History · Year 2 · Our Local Heritage · Summer Term

Buildings with a Story: Local Landmarks

Investigating the history of significant buildings or landmarks in the local community.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: History - Significant historical places in their own locality
• KS1: History - Historical enquiry

About This Topic

Buildings with a Story: Local Landmarks guides Year 2 students to investigate significant places in their local community. Children identify landmarks, explore their original purposes, such as mills, churches, or schools, and discuss why preservation matters. This topic meets KS1 History standards for significant historical places in the locality and develops historical enquiry through questions like 'What was this building built for?' and 'Why look after old buildings?'

Students connect personal experiences to broader heritage by comparing old photographs with modern views, sequencing building changes, and gathering evidence from walks or visitor talks. These approaches build skills in observation, questioning, and simple chronology, while fostering pride in local identity.

Active learning benefits this topic greatly. Hands-on local walks let children observe landmarks firsthand, touch textures, and note details, turning history into a living story. Group discussions of findings and creating simple models or drawings reinforce understanding and make lessons memorable through personal relevance.

Key Questions

1. What is a landmark and can you name one in your local area?
2. What was an old building in your town or village originally built for?
3. Why do you think it is important to look after old buildings?

Learning Objectives

• Identify at least three significant landmarks in their local area, naming each.
• Explain the original purpose of a chosen local landmark using evidence from images or descriptions.
• Compare historical photographs of a local landmark with its current appearance, noting changes.
• Articulate one reason why it is important to preserve historical buildings in their community.

Before You Start

People and Events in Our Community

Why: Students need a basic understanding of local people and events to connect them to historical buildings.

Timelines and Sequencing

Why: Understanding simple chronological order is essential for comparing past and present states of a building.

Key Vocabulary

Landmark	A recognizable natural or man-made feature used as a point of reference. In history, it is often a building or monument with historical significance.
Chronology	The arrangement of events or dates in the order in which they happened. This helps us understand the sequence of changes to a building over time.
Preservation	The act of protecting and maintaining historical buildings or sites so they can be enjoyed by future generations.
Purpose	The reason for which something exists or was made. For buildings, this means what it was used for when it was first built.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All landmarks are very ancient castles or palaces.

What to Teach Instead

Local landmarks often date from Victorian times or later, like schools or factories. Field walks expose students to real examples, helping them adjust ideas through direct evidence and peer talks.

Common Misconception

Old buildings never change or get repaired.

What to Teach Instead

Structures evolve with additions or restorations. Comparing photos in pairs reveals changes, and model-building activities let students experiment with modifications, clarifying preservation versus alteration.

Common Misconception

Landmarks have no personal relevance.

What to Teach Instead

Every community has valued places tied to daily life. Mapping personal connections during walks builds emotional links, with group shares showing shared heritage.

Active Learning Ideas

Local Walk: Landmark Hunt

Plan a short school walk to 2-3 landmarks. Provide clipboards and checklists for students to sketch features, note uses, and ask 'What was it built for?'. Follow up with class sharing of drawings.

45 min·Small Groups

Photo Comparison: Then and Now

Gather old and new photos of local landmarks. In pairs, students sort images by date, discuss changes, and draw one change they notice. Share findings on a class timeline.

30 min·Pairs

Story Circle: Oral Histories

Invite a local resident or use pre-recorded talks. Students prepare 3 questions in advance, listen in a circle, then retell the story in drawings or sentences.

40 min·Whole Class

Model Makers: Mini Landmarks

Provide recycled materials for students to build a model of a local landmark. Label original purpose and one change over time. Display models with class descriptions.

50 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Local historians and heritage societies work to document and protect buildings like old mills or Victorian houses, ensuring their stories are not forgotten.
• Town planners and architects consider the historical context of existing structures when designing new developments, aiming to integrate new buildings with older ones respectfully.
• Museum curators often use artifacts and photographs from local landmarks to tell the story of a community's past, helping residents understand their heritage.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Give each student a postcard. Ask them to draw a local landmark on one side. On the other side, they should write the landmark's name, what it was originally used for, and one sentence explaining why it is important to keep it.

Discussion Prompt

Show students two images of the same local landmark, one old and one new. Ask: 'What differences do you notice between the old picture and the new picture? What do these changes tell us about the building's history?'

Quick Check

During a local walk or after viewing images, ask students to hold up fingers to indicate the number of purposes a building might have had (e.g., 1 for a house, 2 for a shop with living quarters above). Then ask: 'How do we know what it was used for?'

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I teach local landmarks in Year 2 history?

Start with a class brainstorm of local landmarks, then use walks and photos for enquiry. Align with key questions by discussing original uses and preservation. Hands-on mapping and modelling keep engagement high, meeting KS1 standards on locality and enquiry through observation and simple evidence.

What resources for investigating local heritage?

Use free local history society archives, old Ordnance Survey maps, and library photos. Apps like Historic England provide child-friendly info. Involve parents for stories; create a class scrapbook of findings to display progress and spark family discussions.

How can active learning help teach local landmarks?

Active methods like landmark walks and artefact handling make history tangible for young learners. Students ask real questions on-site, sketch observations, and build models, which deepen enquiry skills and retention. Group shares build community pride, turning passive facts into personal stories.

Why preserve old buildings in primary history lessons?

Preservation links past to present, teaching change over time. Students discuss reasons like cultural value and community identity via debates and role-plays. This fosters empathy and citizenship, aligning with curriculum goals for historical significance in locality.