History · Year 2

Active learning ideas

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay: Everest

Active learning helps Year 2 students grasp the physical and mental challenges of the 1953 Everest expedition by making abstract dangers concrete. When children role-play tasks like route-finding or oxygen management, they connect historical facts to lived experience, building empathy and retention.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: History - Significant individuals in the past
• KS1: History - Events beyond living memory

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Everest Challenges

Prepare four stations: ice grip (hold iced objects with gloves), low oxygen (short breath-holding while counting), steep climb (step up and down on benches), and avalanche dodge (roll balls to avoid). Groups rotate every 7 minutes, draw what they feel at each. Debrief on links to real climb.

Who were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and what did they achieve?

Facilitation Tip

For Station Rotation: Everest Challenges, label each station with a challenge card (e.g., ‘Thin Air Station’ with a stopwatch to simulate slow movement) to keep transitions focused and purposeful.

What to look for

Provide students with a picture of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on the summit. Ask them to write two sentences: one explaining who they are and what they did, and another sentence describing one difficulty they might have faced on their journey.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Mystery Object
• 30 min · Pairs

Timeline Sequencing: Expedition Path

Provide jumbled image cards of key events from base camp to summit. In pairs, children sequence them on a long paper 'mountain trail,' add labels, and share one challenge per stage with the class.

What challenges did Hillary and Norgay face when climbing Mount Everest?

Facilitation Tip

During Timeline Sequencing: Expedition Path, place large printed photos on the floor in a long line so children can physically step through each stage, reinforcing the gradual process of preparation.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you are preparing for a long, difficult journey. What three things would you pack and why?' Guide the discussion to connect their answers to the equipment used by Hillary and Norgay, and the importance of preparation for extreme conditions.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Mystery Object
• 35 min · Small Groups

Team Relay: Summit Climb

Set up a classroom course with hurdles, tunnels, and paired rope sections to mimic the climb. Teams of four relay while calling encouragements, then discuss how working together helped, relating to Hillary and Norgay.

Why do you think it was important for them to work together as a team?

Facilitation Tip

In Team Relay: Summit Climb, use a single rope and small backpacks to show how Sherpas share loads; remind children that every step depends on cooperation, not speed.

What to look for

Show students images of different climbing challenges (e.g., a steep ice wall, a crevasse, a blizzard). Ask them to point to the image that best represents a challenge faced by Hillary and Norgay and explain their choice in one sentence.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Mystery Object
• 40 min · Whole Class

Role-Play: Final Ascent

Divide class into Hillary, Norgay, and support roles. Narrate the last push with props like scarves for wind; act out planting the flag. Reflect in circle on emotions and teamwork value.

Who were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and what did they achieve?

What to look for

Provide students with a picture of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on the summit. Ask them to write two sentences: one explaining who they are and what they did, and another sentence describing one difficulty they might have faced on their journey.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by balancing awe with realism. Avoid glorifying risk; instead, frame challenges as puzzles to solve together. Research shows young learners grasp interdependence through shared tasks, so design activities where success hinges on collaboration rather than individual heroics. Keep explanations concrete—avoid abstract talk about ‘courage’—and anchor discussions in sensory details like cold winds or heavy boots.

By the end of these activities, students will explain how Hillary and Norgay relied on teamwork, identify key equipment used, and sequence the expedition’s stages. Success looks like children discussing risks in child-friendly language and demonstrating planning through hands-on tasks.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role-Play: Final Ascent, watch for children acting independently or racing to ‘the summit’ without waiting for partners.

  Pause the role-play to point out that Hillary and Norgay moved together, with Tenzing testing each step. Have partners mirror this by taking turns to lead and follow, holding a shared rope.

• During Station Rotation: Everest Challenges, watch for students saying the climb was ‘easy’ because Hillary and Norgay succeeded.

  At the ‘Weather Station,’ ask students to hold ice cubes for 30 seconds while discussing how frostbite could slow progress. Connect their discomfort to the team’s need for warm gear and flexible plans.

• During Timeline Sequencing: Expedition Path, watch for students placing the summit day too early in the sequence.

  Use the timeline cards to physically mark eight weeks and ask children to count aloud each camp setup. Highlight that the final climb followed months of rest and acclimatization, not a quick dash.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Mystery Object