Mapping Our Locality: Past and PresentActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works for this topic because young learners build spatial and temporal understanding best by handling real materials. Comparing maps and walking the local area turns abstract concepts like change and heritage into tangible, memorable experiences.
Learning Objectives
- 1Compare historical maps with modern street maps and satellite imagery to identify specific changes in the local area.
- 2Classify local landmarks as either historically significant or recently developed based on map evidence.
- 3Explain how the meaning of 'heritage' relates to tangible places and objects within their community.
- 4Analyze map symbols and features to infer how the local environment has been used over time.
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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.
Prepare & details
What does the word 'heritage' mean?
Facilitation Tip: At the Map Overlay Stations, pre-cut transparencies and colored markers let pupils trace and annotate changes without smudging or confusion.
Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room
Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer
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.
Prepare & details
How has the place where you live changed over the last 50 or 100 years?
Setup: Groups at tables with document sets
Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template
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.
Prepare & details
What do you think is the most interesting old thing or place in your local area?
Setup: Groups at tables with document sets
Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template
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.
Prepare & details
What does the word 'heritage' mean?
Setup: Groups at tables with document sets
Materials: Document packet (5-8 sources), Analysis worksheet, Theory-building template
Teaching This Topic
Teachers approach this topic by anchoring explanations in concrete examples pupils can see. Start with the local and familiar, then layer on bigger ideas about continuity and change. Avoid overwhelming pupils with too much historical detail; focus instead on observable differences and the stories behind them. Research shows that guided comparisons and real-site visits build stronger historical empathy than abstract discussions alone.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like pupils confidently pointing out differences between past and present places, explaining how and why these changes happened, and valuing the history embedded in their everyday surroundings. Evidence of this shows in their talk, their marked maps, and their thoughtful responses during discussions.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Map Overlay Stations, watch for pupils assuming the past locality looks identical to now, just older.
What to Teach Instead
During Map Overlay Stations, circulate and ask each group to point out at least one vanished building and one new road before they begin annotating, using the overlay sheets to physically align features.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Guided Heritage Walk, watch for pupils thinking heritage only includes grand castles or museums far away.
What to Teach Instead
During the Guided Heritage Walk, pause at everyday features like old shop fronts or street signs and ask pupils to consider who used them and why they matter now.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Family Change Interviews, watch for pupils believing maps never change because places stay fixed.
What to Teach Instead
During the Family Change Interviews, have pupils compare the oldest family photo or map they collect with their modern street view, asking them to describe what has replaced what.
Assessment Ideas
After the Map Overlay Stations, give pupils 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 with a brief explanation.
After the Guided Heritage Walk, show pupils a historical map and a modern map of their route. 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 and share their reasons.
During the Family Change Interviews, listen for pupils to explain how a place has changed and what exists there now. Ask individual pupils: '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?'
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask early finishers to create a three-panel comic strip showing a place’s change from past to present to future.
- Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems like 'I noticed that…' and 'This changed because…' for pupils to use during discussions.
- Deeper exploration: Invite pupils to research and present one local feature’s story to the class, using both maps and photos.
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. |
Suggested Methodologies
Planning templates for History
5E Model
The 5E Model structures lessons through five phases (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), guiding students from curiosity to deep understanding through inquiry-based learning.
Unit PlannerThematic Unit
Organize a multi-week unit around a central theme or essential question that cuts across topics, texts, and disciplines, helping students see connections and build deeper understanding.
RubricSingle-Point Rubric
Build a single-point rubric that defines only the "meets standard" level, leaving space for teachers to document what exceeded and what fell short. Simple to create, easy for students to understand.
More in Our Local Heritage
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Investigating the history of significant buildings or landmarks in the local community.
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Local Heroes and Notable Figures
Researching a significant person who lived in or visited our town or city and their contributions.
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The History of Our School
Investigating when the school was built, its original purpose, and what it was like for the first pupils.
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Local Transport: Then and Now
Exploring how people traveled in the local area in the past compared to modern transport.
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Local Shops and Industries
Investigating the types of shops and industries that existed in the local area historically and how they've changed.
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