Unit Plan 23 (Grade 1 Social Studies): Change Over Time
Students compare old and new tools and toys using photos and artifacts, practice sorting helpful evidence, and create a simple “Then and Now” page showing how one object changed over time.
Focus: Help students use photos and artifacts to see how tools and toys have changed from the past to today, and to practice sorting pictures and information that are relevant to “long ago vs. now.”
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: Social Studies (History • Inquiry • Everyday Life)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students explore change over time by looking closely at old and new tools and toys. They compare photographs and simple artifacts (or pictures of artifacts) such as phones, games, and school tools. Through guided discussions and hands-on sorting, students learn to tell the difference between the past and the present and begin to notice which pictures and details really help answer questions about change. The week ends with a simple “Then and Now” comparison page about one tool or toy.
Essential Questions
- How do we know if something is from the past or from today?
- How have tools and toys changed over time?
- How can pictures and objects help us learn about long ago and now?
- How do we decide which pictures and details are important for answering our questions?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Use photos and artifacts to tell whether a tool or toy is from the past or from today.
- Name at least two differences between an older tool/toy and a newer one (e.g., how it looks, how it is used).
- Use simple temporal words (long ago, now, before, today) when talking about tools and toys.
- Sort pictures and details into “helps us learn about change” vs. “not really about change” to show basic understanding of relevant evidence.
- Create a “Then and Now” comparison page for one tool or toy, with a drawing and sentence about how it changed.
Standards Alignment — 1st Grade (C3-based custom)
- 1.C3.Hist.2 — Distinguish past and present using photographs, artifacts, and stories.
- Example: Compare old vs. new phones/transportation.
- 1.C3.Inq.3 — Evaluate and sort evidence (relevant/irrelevant; fact/opinion at a basic level).
- Example: Decide which pictures actually show “helping keep the school clean.”
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can tell if a picture of a tool or toy is from long ago or now.
- I can name at least two ways an old and new tool or toy are different.
- I can use words like long ago and today when I talk about change.
- I can sort pictures to show which ones help answer our questions about change over time.
- I can make a “Then and Now” page showing one tool or toy and how it has changed.