Food was bought locally and regularly in small shops after WW2. Assistants picked and weighed food for you, there was very little packaging as paper bags or your shopping basket were used. Children write a letter to persuade shops not to use plastic bags.

Immediately after the war many people cooked on open fires using wood, which was cheap or easy to gather free. Cook some potatoes on an open fire outside for children to taste with butter or cheese. If possible allow children to toast some marshmallows with adults.

Children compare a food journal they have kept with a food pyramid which gives the recommended servings of different food groups. The need to include fruit and vegetables is highlighted and children design a garden to grow their own.

Children have the opportunity to cook one course of a typical 1950s meal or to set the table. Discuss safety measures before children cook the shepherds’ pie, rice pudding or sponge pudding and custard. Will everyone have a taste of all three dishes?

During the 1940 and 50s food was rationed. Discuss the ration allowance then and compare it with what you eat now. In groups and using suggested books or resource examples children will choose and cook a ration recipe for everyone to taste. Was our diet better then?

Estate agents are people who help us to sell our houses. Children will design an Estate Agents brochure to help them to sell their eco house. Discuss the use of persuasive writing. Create three forms – brochure, newspaper ad and online brochure.

Discuss a proposed plan for creating wind energy. They are given time to research and prepare for a debate ‘Should 7,000 wind turbines be placed in and around the UK?’ In teams they will put forward their views backed up with evidence to support their case.

This session we consider how we are using up fossil fuels. How did we heat our homes and cook in the past? Discuss renewable energy and any local schemes to try and use more renewable energy. Challenge children to make a solar oven and cook something with it!

Children look at streets around the school, houses, shops and street furniture. Compare today with the 1940s. Use old photos of home town/village or city as resources. Children produce a leaflet showing how their street has changed between then and now.

Children read the description of a fictional tourist town, they consider the way the town is dependent upon the tourist industry that surrounds the Coral Lake. A proposed new bylaw aims to change things – what effects will this have? Children hold a town meeting.

Children consider the different types of erosion, water, wind, glacial, sea and soil. In groups each with a different type of erosion children research for information and then draw cartoon strips explaining how the types of erosion occur.

Children consider ways in which we use the land and how it has changed since WW2. The four main ways are human land use, industrial agriculture, deforestation and urban sprawl. Children help decide the future of the imaginary Grousebrook Valley in the Peak District NP.

In the past landowner’s have not wanted people to have access to their land. Children look at how the introduction of National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 has changed this. Children annotate a map showing ‘right to roam’ areas, trails, etc.

Food was rationed during WW2 and the government constantly gave out advice about how to grow and preserve food using various methods. Fridges went into mass production after WW2. Children explore a BBC site – rations, shops, a quiz, etc!

Discuss Farmers Markets and Pick Your Own food taking into consideration food miles, energy use, carbon footprint and produce. Calculate food miles involved in weekly shop (using labels and packaging from supermarkets). Children write an acrostic.

After WW2 and rationing farmers had to increase production. Children discuss where food comes from, and their views on the use of heavy farm machinery and pesticides. Children make a model of a fruit/vegetable or create an ICT presentation showing seasonal availability.

Find out about the New Towns that were planned to help with housing shortages. Look at some examples. Children identify the key elements that they would like included in a new town, and then write a report for a new town planning committee.

After WW2 many towns that were badly damaged in the bombing needed to be re-built. Children research what happened in Coventry and consider what could be done to help re-build and re-construct the area. Present their findings as a conversation between friends.

Children recognise the need for affordable social housing. Groups discuss different forms of affordable housing – council houses, tower blocks, housing associations, prefabs. Feedback to class with pros and cons and decide which would be most useful after a problem.

Children understand that millions of houses were destroyed during WW2 and they needed to be replaced. Houses were designed that were pre-fabricated. They were quick to build; thousands were put up in the 1940s/1950s. Children choose key info needed to sell a prefab.