History · Year 2 · Changes Within Living Memory · Summer Term

Communication and Technology

How did people talk to each other before mobile phones and the internet? We will look at old telephones, writing letters, and how watching a black and white television was a special event.

TL;DR:How did people share exciting news or send a birthday wish before you could just tap a message on a phone? This topic journeys back in time to discover the world of handwritten letters, dial-up telephones, and special family nights around a black and white television.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• National Curriculum in England: History Programmes of Study: Key Stage 1

About This Topic

This topic aligns with the Key Stage 1 History curriculum in Great Britain, focusing on 'changes within living memory'. It provides a tangible way for Year 2 pupils to grasp the concept of recent history by exploring the evolution of communication. By contrasting familiar technologies like mobile phones and the internet with older methods such as writing letters, using rotary telephones, and the experience of early television, pupils can develop a clearer understanding of chronology and the impact of technology on daily life.

The unit encourages pupils to use common words and phrases relating to the passing of time and to identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. It offers excellent opportunities for sourcing evidence by speaking to older relatives or community members, looking at photographs, and handling artefacts. This hands-on approach helps pupils to ask and answer questions about the past, moving beyond simple descriptions to consider the 'how' and 'why' of technological change.

Key Questions

1. Identify two ways people communicated over long distances in the past.
2. Explain how watching television has changed since it was first invented.
3. Compare sending a text message today with writing and posting a letter in the past.

Learning Objectives

• Identify two methods of long-distance communication used in the past, such as letters and telegrams.
• Describe simple differences between early telephones and modern mobile phones.
• Explain how the experience of watching television has changed over time.
• Compare the process of sending a letter with sending a text message or email.
• Place key communication inventions on a simple timeline.

Key Vocabulary

Telephone	A device used to talk to someone in a different place using wires or radio waves.
Letter	A written message, usually put in an envelope and sent to someone through the post.
Postbox	A public box where you put letters to be collected by a postal worker and sent.
Telegram	A very short message sent by electric signals over wires and then delivered in writing.
Black and white	A term for early television or photographs that showed images only in shades of black, white, and grey, with no colour.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

People in the past had no way to talk to someone far away instantly.

What to Teach Instead

While not as fast as today, the telegraph (invented in the 1830s) could send short, written messages called telegrams very quickly over long distances using wires. Telephones also allowed instant conversation long before mobiles existed.

Common Misconception

Black and white television was just a broken colour television.

What to Teach Instead

The technology to show pictures in colour hadn't been invented or was not widely available for televisions yet. Black and white was the only way to watch TV for many years.

Common Misconception

Everyone had a telephone in their house as soon as they were invented.

What to Teach Instead

Telephones were very expensive at first and not many people had one at home. Many families had to use a public red telephone box to make a call.

Active Learning Ideas

Mystery Object

Classroom Post Office

Set up a classroom postbox. Pupils write short letters or draw pictures for their friends, address an envelope, and post it. Designated 'posties' can then deliver the mail at the end of the day or week.

45 min·Individual

Mystery Object

Communication Technology Timeline

Using picture cards of different communication devices (e.g., telegram, rotary phone, black and white TV, computer, smartphone), pupils work in small groups to place them in chronological order. They should discuss their reasoning for the order they choose.

30 min·Small Groups

Mystery Object

The Television Experience

Watch a short clip of a children's programme from the 1950s or 1960s in black and white. Afterwards, lead a whole-class discussion comparing the experience to watching television today, focusing on colour, screen size, and the number of channels.

25 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Understanding the journey a birthday card or parcel takes through the Royal Mail today.
• Appreciating the speed of modern communication when video calling relatives who live far away.
• Recognising old technology in films, museums, or photographs at their grandparents' house.
• Discussing how posties, delivery drivers, and internet engineers are key workers in communication.
• Considering how communication might change again in the future.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Use a 'think, pair, share' activity where pupils discuss the pros and cons of sending a letter versus an email. Listen to their reasoning to gauge understanding.

Quick Check

Pupils complete a 'then and now' worksheet, drawing a picture of a family watching TV in the past and a family watching TV now, adding labels to highlight the differences.

Quick Check

Provide pupils with a simple checklist with 'I can' statements, such as 'I can name an old type of telephone' or 'I can explain one way TV was different', for them to tick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did it take so long for a letter to arrive?

A letter had to go on a long journey. First, it was collected from a postbox, then taken to a sorting office, transported by van or train to another town, sorted again, and finally delivered to the right house by a postman or postwoman on foot.

How did people know what was on television?

People bought special magazines, like the 'Radio Times', or looked in the newspaper to see a schedule of the day's programmes. There were only a few channels to choose from.

Could you play games on old telephones?

No, early telephones were only for talking. They had a rotary dial for dialling numbers and couldn't do anything else like send messages, take pictures, or play games.