Housing and Communities

Lesson Overview

Subject: Geography
Year Group: Year 2
Unit: Leeds vs Kisumu: Geography (Lesson 5 of 6)
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Lesson Title: Housing in Leeds and Kisumu
Curriculum Link: National Curriculum for Geography – Key Stage 1

• Place Knowledge: Understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area in the United Kingdom and one in a contrasting non-European country.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Recognise and describe different housing types in Leeds and Kisumu.
• Discuss similarities and differences between how people live in both cities.
• Understand how geography influences housing styles and community layouts.
• Develop observation skills by studying photographs and case studies.

Key Vocabulary

• Housing
• Community
• City
• Structure
• Climate
• Environment
• Materials

Resources Needed

• Large printed images of houses in Leeds and Kisumu
• Whiteboards and markers for paired work
• Sentence starter strips to support writing tasks
• Case study sheets with short, accessible descriptions of a family living in each city
• A world map to visually locate Leeds and Kisumu
• Sorting cards (features of houses in both cities)

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes) – "What Makes a Home?"

• Begin by asking students: "What do you think makes a house a home?"
• Display three different types of housing found in Leeds (terraced, detached, flats) and three from Kisumu (mud huts, brick houses, apartments).
• Ask students to describe what they notice (e.g., shapes, materials, colours).
• Introduce Leeds and Kisumu on the world map—remind students that Leeds is in the UK and Kisumu is in Kenya.

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2. Teacher Input (15 minutes) – Comparing Leeds and Kisumu

• Show two large reference images: a residential street in Leeds and one in Kisumu.
• Discuss how the houses are built:
  • Materials used – Bricks vs. mud, concrete vs. wood.
  • Weather considerations – Why some houses have large roofs, why some are built close together.
  • Community layout – Streets with pavements vs. open spaces between houses.
• Introduce the case study families – One from Leeds, one from Kisumu. Explain where they live, what their homes look like, and the environment around them.

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3. Small Group Activity (15 minutes) – "Spot the Differences" Sorting Task

• Provide each group with sorting cards containing statements (e.g., "This house has a sloped roof," "This home is made from local materials").
• Students work in pairs to sort these into categories: Leeds houses, Kisumu houses, or Both.
• Groups then feed back their findings to the rest of the class, explaining their choices.

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4. Independent Task (15 minutes) – "If I Lived in..." Writing Task

• Students complete the sentence starter "If I lived in Kisumu, my house would have..." OR "If I lived in Leeds, my house would look like..."
• Encourage them to include at least three details from the discussion.
• More confident students can compare both places in a short paragraph.
• Support emerging writers with structured sentence strips and picture prompts.

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5. Plenary (5 minutes) – Reflection and Discussion

• Ask: "What surprised you the most about the houses in Kisumu?"
• Quick-fire thumbs up/down activity – "Would this be the same in both places?":
  • Houses made of bricks?
  • Large gardens common?
  • Houses close together?
• Reinforce the key message: Houses are different in different places because of climate, materials, and the way people live.

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Differentiation

• Support: Sentence starters, word banks, smaller sorting task.
• Challenge: Ask students to write a mini comparison paragraph explaining why the differences in homes exist (e.g., "In Kisumu, houses are made from mud because…").

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Assessment Opportunities

• Listening to student observations during the sorting activity.
• Checking writing tasks for geographical language.
• Observing participation in discussions.

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Teacher's Reflection After Lesson

• Were students engaged with the visual materials?
• Did students make clear links between geography and housing differences?
• What misconceptions needed clarification?
• How can we build on this for the final lesson in the unit?

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This lesson not only builds curiosity about the world but develops critical thinking skills—thinking about why places are different, not just that they are. A powerful way to expand young minds! 🚀🌍