Toys Survey Fun

Overview

This 60-minute lesson is the second in a 7-lesson unit called Toys Through Time. Year 1 pupils will engage in a hands-on survey activity designed to develop their historical enquiry skills through data collection and representation. By discovering which toys are most popular in their class, children build their understanding of how people’s preferences and experiences connect to historical topics such as toys from different times.

National Curriculum Links

The lesson addresses key components from the History programme of study for Key Stage 1, focusing on:

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Ask and answer questions about the past (NC History Y1)
  • Understand some historical concepts, such as continuity and change (NC History Y1)
• Connections to Mathematics (Data handling):
  • Interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and tables (NC Maths Key Stage 1 - Statistics)

Learning Objectives

By the end of the session, pupils will be able to:

• Conduct a simple survey using questions to gather information from others.
• Collect and record data accurately using tally marks.
• Create a basic pictogram or chart to represent survey results.
• Discuss which toys are most popular and consider why this might be, linking to historical context.

Resources

• Prepared question prompt sheet (e.g., "What is your favourite toy?")
• Clipboards, pencils, and tally charts for each pupil
• Large paper or whiteboard for class pictogram/chart
• Example images of toys from past and present (optional starter display)
• Stickers or stampers for marking tally marks

Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity: Toy Talk (10 minutes)

• Gather children in a circle for a brief discussion on “What is your favourite toy and why?”
• Show a few simple images of classic toys from the past alongside modern toys to spark interest and connect to the unit.
• Highlight that toys children like today might be different from those in the past, linking the activity to the idea of ‘change over time’.

2. Introducing the Survey (10 minutes)

• Explain that today's task is to find out which toys are most popular in the class by asking their classmates a question.
• Model how to ask politely and listen carefully, emphasising taking turns and respecting answers.
• Show how to use a tally chart to mark each answer as it comes in.
• Conduct a quick practice survey with the teacher asking the whole class to get familiar with tallying.

3. Conducting the Survey (15 minutes)

• Pupils pair up or work in small groups of 3 to ask their classmates: “What is your favourite toy?”
• Each pupil records answers on their tally chart, then combine tallies within groups.
• Teacher circulates supporting pupils who need help with questions or tallying.

4. Creating the Class Chart (15 minutes)

• Collect all group tallies and work together to create one large pictogram or bar chart on the board or large paper.
• Use stickers or drawn symbols to represent each vote (e.g., one sticker per toy vote).
• Count totals together and label the chart clearly.

5. Reflection and Discussion (10 minutes)

• Discuss questions such as:
  • Which toy was the most popular? Why do you think that is?
  • Are there toys you expected to be popular that didn’t get many votes?
  • How might children 50 years ago answer this question – what toys did they like?
• Link back to historical enquiry: How can asking questions help us learn about people’s lives in the past?
• Highlight the importance of gathering and recording information carefully.

Assessment & Feedback

• Observe pupils’ participation during survey (ability to ask and answer questions politely).
• Check the accuracy of recorded tally marks for consistency.
• Review the completed class pictogram for correct representation of data.
• Use pupil responses in reflection to assess understanding of why data collection is important in history.

Extension Idea

For early finishers or next lesson preparation, pupils could bring in their favourite toy or a picture of a toy from home to compare and add to a growing ‘Toy Timeline’ wall display.

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This lesson plan not only fulfils the History National Curriculum Year 1 priorities around enquiry and continuity/change but also integrates introductory data-handling skills from Mathematics, providing a cross-curricular, engaging experience relevant to children’s daily lives. The active participation fosters communication, listening and mathematical skills, while linking directly to the heritage of toys as part of British childhood history.