Target age range: Year 2, adaptable for Key Stage 2

The enquiry is focused on the area surrounding the author’s school, an area of mainly Victorian terraced houses. It provides opportunities for children to use a variety of primary sources to make comparisons, to identify what has changed and what has stayed the same, and to consider causes and consequences of change in an area familiar to them.

The key elements of the enquiry are:

• using maps to gain an understanding of the chronology of the area
• a local walk to gain a sense of the area as it is now and to provide a context to the study
• a comparison of photographs from the past and present to identify what has changed and what has stayed the same
• a study of local shops, how they have changed over time and the reasons why
• gaining an understanding of how the area has changed during living memory, through interviews with local people

This resource was written by Rachel Bruce, a teacher at St Barnabas CE Primary School in York.

Particular thanks to the Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York, for their permission to use images in this resource.

Every effort has been made to trace all image copyright holders for these resources, although occasionally it has not been possible. Please contact Maheema Chanrai at maheema.chanrai@history.org.uk with any queries regarding image use or copyright.

See also the linked Primary History article by Rachel Bruce and Susannah Russell:

• Teaching local history in primary schools: learning about effective practice from the BALH / HA Teacher Fellowship – Rachel Bruce and Susannah Russell