Year 1 - History
Photographs of Britain in the 1940s and 50s
Photographs from history: what can they tell us about Britain's recent past?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores photography as a recent invention that records history, highlighting early photos of lost ways of life and the challenges of early 20th-century photography. Students learn about changes in recent history, including food, clothing, and more, through photos from the past century.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use photographs to describe some features of 1940s and 50s Britain.
Key Notes
- Looking at photographs of Britain from the 1940s and 1950s can tell us a lot about that time.
- Photographs of bomb damage and new types of housing can tell us about the effects of the Second World War.
- Photographs of kitchens can show us what life at home was like in the 1950s.
- Photographs of busy streets in London and Leeds can tell us about the sorts of transport people used.
- All of these photographs can tell us about things that have changed or stayed the same since these times.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Second World War: the Second World War was a war between lots of countries around the world that took place between 1939 and 1945
- prefabricated: prefabricated houses are built in a factory and then transported to the final location on a lorry
- transport: transport is the method by which people or goods are moved from one place to another
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The Second World War was happening in the 1950's.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
Looking at photographs of Britain from the 1940s and 1950s can tell us a lot about that time. Photographs of bomb damage and new types of housing can tell us about the effects of the Second World War.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'Second World War'
the Second World War was a war between lots of countries around the world that took place between 1939 and 1945.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: The Second World War was happening in the 1950's. Correction: Explain to the children that the Second World War ended half way through the 1940's. In the 1950's people and cities were recovering from the effects of the war. New houses, technology and transport was available.
More Lessons In This Unit
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