What are good activities for comparing school in the past and today?
What are good activities for comparing school in the past and today?
The best activities let children experience a bit of old-time school and then talk about it: a slate-and-chalk writing lesson, a role-play of a one-room schoolhouse morning, photo comparisons, interviews with older relatives and a then-and-now chart. This page lists activities that work in Grades 1–3, the misunderstandings to watch for, a five-lesson plan and a ready-made unit on school then and now.
See the school then-and-now unitGood activities for comparing school then and today include: a short role-play of an old-fashioned lesson with lined-up desks and recitation; writing on small chalkboards as a stand-in for slates; comparing photos of old and modern classrooms; interviewing a grandparent about their school days; sorting picture cards of school items into then and now; and making a class museum of then-and-now objects. Finish each activity by asking what changed and what stayed the same.
Ready-made material
Then and Now Social Studies Bundle, Grades 1–3
6 resources in one download: $89.99 instead of $149.94 bought separately.
The first cover is the main resource; the others are related options. 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
Why it is hard
Where school-then-and-now lessons go wrong
School is the perfect then-and-now topic because every child is an expert on school today. The trouble starts when the lesson turns into a list of things that were worse. Students hear about strict rules and long walks and conclude that children in the past were miserable, or that teachers were mean. That is neither fair nor accurate, and it skips the more interesting question of why school worked the way it did. A second problem is mixing time periods. A photo from a one-room schoolhouse, a picture of their parents' classroom and a medieval monastery school all get labeled 'old school'. Children need a few clear time points, not a blur. Third, some activities are all costume and no comparison. Dressing up is fun, but if students never record a difference or similarity, nothing sticks. Finally, children often think every school in the past looked the same. Rural one-room schools, city schools and schools in other countries were very different. Seven-year-olds will not master all of that, but they can learn that 'long ago' had more than one kind of classroom, and that some things, like learning to read and playing at recess, did not change much.
What works
Activities that make the comparison stick
Pair each hands-on activity with a quick recording step, so the comparison ends up on paper or a chart.
- Run a ten-minute old-time lesson: rows, standing to answer, reciting a short verse together.
- Write spelling words on small chalkboards, then discuss why paper was used more sparingly long ago.
- Compare two classroom photos and circle five differences and two things that stayed the same.
- Send home a three-question interview about a relative's school days and share answers in a circle.
- Sort picture cards such as inkwell, tablet, slate, backpack and lunch pail into then and now.
- Build a class museum with labeled then-and-now objects and invite another class to visit.
Step by step
A five-lesson plan for school then and now
This sequence fits Grades 1–3. Keep each lesson around 30 to 40 minutes as a suggestion.
- Our school todayStudents list and draw what a school day looks like now: subjects, tools, lunch and recess. Post the list as the now column of a large class chart.
- Photos from long agoShow two or three photos of old classrooms from different times. Students point out desks, clothing, tools and the stove, and you add items to the then column.
- An old-time morningRearrange desks into rows and run a short old-fashioned lesson with recitation and chalkboard writing. Afterward, ask how it felt and what was harder or easier.
- Interview dayStudents share answers from family interviews. Add each answer to the chart, and mark which time each one came from on the class timeline. Note which answers surprised the class.
- Then-and-now museumSmall groups make a labeled display about one school item, such as writing tools or lunches. Each group explains what changed and what stayed the same to visitors.
Ready-made option
A ready unit on school then and now
School Then and Now is one of the six units in the Then and Now Social Studies Bundle ($89.99, $149.94 if the parts were bought separately), together with Family and Daily Life Then and Now, Old Trades and Crafts, Inventions That Changed the World, Timelines and Measuring Time, and Traces of the Past. Every one of them is split into three sub-units, each holding a lesson plan, a differentiated worksheet with reading passage and word bank, a project or source activity, an answer key and slides. The school unit alone costs $24.99. It also appears in the Early American History Bundle ($99.99) and the full Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99).
Honest limits
What the unit leaves to you
The unit gives you lessons and worksheets; the role-play, the rearranged desks and any chalkboards or old objects come from your room and your families. No props or supplies are included. With younger students, you will read the passages aloud. Check the unit against your state's early-grade social studies standards, because the store does not claim alignment. If other teachers in your building want the same unit, message Teach Lessons before sharing the files. You can exchange the purchase for store credit of equal value within 7 days if it is not a fit; there are no cash refunds.
Good to know
More teacher questions
How do I talk about strict discipline in old schools?
Calmly and briefly. Say that rules were often stricter and that some punishments used then are not allowed today, without graphic detail. Then ask why schools have changed their rules. Keep the focus on how ideas about children and learning changed, not on shocking stories.
Which time period should the 'then' be?
Pick one or two clear points. A one-room schoolhouse and a grandparent's classroom work well for Grades 1–3, because they are far enough apart to compare and close enough to imagine. Mark both on the class timeline so students keep them separate. Avoid adding a third period until students handle the first two easily.
What if I cannot get old objects?
Photos work, and so do simple stand-ins. Small chalkboards can play the part of slates, a tin can can be a lunch pail, and a printed picture can replace an inkwell. Ask families and a local historical society too; many have items they are glad to lend for a day.
Is this topic in early-grade social studies standards?
Comparing past and present often appears in early-grade standards, but the details differ by state. The store does not claim its units align with any standards. Read your state's expectations for your grade and decide where school then and now fits. Keep a note of the match for your planning records.
How do I include children whose families went to school elsewhere?
Treat it as a bonus. A parent who went to school in another country gives a third column: then, now and somewhere else. Invite students to share if they want to, and never require it. It shows the class that school has looked different in different places as well as at different times.
Can older students in Grade 3 go further?
Yes. Have them write a short comparison paragraph, compare two old photos from different decades or prepare questions for a visitor. They can also act as museum guides in the final lesson and explain the displays to younger classes. Giving them a leading role keeps the unit challenging without separate materials.
Rearrange the desks for one morning
Ten minutes of an old-time lesson gives your class more to compare than a week of worksheets. Then ask what changed and what stayed.
See the school then-and-now unit