Unit 2: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN BEING YOUNG AND OLD?
History
KS1
YR-1
About the unit
Language for learning
Through this unit teachers can help pupils’ to continue to explore aspects of the passage of
time in the lives of human beings.
Through the activities in this unit pupils will be able to hear and understand and some pupils
will use words to describe the very young and the very old. They will communicate through
word, movement, sound or eye contact.
Pupils will be encouraged to identify the differences between the lives of the very young and
the old and make comparisons between the lives of young and old. They will be able to look
at and touch the clothes worn by babies and old people. They will also listen to sounds and
music associated with the old and very young. They will be encouraged to explore the
relationship between young and old through roleplay and visiting an Old Peoples’ home.
This unit will continue to support the development of thinking skills in sequence and change.
Where the unit fits in
The unit is designed to help pupils to build on work done in unit 1 and returned to in unit 3.
The units are designed to help the pupils’ gain an understanding of the passage of time in
their own lives to promote and strengthen an understanding of historical change.
Expectations
At the end of this unit
All pupils will: learn to recognize the difference between pictures of old people and babies
and be able to say or sign the differences. They will recognize their own grandparents in
photographs.
Most pupils will: be able to make simple comparisons between the lifestyles of the young
and old.
A Few pupils will: begin to take part in roleplay with dolls and are able to chose appropriate
clothing for a baby.
Prior learning
This unit builds on awareness of changes in the pupils’ own lives that was introduced
through unit 1.
1
Resources
Resources include:

personal photographs of the pupils grandparents

Baby dolls, clothing and toys

Baby food

Examples of grandparents clothing

Music tapes with examples of music used with babies and old people.
Out-of-school learning
Pupils and parents could:

Look at photographs of grandparents to reinforce recognition
Future learning
Pupils will go on to build on the skills and concepts developed in this unit throughout the key
stage and will continue to develop skills in recognition and sequencing of family members in
unit 3: My life and my family.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
PUPILS SHOULD LEARN
POSSIBLE TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
PUPILS
What are the differences between being young and old?
• to understand the need to
care for a baby
• to place people in
chronological order
• to recognize the differences
between the life styles of the
very young and the elderly
• to experience aspects of old
age
• Show the pupils photographs and pictures of babies and support them in
making picture boards of images of babies cut from magazines.
• Taste foods associated with babies and look at examples of baby clothes.

Pupils show an ability to
recognize pictures of
babies.

Some pupils are able to
hold baby dolls and
handle baby toys

Pupils begin to show
recognition of their
grandparents in
photographs

Pupils begin to show
signs of recognizing the
difference between the
young and old

Pupils begin to explore
objects and respond to
tastes and sounds

They are beginning to
develop an awareness
of the passage of time
• Roleplay how to hold and feed a baby using baby dolls.
• Look at photographs of the pupils grandparents and evaluate the pupils
ability to recognize them.
• Feel and touch examples of the clothes worn by old people and listen to
music they would enjoy. Make picture boards of images of the elderly from
magazines.
• Visit an Old Peoples’ home
• Feel and touch examples of clothing for babies and the elderly, encourage
pupils to try and separate them into two groups. Talk about the differences
in the clothing. Listen to examples of music enjoyed by babies and music
enjoyed by the elderly, talk about the differences.
2
POINTS TO NOTE