School Then and Now: A Ready History Unit for Grades 1–4
School Then and Now: A Ready History Unit for Grades 1–4
This School Then and Now unit is for Grades 1–4 teachers and homeschool parents who want children to compare their own school day with school in the past. It includes an overview and three ready-to-teach sub-units, each with 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.
Open School Then and Now →School Then and Now is a $24.99 history unit for Grades 1–4 that compares school today with school in the past. It has an overview and three ready-to-teach sub-units. Every sub-unit includes 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 good first history topic because children start from their own classroom.
The resources
School 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.
School Then and Now Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
Native Americans: First Peoples of North America Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
Timelines & Measuring Time Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
Old Trades & Crafts: from Smith to Baker Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
The real problem
The best first history topic is the room they sit in
For six- and seven-year-olds, history often feels like stories about strangers. School is different. Every child in your room knows what a school day looks like, so it is the easiest place to start thinking about change over time. But the topic needs more than a few old photos. Children have to notice concrete differences, such as how classrooms were arranged, what children wrote with, how many grades shared a room, and then say why things were done that way. That kind of comparison is a real thinking skill, and young learners need structure to do it rather than just saying old was bad and new is good. Teachers also run into a reading problem: interesting texts about old schools tend to be written for adults. And because this topic often comes early in the year, when you are still getting to know your class, there is little time to build it yourself. A homeschool family faces a twist on the same idea, comparing their kitchen-table school with a one-room schoolhouse.
Why it fits
How the unit builds comparison skills
Each part of the unit asks children to look at the past and put it next to their own experience.
- Reading passages describe school in the past at a level young children can follow with support.
- The word bank gives children the old-fashioned school words they need to describe differences.
- Project or primary-source activities let children look closely at evidence of how school used to be.
- Differentiated worksheets mean a first and a fourth grader can both make real comparisons.
- Slides give the class shared pictures to point at and talk about before writing.
- Lesson plans and answer keys make it easy to teach this early in the year with little prep.
Getting started
Using the unit in the first weeks of school
Here is one way to fit it into the start of a school year. The pacing is a suggestion, not part of the product.
- Map today's school dayBefore opening the overview, have children list what happens in their own school day. This list becomes the now side of every comparison that follows.
- Introduce school long agoUse the overview and slides to show a school from the past. Ask children what they notice first, and write their observations next to the now list.
- Work through each sub-unitFollow each lesson plan in order. Hand out the differentiated worksheet so every child reads at a fitting level and uses the word bank. Remind children to keep adding to the now list as they read.
- Run the source or project taskGive children time with the activity. When they handle evidence about old schools themselves, their comparisons get far more specific. Ask each group to share one difference they found and one thing that stayed the same.
- Finish with a then-and-now displayAfter the third sub-unit, let children make a two-sided poster or page. Use the answer keys to check worksheets before it goes on the wall.
What to buy
Pairing School Then and Now with other topics
On its own, this $24.99 unit covers the topic completely. If you want to keep the change-over-time thread going, Timelines & Measuring Time helps children place then and now on a line. Old Trades & Crafts extends the same comparison from school to work. For a respectful look at the first peoples of the continent, the Native Americans unit is a natural next topic. All three are $24.99 with the same structure. TEACHMORE15 is only for Complete Curriculum packages, so it does not reduce unit prices.
Honest limits
What this unit is not
It is a single topic about school in the past and present, not a full year of history. You provide printing and any simple supplies the project asks for. If you want a visit from an older relative or a local museum's photos, that is something you organize. The unit is written for Grades 1–4; compare it with your own standards or homeschool plan. The licence is for your own teaching; send Teach Lessons a message before sharing it with a team. Within 7 days, a unit that does not fit can be exchanged for store credit of equal value, not refunded in cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is School Then and Now aligned with state standards?
No alignment or endorsement is claimed for this unit. It is written for Grades 1–4 and teaches children to compare school in the past with school today using reading passages, worksheets, activities and slides. Then-and-now comparisons are common in early social studies, but check the content against your own state or district requirements before deciding where it goes.
Is it a good start-of-year unit?
It works well early in the year because it begins with something every child knows, their own school day. The step-by-step lesson plans and ready slides also mean little preparation while you are still settling routines. Children also get to know each other as they talk about their own school routines.
How does it work for homeschoolers?
Homeschool families can compare their home learning with school in the past, which makes for lively discussion. The lesson plans tell a parent what to do in each sub-unit. The unit makes no claim about meeting any homeschool legal requirement. A one-room schoolhouse comparison often works especially well for families teaching several ages together.
What does the primary-source activity involve?
Each sub-unit includes a project or primary-source activity in which children look at evidence about the past or make something from what they learned. The details of each activity are listed on the product page. Plan a full lesson for each activity so children are not rushed through the evidence.
Can I combine it with a grandparent interview?
Yes. Many teachers add a short interview with an older family member as homework. It is not part of the unit, but the word bank and worksheet questions give children useful vocabulary and prompts for that conversation. Keep it optional, since not every child has an older relative close by.
How do I receive it?
You get a download link by email immediately after purchase, and the files stay in your account under Orders. Print what you need and show the slides from any screen. You can download the files again later, so there is no need to save them all at once.
Start history where your students already are
Open the product page to see School Then and Now and download it today.
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