Nebraska 1st Grade Social Studies: Then and Now Units on Family and Change
Nebraska 1st Grade Social Studies: Then and Now Units on Family and Change
Yes, there is a ready then-and-now set that fits a Nebraska first grade year built around families: the Then and Now Social Studies Bundle. Six units cover school then and now, family and daily life, old trades, inventions, timelines and historical sources, for $89.99. It also works in Grades 2 and 3, though it is general history, not written to Nebraska's standards.
Open the Then and Now bundleNebraska Grade 1 teachers whose social studies year centers on families can use the Then and Now Social Studies Bundle ($89.99). Its six units teach how life has changed: school, family and daily life, old trades, inventions, timelines and measuring time, and historical sources. Each unit has three sub-units with lesson plans, differentiated worksheets, a project or source activity, answer keys and slides. It is not aligned to the 2019 Nebraska Social Studies Standards, so check fit yourself.
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
Teaching change over time to six-year-olds in Nebraska
Nebraska's social studies standards, approved on November 8, 2019, give each early grade a clear theme. Kindergarten is Myself and Others. Grade 1 is Families – Living, Learning, and Working Together. Grade 2 is Neighborhood, Grade 3 is Communities Near and Far, and Grade 4 turns to Nebraska Studies. That sequence makes sense, widening from the child to the state, but it leaves first grade teachers with a specific task: teaching young children that families, work and school were not always the way they are now, and that we know about the past from evidence. That is harder than it sounds. Six-year-olds have little sense of time beyond last summer, so lessons have to start with something they recognize, like a classroom or a kitchen, and then show the same thing long ago. They need pictures, short readings with word support and something to make or sort. Teachers also have to fit social studies into a day dominated by reading and math. In practice, a first grade teacher needs a few complete, concrete units that start from family and school life and add time and sources gently, rather than a thick binder to sort through.
Why it fits
How the six units match a family-centered year
The bundle starts where young children are: home, school and the people around them. Here is how that plays out.
- Family & Daily Life Then and Now speaks directly to a first grade year built on families.
- School Then and Now compares students' own classroom with schools of the past, which children grasp quickly.
- Old Trades & Crafts shows how people worked, a natural link to families working together.
- Timelines & Measuring Time gives young students the basic idea of before, after and long ago.
- Traces of the Past teaches that we learn about history from objects, pictures and written sources.
- Worksheets with a reading passage and word bank support early readers at different levels.
Getting started
A suggested path through first grade
Here is one way a Nebraska first grade teacher might use the six units. Second and third grade teachers can reorder them to suit their theme.
- Begin with families then and nowOpen the year with Family & Daily Life Then and Now. Invite students to bring a family photo or story so the unit starts from their own homes.
- Compare school past and presentMove to School Then and Now in the fall. Students compare their classroom, books and school day with schools long ago, using the worksheets and slides.
- Introduce time with timelinesTeach Timelines & Measuring Time once students have some examples. Build a class timeline that shows family events alongside the older things they have studied.
- Look at work and inventionsIn winter and spring, teach Old Trades & Crafts and Inventions That Changed the World. Both show how families lived and worked differently before modern tools.
- End with historical sourcesFinish with Traces of the Past. Students look at objects and pictures as evidence, which ties together everything they learned about families and school earlier in the year.
What to buy
Then and Now set or a bigger history bundle
For a Grades 1–3 social studies year that starts with families and change over time, buy the Then and Now Social Studies Bundle at $89.99, against $149.94 for the six units separately. If you want ancient civilizations and early America as well, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) includes all 20 elementary history units, these six among them. The Early American History Bundle ($99.99) focuses on Native Americans, explorers, Pilgrims and pioneers for Grades 1–4. For November, the Thanksgiving and Fall Bundle ($49.99) adds two respectful history units and two autumn art activities.
Honest limits
Before you buy, the honest part
These units were written for any U.S. classroom, not for Nebraska. They contain no Nebraska content and no standards codes, and they do not cover Grade 2 neighborhoods or Grade 3 communities as separate topics. Check each unit against the 2019 Nebraska Social Studies Standards and your district's plan. Family photos, local examples, printing and craft supplies are yours to add. The licence covers your own classes; for a grade team, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If the bundle is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this match the Nebraska Social Studies Standards for Grade 1?
It is not aligned to, approved by or endorsed by the Nebraska Department of Education. The topics sit close to the Grade 1 theme of families living, learning and working together, but closeness is not alignment. Read the 2019 standards for your grade and check each unit against them before you plan.
Can a second or third grade teacher use it?
Yes, the bundle is written for Grades 1–3. In Nebraska, Grade 2 focuses on neighborhoods and Grade 3 on communities near and far, so older grades might use the trades, inventions and sources units to show how communities changed. You decide which units fit your grade's focus.
How long does each unit take?
There is no fixed pacing in the units. Each has an overview and three sub-units, and each sub-unit has a lesson plan, worksheet, activity, answer key and slides. Many teachers spread one sub-unit over one or two social studies lessons, but treat that as a starting estimate.
Is there anything about Nebraska history?
No. Nebraska Studies comes in Grade 4 in the state sequence, and this bundle does not include it. The units deal with general change over time. Teachers often add a local example, such as an old photo of their town or school, which you would gather yourself.
My first graders cannot read well yet. Will the worksheets work?
The worksheets are differentiated and include a reading passage with a word bank, and every sub-unit has slides you can read aloud with the class. For the youngest readers, teach the passage together first and let students work on the activity with a partner or in a small group.
How do I receive the units?
All six units arrive as digital downloads. The link comes by email straight after purchase, and you can download the files again later from your customer account under Orders. Print the worksheets you need or show the slides on your classroom screen during the lesson.
Plan your then-and-now units
Look over the six units on the product page and match them to your grade's theme.
Open the Then and Now bundle