Use this KS2 Victorian inventions six-week unit plan and accompanying teaching pack to help your pupils explore how the introduction of trains changed communities, their national impact, and the delicious changes that trains delivered to our diets.

The chug of steaming pistons and coal smut in the air – nothing is more evocative of the Victorian era than steam trains. From rattling coal wagons grew great behemoths that supercharged the Industrial Revolution and had a lasting impact on the lives, landscapes and economies of our local communities.

Pupils will practise using primary sources, integrating historical maps, ordering timelines and drawing conclusions from their research.

KS2 Victorian inventions learning objectives

• Use primary historical sources
• Compare primary historical sources
• Sequence historical events
• Reflect upon the importance of historical events
• Investigate the impact of historical events
• Evaluate the significance of historical events

Matthew Lane is a teacher and subject leader in Norfolk. Follow him on Twitter @MrMJLane and see more of his work at theteachinglane.co.uk

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