in such a way to excite and interest the children – maybe a crumpled piece of paper, a tied up scroll, a tiny letter in a tiny envelope

You will need: ‘Little Mouse’ – a toy, puppet or imaginary, friendly little creature that lives somewhere in school; poster and flash cards for the names of the days of the week; poster stating the uses of Capital Letters; timeline – a ‘washing line’ strung across a corner of the room, easily accessible on which pictures, labels can be attached with clothes pegs; cards for timeline: 1 set: times of the day, morning, afternoon, evening, night-time

Session 2

Provided: Reply from ‘Little Mouse’, presented in such a way to excite and interest the children – maybe a crumpled piece of paper, a tied up scroll, a tiny letter in a tiny envelope

You will need: None required

Session 3

Provided: None required

You will need: Cards for timeline: 1 set: decades, 1930 – 2030 (so 1930, 1940, 1950 and so on); time capsule (Google ‘time capsule – images’ for lots of different ideas); ‘PEEPO!’ by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, big book if possible and set of small books; colour copies of whole page spreads from ‘Peepo!’, enough for each child to have one; small w/bs and pens; f/c

Glossary

·  CL : capital letter

·  TP: talking partners

·  TA: teaching assistant

·  f/c: flip chart

·  w/b: white boards

·  IWB: Interactive white board

*A ‘Travelling Ted’ is a soft toy which goes home with each child in turn to experience their life outside school, just for an evening or two. The child writes an account of their activities together, maybe using digital photos with word-processed captions such as ‘Ted and me playing with my dog Bonzo.’ ‘Ted came to judo with me.’ On returning Ted to school, child reads account to class and shows photos/drawing. Next child takes turn to have Ted and write account. Written/word processed accounts compiled into folder which children can read whenever they wish in class.

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