Past and Present Play

Overview

A 20-minute tactile sorting activity designed for New Entrant preschool students in Palmerston North to explore the local area's past and present. Using images and objects representing life in Palmerston North from long ago and today, children will compare and discuss these to build early observation and reasoning skills aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum’s Social Studies and Science learning areas focused on exploring the past and present in their own environment.

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Curriculum Links

The New Zealand Curriculum (NZC)

• Social Sciences, Level 1
  Achievement Objective:

  • Understand how the past is important in people’s lives.
  • Recognise how objects in the present may have a connection to the past.

• Science, Level 1
  Understanding about the nature of science and exploring the natural and physical world and its phenomena.

  • Explore ways in which the natural world can be protected.

Key Competencies

• Thinking: Developing observation and reasoning by comparing past and present.
• Using language, symbols and texts: Communicating understanding about historical concepts and local heritage.
• Relating to others: Sharing ideas and listening respectfully to classmates.
• Managing self: Engaging actively and independently in a hands-on activity.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and describe differences and similarities between images and objects of Palmerston North from the past and today.
2. Recognise that Palmerston North has changed over time.
3. Use simple language to talk about what they observe and think about how and why things may have changed.
4. Develop early reasoning skills through sorting and classifying tactile materials.

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Resources

• Two sets of clear printed images (laminated) showing Palmerston North scenes and objects from the past and present (e.g., old school buses and modern buses, horse-drawn carts and cars, old shops and current shops, black and white photos vs. colour photos).
• A collection of tactile objects representing these images (toys/models such as a wooden wheel, a plastic traffic light, fabric samples resembling old and new clothes, miniature replicas of historical and modern tools or household items).
• Sorting mats or large labelled trays with two categories: “Past” and “Present.”
• Simple prompt cards with key question words: What? How? When? Why?
• Name tags for students (optional for group management).
• Whiteboard or large paper for recording key ideas.

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Lesson Plan Breakdown

Time	Activity	Details	NZC Links
0:00-2:00	Introduction & Engagement	Gather students in a circle. Talk briefly about the word “history” and what it means in simple terms. Explain that today they will explore what Palmerston North was like a long time ago and what it is like now. Show one clear “then and now” example (e.g., a horse-drawn cart and a car). Elicit observations and ideas.	Social Sciences Level 1: Understand the past is important in people’s lives; Key Competency - Thinking
2:00-4:00	Demonstration	Show images and a corresponding tactile object. Sort one pair as a group onto the “Past” and “Present” trays. Model thinking aloud using prompt cards (“This is old because…”, “This is new because…”).	Social Sciences Level 1; Using language, symbols and texts
4:00-15:00	Sorting Activity in Small Groups	Divide class into 3 groups of 6 children. Each group receives a mixed set of images and objects to sort onto “Past” and “Present” trays. Encourage children to discuss in pairs or small groups their choices and reasons. Teachers rotate to guide, use key questions, scaffold language, and support reasoning.	Social Sciences Level 1; Using language, symbols and texts; Relating to others; Thinking
15:00-18:00	Group Sharing & Discussion	Bring students together. Invite each group to share one example of something they sorted and explain why it belongs in past or present. Note key vocabulary on the board (e.g., old, new, different, changed, same). Highlight similarities and differences collectively.	Social Sciences Level 1; Managing self; Using language, symbols and texts
18:00-20:00	Wrap-up and Reflection	Recap the main idea: Palmerston North has changed over time because of people and new inventions. Encourage students to say one new word or idea they learned. Provide positive feedback and quick formative assessment through observation of participation and language use.	Social Sciences Level 1; Key Competencies: Thinking, Managing self

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Teaching and Learning Strategies

• Hands-on learning: Using tactile materials supports young children's sensory engagement and concrete understanding.
• Oral language development: Use clear, simple language and scaffold with sentence starters (“This is old because…”).
• Collaborative learning: Encourage talk partners and small group discussion to build social competence.
• Visual cues: Use picture prompts and sorting mats for cognitive clarity and focus.
• Formative assessment: Observations and questions during activities will inform teacher understanding of student learning and misconceptions.

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observations of students’ ability to correctly sort and explain their choices. Listen for use of comparative language and reasoning about change.
• Student self-expression: Children using simple full sentences or phrases during group sharing shows oral language development related to curriculum expectations.
• Next steps: For students who struggle, provide additional visual supports or one-on-one scaffolding. Extend learners by encouraging them to find other examples of past and present at home or in the local community.

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Differentiation and Inclusion

• Provide tactile objects varying in texture to engage diverse sensory needs.
• Use visual cards with simple Te Reo Māori labels (e.g., “Ināianei” for present, “I mua” for past) to support bicultural curriculum aims.
• Scaffold language for EAL or speech-delayed learners with sentence stems and repeated vocabulary.
• Pair students thoughtfully to promote peer support.

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This plan aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum’s vision of fostering confident, competent learners who understand their own place and people, encouraging respect for heritage while developing key foundational skills of observation, reasoning, and language in an engaging, culturally responsive way .