Year 1 History

Chapters to explore

The past has already happened, the present is now and the future is still to come. A timeline orders events. Family experiences differ, and children can use a familiar person or fictional character if they prefer not to share personal information.

Try it: Make a simple timeline using safe, chosen events or a fictional character.

Objects, photographs and memories can help us ask questions about the past. Look carefully before deciding what an object was used for. Memories reflect a person’s experience and may leave things out. Ask respectfully and do not assume every family lived alike.

Try it: Discuss a chosen object or photograph with an adult and record one fact and one question.

History studies the past using evidence. Before and after describe order. A sequence can show what happened without giving exact dates. Check the evidence rather than assuming the oldest-looking object must be oldest.

Try it: Order three fictional events and explain the clues.

Personal history concerns a person’s past. Photographs, objects and memories can offer evidence. People have different family experiences, and no one needs to share private information. An imaginary person can be used to practise a timeline.

Try it: Make a fictional character’s timeline.

Toys can show change and continuity. Materials and designs may change while purposes such as play or storytelling remain. One toy cannot represent every child’s experience. Compare objects carefully and ask what evidence is missing.

Try it: Compare two toys or museum pictures using material and purpose.

Buildings and household objects help us investigate daily life. Homes differ by place, time and resources. Notice evidence such as materials and tools, but avoid assuming every family lived the same way.

Try it: Describe one historical home image and ask two questions about it.

School objects and photographs can show changes in learning. Some routines continue while equipment changes. Access to education has differed across places and times. A photograph records one selected moment, not a whole school day.

Try it: Compare two school objects using a reliable museum source.

An oral account is someone telling about an experience. Ask clear, respectful questions and let people choose what to share. Memories can be useful but may be incomplete. Compare them with other evidence when possible.

Try it: Ask an optional non-private question of a willing adult, or use a published account.

Dated pictures and maps can show how a place changed. Some features may stay. Match the location carefully and distinguish an observation from a guess. Ask an adult before visiting or photographing places.

Try it: Compare two public historical views of one place.

Learning together

Each chapter brings together teaching, an example, practice and a practical discovery. Use the material with discussion and suitable offline activities. Choose a comfortable starting point and revisit explanations as needed.