Social Studies · Grade 2 · Our Community Past and Present · Term 3

Our Community: A Look Back

Children use photographs, stories, and artefacts to learn what their community looked like before they were born.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Heritage and Identity: Changing Family and Community Traditions - Grade 2

About This Topic

Local history begins with the realization that the places we walk every day have changed over time. This topic uses primary sources like old photographs, maps, and artifacts to help students visualize their community long ago. In the Ontario Grade 2 curriculum, students develop historical inquiry skills by asking questions about the past and comparing it to the present. They learn to identify 'clues' in the landscape, such as old brickwork or historical plaques, that tell the story of what came before.

By exploring their own neighborhood's history, students develop a sense of place and continuity. This topic is particularly effective when students can engage in a gallery walk of local images or a 'detective' mission to find historical clues. Moving from the abstract 'long ago' to the specific 'this street' makes history feel relevant and exciting for young learners.

Key Questions

1. Analyze historical photographs to understand past community life.
2. Explain how artifacts provide clues about our community's history.
3. Compare the appearance of our community then and now.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze historical photographs to identify changes in community buildings and transportation from the past to the present.
• Explain how artifacts like old tools or clothing provide clues about daily life in the community before they were born.
• Compare photographs of the community from different time periods to describe differences in housing and public spaces.
• Classify objects found in the community as either historical artifacts or modern items.

Before You Start

People and Places in My Community

Why: Students need a basic understanding of what a community is and the different places within it before exploring how it has changed.

Identifying Objects

Why: Students must be able to identify and name common objects to understand what artifacts represent.

Key Vocabulary

Artifact	An object made by a person in the past, such as a tool, piece of clothing, or toy, that tells us about history.
Historical Photograph	A picture taken a long time ago that shows what a place or people looked like in the past.
Community	A place where people live, work, and play together, such as a town or city.
Then and Now	Comparing how things looked or happened in the past ('then') with how they look or happen today ('now').

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Students often think 'long ago' means the time of dinosaurs.

What to Teach Instead

Use a timeline that includes their parents' and grandparents' birth years to show that 'long ago' is a scale. Active timeline building helps them see the difference between 50, 100, and 1,000 years.

Common Misconception

Children may believe that people in the past were less intelligent because they didn't have computers.

What to Teach Instead

Highlight the clever inventions of the past, like complex water systems or steam engines. Discussing the 'problems' people solved with the tools they had fosters respect for historical innovation.

Active Learning Ideas

Gallery Walk: Then and Now Photo Match

Display pairs of photos showing the same local spot 100 years ago and today. Students walk through the 'museum' and use sticky notes to identify three things that have changed and one thing that has stayed the same.

30 min·Whole Class

Collaborating Investigation: Artifact Detectives

Give small groups a 'mystery object' from the past (e.g., an old inkwell, a milk bottle, a coal iron). Students must examine it, guess what it was used for in their community, and then 'reveal' the answer to the class.

35 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: If These Walls Could Talk

Show a picture of an old building in town. Students think about who might have lived or worked there 100 years ago and share their imaginative stories with a partner.

15 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Local historical societies and museums, like the Ontario Museum Association members, preserve artifacts and photographs to help people understand the history of their towns and cities.
• City planners and architects study old maps and photographs to see how neighborhoods have developed, which helps them make decisions about new buildings and parks today.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Give students a historical photograph of the community. Ask them to write two sentences describing something they see that is different from today and one sentence explaining what a specific artifact (e.g., a horse and buggy) tells us about life back then.

Quick Check

Show students two photographs of the same street, one from the past and one from the present. Ask them to point to three specific differences they notice and share one reason why they think the change happened.

Discussion Prompt

Present a collection of artifacts (or pictures of artifacts) from the past. Ask students: 'How does this object help us understand what life was like for people in our community long ago? What questions do you still have about this object?'

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find old photos of my specific town?

Local archives, public libraries, and historical societies are gold mines. Many have digital collections online. Even a 'History of [Town Name]' Facebook group can be a great source for community-contributed photos.

How do I handle the history of Indigenous land in this unit?

Start by acknowledging whose traditional territory the community is on. Use maps that show Indigenous names for local landmarks. This ensures students understand that the history of the land goes back much further than the oldest buildings.

How does active learning help with local history?

Active learning turns students into 'historians' rather than just 'listeners.' When they have to match photos or investigate artifacts, they are practicing the actual skills of historical inquiry, observation, deduction, and comparison, which makes the learning stick.

What if my community is very new and doesn't have 'old' buildings?

Focus on the change in the land itself. Look at photos of what was there before the houses (e.g., farms, forests). Discuss why the community was built there and how it has grown even in the last 10 years.