History · Year 2 · Our Local Heritage · Summer Term

Local Shops and Industries

Investigating the types of shops and industries that existed in the local area historically and how they've changed.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: History - Significant historical places in their own locality
• KS1: History - Changes within living memory

About This Topic

Local Shops and Industries invites Year 2 pupils to explore the shops and businesses in their own locality from the past, often within living memory, and compare them to today. Pupils examine evidence such as old photographs, oral histories from family members, and maps to identify common shops like grocers, butchers, or coal merchants that have disappeared or transformed. They address key questions about past businesses, modern differences, and shopping changes over the last 70 years, aligning with KS1 History standards on significant local places and changes within living memory.

This topic fosters historical enquiry skills through comparison and change, while connecting to geography via locality studies and PSHE through community roles. Pupils develop vocabulary for historical periods, like 'post-war' or 'high street,' and practise sequencing events on timelines.

Active learning suits this topic perfectly because pupils connect personally to their environment. Field trips to local high streets, handling artefacts from grandparent-donated collections, or interviewing residents make abstract change tangible, boost engagement, and encourage collaborative discussions that reveal patterns in evidence.

Key Questions

1. What kinds of shops or businesses were common in your local area in the past?
2. How are the shops and businesses in your area different today?
3. What do you think has changed most about the way people shop over the last 70 years?

Learning Objectives

• Identify at least three types of shops or industries that were historically common in the local area.
• Compare and contrast the functions of historical local shops with contemporary businesses.
• Explain two significant changes in shopping habits or business types within living memory.
• Classify historical local businesses based on their primary product or service.

Before You Start

My Community and Where I Live

Why: Students need a basic understanding of their local area and the different places within it before they can investigate historical changes.

People Who Help Us

Why: This topic builds on the idea of different jobs and roles within a community, extending it to historical contexts.

Key Vocabulary

Grocer	A shopkeeper who sells food and household supplies. Historically, grocers often sold items like flour, sugar, and tea in bulk.
Coal Merchant	A business that sold coal, which was a primary fuel for heating homes and cooking in the past. These businesses are rare today.
High Street	The main street in a town or city, typically containing shops and businesses. This term is used to describe both historical and modern commercial centers.
Living Memory	Events or changes that people can recall from their own lives. For Year 2, this often refers to changes experienced by grandparents or older relatives.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All shops in the past were better and more friendly.

What to Teach Instead

Pupils often romanticise the past from family stories. Show evidence of rationing or limited choices through photos and discussions. Active role plays help them experience limitations firsthand, adjusting views through peer comparison.

Common Misconception

Shops have not changed much over 70 years.

What to Teach Instead

Children assume continuity from familiar high streets. Use timelines and before-after maps to highlight closures. Group mapping activities reveal scale of change, prompting questions about reasons like online shopping.

Common Misconception

People in the past did not use technology for shopping.

What to Teach Instead

Pupils overlook early innovations like milk deliveries. Introduce evidence of vans and telephones via artefacts. Hands-on sorting of old invoices versus modern receipts clarifies gradual tech integration.

Active Learning Ideas

Local Walk: Shop Survey

Plan a class walk to the local high street. Pupils sketch current shops and note goods sold. Back in class, compare sketches to old photos provided by the local history society. Discuss changes in pairs.

45 min·Whole Class

Interview Station: Family Histories

Prepare question cards about past shopping. Pupils interview family members via phone or in person, recording answers on templates. Share findings in small groups to identify common patterns.

30 min·Pairs

Timeline Build: Shop Changes

Provide timeline strips from 1950s to now. Pupils add images and labels of shops from evidence sources. Groups present their timelines, explaining key changes.

40 min·Small Groups

Role Play: Past vs Present Shopping

Set up two shop scenes with props: 1960s grocer and modern supermarket. Pupils role play shopping in pairs, noting differences in payments and goods. Debrief on changes.

35 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Many towns still have a 'High Street' that showcases the evolution of shops, with some older buildings now housing modern chain stores or cafes. For example, a former butcher's shop might now be a mobile phone store.
• Grandparents or older relatives often have direct memories of shopping for specific items like milk delivered by a milkman or buying goods from a local baker. These personal accounts provide firsthand evidence of changes over time.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a picture of a historical shop (e.g., a baker, a greengrocer) and a picture of a modern shop (e.g., a supermarket, a cafe). Ask them to write one sentence comparing what people bought at the old shop versus the new shop.

Discussion Prompt

Ask students: 'Imagine you are talking to your grandparent about shopping 70 years ago. What is one thing they might tell you that is very different from how you shop today?' Encourage them to share their ideas with a partner.

Quick Check

Show students images of different historical local businesses. Ask them to give a thumbs up if they think this type of shop is still common today, and a thumbs down if it is rare or gone. Follow up by asking why for a few examples.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can teachers source historical evidence for local shops?

Contact local libraries, museums, or history societies for photos, maps, and oral histories. Invite guest speakers like retired shopkeepers. Digital archives from sites like Britain from Above provide aerial views of past high streets. Encourage families to contribute personal photos, ensuring variety in evidence for robust comparisons.

What active learning strategies work best for studying local industries?

Field trips to current sites paired with historical overlays engage pupils kinesthetically. Interviews with elders build listening skills, while collaborative timelines synthesise evidence. Role plays of past shopping routines make changes experiential, fostering empathy and retention through movement and discussion.

How has shopping changed most over the last 70 years in the UK?

Key shifts include supermarkets replacing small grocers, self-service over counter service, and online shopping growth. Credit cards and packaging reduced home deliveries. Pupils note these via evidence, linking to transport improvements and women's workforce entry, developing change analysis skills.

How does this topic link to other Year 2 curriculum areas?

Integrate with geography through locality mapping and human features. Use maths for timeline sequencing and data on shop numbers. English supports through recount writing of interviews. Art involves sketching past shops, creating cross-curricular depth and real-world relevance.