How has life in Britain changed since 1948?

#TheCompleteSeries7lessons

Please note that the 'Fancy Something Different...?' activity for lessons 3 to 7 are designed to give your class the opportunity to carry out their own research, producing a class, group or individual project by the end of the module.

#Lesson1TheChanges

The first lesson in this series encourages your class to think of what life was like in 1948 and some of the main changes that have occurred since then, identifying characteristics of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. It starts by showing them some photos from different eras before looking at some key events that helped to define each decade.

#Lesson2PrimaryandSecondarySources

This lesson encourages your class to identify the advantages of studying such a modern period in history and looks at some of the historical sources that have never before been available, such as photographs and videos, as well as investigating the difference between primary and secondary historical sources. Your class will then be encouraged to identify lots of different historical sources, think about which are most useful and consider which would have been around during different time periods.

#Lesson3The1950s

This lesson starts by giving your class some clues to see if they can identify some key events of the 1950s. It then goes on to give a brief outline of what life was like in Britain at this time, focussing on five main areas: home life, work life, technology, population and popular culture. They can then carry out some further research of their own.

#Lesson4The1960s

Take your class back to the swinging sixties as they find out who invented the mini skirt, what Beatlemania was and how life changed in terms of home, work, population and more. Through a range of fun activities, your class will be able to express what they have learned about the 1960s in a variety of ways.

#Lesson5The1970s

Children will look at a variety of changes that were occurring during the seventies, such as the women’s liberation movement and key inventions, before focussing on the country’s economic difficulties. Your class will find out why the three-day working week was imposed, why there were so many strikes over pay and how all this culminated in the ‘winter of discontent’. They will also consider some of the more positive events and changes of this decade.

#Lesson6The1980s

Take your class back to 'Thatcher's Britain' as they find out what life was like under Britain's first female Prime Minister. Your class will find out about Thatcher’s rise to power and some of the key features of her time as Prime Minister before looking at some of the other events and inventions of the decade, including Game Boys and mobile phones.

#Lesson7The1990s

The final lesson in this series looks at the main changes, inventions and events of the 1990s, including the death of Princess Diana and the invention of the world wide web. It then goes to challenge your class to look for links between the changes that have occurred since 1948 over a variety of categories, giving suggestions for what they think are the most significant events, inventions or achievements.

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Curriculum Objectives covered

• KS2 - a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066