Who Is Mandela?

Overview

This 40-minute lesson is the first of a three-lesson unit on Nelson Mandela: A Leader for Peace and Equality, designed for Year 1 students. The lesson introduces pupils to Nelson Mandela, focusing on his early life and key facts about him. Pupils will locate South Africa and Mandela’s birthplace on a map, discuss his kindness and dreams, and create a colourful fact sheet. This lesson meets the requirements of the History national curriculum for England (Key Stage 1) by developing pupils' understanding of significant historical individuals and events.

National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 1 History

Pupils should develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time.
They should know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.
Pupils should use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms.
They should ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events.
Study of significant individuals – Nelson Mandela as an important historical figure who contributed to peace and equality.

Learning Objectives (WALT)

WALT: Identify who Nelson Mandela is and recall key facts about his early life.
WALT: Locate South Africa on a map and recognise Mandela’s birthplace.
WALT: Discuss Nelson Mandela’s kindness and his dreams for equality and peace.
WALT: Create a simple, illustrated 'Nelson Mandela Fact Sheet' that includes drawings and a descriptive word.

Success Criteria

I can say who Nelson Mandela was and name something about his early life.
I can point to South Africa on a map and say it is where Mandela was born.
I can talk about what Mandela was kind about and what he hoped for.
I can make a fact sheet with drawings and write a word to describe Nelson Mandela.

Resources

Large world map or globe (showing Africa clearly)
Printed map of Africa with South Africa highlighted (one per pair)
Large picture of Nelson Mandela (simple portrait)
Fact cards with key points about Mandela’s early life (illustrated and dyslexia-friendly fonts)
A4 paper for fact sheet (pre-divided into three sections)
Crayons, coloured pencils, markers
Whiteboard and markers
Visual timeline with simple pictures showing Mandela’s early years
Sentence starters printed out for scaffolding writing
Dyslexia-friendly fonts and audio version of text (teacher-read aloud)

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

Greet class and introduce the unit title "Nelson Mandela: A Leader for Peace and Equality".
Show a large friendly picture of Nelson Mandela.
Ask: “Has anyone heard of Nelson Mandela? Who do you think he was?” – Take a few answers to activate prior knowledge.
Explain today we will learn who he was and some important facts about his early life.

2. Story & Facts Presentation (10 minutes)

Teacher reads a short, simple, engaging story about Mandela’s childhood using dyslexia-friendly text and clear visuals.
Use picture timeline to show Mandela’s early years (birthplace, school).
Display fact cards with simple text: Mandela was born in South Africa, he liked school, he was kind, and he dreamed of peace.
Ask comprehension questions: “Where was Mandela born? What did he like? How was he kind?”
Discuss key vocabulary: "kind," "dream," "school," "South Africa."

3. Geography Activity (5 minutes)

Show the world map and point to Africa, then to South Africa.
Ask children to find South Africa on printed maps with a partner.
Discuss briefly: “That’s where Mandela was born!”
Highlight neighbouring countries for basic spatial awareness without overloading.

4. Creative Fact Sheet (15 minutes)

Explain the fact sheet: divided into three boxes labelled with pictures for: birthplace, school interests, and a descriptive word about Mandela.
Model one example on the board: Drawing of a house for birthplace with label ‘South Africa’; a book for school interests; word bubble with "kind".
Pupils draw their pictures and write one word in each box; use sentence starters and audio support to help struggling writers.
Encourage use of colour and imagination.
Circulate and support as needed, prompting pupils to share their words for kindness and dreams.

5. Plenary & Sharing (5 minutes)

Ask 3-4 pupils to share one part of their fact sheet with the class.
Recap key learning: “We have learned who Nelson Mandela was, where he was born, and why he was kind.”
Reinforce the WALT and success criteria by asking pupils to show thumbs up if they can meet them.
Tell pupils the next lesson will learn more about how Mandela helped people.

Differentiation Strategies

Support: Provide pre-written labels and sentence starters; use audio recording of story and vocabulary for dyslexic learners.
Visuals: Use picture clues and timeline for pupils who need visual support.
Peer Support: Paired work for map activity to encourage collaboration.
Advanced Learners: Challenge to write a full sentence or a second word describing Mandela’s qualities; research another fact with support.

Assessment for Learning

Observe responses during discussion and map activity for understanding.
Review pupils’ fact sheets for correct recall of facts and ability to form words/descriptions.
Use questioning to check comprehension of Mandela’s early life and kindness.
Note contributions during plenary for engagement and knowledge retention.

Extension Activities

Draw and label other places Mandela lived or events from his early life.
Create a simple “Kindness Chain” paper link explaining one way they can be kind, inspired by Mandela.
Role-play a story about sharing or dreams in a small group for speaking and listening practice.

Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Tips

Use OpenDyslexic or other dyslexia-friendly fonts for all printed materials.
Keep sentences short and simple, avoiding complex vocabulary.
Use clear headings and bullet points.
Offer oral storytelling and repeat key words aloud.
Provide illustrated key vocabulary cards.

This structured but vibrant and supportive lesson plan aims to engage 5-6 year-olds with history through a meaningful figure, encouraging curiosity and empathy while meeting the National Curriculum standards.

Teaching Instructions