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Citizenship at key stages 1 and 2 (Year 3-6)
Unit 09: Respect for property
Section 4: Additional/alternative activity: Taking responsibility - what new uses can we find for empty buildings?
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Objectives |
| Children should learn: |
- about the need to respect property in the community
- about the consequences for the community if property is vandalised
- about resources and the way these are used and the implications for individuals and communities
- to devise enquiry questions to investigate the use of buildings in the community
- about the local planning process
- about the importance of consultation with different members of the community about community issues
- about local council priorities and decision-making
- to engage in group discussions for a range of purposes
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Activities |
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Outcomes |
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Children: |
- The children investigate an empty building in the community. They list the things that have happened to it since it became empty, eg broken windows, graffiti, and describe how this affects the area around the building, eg makes it feel unsafe, makes it look unattractive, encourages vandalism to other buildings. They locate it on a local map, then work in groups to devise enquiry questions about the building and to explore what should happen to it in the future, eg What was the building used for in the past? Do you like the building? What state of repair is it in? Should it be left as it is, or redeveloped and reused, or demolished to make way for a new building?
- If possible, make a class visit to the building and/or use a range of sources, including photographs, video, newspaper cuttings and any information from the local planning office. The children could work in pairs to record their answers to the enquiry questions. They examine the building to see if it has any special features, such as architectural details, and make drawings or take photos of these. They compare the building with others nearby to determine the character of the area, eg retail, housing, industrial. Where possible, the children consult with members of the local community about what they think should happen to the building, using a simple questionnaire or interview based on the enquiry questions.
- Explain the process used by the local council to consider planning proposals. The children work in groups to discuss what they think should happen to the building and prepare a proposal, setting out the building's previous use, proposed new use, and the changes that need to be made to it. They could use a form for this. They then prepare annotated drawings of the building to illustrate their proposal, using information collected during their investigation of resources or their visit to the site. They present their ideas to the class and record any objections. A planning officer could be invited to hear the ideas and discuss them with the class. The children vote for the idea they think best.
- The children could make a display to show their ideas to the rest of the school.
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- understand that empty and unused buildings represent a potential resource for individuals and communities and, if left, may be subject to vandalism
- identify the consequences of vandalism for individuals and communities
- recognise that members of the local community have different views, needs and priorities
- understand that the priorities of different individuals and groups can conflict
- understand that priorities and decisions are made by the local council in consultation with members of the community
- take part in group discussions to investigate, explore and explain their ideas
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Points to note |
- These activities can be linked with work on enquiry and local issues in history and geography.
- Link with geography: 1a, 1b, 1d, 1e, 2c, 2d, 2g, 4b, 5a, 5g in the key stage 2 programme of study;
unit 8 'Improving the environment' and
unit 21 'How can we improve the area we can see from our window?' in the scheme of work.
- Link with history:
unit 18 'What was it like to live here in the past?' in the scheme of work.
- Link with English: En1 S&L 10a, 10b, 10c in the key stage 2 programme of study.
- English Heritage provides information and materials to support work that explores citizenship and the historical environment, including case studies of work by schools. The National Monument Record (part of English Heritage) and your local public record office or local library may have archive photographs, historical sources and other details of buildings in your area.
- Before the visit, it is important to check who owns the building. If it is derelict, it is unlikely that you will be able to go inside. However, the owners may be able to supply internal and external photographs. If the building is not normally open to the public, check prior to the visit for health and safety issues and access.
- The local authority may have details of a suitable property for this kind of project. Many local councils employ conservation officers who may be able to advise on local conservation schemes.
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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.
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