Year 1 History Resources and Lesson Plans
Explore ready-to-teach Year 1 History resources, lesson plans and schemes of work for teaching engaging History topics in Year 1. From changes within living memory and significant individuals to important events beyond living memory, our curriculum-aligned resources help children develop chronological understanding, historical vocabulary and an early understanding of how we find out about the past.
Popular Year 1 History Schemes of Work:
What should children learn in Year 1 History?
Year 1 History is about more than remembering facts. Children begin to understand how the past is organised, how we can find out about it and how life has changed over time.
Develop a sense of chronology
Use simple timelines and sequencing activities to explore when things happened and introduce words such as before, after, past and present.
Explore change over time
Compare familiar aspects of life, such as toys, homes or transport, to help children spot similarities and differences between then and now.
Investigate historical evidence
Explore photographs, objects, pictures, buildings and accounts, encouraging children to ask what each source can tell us about the past.
Ask questions about the past
Encourage curiosity with questions such as What happened?, What was different? and How do we know?, building historical vocabulary along the way.
Explore our Year 1 History Resources
Browse our complete collection of Year 1 History resources, lesson plans and schemes of work. Discover engaging History topics for Year 1, including changes within living memory, significant individuals and important events from the past, with ready-to-teach lessons designed to support the KS1 History curriculum.
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Planning Year 1 History
When planning History in Year 1, choose topics that give children plenty of opportunities to compare the past with their own experiences. Familiar themes such as toys, homes, transport and seaside holidays can make the idea of change over time much easier to understand.
Introduce significant people and events through stories, photographs, artefacts and other historical sources, and revisit key ideas such as chronology, evidence, similarity and difference throughout the year. This helps children gradually build their understanding of how we find out about the past.
Planning History for your whole school? Explore our History Curriculum Packs →Frequently Asked Questions about Year 1 History
What History is taught in Year 1?
Year 1 children follow the KS1 History curriculum. They learn about changes within living memory, significant events beyond living memory, important individuals from the past and aspects of local history. Schools have flexibility over the particular people, events and topics they choose to explore.
What are good History topics for Year 1?
The best Year 1 History topics make the past accessible and interesting to young children. Popular choices include toys, homes, transport and seaside holidays in the past, as well as significant individuals such as Mary Anning, Neil Armstrong and other famous people. Events such as the Great Fire of London can also provide an engaging introduction to studying the more distant past.
What historical skills should Year 1 children develop?
Year 1 children should begin to develop chronological understanding, recognise similarities and differences between the past and present, ask and answer questions about history and explore different ways of finding out about the past. They should also start using historical vocabulary such as past, present, before, after, evidence and source.
How can I teach chronology in Year 1?
Simple timelines, sequencing activities and comparisons between ‘then’ and ‘now’ are useful ways to develop chronological understanding in Year 1. Start with familiar experiences and relatively simple sequences before introducing events and people from further back in the past. Regularly using vocabulary such as before, after, earlier and later also helps children develop a stronger sense of chronology.
What historical sources can Year 1 children use?
Year 1 children can investigate photographs, pictures, artefacts, buildings, maps and simple written or spoken accounts. Encourage children to look closely, ask questions and discuss what each source might tell them. At this stage, the aim is to introduce the idea that we use evidence to find out about people and events from the past.
Are PlanBee Year 1 History resources aligned with the National Curriculum?
Yes. PlanBee's Year 1 History lesson plans and schemes of work are designed to support the National Curriculum requirements for History at Key Stage 1. Resources include detailed lesson plans, teaching slides and differentiated learning activities to help teachers deliver engaging History lessons while developing children's historical knowledge and skills.
