Types of Homes

Curriculum Area and Level

Subject: Geography
Key Stage: 1 (Year 1)
National Curriculum Area: Place Knowledge
Objective: Understand and compare different types of homes in the UK.

---

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify different types of homes commonly found in the UK.
• Describe key features of houses such as detached, semi-detached, terraced, flats, cottages, and bungalows.
• Recognise that homes look different depending on location (cities, towns, countryside).
• Begin to express preferences for different types of homes.

---

Resources and Materials

• Large printed images of different types of homes (laminated for durability).
• Mini whiteboards and markers for students to draw their own house.
• Soft toy character (e.g., 'Tommy the Traveller'), to guide the learning journey.
• Printed cut-out character cards that represent different families and where they might live.
• A simple storybook about different homes (optional).

---

Lesson Structure (35 Minutes)

1. Introduction (5 Minutes) – ‘Tommy the Traveller’s Mystery’

• Hook: Introduce ‘Tommy the Traveller,’ a soft toy character who has visited lots of different homes in the UK.
• Ask students: “What kind of home do you live in?”
• Show three large images (e.g., a flat, a terraced house, and a cottage) and ask: What do you notice? Which one looks most like your home?
• Introduce today’s learning focus: What kinds of homes exist in the UK?

---

2. Main Activity (20 Minutes) – ‘Matching Homes’

Part 1: Guess the Home (10 Minutes)

• Show detailed pictures of six home types: Detached, Semi-Detached, Terraced, Flat, Bungalow, Cottage.
• Describe key features one by one, giving hints (e.g., “This home is joined to another one but only on one side!” → Semi-detached).
• Have students point to the correct picture and repeat the name together.

Part 2: Who Lives Here? (10 Minutes)

• Hand out character cards representing different individuals/families (e.g., a large family, an elderly couple, a young professional, a farmer).
• Ask students to ‘match’ their character to a home and explain their choice.
• Encourage discussion: “Why do you think a farmer might live in a cottage, but someone working in the city might live in a flat?”

---

3. Plenary (10 Minutes) – ‘Draw and Describe’

• Each student draws their own home on a mini whiteboard.
• Turn to a partner and describe their home using simple sentences, e.g., “I live in a flat. I have three windows and a balcony.”
• Volunteers to share with the class before closing with a summary: “Homes can be very different, but all are places where people live and feel safe.”

---

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

• Observations: Check student participation during discussions and activities.
• Questioning: Ask students to recall and describe features of homes throughout the lesson.
• Mini whiteboard drawings: Look at their accuracy in drawing and describing their home type.

---

Stretch and Challenge (for Faster Learners)

• Ask why homes are built differently (e.g., why do flats exist in big cities, but cottages are mostly in the countryside?).
• Introduce historic vs modern homes and how homes have changed over time.

---

Differentiation (for Supporting Learners)

• Provide smaller pictures with labels for students to refer to.
• Provide sentence starters for describing homes (e.g., “My home has ___ floors. It is ___.”).
• Pair students who need support with confident speakers to describe or match pictures.

---

Reflection and Next Steps

• Next Lesson: Looking at homes around the world.
• Teacher Reflection: Did students engage in discussions? Do they now recognise different home types? Adapt next lesson accordingly.

---

Teacher’s Final Thought

This lesson injects excitement by using Tommy the Traveller's mystery game, making learning interactive and relevant to students' everyday experiences. Props, visuals, and hands-on activities ensure even the youngest learners stay engaged with foundational geography concepts.