History at key stages 1 and 2 (Year 3/4)

Unit 18: What was it like to live here in the past?
Section 6: How can oral sources help us to find out about how people lived?

Objectives

Children should learn:

to initiate and pursue specific lines of questioning
to develop listening and note-taking skills
to differentiate between fact and opinion
that historical accounts are often influenced by personal opinion

Activities

Outcomes

Children:

Identify a topic of interest about the local area and discuss possible questions that could be asked of a visitor to the school who is able to talk about changes over time in the local area. Encourage open-ended questions such as Can you describe your day/house/work/journey/school? What was it like to...? How did you...? What do you remember about...?

Compile a short list of agreed questions and make sure that the children are clear about the purpose of the interview.

Before the visitor comes into school to answer the questions, ask the children to practise interviewing teachers, family and friends. Collect information during the interview by taking notes or recording on tape, or by holding a follow-up discussion and summarising the main points.

Help the children to identify the facts from the visitor's opinions.

collect information about the area from oral evidence
summarise the information collected
identify facts and opinions

Points to note

This activity will need to be planned well in advance. Local history societies, the library, parents, governors and staff would provide a good source of suitable 'visitors'. The visitors will need to be briefed about the children and the teacher's expectations.

Questions might be linked to another source studied such as a map, photograph, building or artefact. Using this technique can help put visitors at ease.

Oral history is the only historical source that allows dialogue. This gives the opportunity for extracting answers to specific questions. Older children should be encouraged to pursue lines of enquiry in more depth to gain the detail they want.

Sections in this unit

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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. What is our area like today?
	2. How can we use maps to explore how our area has changed?
	3. What can local buildings or sites tell us about the past?
	4. What do pictures and photographs tell us about past life in our area?
	5. Which written sources can we use?
	6. How can oral sources help us to find out about how people lived?
	7. What was it like to live in our area in the past?