History · Year 2 · Our Local Heritage · Summer Term

Mapping Our Locality: Past and Present

Comparing historical maps of the local area with modern satellite imagery and street maps.

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

About This Topic

Mapping Our Locality: Past and Present helps Year 2 pupils explore local heritage by comparing historical maps from 50 or 100 years ago with modern satellite imagery and street maps. Pupils spot changes like fields turned into schools, old factories replaced by shops, or new roads curving through former villages. This addresses key questions on heritage's meaning as valued past elements and identifies interesting local old places, such as Victorian bridges or wartime shelters.

Aligned with KS1 History standards, the topic builds historical enquiry skills through map reading and evidence analysis. Pupils learn to interpret map symbols, scales, and colours across time, developing a sense of significant local places and change over living memory. Links to geography reinforce direction and distance concepts.

Active learning suits this topic well. Pupils handle real maps, walk familiar streets to match images, and share family memories, turning distant history into personal stories. These experiences make change tangible, boost engagement, and strengthen recall through multisensory connections.

Key Questions

1. What does the word 'heritage' mean?
2. How has the place where you live changed over the last 50 or 100 years?
3. What do you think is the most interesting old thing or place in your local area?

Learning Objectives

• Compare historical maps with modern street maps and satellite imagery to identify specific changes in the local area.
• Classify local landmarks as either historically significant or recently developed based on map evidence.
• Explain how the meaning of 'heritage' relates to tangible places and objects within their community.
• Analyze map symbols and features to infer how the local environment has been used over time.

Before You Start

Basic Map Skills: Symbols and Directions

Why: Students need to understand that maps use symbols and have directional elements before they can interpret historical and modern maps.

Introduction to Local Community

Why: Familiarity with their current local area provides a foundation for understanding how it has changed over time.

Key Vocabulary

heritage	Things such as buildings, objects, or traditions that are considered important from the past and are passed down to future generations.
satellite imagery	Photographs of Earth taken from space by satellites, showing large areas of land from above.
street map	A detailed map showing roads, buildings, and other features of a town or city, designed for navigation.
landmark	A recognizable natural or man-made feature used for navigation or as a point of interest in an area.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

The past locality looks identical to now, just older.

What to Teach Instead

Historical maps reveal vanished buildings and new roads. Overlay activities let pupils physically align maps to spot differences, while group talks clarify how people, events, and needs drive changes over time.

Common Misconception

Heritage only includes grand castles or museums far away.

What to Teach Instead

Heritage covers everyday local features like old schools or markets. Site visits and family interviews connect pupils to nearby stories, helping them value personal surroundings through shared discussions.

Common Misconception

Maps never change because places stay fixed.

What to Teach Instead

Maps capture snapshots of time. Comparing layers in pairs shows evolution, with peer explanations reinforcing that human actions update landscapes, building accurate timeline views.

Active Learning Ideas

Stations Rotation: Map Overlay Stations

Prepare stations with transparent overlays of old and modern maps pinned to local photos. Pupils trace changes in red pen, label new buildings or lost paths, then discuss findings. Groups rotate every 10 minutes, adding notes to a class chart.

45 min·Small Groups

Whole Class: Guided Heritage Walk

Plan a 20-minute walk to three local sites with pre-selected old photos or map excerpts. Pupils use clipboards to sketch current views and note differences, such as a changed shop front. Back in class, pupils pin sketches to a display map.

60 min·Whole Class

Pairs: Family Change Interviews

Pupils prepare three questions about local changes for family members. In pairs, they practise asking, then record answers on a shared map template marking spots. Pairs present one change to the class.

30 min·Pairs

Individual: Then-and-Now Postcards

Provide split postcard templates. Pupils draw the past on one half using map clues and the present on the other from memory or photos. They add labels and share in a gallery walk.

25 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Local historians and archivists use old maps and photographs to research and document the history of towns and cities, often contributing to museum exhibits or local heritage trails.
• Urban planners and architects consult historical maps and current aerial views to understand the development of neighborhoods, informing decisions about new construction and preservation projects.
• Family members can share personal memories and old photographs of their local area, providing firsthand accounts of changes that maps alone cannot show.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a small section of a historical map and a corresponding modern map. Ask them to draw one circle around a feature that has disappeared and one around a new feature that has appeared, labeling each.

Discussion Prompt

Show students a historical map and a modern map of their town. Ask: 'What is the biggest difference you notice between these two maps? What do you think caused this change?' Encourage them to point to specific areas on the maps.

Quick Check

During map comparison, ask individual students: 'Can you find the old school on the historical map? Now, can you find where it used to be on the modern map? What is there now?'

Frequently Asked Questions

How to source historical maps for Year 2 local history?

Use free resources like Ordnance Survey archives, local library scans, or National Library of Scotland digitised maps. Search by postcode for 1880s-1950s editions matching your area. Print sections at A3 scale for handling; pair with Google Earth for overlays. This equips pupils with authentic sources to trace changes accurately.

What does heritage mean in Year 2 UK history curriculum?

Heritage refers to valued aspects of the local past, such as buildings, paths, or events that shape community identity. Pupils explore this through changes over 50-100 years, linking personal family stories to places. It fosters pride and enquiry skills, distinguishing heritage from general history by its living relevance today.

How can active learning help students understand local heritage changes?

Active methods like map overlays, heritage walks, and family interviews make changes visible and personal. Pupils manipulate materials, observe real sites, and discuss evidence, countering abstract notions of time. This hands-on approach builds deeper comprehension, as physical engagement and collaboration cement memories of how places evolve.

Best activities for comparing past and present in locality Year 2?

Try station rotations with map overlays for visual diffs, guided walks to match photos, and pair interviews for oral histories. Each builds enquiry: stations develop analysis, walks add observation, interviews bring voices. Extend with class timelines to sequence changes, ensuring all pupils contribute actively.