Idaho 1st Grade Social Studies: Then and Now Units for Grades 1–3
Idaho 1st Grade Social Studies: Then and Now Units for Grades 1–3
Idaho's revised K-12 social studies standards ask first graders to study family life past and present, and the Then and Now Social Studies Bundle gives you six ready units on exactly that kind of comparison: school, family, trades, inventions, timelines and historical sources. It runs from Grade 1 into Grade 3. Idaho tribes, maps and state government you add yourself.
See the then-and-now unitsThe Then and Now Social Studies Bundle ($89.99) gives Grades 1–3 teachers six Teach Lessons history units: School Then and Now, Family & Daily Life Then and Now, Old Trades & Crafts, Inventions That Changed the World, Timelines & Measuring Time, and Traces of the Past. Each has three sub-units with lesson plan, differentiated worksheet, activity, answer key and slides. It is not written for Idaho and does not cover Idaho tribes, maps or government.
The resources
Then and Now Social Studies Bundle, Grades 1–3
6 resources in one download: $89.99 instead of $149.94 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Then and Now Social Studies Bundle | School, Family, Trades, Inventions, Timelines & Sources | 6 Units | Grades 1–3
Elementary History Curriculum | All 20 History Units | Grades 1–4
Early American History Bundle | Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims & Pioneers | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Thanksgiving and Fall Bundle | Pilgrims, First Peoples, Autumn Crafts | Grades K–4
The real problem
What the revised Idaho standards put on a first grade teacher
Idaho revised its Content Standards for K-12 Social Studies on November 20, 2025, which means 2026–27 lesson plans should be checked against the revised document. For Grade 1 it names family life past and present, basic map skills and citizenship. Grade 2 shifts to groups and communities, Idaho's federally recognized tribes and Idaho's constitution. Grade 3 covers local community history, map reading, supply and demand and local government. The past-and-present strand is the part young children find most concrete, and also the part teachers most often build from scraps: a photo of an old schoolhouse, a story from a grandparent, a worksheet from three years ago. Turning that into a sequence that teaches what a source is and how time is measured takes planning time. The schedule matters too. Many Idaho districts and charters run four-day school weeks, and Kootenai School District adopted one in April 2026. Districts often choose that schedule to save money or keep teachers. A four-day week means longer days and fewer of them, so social studies lessons need to hold attention in a longer block or be split cleanly.
Why it fits
How the six units fit Idaho's early grades
These links are suggestions for where each unit could sit. Compare them with the standards document before you build your year.
- Family & Daily Life Then and Now speaks directly to Grade 1 family life past and present.
- School Then and Now gives first graders a past they can picture, starting from their own classroom.
- Timelines & Measuring Time builds the sense of past and present that later Idaho history needs.
- Traces of the Past teaches what a historical source is, useful for Grade 3 local community history.
- Old Trades & Crafts can open a Grade 3 talk about work and goods before supply and demand.
- Three sub-units per unit split well into longer four-day-week blocks or shorter daily lessons.
Getting started
A sample sequence for Grade 1 in Idaho
This is one way a first grade teacher could spread the units over the year. Second and third grade teachers can reuse the later units.
- Fall: school then and nowStart with School Then and Now while routines are new. Children compare their classroom with one from long ago, which pairs well with the citizenship strand in Grade 1.
- Late fall: family lifeTeach Family & Daily Life Then and Now. Invite families to share a photo or story if they wish, and connect it to the past-and-present strand in the Idaho standards.
- Winter: timelinesUse Timelines & Measuring Time. A class timeline on the wall can stay up for the rest of the year and grow with each unit.
- Spring: inventions and tradesChoose Inventions That Changed the World or Old Trades & Crafts, depending on your class. Both show how daily life has changed in ways first graders can see.
- Leave room for mapsBasic map skills are a separate Grade 1 strand. Plan your own map lessons alongside these units, since the bundle does not include map work.
What to buy
The right history set for an Idaho K–3 room
For a then-and-now strand in Grades 1–3, buy the Then and Now Social Studies Bundle at $89.99; the six units cost $149.94 when bought singly. If your school wants history for all of Grades 1–4, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) includes these six and 14 more units. The Early American History Bundle ($99.99) adds Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers to the timeline and source units. For November, the Thanksgiving and Fall Bundle ($49.99, parts $69.96) pairs the Pilgrims and Native Americans units with two fall art activities.
Honest limits
What the bundle does not include
It was not written for Idaho. There are no units on Idaho's tribes, Idaho's constitution, map reading, supply and demand or local government, and no Idaho standards codes. Read the November 2025 standards and decide where each unit fits. Local history, maps, photos and craft materials come from you. The licence covers your own class; grade teams who want to share it should send Teach Lessons a short message first. If it is not what you need, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value. Store credit, not money back in cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this match the Idaho Content Standards for social studies?
It is not aligned with or approved under the Idaho Content Standards for K-12 Social Studies. The units fit the past-and-present idea in Grade 1, but they do not address map skills, Idaho tribes, Idaho's constitution or local government. Compare the units with the revised standards yourself before you plan.
Is it only for first grade?
No. The bundle is listed for Grades 1–3. A first grade teacher might use the school and family units, while second and third grade teachers use timelines and historical sources to prepare for local community history in Grade 3 and Idaho history in Grade 4. Teachers on one team can split the six units by grade.
How does it work on a four-day week?
Each unit has three sub-units, each with a lesson plan, worksheet, activity, answer key and slides. On a longer day you can teach a sub-unit with its activity in one block; on a shorter day split the reading and the activity across two lessons. This is a suggestion, not a fixed pacing guide, so adjust it to your schedule.
Can young readers handle the worksheets?
The worksheets are differentiated and include a reading passage with a word bank. For early first graders you may read the passage aloud and use the slides for discussion before students work on the sheet. By spring, many first graders can handle more of the reading on their own.
Do I need to buy supplies?
The bundle is a digital download with printable and digital materials. Paper, art supplies and any objects you bring for a then-and-now display, such as old photos or household items, are yours to provide. No physical materials ship with the order, so you can start teaching the day you buy.
Can all first grade teachers in my school use it?
One purchase covers your own teaching. Use across a grade team or the whole school is possible after a short message to Teach Lessons, so write before you share the files. Please keep the files off public sites and open shared drives, since redistribution is not allowed.
Give the past-and-present strand a plan
Check the six unit titles and the parts list on the product page, then match them to your grade's standards.
See the then-and-now units