(Click on our Photo to add us to your favourites)

Why learn about people in the past?

Learning about the past and how people used to live helps us to understand more about ourselves, our families and communities.

History isn’t just about dates, kings and queens – it’s about the everyday lives of ordinary people. By thinking about how life has changed in our own lifetime and that of our family, we begin to understand that history is about real people and events.

DISCOVER PEOPLE IN THE PAST… AT HOME

Here are some ways that you can find out more about people in the past when you are at home.

What can you remember from your past? Maybe.......

your first day at school the birth of a younger brother or sister moving house a special holiday

 Look at old photos or videos of yourself to see how you have changed.

Your family

Talk to your parents and grandparents....what sort of things they did when they were your age. What’s different? What’s the same?

You could ask about:  

what school was like – lessons they did, sports they played, school dinners the games they played – at school, at home, in the street the music they listened to – perhaps they could play you a selection! what they watched on television – are any programmes still the same? what they wore – how have fashions changed?

History at home

Have you ever thought of your own home as a historic place? Even if it is very new, it will probably have all sorts of objects from the past for you to explore.

Go around your home and try to spot things that are ‘old’ - How old are these things? Where did they come from? Who used them originally? How?

If you live in an old house (or a flat in part of an old house), you could look for clues about how people lived there in the past. Has the house been divided up? What do you think different rooms were used for? Have extra rooms been added? Was there always a bathroom? Do you think the house was built for people who owned a car?

All mod-cons

People in the past lived without many of the modern conveniences we take for granted today.

Good enough to eat!

People in the past used to cook a lot more of their food by hand, without the help of microwaves, ready-made meals and take-aways. What kitchen technology has made cooking easier? How did people cook before this technology was invented?

DISCOVER PEOPLE IN THE PAST… OUT AND ABOUT

What’s new, what’s old?

On a journey to school or to the shops, look out for buildings along the way. Try to point out some old buildings and others that are more recent. Can you explain why you think a building is old or new, or how it has changed? Look out for other clues about the past, such as street and shop signs, different types of post boxes and phone booths, statues and memorials. Sometimes buildings have dates on to show when they were built, names to show who lived there, or information about what a building was originally used for.

Famous people

Can you think of any Famous people? There were many famous people in the past......

Florence Nightingale - To make a paper Florence Nightingale Doll click here

As a young woman Florence felt that God had called her to help others. She wanted to be a nurse but her parents did not want her to become one. She disobeyed her parents and trained as a nurse.

In 1853 the Crimean war started. In Britain there were newspaper reports of the terrible conditions wounded soldiers were suffering. Florence was asked to go to the Crimea to help the wounded soldiers. Florence was based at the Barrack Hospital at Scutari. There were thousands of sick and wounded men at the hospital. There were not enough beds for all the men. The place was dirty and smelly.

There were rats running around the wards. Men were dying from diseases they caught in the hospital. When they first arrived Florence and her nurses were not allowed to nurse the men. At first the nurses were only allowed to clean the hospital. When more wounded arrived doctors were forced to ask the nurses for help. 

The nurses were disciplined and wore uniforms. The hospital was cleaner and healthier for the wounded soldiers. The soldiers thought that Florence Nightingale was a great lady. 

When Florence returned to Britain she was a heroine. She had songs written about her because of her good works and was given many awards including one from Queen Victoria. Florence didn't want to be famous. 

She continued to write many letters which would put pressure on important people to change hospitals for the better. She set up a training school for nurses at St Thomas's hospital. Florence died at the age of 90.

Find out more?

These websites are designed for children from Reception to Class 2 !

• Famous People with BBC Schools
• Step back in time with Dynamo to 1900
• Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery for Kids
• Simple Stories
• Object Lessons
• The Great Fire of London
• Slide show of Victorian Toys
• Virtual Museum - inside and out an old Shop
• The Gunpowder Plot

Children's Work

• Pocahontas by Gemma, Class 2

Would you like to see more? - Please e-mail us with your suggestions