Comparing pupils’ lives with the recent past not only enables pupils to handle more familiar sources and make direct comparisons with their own experiences, it also opens up opportunities for using oral history. For this reason 3 specific topics have been chosen as a focus for study.
Lessons and other resources
Washday
- Washday in the past; helping the hopeless Mr Lather is one of the best infant topics there is. Whether you teach it as a stand alone topic or as part of a broader theme of homes, you will find that it excites the children and gives them plenty of hands-on experience. Artefacts are cheap and easily obtainable and there are clear modern comparisons to help consolidate the idea of then and now. Pupils’ ability to sequence will be strengthened by excellent lessons such as helping the Hopeless Mr Lather. Pupils of all abilities love the topic and many children with profound special needs respond very well. Many are fascinated as much by the language of dolly or posser, as by the ability to actually do some ‘old fashioned’ washing.
Toys
- Toys then and now; sorting and settingThis lesson focuses as you would expect on Then and
