Exploring the local environment

One of the most important sources of evidence about the past is the environment in which the children live. At times we may be inclined to say ‘there’s nothing of importance here,’ but the ‘ordinary’ buildings, roads, walls, fields and other elements of the natural and built environment have been shaped by the actions, needs and tastes of people in the past. Virtually all towns, villages and rural areas have undergone considerable change in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These changes are mirrored in their physical features, which are a valuable and accessible historical source, and the curriculum stresses the importance of children exploring their locality thoroughly.

Exploring the local environment systematically can

• make the study of local events, people and their life-styles immediate and tangible for the child
• stimulate interest in the features of the locality
• foster the child’s aesthetic awareness
• promote a sense of responsibility for the care and enhancement of the local environment
• contribute to the child’s sense of local identity
• provide excellent opportunities for integrated studies
• encourage the use of a wide range of historical and other skills.

EXEMPLAR 15 - Trails and guided work directives