The impact of rapidly changing technology
I can explain how changes to technology during the Second World War impacted British people's lives after the war.
The impact of rapidly changing technology
I can explain how changes to technology during the Second World War impacted British people's lives after the war.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- During the war, technology changed rapidly, especially in electronics and computing.
- For ordinary Britons, this led to the adoption of a wide range of household appliances as these became cheaper.
- Television ownership grew quickly, with 75% of households having a TV by the 1960s, making it a common leisure activity.
- Other domestic appliances such as fridge-freezers, vacuum cleaners and washing machines all made domestic life easier.
- The appliances gave women more time to work, but poorer families did not benefit as much as others.
Keywords
Housewife - a woman whose main job is caring for her family and doing the domestic tasks at home is a housewife
Domestic - things that are to do with the home are described as domestic
Appliance - an appliance is a machine in the home that is used to do a job such as cleaning or cooking
Common misconception
That being a housewife was an easy role.
Working in the home on domestic tasks for 70 hours a week was more than a full time working week with a paid job.
To help you plan your year 6 history lesson on: The impact of rapidly changing technology, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 6 history lesson on: The impact of rapidly changing technology, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the Significant turning points: in what ways did Britain change after WWII? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
treating someone unfairly
when people are violent and disturb the peace
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a woman whose main job is looking after the home and family
things that are to do with the home
an electrical device or machine designed to do a specific task