Local Studies and Heritage · Summer Term

Our School Through the Decades

Researching the history of the school building and the experiences of past pupils.

About This Topic

Our School Through the Decades is a local history study that turns the school building into a primary source. Students research the history of their own school, looking at how the building, the curriculum, and the daily lives of pupils have changed over time. This aligns with the NCCA 'Local Studies' strand, helping children see that history is something that happened in their own immediate environment.

By interviewing past pupils or examining old roll books and photographs, students practice the skills of a historian: gathering evidence, comparing accounts, and identifying change and continuity. This topic comes alive when students can physically explore the school grounds for 'clues' of the past and engage in structured interviews with members of the community.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how the physical structure of the school building has changed since its construction.
• Compare the daily routines and learning experiences of pupils from 50 years ago with those of today.
• Explain how historical documents like roll books and photographs provide evidence of past community life.
• Identify continuity and change in school life and the local area over several decades.

Before You Start

Introduction to Timelines

Why: Students need a basic understanding of how to order events chronologically to make sense of historical changes over decades.

Community Helpers

Why: Familiarity with different roles within a community, including historical roles, helps students contextualize the lives of past pupils and teachers.

Key Vocabulary

Chronology	The arrangement of events or dates in the order of their occurrence. Understanding chronology helps us place historical events in the correct sequence.
Primary Source	An artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or any other source of information that was created at the time under study. Old photographs and roll books are primary sources for our school's history.
Secondary Source	A document or recording that explains or interprets information from primary sources. A history book written about our town would be a secondary source.
Continuity	The state of continuing or being maintained over time. Some aspects of school life might show continuity, meaning they have stayed the same.
Change	To make or become different. This refers to how things, like the school building or teaching methods, have transformed over time.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: School Detectives

Students walk around the school looking for physical clues of age, such as date stones, old windows, or changes in building materials. They map these 'clues' to create a timeline of the building.

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

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Role Play: The 1950s Classroom

Students experience a 10-minute 'old-fashioned' lesson using slates (or black paper) and strict rules. Afterward, they discuss how it felt compared to their modern, active classroom.

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

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Think-Pair-Share: The Interviewer's Guide

Students work in pairs to write five questions they would ask a grandparent or past pupil about their school days. They then practice the interview with each other.

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

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Real-World Connections

Local historical societies, such as the Dublin Historical Society, employ archivists who preserve and interpret old documents and photographs to tell the story of a place. These professionals use skills similar to what students will practice when examining old school records.

Architects often research the history of existing buildings before renovations. They study original blueprints and historical photographs to understand the building's original design and how it has evolved, ensuring new additions respect the past.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

School was always exactly like it is now.

What to Teach Instead

In the past, schools had very different rules, subjects (like more focus on needlework or Latin), and even different heating and lighting. Comparing old photos with the modern classroom surfaces these differences quickly.

Common Misconception

Old roll books are just lists of names.

What to Teach Instead

Roll books tell us about family sizes, common local jobs, and even how weather or illness affected attendance. A 'data detective' activity helps students see the stories hidden in the numbers.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Facilitate a class discussion using these questions: 'Imagine you are a pupil from 50 years ago. What is one thing you would find surprising about our school today? What is one thing that feels familiar?' Encourage students to refer to specific evidence they found in their research.

Quick Check

Provide students with a simple Venn diagram. Ask them to label one circle 'School Day 50 Years Ago' and the other 'School Day Today'. In the overlapping section, they should write similarities. In the outer sections, they should write differences, drawing on information from interviews or documents.

Exit Ticket

Give each student a card. On one side, they should draw a simple sketch of one way the school building has changed. On the other side, they should write one sentence explaining what that change tells us about the past.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can we find out when our school was built?

You can look for a 'date stone' on the building, check old maps (like the Ordnance Survey maps), or look through the school's own archives and roll books. Local history books or the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage website are also great resources for Irish schools.

What are the best hands-on strategies for teaching local school history?

The 'School Detectives' walk is a fantastic way to start. By physically touching old walls or seeing where a new wing was added, students connect with the building's story. Using role-play to simulate an old-fashioned lesson also provides a sensory experience of the past that stays with students much longer than a lecture.

How has the school day changed over the last 50 years?

Fifty years ago, there was much more emphasis on rote learning and handwriting. There were no computers or interactive boards, and discipline was often much stricter. However, some things like playing at break time and making friends have stayed exactly the same.

What can we learn from old school photographs?

Photographs show us what children wore, what the classrooms looked like, and even how many pupils were in a class. By comparing a photo from 1970 with one from today, students can spot changes in fashion, technology, and even the diversity of the school community.