What Is Time?

Overview

In this first lesson of “Hello, Changes Over Time,” students explore how time helps us notice when events happen. Through a predictable visual routine, picture discussion, movement game, and drawing task, students identify changes in people, objects, and places while noticing that some features stay the same.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Describe time as a way to notice when things happen.
• Identify examples of change in people, objects, and places.
• Identify one thing that stays the same.
• Use pictures, gestures, and simple sentences to share an observation.

Success criteria

• I can name at least two things that change.
• I can tell one thing that stays the same.
• I can use the sentence frame “It changed because…”
• I can show my thinking in a drawing.

Curriculum links

• Reading History/Social Studies — identify key steps in a process described in text.
• Reading History/Social Studies — determine the meaning of history and social studies vocabulary in context.
• Reading History/Social Studies — integrate visual information with information from spoken and printed text.
• Writing History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects — introduce a claim and organize a reason or evidence logically.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Carpet routine and hook. Teacher welcomes students to the carpet, points to the visual timetable cards to preview “carpet, look, move, draw, share,” and opens the opening picture and question. Ask, “What can happen before and after this picture?” Students practice sitting safely, look carefully, and turn-and-talk about what they notice.

2. 4–9 min · What is time? Teacher explains that time helps us know when something happens—before, now, and later—and models a familiar example: “Before, this apple was whole. Now, it has a bite.” Display the before-and-after examples and introduce the words before, now, later, change, and same with gestures. Students repeat the words, use gestures, and identify what changed in each picture.

3. 9–15 min · Picture discussion. Teacher shows two or three picture pairs on the picture discussion slides, such as a small plant and a tall plant, an empty playground and a busy playground, or a child with a short and longer hairstyle. Ask, “What changed?” and “What stayed the same?” Students first think, then tell a partner using “It changed because…” or “It stayed the same because….” Invite several students to share and restate their ideas clearly.

4. 15–21 min · Change or same movement game. Teacher explains that students will move only when invited: point to one side of the carpet for “change” and the other for “same.” Show each prompt on the movement game slides: “Ice melts,” “A red ball is still red,” “A baby grows,” “A door is open, then closed,” and “Your name stays your name.” Students make the matching gesture or carefully step to the correct side, then explain one choice to a partner. Pause between prompts to reinforce listening and safe movement.

5. 21–27 min · Draw a change. Teacher models a quick two-part drawing on the before-and-after change worksheet: “Before, my plant was small. Later, it was tall.” Distribute the worksheet and provide crayons or pencils. Students draw something that changes in the “before” and “later” boxes, then complete orally or in writing: “It changed because….” Students who finish add a small detail that stayed the same.

6. 27–30 min · Share and check. Teacher revisits the closing review slide and asks, “How does time help us?” Partners share their drawings. Select a few students to name two changes and one thing that stayed the same; briefly celebrate careful observing and listening.

Resources

• the time, change, and same slide deck
• the before-and-after change worksheet
• the visual timetable cards
• Crayons or pencils
• Two familiar classroom objects, such as a cup and a toy
• Carpet space with clearly marked “change” and “same” sides
• Optional family or classroom photographs showing before and later

Assessment

• During picture discussion and the movement game, listen for students who can correctly distinguish “change” from “same.”
• Ask individual students to point to or name two examples of change and explain one example of something that stayed the same.
• Review drawings for a recognizable before/later comparison and the student’s explanation of why something changed.

Differentiation

• Support understanding with real objects, clear gestures, repeated modeling, picture choices, and the sentence frames “It changed because…” and “It stayed the same because….”
• Pair students strategically for think-pair-share; allow students to point, act, draw, or speak before expecting a full sentence.
• Provide home-language discussion and labels where possible, and accept responses in a student’s strongest language before recasting key English vocabulary.
• For students needing attention or sensory support, keep the carpet routine predictable, use the visual timetable, give brief directions one step at a time, and offer a defined sitting space. Students ready for more challenge can explain what caused a change or identify a detail that stayed the same in both drawings.