The skill in planning a topic on the Seaside is not to make it too static by simply comparing ‘then’ and ‘now’. Building in still imaging of activities on an Edwardian beach, a quick burst of ‘I do like to be beside the seaside’ or writing an authentic postcard home, can enliven the topic, which works really well in Year 1 term 3.

For those of you wanting to teach this in summer of Year 2 a word of warning. Try to go beyond the simple similarity and difference to look at the concept of change through time. By looking at the 1960s as well as today and 1900, children will be able to talk about three periods of time. You will see that there is a full medium-term planner for this topic and 6 fully-resourced outstanding enquiry lessons. ON top of that you might want to set up a seaside museum. An example of how this could be done most effectively will be posted shortly.

Seaside Scheme of Work, Knowledge Organiser, Assessment & Quiz

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Seaside Key QuestionsHistorical focus
KQ1 – What was going to the seaside like 100 years ago? Writing a quality postcard home, avoiding the martini syndrome?Historical experience and similarity and difference
KQ2 – What did people do at the seaside 100 years ago?Historical enquiry and understanding
KQ3 – How do we know what holidays were like 100 years ago?Historical evidence and enquiry
KQ4 – Do we go on seaside holidays for the same reason people went 100 years ago?Historical enquiry and understanding
KQ5a – How have seaside holidays changed over time?Change, continuity and consequences
KQ5b – How have seaside holidays changed? What our grandparents tell usChange, continuity and consequences
Edwardian Seaside Postcard
Going to the seaside end of unit quiz – KS1

We’ve had lots of fun learning about the seaside — from what it was like in the past to how people enjoy it today! Now it’s time to see what…

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seaside
Seaside – assessment task

Focus: similarity and difference and change Assessing Year 1 children’s understanding of how different going for a swim in the sea was 100 years ago. Assessment task Subscribers only: You must…

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seaside knowledge organiser
Seaside knowledge organiser – KS1

You are learning about this topic to help you to understand how different life was over the last 100 years. As many of you will have been to the seaside,…

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planner
KS1 History Planning for Going to the Seaside topic

Medium term planning and planner for Going to the Seaside KS1 This history topic has been designed to be taught in Year 1 Term 3 and the literacy links make…

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Going to the Seaside
Planning for a cross-curricular topic on Going to the Seaside

This advice with associated downloadable resource below is for KS1 teachers planning a cross-curricular topic and focuses on how to integrate history, geography, literacy and ICT. Start the topic with…

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seaside postcard
Going to the seaside – KQ1 – What was going to the seaside like 100 years ago? Writing a quality postcard home, avoiding the martini syndrome?

If you have ever asked children in Y1/2 to write a postcard home as if it were from Victorian times you’ll know the problem.  After hours of your time teaching…

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Going to the seaside – KQ2 – What did people do at the seaside 100 years ago?

From mime to movie. SMART TASK This fun activity is carried out by children working on tables of six.  Half the class work on one image, the other half  on…

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Edwardian Seaside Postcard
Going to the seaside – KQ3 – How do we know what holidays were like 100 years ago?

Designing an authentic Edwardian Seaside Poster This KS1 history lesson uses the Mantle of the Expert approach to place pupils in role as historical advisers to a film producer.  Their…

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seaside scene
Going to the seaside – KQ4 – Do we go on seaside holidays for the same reason people went 100 years ago?

Children discuss the reasons they might have for going on a seaside holiday NOW and then think of the different reasons why people might have gone 100 years ago.  Slides…

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postcard home
Going to the seaside – KQ5a – How have seaside holidays changed over time?

Can you help Grandma sort these seaside holiday photos? This smart task which forms the first half of this KQ5 enquiry takes a broader look at change in seaside holidays…

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Seaside image from the 1950s.
Going to the seaside – KQ5b – How have seaside holidays changed? What our grandparents tell us

This lesson finds children producing a questionnaire, collecting data from grandparents, feeding data into a database and then drawing conclusions.  When they then compare their findings with those of another…

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KS1 : Going to the Seaside-the mystery of the pier

One of the more interesting features of the Seaside holidays topic is the fact that it opens up discussion, even for young children, on what these novel features were built…

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