The impact of rapidly changing technology
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how changes to technology during the Second World War impacted British people's lives after the war.
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.
Teacher tip
Find some images of what common household appliances used to look like in the past to compare how different they are today. For example, in the 1970s, there was a TV that looked like an astronaut's helmet, inspired by space exploration happening at the time!
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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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The Empire Windrush was a...
Q2.Put the following events into the correct order.
Q3.Match the words to their definitions.
treating someone unfairly
when people are violent and disturb the peace
Q4.True or False? The people on the Empire Windrush only came from Jamaica.
Q5.In which year did the Second World War end?
Q6.The Caribbean migrants that travelled to Britain in the years after the Second World War are known as the....
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keyword to the definition.
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
Q2.What was the name of the world’s first electronic computer?
Q3.Televisions did not exist before the Second World War.
Q4.By the 1960s, what percentage of British homes had a TV?
Q5.Complete the sentence: Domestic appliances made the work of housewives...
Q6.Select one word to fill the gaps in this sentence: After the war, women started to work part-time because they wanted to and had __________ free time.
To help you plan your 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 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 primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.