Connecting Generations

Overview

Lesson 3 of 5 in “Being a Positive Community Force” focuses on how students’ daily lives connect with the daily lives of their parents and grandparents. Today students build part of a community timeline showing continuity and change in familiar everyday routines.

Learning intentions

• Students will discuss similarities and differences between their daily life and a family member’s childhood.
• Students will describe how some things have stayed the same and others have changed over time.
• Students will use simple time words to sequence events in a timeline.
• Students will share observations respectfully and listen to others’ ideas.

Success criteria

• I can tell one thing that is the same (continuity) and one thing that has changed for people in my family.
• I can use time words like “in the past”, “years ago”, or “now” when sharing my ideas.
• I can place 2–3 pictures in order on a timeline (past to now).
• I can explain my choices using a sentence starter (for example, “In the past… Now…”).

Curriculum links

• AC9HS1K02: Continuity and change between aspects of daily lives and parents’ and grandparents’ childhoods (compare photos and oral histories; identify changes and what remains the same).
• AC9HS2S06: Develop narratives and share observations using sources and subject-specific terms (use terms to denote passing of time such as “in the past”; describe direction/location if needed for timeline display).
• AC9HS2K01: A local individual, group, place or building and reasons for importance (used today as a connection to why family stories matter to our community).
• General capability alignment: Literacy (speaking and listening for discussion), Critical and creative thinking (sorting and comparing), Personal and social capability (respectful sharing).

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up: “Same or different?” Teacher shows 3 quick images (childhood toy/game, school item, home technology such as TV/phone). Students vote with hand signals: “Same” or “Different” and give one word to explain (for example, “bigger”, “new”, “toy”, “game”).

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach: Continuity and change Teacher explains with simple examples: “Continuity means it stayed the same. Change means it is different now.” Teacher models a timeline with two moments: “Years ago (past)” and “Now (present)”, using simple sentence frames:

• “In the past, people…”
• “Now, people…” Students repeat the sentence frames in pairs and practise with one example from the images.

3. 12–22 min · Build: Mini community timeline Teacher distributes a “two-section timeline” sheet (Past / Now) with 2–3 picture prompts and a blank box for a drawing. Students choose one everyday topic they discussed earlier in the unit (for example: school day, bedtime, transport to places, communication, play).

• Students add a picture or draw for “Years ago” and “Now”.
• Teacher circulates, prompting with questions: “What stayed the same?” “What changed?” If students brought family photo(s) or a family note, they select one to represent “Past” (teacher supports careful handling).

4. 22–28 min · Share: Turn-and-talk gallery Students partner up for short sharing. Each student completes one sentence:

• “In the past…, and it is different because…” or
• “In the past…, and it is the same because…” Teacher listens for correct use of at least one time word and notes misconceptions for whole-class correction.

5. 28–30 min · Exit ticket: One continuity + one change On a small slip, students draw or write two words: one “Same” and one “Changed”. Teacher collects for quick formative assessment.

Resources

• Picture cards (childhood toy/game; school item; home technology; transport/communication)
• Student “Past / Now” timeline worksheet (Pre/Year 1–2 appropriate, picture-supported)
• Crayons/markers/colour pencils
• Sentence starter cards (“In the past…”, “Now…”, “Same because…”, “Changed because…”)
• Family story prompts from earlier lessons (optional reminder)
• Timer for pacing
• Glue sticks or tape (if attaching images)
• Teacher checklist (continuity/change, time words, sequencing)

Assessment

• Observation during vote and discussion: can students distinguish “same” vs “different”.
• Listening checks during partner sharing: use of at least one time word and a continuity/change reason.
• Exit ticket: identifies one continuity and one change; shows understanding of past-to-now sequence.

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide sentence starters and a model timeline on the board.
• Offer extra picture prompts for students who need reduced writing.
• Allow drawing instead of writing for the exit ticket.
• Extension:
• Invite students to add a third box: “Future” (if appropriate) or include a second example of continuity/change.
• Challenge: students explain “why” something changed using a prompted reason (for example, “because it is new”, “because it is easier”).
• EAL/SEN:
• Use visuals and consistent time-word bank with icons for “past” and “now”.
• Pair students strategically for turn-and-talk.
• Accept partial sentence responses; focus on meaning over grammar.