This History video introduces teachers to using photographs as powerful primary sources for finding out about the past. Pupils need to be shown how to make careful observations to interpret images as historians do. Activities such as playing I spy with a photograph, counting remembered details, listing objects or colours, or adding speech bubbles help children notice details they might otherwise overlook. Once these skills are developed, pupils can begin to consider the wider context of the photograph.

This video is part of Kapow Primary’s History scheme – Photographs. It supports teachers in guiding pupils through interpreting photographs by asking structured questions. Observation prompts such as “Who is in the photograph?” are followed by analytical questions like “When was it taken?”, “Where is it?”, and “What is its purpose?”. Pupils are encouraged to think about what happened before the photograph was taken, how people in it might have felt, and how the photographer’s choices could create bias. By evaluating relevance and the evidence provided towards their enquiry question, pupils will develop a critical understanding of how photographs can both reveal and shape our view of the past.

History, Key stage 1, Year 2, How was school different in the past? Lesson 1: Were schools different in the past?