Understanding Past & Present

Lesson Overview

Year Level: Year 1
Subject: History
Unit: Family Ties Through Time (Lesson 1 of 4)
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Australian Curriculum Content Descriptor:
HASS - History (Year 1):

• ACHASSK030: Differences in family structures and roles over time.
• ACHASSI027: Sequence familiar objects and events.

Lesson Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Understand the concept of "past" and "present."
2. Recognise how family structures and roles have changed over time.
3. Create a personal family timeline featuring key events.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 mins) – The Past vs. The Present

Teacher Actions:

• Greet students warmly and introduce the topic by saying: “Today, we’re going to become time detectives! We will look at how our families have changed over time.”
• Display two photos: one modern (e.g., family using a smartphone) and one historical (e.g., family using a rotary phone). Ask:
  • What do you see in these pictures?
  • What looks different? What looks the same?
• Write the words "Past" and "Present" on the board and briefly explain:
  • The past is what happened before. The present is what is happening now.

Student Engagement:

• Turn to a partner and share something their family does now that might have been different for their parents or grandparents (e.g., How do we watch TV? How do we keep in touch with family members?).
• Invite a few students to share their thoughts with the class.

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2. Body (25 mins) – My Family Timeline

Activity 1: Family Discussion (10 mins)

Teacher Actions:

• Explain that families can change over time – for example, their grandparents may have grown up in a different way.
• Ask guiding questions:
  • Who is in your family?
  • Do you know something about when your parents or grandparents were younger?
  • How might their lives have been different from yours?
• Model a simple verbal timeline using your own family (e.g., "When I was a baby, we used CDs for music. Now we use streaming apps!").

Student Engagement:

• Students share one difference between their life and their parents’ or grandparents’.

Activity 2: Creating a Personal Timeline (15 mins)

Teacher Actions:

• Hand out a simple timeline worksheet with four sections:
  1. When I was a baby…
  2. Now, as a Year 1 student…
  3. When my parents were younger…
  4. When my grandparents were younger…
• Model how to fill in one section by drawing a simple picture (e.g., "As a baby, I drank from a bottle").
• Encourage students to draw or write a word in each section. Provide support as needed.

Student Engagement:

• Students complete their family timeline worksheet, illustrating or writing about key differences across generations.
• Pair-share: Students explain their timelines to a partner.

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3. Reflection & Wrap-Up (10 mins) – What Have We Discovered?

Teacher Actions:

• Gather students in a circle and ask:
  • What was something interesting you learned today?
  • Did anything surprise you about how life was in the past?
  • Why is it important to learn about our families and the past?
• Summarise the key learning: "Families change over time, and learning about the past can help us understand and appreciate what we have now."

Assessment Opportunity:

• Listen to student responses about differences in family life.
• Check the clarity and completeness of students' timelines.

Homework (Optional):

• Ask students to talk to their parents or grandparents about something they used to do differently when they were young. Bring a photo to share next lesson if possible.

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Materials & Preparation

• Printed timeline worksheets (one per student).
• Markers, pencils, or crayons.
• Printed past-and-present photo comparisons.
• Whiteboard and markers.

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Teacher Notes & Tips

✅ Keep it visual – Year 1 students engage well with pictures and simple diagrams.
✅ Encourage storytelling – Personal family stories make history more relatable.
✅ Be flexible – Some students may come from non-traditional family structures; encourage all responses.
✅ Use gestures – When explaining past vs. present, physically step from one side of the room to another.

🚀 Wow Factor Idea:
At the end of the lesson, invite students to imagine being a grandparent in the future! Ask: What will families have in the year 2080? Let them share fun predictions like “flying cars,” “talking robots,” or “hologram grandparents.”

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Next Lesson Preview:

In Lesson 2, students will bring in family photos (or draw pictures) to create a class "Family Wall of Time," continuing their exploration of family changes across generations.

🎉 Great job, time detectives! Let’s keep uncovering the past!