Daily Routines: Then and NowActivities & Teaching Strategies
Active learning works because Year 1 students grasp time concepts best through physical and visual experiences. Mapping routines with pictures, objects, and movement helps children compare their daily lives to those of the past in a concrete, memorable way.
Learning Objectives
- 1Compare daily routines of children in the past with their own current routines.
- 2Identify specific changes in daily activities and chores from the 1920s to today.
- 3Explain how technology, such as televisions and computers, has impacted children's daily lives.
- 4Classify aspects of a child's daily routine that have remained consistent over time.
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Timeline Creation: Then and Now
Provide long paper strips split down the middle. In small groups, students draw or sticker icons for their daily routine on one side and a past routine on the other, from wake-up to bedtime. Groups present one similarity and one difference to the class.
Prepare & details
What does your typical day look like from the time you wake up to bedtime?
Facilitation Tip: During Timeline Creation, provide pre-cut images of modern and historical items so students focus on sequencing rather than drawing.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Role Play: Routine Swap
Pairs act out a morning routine: one uses modern tools like an alarm and toaster, the other pretends past ways like a handbell and wood fire. Switch roles, then discuss feelings and changes in a quick share.
Prepare & details
How do you think a child's day was different long ago, before TV or computers?
Facilitation Tip: For Role Play Pairs, limit each pair to 3 minutes per routine to keep the energy high and prevent disengagement.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Whole Class Story Circle: Past Days
Students sit in a circle. Each shares one part of their day, then imagines or recounts a past version from books or family input. Teacher charts similarities on a board for all to see.
Prepare & details
What parts of a child's daily routine do you think have stayed the same over time?
Facilitation Tip: In Story Circle, invite students to pass a small artefact or photo around as they speak to build turn-taking and focus.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Individual Journals: My Day Dual View
Students fold paper into two columns to draw and label their routine alongside a past one, using prompt pictures. Collect for a class display wall.
Prepare & details
What does your typical day look like from the time you wake up to bedtime?
Facilitation Tip: During Journal creation, use a two-column graphic organizer labeled 'Then' and 'Now' to scaffold comparisons.
Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging
Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet
Teaching This Topic
Teach this topic by balancing storytelling with structured comparisons. Avoid overwhelming students with too much historical detail; instead, highlight key differences through familiar routines. Research shows that when children can connect past experiences to their own lives, they build empathy and historical thinking more effectively. Use artefacts and photos as conversation starters to make abstract ideas tangible.
What to Expect
Successful learning looks like students confidently describing at least two similarities and two differences between past and present routines. They should use specific examples from their timeline, role play, or journal to support their ideas during discussions.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Role Play Pairs, watch for students assuming all past routines were boring or only about chores. Redirect by having pairs act out a game or playtime activity from the 1920s to show fun existed.
What to Teach Instead
During Timeline Creation, watch for students omitting play or family time in their historical routines. Point to artefacts like marbles or family photos to gently remind them that children in the past also valued leisure and connection.
Common MisconceptionDuring Story Circle, watch for students generalizing that life in the past was entirely difficult or unpleasant. Redirect by prompting them to share positive moments they noticed in the photos or artefacts.
What to Teach Instead
During Timeline Creation, watch for students labeling all historical activities as 'hard' without context. Ask guiding questions like, 'What might have been enjoyable about this routine?' to encourage balanced perspectives.
Common MisconceptionDuring Role Play Pairs, watch for students believing daily routines have changed completely. Redirect by having pairs identify which parts of their routines stayed the same, such as eating meals or sleeping.
What to Teach Instead
During Journal creation, watch for students skipping the 'Then' column entirely. Remind them to fill both columns and highlight similarities in bold to make patterns visible.
Assessment Ideas
After Timeline Creation, collect students’ timelines and look for at least two accurate comparisons between past and present routines, such as meals, chores, or playtime.
During Story Circle, listen for students naming specific past entertainments, such as storytelling or outdoor games, and note whether they connect these to modern equivalents like video calls or playgrounds.
After Role Play Pairs, review exit cards where students write one similarity and one difference between their routines and their partner’s. Look for concrete examples tied to the role play activities.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Provide a blank 24-hour clock template and ask students to plot three activities from a 1920s child’s routine alongside their own day.
- Scaffolding: Offer sentence starters for journal writing, such as 'In the past, children ______. Today, I ______.'
- Deeper: Invite a guest speaker or show a short video clip of an elderly person describing their childhood routines to add authenticity.
Key Vocabulary
| chores | Tasks or duties that are regularly done in order to maintain a house or home, such as fetching water or tidying up. |
| artefact | An object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest, like a slate board or an old toy. |
| routine | A sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program. This includes waking up, eating meals, going to school, and bedtime. |
| technology | Tools and machines developed from scientific knowledge, such as televisions, computers, and telephones, that change how people live and work. |
Suggested Methodologies
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Toys: Past vs. Present
Students compare and contrast toys from different eras, discussing materials, design, and how they were played with.
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Evolution of Transport
Students investigate various modes of transport from the past and present, exploring their impact on daily life.
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Investigating Old Objects
Students examine historical artifacts and household items to infer their original purpose and how they were used.
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School Life Through Time
Students explore historical classrooms, school rules, and learning tools, comparing them to contemporary school environments.
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Clothing and Fashion History
Students examine how clothing styles have changed over time, considering materials, purpose, and social trends.
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