Skip to content

Homes in the Past KS1

Travel through time to discover how houses and homes have changed, from Victorian homes to the places we live today.
Regular price £14.99
Sale price £14.99 Regular price

Everything you need to teach this scheme

Fully planned lessons, each with:

lesson plans

Lesson plans

Easy-to-follow teaching guidance, plenaries and assessment questions

teaching slides

Teaching slides

Ready-to-use whole-class teaching presentations

differentiated activities for adaptive teaching

Differentiated activities

Three levels of differentiation to support adaptive teaching

alternative activities

Alternative activities

Extra activity options for greater flexibility

assessment

Assessment

Assessment questions and a scheme assessment grid

planning and reference

Planning & reference

Medium-term overview and Knowledge Organiser

✓ Written and created by experienced primary teachers.

Explore Homes in the Past with KS1 History Lessons

Explore how houses and homes have changed over time with this ready-to-teach Homes in the Past KS1 History scheme of work. Across six engaging lessons, children investigate homes from different periods of British history and compare them with the houses and homes we live in today.

Children will explore how the materials, features and contents of homes have changed, looking at evidence from the past to find out what everyday life was like for people living in different periods. They will develop their understanding of chronology and change within living memory and beyond, while building important historical enquiry skills.

Perfect for a houses and homes KS1 topic, this complete scheme provides everything you need to explore homes past and present with your Year 1 or Year 2 class.

What children will learn

Children will have opportunities to:

  • identify and describe features of homes from the past
  • compare houses and homes from different periods
  • explore similarities and differences between homes past and present
  • investigate how homes have changed over time
  • use historical sources and evidence to find out about life in the past
  • develop their understanding of chronology, continuity and change

Lesson sequence

Scheme at a glance

See how learning progresses across the scheme.

Lesson 1: Types of Homes

Lesson 1: Types of Homes

Explore different types of homes, their common features and how we can tell which may be older or newer.

Lesson 2: Homes Within Living Memory

Lesson 2: Homes Within Living Memory

Discover how and why homes have changed from the 1940s to the present day using timelines and comparisons.

Lesson 3: Using Sources to Compare Homes from Different Decades

Lesson 3: Using Sources to Compare Homes from Different Decades

Use photographs as historical sources to compare kitchens and living rooms from the 1940s to today.

Lesson 4: Asking Questions about Homes in the Past

Lesson 4: Asking Questions about Homes in the Past

Explore oral testimony as a historical source and devise questions to find out about childhood homes in the past.

Lesson 5: The Impact of Technology in Homes

Lesson 5: The Impact of Technology in Homes

Investigate how developments in household technology have changed our homes and the way we live.

Lesson 6: Beyond Living Memory - Victorian Homes

Lesson 6: Beyond Living Memory - Victorian Homes

Travel beyond living memory to investigate Victorian homes, their features and what they reveal about life in the past.

Knowledge Organiser: Homes in the Past

Knowledge Organiser: Homes in the Past

Preview the Complete Scheme

See every lesson objective, lesson overview, assessment question and included resources before you buy.

Download the Overview

Homes in the Past FAQs

Is this Homes in the Past scheme suitable for KS1?

Yes. Homes in the Past is a six-lesson History scheme designed for children in Years 1 and 2. It introduces children to different types of homes and explores how houses and homes have changed over time, both within and beyond living memory.

What will children learn about homes in the past?

Children explore different types of homes before investigating how homes have changed from the 1940s to the present day. They compare interiors from different decades, investigate the impact of household technology and explore what Victorian homes were like beyond living memory.

Does this scheme develop historical enquiry skills?

Yes. Children use photographs and other historical sources to investigate houses and homes in the past, identify similarities and differences and ask historical questions. They also explore oral testimony by devising questions to find out about the childhood homes of parents, grandparents or other adults.

Does Homes in the Past cover Victorian homes?

Yes. The final lesson takes children beyond living memory to investigate Victorian homes. Children explore features of Victorian houses, consider what life was like for the people who lived in them and use visual sources and objects to develop their historical enquiry skills.

Which KS1 History National Curriculum objectives does this scheme cover?

The scheme supports the KS1 History National Curriculum study of changes within living memory. Children develop chronological understanding, use historical vocabulary, identify similarities and differences between different periods and use sources to find out about the past.