The oral history clips and resource can be used to support students discovering their surroundings as they were in the past. Students can listen to a variety of these short (less than 3 minutes) audio clips and hear residents talking about buildings, places and the environment of the Forgotten Landscape. Children can then use the resource to help them create a magnificent map of their area as it was 60 years ago. The power point and lesson guide supports teachers through the process of listening to the oral histories and includes resources and key questions to help students create their map.

What is the educational case for using oral histories in literacy teaching ?

• By listening to non-fiction they cannot yet read for themselves, students begin to understand how to describe events and surroundings personal to them.
• Listening to and discussing information establishes the foundations for their learning in other subjects.
• Students begin to understand how experiences of others differ from their own.
• Through listening, students learn how language sounds and increase their vocabulary and awareness of grammatical structures.