World City 1950s-Today
Find and discuss: Adult prompts to inspire
discussion with primary school children
This will help you find some key objects and displays, but please be guided
by your pupils. Discuss the things they find interesting.
The questions on the back can be used as starting points for discussion.
© Museum of London 2015. This sheet is designed to be edited by teachers.
The museum cannot take responsibility for edited content.
World City 1950s -Today
Find and discuss: Adult prompts to inspire
discussion with primary school children
Questions to help discussion
Use the timeline around the centre of the museum to discuss the timespan of the gallery.
Londoners
 Use the displays of each decade to discuss when the children’s own parents and
grandparents were born. What objects are pupils familiar with?
 Discuss which fashions they like and what is in fashion today.
 In the 20th century London became more culturally diverse. Look at the Dearden
paintings and discuss what it would have been like to move to London from India or
the Caribbean in the 1950s.
 Ask if pupils have heard of the Commonwealth. Explain that many countries that
had previously been part of the British Empire gained independence after the
Second World War. Can they guess which countries belong to the Commonwealth?
 Find the Heathrow luggage trolley and read about why Yasar cried on his suitcase.
Ask if they know what the term refugee means.
 How has commercial air travel changed people’s lives?
Race & Rights/Race & Riots
 Some migrants faced racism. Why do you think this was? Does it still happen?
 What did people do to try to change attitudes? How big an issue is racism today?
 Find your borough on the map interactive. Which local landmarks do your pupils
recognise? How many different faiths are represented by the places of worship?
Changing London
 Find the early computers and mobile phones. Discuss how new technology has
changed lives and jobs.
 Layout a news headline and story. Use the mirror to read the typeface. Discuss how
newspapers were printed and how much easier printing is now in the digital age.
Playtime
 Watch the black and white TV showing Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben. What are
popular children’s TV programmes today and how do they compare?
 Ask pupils how much TV they watch and how many TV channels we have today.
Compare to children’s TV broadcasting in the 1950s.
Capital Concerns
 Investigate issues raised by the touch screen table interactive. Vote and compare
your views with those of others. Discuss how London might change in the future
City Gallery and Lord Mayor’s Coach
 Look at the golden coach and find the map of the Square Mile. Do your pupils know
that this is the oldest part of London, with boundaries established in Roman times?
© Museum of London 2015. This sheet is designed to be edited by teachers.
The museum cannot take responsibility for edited content.