What's included in the Toys Through Time History Stem Sentences resource and why is it useful?

KS1 Toys Through Time History Stem Sentences is a set of sentence stems that give children a clear starting point for discussion and written answers about the topic. The content includes 24 stem sentences across 6 pages, covering children’s own toys, toys their parents and grandparents played with, how toys have changed, how to tell if a toy is old or new, materials and technology, and toys of the future.

Each stem gives children the first part of a sentence, so they can focus on the history rather than how to begin. Children practise using topic vocabulary, explaining causes and consequences, and giving reasons with "because". This builds the oracy and extended writing skills they need to show what they know.

Toys Today and in the Past

Stems that help children compare their toys with toys from their family’s past, such as "Some toys my grandparents played with as children are..."

Old or New?

Stems that help children use clues to decide how old a toy is, such as "I know this toy is old because..."

Toys of the Future

Stems that invite children to predict and invent, such as "A toy I would invent is..."

How do our history stem sentences work?

Our stem sentences sit alongside our history scheme. Display a stem on the board or print the pages for tables, and children finish the sentence aloud or in writing. You can also use them:

• as a lesson starter to recap learning from the previous lesson
• with talk partners, who finish a stem together and then share their answer
• as a writing frame for extended answers in books
• on a working wall, so children can refer back to them across the topic
• at the end of the unit, to see what children can explain on their own

Stretch confident learners by asking them to add a second reason or a piece of evidence. Support others by modelling a complete sentence first.

Teach the full unit with our six Toys Through Time lessons.

Supporting Children with EAL and SEND

Stem sentences reduce the language load of a task, so every child can take part in the discussion. Read stems aloud together, point to the photo on each strip and give a word bank of key vocabulary from the topic. Children can answer with a single word or a drawing before building to a full sentence.