Change in Special Places

Overview

In this lesson, students explore how special places can change over time because of natural events and human activity. They connect these changes to why the place is significant and what can be done to care for it.

Learning intentions

• Students will recognise that places can change over time.
• Students will identify examples of change caused by natural events (like storms, floods, drought).
• Students will identify examples of change caused by people (like building, planting, cleaning, using resources).
• Students will describe how change can affect the significance of a place they researched in the unit.

Success criteria

• I can name one way a special place can change over time.
• I can sort examples of change into “natural” and “made by people”.
• I can explain how a change can make a place feel more or less special.
• I can suggest one simple caring action to protect the place.

Curriculum links

• Understanding the nature of places and how they can change over time.
• Using everyday historical thinking (observing evidence of change and noticing patterns).
• Developing skills to gather, interpret and communicate information about a place.
• Civics and citizenship connections: taking action to care for shared places.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 5 min – Warm-up (link to lesson 4 research) Students quickly recall what makes their chosen special place important (for example, a memory, a natural feature, or a community activity). Teacher shows a simple picture timeline with “before” and “now” and asks, “What might be different?”

2. 7 min – Mini-lesson: types of change Teacher introduces two categories with visual supports: natural change and people’s change. Students help label example images (e.g., storm damage, new path, planting trees, litter removed). Teacher emphasises: “Change happens over time—things can look different.”

3. 10 min – Investigation: natural or made by people? (sorting activity) In small groups, students sort picture cards into two piles: “Natural” and “People”. Teacher prompts with questions like:

• “What made this change?”
• “How do we know it is natural or made by people?” Students then choose one card to explain using a sentence frame: “This place changed because…”

4. 10 min – Place focus: how change affects significance Students return to the special place they have researched across the unit. Using teacher-prepared prompts, they identify:

• one possible change (natural or people’s)
• how that change could affect the place’s importance (still special, less special, safer, dirtier, growing, etc.) Teacher models first, then supports students to speak or point to their answer.

5. 8 min – Create: “Care after change” poster Students make a simple poster or drawing with three parts:

• “What changed?”
• “Is it still special? How?”
• “What can we do to care?” Teacher circulates to support each student to choose an age-appropriate caring action (e.g., clean up, plant native seedlings, follow signs, pick up litter, report damage, keep waterways clean).

6. 3 min – Share and check understanding Each student shares one sentence about their poster. Teacher listens for use of the concepts: natural vs people’s change and a link to significance.

7. 2 min – Exit ticket Students complete a quick oral exit ticket: “One way my special place can change is…” and “One caring action is…” Teacher records brief notes.

Resources

• Picture cards showing natural changes (storm, flood, drought, erosion) and people’s changes (building, planting, cleaning, track widening)
• A simple “before/now” timeline poster
• Student research notes/drawings from earlier lessons (or a summary sheet with key facts)
• Sentence starters and prompts (e.g., “This place changed because…”, “It is still special because…”, “We can care by…”)
• Poster paper or pre-drawn templates (three sections)
• Coloured pencils/crayons and markers
• Teacher image set of local or familiar place examples (as appropriate for the class)
• Assessment recording sheet with short checkboxes for I can statements (teacher use only)

Assessment

• Observation during sorting: ability to correctly classify change as natural or people’s.
• Discussion and poster product: ability to link a change to the place’s significance using simple reasoning.
• Exit ticket: demonstrates individual understanding of one change and one caring action.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide extra visual cues (icons for natural/people), sentence frames, and word cards (change, natural, people, special, care).
• Support: Allow students to point to pictures and use short oral responses instead of full written sentences.
• Challenge/extension: Ask students to compare two changes (one natural and one made by people) and decide which is easier to care for and why.
• EAL/SEN: Use consistent sentence frames and rehearse key phrases; reduce card numbers during sorting; use partner support with clear roles (sort, explain, check).