Teaching Famous People at Keystage 1 (KS1)

KS1 Medium Term Planner for Spreading the Word: Caxton to Bell

The ‘significant people’ element of the KS1 history curriculum now requires pupils to compare achievements of individuals within a linked theme - in this case communication in a topic called ‘spreading the word’. We have chosen Caxton and Bell, rather than Berners-Lee who, although mentioned...

KS1 Medium Term Planner: Louis Braille

The current history curriculum at KS1 asks schools to provide a little more coherence in their choice of significant people to study, suggesting that they might be linked by theme. I agree with this improvement. Here we have a possible theme of ‘our senses’ or...

KQ1 Why do you think Louis Braille is remembered today: Smart task

Step 1

Start by showing the image of Louis Braille on slide 1 of the PowerPoint. Explain that he is a very famous man who lived 200 years ago and that what he invented is still used today, even though he was only 15 years old...

How do we know about Grace Darling’s actions which happened so long ago? KQ4

There are two distinct elements to this session. Firstly, pupils develop a sense of period and of evidence by thinking about the sources historians would use to find out about Grace Darling. Secondly, pupils act as history detectives, hunting down the clues which support the...

How did sea rescue improve as a result of Grace Darling’s story? KQ5

This session comprises 2 principal activities: matching descriptions of lifeboats to time periods to deepen pupils’ sense of change, continuity and chronology; sequencing and then selecting images for a Museum about most significant changes to sea rescue since Grace Darling's time.

Step 1

Ask children to think...

KQ2 Why did Grace Darling act in the way she did?

An active lesson in which pupils generate adjectives and then use a Diamond-4 ranking activity, followed by hot seating, to ascertain Grace’s motivation. A broader context is achieved by asking pupils to analyse the possible reasons why Grace was seen as particularly famous at the...

How should Scott be remembered today? KQ6

Exciting finale to the topic sees pupils analysing different ways in which Scott has been commemorated in the past, coming up with their own 21st century ideas and then completing a diamond-4 prioritising activity before acting as historical advisers to a stone mason renovating a...

Why was flying to Australia so difficult for Amy Johnson? Smart task KQ3

Having heard the story of Amy Johnson's life, pupils are now asked to focus their attention on explaining why it was such a difficult feat for Amy to achieve at that time. Can they think of any ideas themselves before working out from clues on...

How did people react to Amy Johnson’s famous flight? KS1 activity KQ4

How did people react to Amy at the time, and how do we know?

Children generate adjectives to describe Amy’s arrival in Australia using a photograph and short newspaper extracts and then are given 10 statements which they have to prove using a gallery of evidence. First...

How did things change for Amy Johnson after her famous flight? Smart Task KQ5

Was Amy really successful for the rest of her life? A Living graph Smart Task KQ5

The focus here is on the ups and downs of Amy’s life, in the ten years after her famous flight to Australia.

Step 1

Give pupils an envelope containing a set of...

KS1 History Mystery. Whatever happened to Amy?

How can we solve the mystery of what happened to Amy Johnson? Smart Task KQ6

This enduring mystery has puzzled historians for over 75 years. New evidence has just come to light which makes this an ideal opportunity for pupils to explore reasons for themselves. Clearly...

What do you think the Wright brothers did to make them famous? KQ1

At the very start of the topic, on the assumption that you haven’t told them what the topic is about!! pupils are shown slide 2 in the form of a slow reveal. 4 coloured boxes obscure a picture of the Wright Brothers’ Flyer. But can...

How did the Wright brothers manage to be the first to launch a man powered flight? KQ 2

This enquiry comprises a series of three smart tasks: the first is a sequencing task based on storytelling; the second a ‘living graph the third an optional ‘reconstruction relay drawing task’ . All contribute to helping pupils gain a firm grasp of the key events...

Spying on the Wright Brothers. KS1 Drawing task part of KQ3

This reconstruction relay - part of KQ3, Why did the Wright Brothers succeed where others had failed - is fantastic fun as well as helping pupils to look carefully at the features of The Flyer, the Wright Brothers 1903 plane. Basically pupils are cast in the...

Commemorating the Moon Landing. KQ6

How do you think we should remember the first man on the moon on July 21st 1969? What symbol could we use?

Coming at the end of the topic this smart task encourages pupils to show their understanding of why this was such a significant event....

The Ups and Downs of Mary Anning’s life

This lesson focuses on helping pupils to move beyond simple story telling and sequencing to thinking about the effect that each event in her life had on Mary. By encouraging pupils to think in terms of happy and sad events, you will help them build...

Louis Braille – evaluating the video

This lesson comes at the end of the sequence of lessons which explore Louis Braille's life and achievements. Rather than using a video for information and atmosphere, this lesson uses it to help pupils to evaluate what they have seen. They first consider what they...

Teaching Scott of the Antarctic to Key Stage 1

Those of you who are thinking that this choice of famous person seems to presage a return to an Our Island Story approach to heroes and derring-do, couldn't be further from the reality in the classroom. The topic goes well beyond discussions of bravery and adventure,...

Teaching Louis Braille: Famous Person Key Stage 1

Louis Braille will feature in many schools' KS1 curriculum whether formally through the history curriculum or as part of one of the supported charities. He may be mentioned in assemblies or he might be part of a broader cross-curricular topic on senses. Either way it...

Guidance for teaching Amy Johnson as a Famous Person in Key Stage 1

This study of a significant individual has been designed to form part of a broader topic on a similar theme which is one of the key new requirements of the current National Curriculum for history. It can also be covered as discrete topic in its...

KQ 3 Fighting Fit. What did Florence do to improve the lives of the soldiers when she arrived in the Crimea?

In this lesson children compare the appalling conditions in the hospitals on Florence’s arrival at Scutari. With the help of animated rats!! They list the most significant problems and then compare with a hospital which had been transformed by Florence. They annotate a famous painting...

Teaching Famous People at keystage 1

KS1 Medium Term Planner for Spreading the Word: Caxton to Bell

KS1 Medium Term Planner: Louis Braille

KQ1 Why do you think Louis Braille is remembered today: Smart task

Step 1

How do we know about Grace Darling’s actions which happened so long ago? KQ4

How did sea rescue improve as a result of Grace Darling’s story? KQ5

Step 1

KQ2 Why did Grace Darling act in the way she did?

How should Scott be remembered today? KQ6

Why was flying to Australia so difficult for Amy Johnson? Smart task KQ3

How did people react to Amy Johnson’s famous flight? KS1 activity KQ4

How did people react to Amy at the time, and how do we know?

How did things change for Amy Johnson after her famous flight? Smart Task KQ5

Was Amy really successful for the rest of her life? A Living graph Smart Task KQ5

Step 1

KS1 History Mystery. Whatever happened to Amy?

How can we solve the mystery of what happened to Amy Johnson? Smart Task KQ6

What do you think the Wright brothers did to make them famous? KQ1

How did the Wright brothers manage to be the first to launch a man powered flight? KQ 2

Spying on the Wright Brothers. KS1 Drawing task part of KQ3

Commemorating the Moon Landing. KQ6

How do you think we should remember the first man on the moon on July 21st 1969? What symbol could we use?

The Ups and Downs of Mary Anning’s life

Louis Braille – evaluating the video

Teaching Scott of the Antarctic to Key Stage 1

Teaching Louis Braille: Famous Person Key Stage 1

Guidance for teaching Amy Johnson as a Famous Person in Key Stage 1

KQ 3 Fighting Fit. What did Florence do to improve the lives of the soldiers when she arrived in the Crimea?

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