Overview

Introduction

Context

The lesson starts with the teacher teaching the whole class. For this section of the lesson the teacher will use a projector and interactive whiteboard if available. For the pupil exercises ideally pupils should have access to an ICT suite or a set of laptop computers. It could be done on a set of classroom computers over a longer period of time.

ICT competences required by:

Teacher
Ability to demonstrate:

• graphing and searching with data handling software
  
• copying graphs and pasting into word processing software
  

• use a data handling program to produce graphs and carry out searches.
  
• to copy graphs and paste into word processing software.
  

Teaching Approaches

Demonstrating, accessing and presenting, testing and confirming

The use of ICT enables pupils to access data effectively, otherwise this would be almost impossible to do. Without the use of an electronic database the children would have to look through paper based records, then tally the data, before constructing graphs by hand. This would be an arduous and impractical task.

The children can carry out searches and produce graphs to compare the number of household luxuries in people's houses through the different decades in the 20th Century. The database enables the children to test any hypotheses they may make.
During the main activity, children apply a range of data handling skills (sorting, producing graphs, applying simple queries) to answer questions about life in Britain since the 1930s. Having produced the graphs the children can then copy them into a word processing package in order to present their findings, describing the differences their graphs illustrate.

Back to top

The Learning Objectives

Pupils should learn:

• Children should learn about changes that have occurred in Britain since 1948 and some of the reasons for these changes.
  
  

• Computer with large screen/interactive whiteboard for whole class teaching
• ICT Suite/set of laptop computers
  
• Data Handling Program
  
• Datafile - Household and Kitchen Luxuries
  (Information Magic format or csv for importing other data handling or spreadsheet programs)
  
• Life in Britain since 1930 Questionnaire to enable pupils to carry out their own enquiry (Extension Activity)
  
  

Vocabulary: different, same as, because, cause, effect, reasons, results, leisure, luxuries, search, graphs, copy, paste, research, records, fields, handling data

Preparatory work

Ideally it would be valuable for pupils to conduct a simple piece of research with their grandparents or older family friends, to investigate how their lives were different when they were children e.g.:

• household "luxuries" e.g. washing machines, television, record player, kettles etc.
  
• transport
  
• leisure activities
  

Back to top

The Lesson

Whole Class Teaching

Q What do we know about life in Britain 50 years ago/when grandparents were children?

Through whole class discussion, draw from pupils what they discovered in their discussions with grandparents, or older family friends, about the ways in which life in their grandparents' childhood was different from today? This may include issues such as: more cars, supermarkets, increased leisure, etc.

Q How can we find out more about what life was like when our grandparents were about the same age as we are?

Children will undoubtedly come up with numerous ways of finding out ranging from asking their grandparents/older family friends, looking at films and television programs of life 50 years ago, looking at books, the Internet and other resources and perhaps investigating a data file of evidence.

Q What items do you think people would have had in their kitchens 50 years ago/when your grandparents were about 10 years old?

The teacher can make a list on the whiteboard/flip chart. Answers might include such things as cooker, refrigerator, microwave, etc.

Q What sort of consumer items might they have in their homes?

The teacher may need to explain what is meant by consumer items.

Children may mention such items as television, record player, radio, video, computer, etc.

Teacher now demonstrates opening the data file called: Household and Kitchen Luxuries (available in Information Magic or CSV format) and revise as necessary:

• producing graphs e.g. telephone, electric kettle
  
• conducting one or two searches e.g. decade=1950 - 1959; decade=after 1970
  

Main Activity

Pupils could work in pairs or as individuals.

The teacher could set different groups to investigate different aspects of the information, e.g. record player, television, radio, typewriter, toaster, etc.

When pupils are confident conducting searches and producing graphs draw the class together to demonstrate how to copy a graph and paste it into word processing software.

Pupils now have the opportunity to paste some graphs into their word processing software and write a few sentences describing the differences their graph illustrates.

Teacher interaction should focus on:

Q What differences have you discovered between life in the 1950s and after 1970?

Q Why do you think these changes have occurred?

Plenary

Select 2 or 3 groups of children to show their graphs and explain their findings and the significance of the change e.g.

• a significantly larger proportion of households had a telephone in the period after 1970
  
• a much larger proportion had a television
  
• vacuum cleaners were widely available in the period 1950 - 1959
  
• a much greater proportion of households had a refrigerator in the period after 1970
  
• the proportion of households owning a mincer is almost exactly reversed in the two periods, etc.
  

Extension

Pupils could take a copy of the Life in Britain since 1930 questionnaire home and ask parents, grandparents, family friends etc. to complete it. This data could then be added to the Household and Kitchen Luxuries datafile. This would provide an increased data sample for future use.