Maine 1st Grade Social Studies: Then and Now Units for Grades 1–3
Maine 1st Grade Social Studies: Then and Now Units for Grades 1–3
Maine first grade teachers who want ready then-and-now lessons can use the Then and Now Social Studies Bundle: six units on school, family life, old trades, inventions, timelines and historical sources for $89.99. Because Maine leaves grade-level history topics to each school unit, these lessons slot into whatever your district has set. They contain no Maine-specific history.
See the then-and-now unitsThe Then and Now Social Studies Bundle ($89.99) covers the past-and-present strand that many Maine Grades 1–3 classrooms teach: school then and now, family and daily life, old trades from smith to baker, inventions, timelines and measuring time, and historical sources. Each unit has an overview and ready sub-units with lesson plans, differentiated worksheets, activities, answer keys and slides. It is not written for the Maine Learning Results, so check it against your local curriculum.
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
Why Maine primary teachers often plan history from scratch
Maine's social studies standards are the Maine Learning Results for Social Studies, Revised 2019. They give performance expectations for each grade from kindergarten to Grade 5, and the history standards spiral from K through 12. What the state does not do is assign eras or topics to grade levels. Each School Administrative Unit builds its own curriculum, with a balanced exposure to the major eras of U.S. and world history. For a Grade 1 teacher, that freedom has a cost: there is no state unit list to pull from, so lessons on how life has changed often get built piece by piece. The 2019 revision also aimed to strengthen the teaching of Maine Native Americans, which your district may expect you to address directly with local materials. Time pressure adds up quickly. General elementary appeared on Maine DOE's 2024-2025 teacher shortage list, so some classrooms are led by newer or emergency-certified teachers, and snow days interrupt plans every winter. Maine requires at least 175 school days, and remote days count only with prior school board approval as part of a cancellation waiver. Ready, short units help the plan survive.
Why it fits
How the units support a Maine primary social studies year
The bundle teaches young students how life changes over time, which is where many local Grade 1 to 3 plans begin.
- School Then and Now lets first graders compare their own classroom with schools of the past.
- Family and daily life unit connects history to homes and routines children know.
- Old Trades and Crafts, from smith to baker, shows how work has changed.
- Timelines and measuring time gives a simple tool for the spiraling history standards.
- The historical sources unit teaches how we know about the past, using real evidence.
- Lesson plans and answer keys make the units easy to hand to a newer colleague or long-term sub.
Getting started
One way to run the units across a Maine school year
A suggested sequence for Grade 1 or a combined Grades 1–2 class. Follow your district's curriculum where it differs.
- Fall: school and familyStart with School Then and Now in the first weeks, while classroom routines are new. Follow with family and daily life so students bring in examples from home.
- Late fall: measuring timeTeach the timelines unit before winter. Students build simple timelines of their own lives, which prepares them for comparing past and present in the units that follow after the break.
- Winter: keep it snow-day proofTeach old trades and crafts in short sub-units during the snowiest months. If a storm closes school, you restart the next sub-unit without reteaching a long sequence.
- Spring: inventions and evidenceTeach inventions that changed the world, then the historical sources unit, where students look at objects and pictures as evidence about how people lived long ago.
- Add your local layerAlongside the units, add Maine examples and Maine Native American content your district provides, so students connect the general lessons to the places and people of their own state.
What to buy
Which history product fits your grade
Buy the Then and Now Social Studies Bundle at $89.99 if you teach Grade 1, 2 or 3 and your year starts with past and present; the six units cost $149.94 separately. If your district also wants ancient civilizations or early America in Grades 3 or 4, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99, parts $499.80) contains all 20 elementary units, including these six. The Early American History Bundle ($99.99) covers Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers. For November, the Thanksgiving and Fall Bundle ($49.99, parts $69.96) adds two history units and two autumn crafts.
Honest limits
Things the bundle leaves to you
These units are written for any state. They contain no Maine history, no Maine Native American content and no Maine Learning Results codes, so compare them with your School Administrative Unit's curriculum and the state standards yourself. You supply local examples, objects for source work and any craft materials. The licence covers your own class; if your grade-level team wants to share it, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If the bundle turns out not to fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does it match the Maine Learning Results for Social Studies?
It is not aligned to, endorsed by or reviewed against the Maine Learning Results, and it has no standards codes. Comparing past and present, using timelines and working with sources are common in early grades, but you should check each unit against the grade-level performance expectations and your district's curriculum yourself.
Does it teach about Maine Native Americans?
No. None of the six units covers Maine Native Americans, which the 2019 revision of the standards aimed to strengthen. Use materials your district or local tribal education resources provide for that part. The separate Native Americans unit in our Early American bundle is general, not Maine-specific.
Is it enough for a full year of social studies?
Six units can carry a large part of a Grades 1–3 year, depending on how long you spend on each, but they are not a complete program. Most teachers combine them with community, geography or civics lessons their district expects. Look at your district's grade-level plan before deciding how many weeks each unit gets.
Can I use it on a remote day after a snowstorm?
You can send a worksheet or reading passage home, and the slides work on a screen. Whether a remote day counts toward Maine's 175-day minimum depends on your school board and the state waiver rules, so check with your district first. The licence covers sharing with your own students, not public posting.
Is it suitable for Grade 3?
Yes. The bundle is labeled Grades 1–3, and the differentiated worksheets let third graders work with longer reading passages and more independent source tasks. A Grade 3 teacher planning ancient history too might prefer the larger Elementary History Curriculum, which includes these six units plus fourteen more.
How do I receive the units?
It is a digital download. You get a link by email right after purchase, and the files also appear in your customer account under Orders. Print what you need or use the slides on your classroom screen; nothing is mailed, so you can start planning the same day.
Start your then-and-now unit this week
Open the product page to see each unit and what its sub-units contain.
See the then-and-now units