Long-term overview - Grandparents - Year 1

The Year 1 history curriculum aims to introduce students to the concept of chronology and the changes within living memory, particularly focusing on the contrast between their lives and those of their grandparents. Through exploring various aspects of daily life, such as the toys children played with, the nature of school days, shopping habits, birthday celebrations, and dietary changes, students will gain substantive knowledge about the differences between past and present. They will learn how these elements have evolved over the past 50 years, offering a window into the childhood of their grandparents, and helping them to understand the progression of national life.

To deepen their understanding of history, students will develop disciplinary knowledge, such as grasping the difference between 'long ago' and 'very long ago' and creating simple timelines. They will learn to categorise artefacts by age and recognise that objects familiar to them today, like telephones, were different in the past. By handling artefacts and asking questions, students will begin to appreciate the concept of timelines and use vocabulary related to the passing of time. Additionally, they will engage in historical enquiry by responding to questions about the past, offering opinions on causation, and identifying similarities and differences between times. Interpretation and significance will also be addressed, as students consider the reliability of stories from the past and learn to recount historical details from various sources, such as pictures and stories. This exploration will help them understand the games their grandparents played and appreciate the changes that have occurred over time.