Time and Change

Overview

This 40-minute lesson introduces Years 0-1 students to the concept of time through the idea of centennial — understanding significant events that happened 100 years ago (1926) and looking forward to 2026. The lesson connects to New Zealand history in a way suitable for young learners, encouraging them to begin noticing how people, places, and things can change over time.

Curriculum Alignment

This lesson is designed in alignment with The New Zealand Curriculum, focusing on Social Sciences for Years 0-1 (Curriculum Level 1), particularly the strand of "Understand how the past is important to people" and the concepts of continuity and change over time. Key competencies addressed include Thinking, Using Language, Symbols and Texts, and Relating to Others.

Relevant Achievement Objectives and Key Competencies (Level 1 Social Sciences)

• Understand that the past is important to people and that events and stories from the past can be told and shown in different ways.
• Explore how stories of people and events are passed down and can change over time.
• Develop awareness of time concepts such as ‘long ago’ and changes over time.
• Key Competencies: Thinking; Using language, symbols and texts; Relating to others.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Recognise the concept of 100 years (centennial) as a large amount of time for things/people/places to change.
• Be able to talk about and compare how life for children or families today might be different from life in 1926.
• Understand the idea that history can be told through stories and pictures.
• Participate with curiosity and respect in sharing stories about earlier times.

Resources Needed

• A large timeline visual (e.g., a simple floor or wall timeline from 1926 to 2026 with pictures).
• Illustrated storybook or picture set showing life/events from around 1926 New Zealand (children playing, houses, clothes).
• Simple modern photos showing present-day life for contrast.
• Craft materials: paper, crayons/markers for drawing.
• Props or replica toys from early 20th century (optional).
• Smartboard/tablet or printed images of important NZ symbols from 1926 and 2026.

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Lesson Breakdown (40 minutes):

1. Welcome and Connect to Prior Knowledge (5 mins)

• Greet students and briefly talk about ‘today’ and ‘long ago.’
• Show a big 100-year timeline from 1926 to 2026 and explain “100 years is what we call a centennial — that means a very long time!”
• Ask: "Can you think of something you did last year? Now think about 100 years ago — that's way longer!”
• Use simple language and visuals to ensure understanding.

2. Story Time: Life in New Zealand 100 Years Ago (10 mins)

• Read aloud or show illustrated pictures/stories about children living in NZ around 1926.
• Focus on differences and similarities: clothing, play, homes, school, pets.
• Pause to encourage student observations and questions: "What do you see? How is it different from your life?"
• Highlight the idea that these stories help us understand history.

3. Discussion and Exploration (8 mins)

• Show contrasting images of modern-day NZ children and families (2026).
• Ask questions: “What’s different? What’s the same?”
• Explain gently that over 100 years, things change like clothes, toys, and homes, but some things like families and having fun stay the same.
• Use simple words related to time, like “then”, “now”, “long ago”, “today”.

4. Creative Activity: Draw Your Family Then and Now (12 mins)

• Give paper and crayons. Ask the children to draw two pictures: one of what they think families looked like 100 years ago (using the story as inspiration) and one of their own family today.
• Walk around to engage with students, encouraging them to talk about their drawings.
• Optionally, if props are available, let children handle them to spark imagination.

5. Sharing and Wrap-Up (5 mins)

• Invite a few children to share their drawings and ideas about what they learned about ‘then and now’.
• Reinforce the concept of ‘100 years’ and how stories and pictures help us learn about the past.
• Close with a simple waiata (song) or chant about time or families to reinforce learning joyfully.

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Assessment

• Informal observation of participation in discussion and story sharing to see if students grasp the concept of change over time.
• Review children’s drawings and listen to their explanations to assess understanding of ‘then and now’.
• Note use of time-related vocabulary (“long ago”, “now” etc.) and ability to compare past and present.

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Teacher Tips for Engagement

• Use lots of visual and tactile materials to engage young learners who are concrete thinkers.
• Keep language simple and highly repetitive to reinforce key concepts.
• Connect historical concepts to familiar, everyday experiences for relevance.
• Celebrate all contributions to foster confidence and belonging.

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Curriculum References

• Social Sciences Learning Area, Level 1: “Understand how the past is important to people” (NZ Curriculum).
• Key Competencies: Thinking - students develop a sense of time and change; Using Language, Symbols and Texts - engaging with stories and images about history; Relating to Others - sharing and respecting stories from different times.
• English Level 1 – Oral Language: Engage with stories to explore identity and place in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Guidance on age-appropriate concept of time, sequencing, and social studies learning in early years from NZ Curriculum foundations.

This lesson innovatively combines story, visual timeline, creative art, and discussion for a rounded introduction to history through the fresh lens of a centennial (1926–2026), perfectly suited for early learners in NZ classrooms .