History at key stages 1 and 2 (Year 5/6)

Unit 12: How did life change in our locality in Victorian times?
Section 4: What evidence of Victorian times remains in our area?

Objectives

Children should learn:

to identify and record characteristic features of Victorian buildings
to recognise ways in which buildings have been changed over time, and consider reasons for the changes

Activities

Outcomes

Children:

Explain the characteristic features of Victorian buildings, eg typical windows, doors, roofs, building materials, showing pictures of local examples. Explain about the expansion/decrease in local population during the Victorian period. Discuss with the children where Victorian buildings might be found, using local maps.

Arrange a visit to look at local Victorian buildings. Ask the children to record the external features of buildings, eg by sketching, taking photographs, recording on video.

On their return to school, show children pictures of the same buildings in the nineteenth century. Ask them to identify those that have remained as they were, those that have changed, and how they have changed, eg replacement doors, windows, conversion, cladding. Discuss with the children reasons why the buildings might have been changed.

identify features of Victorian buildings
record features of Victorian buildings
identify changes in buildings and suggest reasons for the changes

Points to note

This should be the core activity of the unit if your local area has a number of streets or buildings that can obviously be identified with the Victorian period. The amount of preparation needed for any visits will depend on the class and their familiarity with the locality. The children may need worksheets or discussion points to focus their observations and deductions.

Where possible, children should visit streets studied when looking at census returns, street directories or the railway.

Children could also look in the local church and churchyard for evidence of Victorian times that may lead to further investigations, eg typical grave inscriptions, memorials.

English Heritage publishes a range of teacher resources on finding out about the local area from its buildings.

Sections in this unit

<< previous section

next section >>

This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.


	1. Who lived here in 1841?
	2. Who lived and worked here in 1891? What has changed since 1841 and why?
	3. How did the arrival and expansion of the railways affect our area?
	4. What evidence of Victorian times remains in our area?
	5. How did life change in our locality in Victorian times?