Family & Daily Life Then and Now: A History Unit for Grades 1–4
Family & Daily Life Then and Now: A History Unit for Grades 1–4
For Grades 1–4 teachers and homeschool parents, this unit looks at how families lived, ate, worked and spent their days in the past compared with today. It contains an overview and three ready-to-teach sub-units. Each sub-unit has a step-by-step lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with reading passage and word bank, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides.
See the Family Life unit →Family & Daily Life Then and Now is a $24.99 history unit for Grades 1–4 comparing family life and everyday routines in the past with life today. It contains an overview and three ready-to-teach sub-units. Each one has a step-by-step lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with a detailed reading passage and word bank, a project or primary-source activity, a complete answer key and slides. It is a digital download.
The resources
Family & Daily Life Then and Now Unit, Grades 1–4
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Family & Daily Life Then and Now Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
Pioneers & Life on the Frontier Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
The Stone Age: Life in the Stone Age Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
Traces of the Past: Discovering Historical Sources Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
The real problem
Family history is personal, and that needs care
Family life is one of the most natural history topics for young children. Everyone has a home, meals, chores and bedtime, and comparing those with life long ago, when water came from a well and washing took a whole day, makes the past feel close. But this topic needs a careful hand. Families in your class look very different: some children live with one parent, some with grandparents, some move between two homes, some have recently arrived from another country. A unit that assumes one kind of family can leave children feeling left out. You want the comparison to be about daily life and how it changed, not about whose family is normal. There is also a practical side. Young learners need concrete objects and routines to compare, words for things they have never seen, and texts that a first grader can follow while a fourth grader is still challenged. Building all that while keeping the topic inclusive takes more planning than most teachers can spare.
Why it fits
How the unit keeps the focus on daily life
The unit is built around routines, homes and work in the past, which gives every child a way in without putting their own family on display.
- Reading passages describe daily life long ago, so comparisons rest on history rather than classmates' homes.
- Word banks give names to old household objects and chores children have never seen.
- Differentiated worksheets let mixed-age groups compare then and now at their own level.
- Project or primary-source activities let children examine evidence of how families used to live.
- Slides help the whole class picture an old kitchen or home before anyone writes.
- Lesson plans and answer keys keep preparation short for a busy classroom or homeschool.
Getting started
A gentle way to run the unit
Suggested steps only. The unit gives you the overview and three sub-units; the timing is yours.
- Begin with routines, not family treesAsk children to list things they do every day: eating, washing, helping at home. Using routines rather than family members keeps the start comfortable for everyone.
- Use the overview to step back in timeShow the overview and slides, then ask how each routine might have looked long ago. Record guesses so the class can check them later. A simple chart with now and long ago columns keeps these ideas visible for the rest of the unit.
- Teach the sub-units in orderFollow each lesson plan. Give out the differentiated worksheet by reading level and point children to the word bank for unfamiliar objects. Younger children can draw their answers where the worksheet allows.
- Let the activity carry the thinkingThe project or source task asks children to look closely at the past. Give it a full session so they have time to notice details.
- Close with a then-and-now pageAfter the last sub-unit, children make one page comparing a single routine past and present. Check worksheets with the answer keys. A class display of these pages shows how much everyday life has changed.
What to buy
Adding a second then-and-now topic
Most teachers buy the Family & Daily Life unit alone at $24.99, since it covers a full topic. If you want to go further back, The Stone Age unit shows daily life at its most basic, and Pioneers & Life on the Frontier looks at family life in a very different setting. Traces of the Past teaches children how we know about the past at all, which pairs well with any then-and-now work. Each is $24.99. TEACHMORE15 applies only to Complete Curriculum packages, not to units.
Honest limits
Where you take over
The unit covers daily and family life past and present; it does not include a family tree template or guidance for personal family history projects, so plan those with care if you add them. You print the materials and supply anything the project needs. It is written for Grades 1–4, but check it against your own standards or homeschool requirements. The licence is for your own teaching, and team use needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value; there is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this unit meet state standards?
The unit does not claim alignment with state standards or endorsement by any organization. It is written for Grades 1–4 and compares family and daily life in the past with today. Comparing life then and now is a common early social studies theme, but check the specific content against your own state, district or homeschool requirements.
Will children have to share details about their own families?
The unit's reading passages and activities focus on how daily life looked in the past. How much children share about their own homes is up to you. Many teachers keep the comparison on routines and objects so every child can join in comfortably. That way the unit works just as well for children in any kind of household.
Is it suitable for a combined Grades 1–4 class?
Yes. The differentiated worksheet in each sub-unit has a detailed reading passage and word bank, so younger and older children can work on the same topic at different levels. The slides support children who are not yet reading on their own. Older children can help younger partners with the word bank terms.
What does the overview do?
The overview introduces the unit and sets the scene before the three sub-units. It is a good way to show children where the topic is heading and to collect their first ideas about life in the past. You can return to those first ideas at the end and let children see how their thinking changed.
Can homeschool families use it?
It fits well in a homeschool, where comparing your own household with life long ago comes naturally. The unit does not claim to meet any homeschool legal or reporting requirement, so check your state's rules separately. Siblings of different ages can work through the same sub-unit at their own reading levels.
How do I get it?
After checkout you receive a download link by email, and the files also appear in your customer account under Orders. Nothing ships. You can download the files again whenever you need them, and there is no software to install. Print the worksheets and open the slides on any screen you already use.
Help children see the past in everyday things
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See the Family Life unit →