Memory Box Topic Overview/Planning Sheet
Week
1
Learning Intentions/ CfE
Outcomes
Lesson 1
Children will understand that by
gathering and interpreting
historical evidence they can
build a picture of their local
heritage.
Children will be able to discover
how the actions of people or
events and features of the local
community in the past have
shaped their lives now.
SOC 2-02a SOC 2-01a
SOC2-03a
Lesson 2
Children will develop an
understanding about the
condition dementia and how it
can cause memory loss.
HWB 2-08a
Activities for learning
Resources
Class discussion/ talking partners
 Prior knowledge- Also ask the children: Why is learning
about the past important? What do we mean by living
memory? What would we like to know about our past?
How can we find out more about what our local area
was like in the past?
 Slide show 1
 homework task should be set for week 1
Slide show 1
Teachers have the option
to amend the power
point to add prepared
local specific examples of
photographs/artefacts
Introducing dementia and the concept of memory and memory
loss.
 Prior knowledge- What is dementia? How might
dementia effect a person and their family? Ask the
children if they would like to share any knowledge or
experiences they have had of someone with dementia.
 Read book from reading list to class to stimulate
discussion.
 Watch a short powerpoint about dementia and
memory loss.
 Teachers may want to invite a dementia
professional/visitor into school
 Memory based tasks/games to complete. See resource
bank
 Video clip memory test with questions.
 Show example of a memory box and scrapbook
 Set homework task two
Assessment/
Evidence
Observation
from discussion
Written record
from homework
task.
Dementia and memory
loss PowerPoint
Memory group tasks.
Pairs game.
Say what you see game.
Story associated memory
task.
Pictionary pairs.
Tell me what you saw
flashcards.
School provide video clip
with questions
List of dementia books
Memory box and scrap
book
List of suggested content.
Observation
from discussion
Photographs of
activities
Results of
memory task
and children’s
feedback.
Memory Box Topic Overview/Planning Sheet
2
Lesson 3
Children will be able to gather
both primary and secondary
sources selectively to research
what the local area was like in
the past.
SOC 2-01a
Children will be able to make
suitable notes, selecting and
sorting information from a
variety of sources.
LIT 2-05a LIT 2-14a
LIT 2-15a LIT 2-25a
Lesson 4
Children will know what
reminiscence is and how it is
used to help people affected by
dementia
HWB2-06a HWB2-08a HWB207a
Gathering and interpreting primary and secondary sources –
the focus is written and visual.
 Teach children what is difference between a primary or
secondary source giving examples.
 Give children headers to guide research with examples:
Buildings; occupations; recreation; technology.
 Co-operative learning task – In pairs or groups. The
children’s task will be to summarise and take notes of
the sources on the writing frame provided. Before then
giving short oral feedback to the class on what they
interoperated from the evidence.
Creating the memory box and learning more about using
reminiscence as a tool for communicating.
 Recap prior learning about dementia and memory loss.
 Recap the memory box and scrapbook.
 Teach children about reminiscence as a communication
tool. Watch slide-show
 As an individual task ask children to plan/create a small
memory box/scrapbook for themselves.
Research homework task to now be set: children should be
given at least 3 weeks to complete.
•
Discuss with children the methods they will use to
research and how they will gather resources
Examples of a primary
and secondary source.
Examples of each
category
Written record
from task.
Selection of appropriate
written and photographic
evidence for interpreting.
Slide show
Observations
Shoeboxes and small
scrapbook writing frame.
Larger scrapbook with
writing frame.
Scrapbooks and
boxes created.
Memory Box Topic Overview/Planning Sheet
3
Lesson 5
Children will be able to plan an
interview designed to help
them gather relevant
information to help with their
history project.
LIT 2-02a LIT2-05a LIT 2-06a
LIT-2-25a LIT2-26a
Children will know the
importance of care and
empathy and being able to
communicate in a clear and
appropriate manner
HWB2-08a HWB2-12a HWB213a HWB2-44a LIT 2-06a
Lesson 6
Children will show care and
empathy and be able to
communicate in a clear and
appropriate manner
HWB2-08a HWB2-12a HWB213a
HWB2-44a
Children will be able to
interpret the information they
have gathered and re-organise
it into a written report
LIT 2-28a LIT2-26a LIT2-25a LIT
2-23a LIT2-08a
Gathering and interpreting primary and secondary sources –
the focus is listening and talking.
 Discussion prompt cards to learn and practice
interview/discussion skills.
 Discuss and plan the types of questions children would
like to ask older people they are going to meet.
 Children will then work in pairs to create/plan a frame
for their discussion.
 Children will learn how to do note taking and could also
use Dictaphones.
 Prepare the children for some of the issues they might
have had when interacting with older people.
Community Visit
 Visit to community based service such as dementia
café, over 60s group, care home, sheltered housing to
be planned for this week. Alternatively elderly guests
could be invited to school.
 Children are to spend time with older person to talk to
them and ask questions using their previous lessons
plan.
 Children will use note taking and could also use
Dictaphones.
 Once the children have returned to school they will
write up their notes and what they remember of the
discussion into a more structured report.
Prompt cards
Note taking frame
Children’s
written plan
Dictaphones or recording
devise
Discussion prompt sheet
Note taking frame
Dictaphones or recording
devise
Photos and
record sheets
Memory Box Topic Overview/Planning Sheet
4
Lesson 7
Children will understand the
purpose and importance of
marking the passing of time
(chronology) when organising
historical evidence.
Children will understand that
chronology can help use
compare and make sense of
significant events in time.
SOC2-02a
Lesson 8
Children will know that some
aspects of life can be hard for
elderly people who may
experience poor health and the
people who care for them.
Children will be aware that
positive friendships and
relationships with older people
can help promote good health
and well-being
HWB2-06a HWB2-07a HWB208a HWB2-12aHWB2-44a
– the timeline/ introducing chronology
 Teach children about timelines and why it is important
to organise some information chronologically.
 Children will complete timeline task where they will
chart the significant events of their own lives.
 Highlight to children that what they have learned
during the timeline task should be applied to their
scrapbook/memory box
 Discuss with the children how they felt when
interacting with the older people and ask them how
they felt about the experience.
 Discuss with children what they have learnt about
empathy and why it is important to be caring and
patient.
 Ask children to imagine how it might feel if they were
the person caring for a relative with dementia.
Timeline task
Written work
Observation
from discussion
Memory Box Topic Overview/Planning Sheet
5
6
Lesson 9 and 10
Children will be able to organise
the historical evidence they
have gathered in a clear and
attractive manner
SOC2-01a SOC2-02a SOC203a LIT2-28a LIT 2-23a LIT224a
Lesson 11 and 12
Children will be able to reflect
on what they have
learnt/achieved over the topic.
HWB2-12a
Organising and using information
 This week children should be given the opportunity to
work on finishing their scrapbook/memory box in class.
 They should bring in what they have gathered so far
and now be working on the organisation and
presentation
 It is important that children learn to correctly
categorise their evidence.
 Children can produce more focused pieces of writing.
– Assessment, review and sharing what they have learnt.
 Children will be given the opportunity to give feedback
to the class teacher evaluating the topic and what they
have learnt and enjoyed about doing it.

Children should have the
opportunity to compare and
contrast what they have
discovered about the past to
their lives now and be able to
participate in discussions about
the similarities and differences
SOC2-02a SOC2-03a
Depending on initial community based activity children
could return to the centre to share/read their
scrapbooks/memory boxes to the older people they
met. Alternatively the service users and or family and
friends could be invited back to the school for an open
morning so the children could share what they have
learnt.
Extra Materials needed
Feedback
/assessment sheets
Feedback/assess
ment sheets
Scrapbooks
Scrapbooks/Memory
Boxes
Teachers may want to
record presentations
Teachers may
want to record
presentations