Time Travelers: Exploring Our Past and Present · 2nd Year

Active learning ideas

School Life: Then and Now

Active learning works for this topic because students need to touch, discuss, and compare real evidence from the past to see how school life has changed and stayed the same. Handling artifacts and interviewing family members makes abstract ideas concrete and personal, helping students connect history to their own lives.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Change and Continuity
• NCCA: Primary - Local Studies

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 25 min · Pairs

Interview Prep: Question Workshops

Pairs brainstorm five interview questions about school life, such as 'What did your desk look like?' and 'How did you learn maths?' Practice role-playing interviews within the pair, then refine questions based on feedback. Share top questions with the class for a master list.

Analyze how school equipment and learning methods have changed over the past fifty years.

Facilitation Tip

During Interview Prep, circulate and model how to phrase follow-up questions like 'What was your favorite part of the school day?' to encourage storytelling, not just facts.

What to look for

Provide students with a Venn diagram template. Ask them to list three differences between their school experience and that of their grandparents in the appropriate sections, and one similarity in the overlapping section.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 35 min · Small Groups

Artifact Hunt: Then vs Now Sort

Collect artifacts like old pens and modern tablets. In small groups, students sort items into 'past' or 'present' piles, discuss reasons, and label with sticky notes. Groups present one surprising find to the class.

Differentiate between aspects of school life that have remained constant and those that have evolved.

Facilitation Tip

For the Artifact Hunt, assign small groups one artifact at a time to prevent crowding and ensure every student handles each item.

What to look for

During class discussion, ask students to hold up fingers to indicate how many decades ago they think a specific piece of old school equipment (e.g., an inkwell) was commonly used. Discuss the range of answers and correct misconceptions.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Whole Class

Timeline Build: School Changes

Whole class creates a shared timeline on butcher paper. Students add dated events from interviews and artifacts, using drawings and quotes. Extend by adding future predictions at the end.

Predict how schools might change in the future based on past trends.

Facilitation Tip

In Timeline Build, provide labeled sticky notes so students can move items easily when they discover evidence contradicts their initial placements.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are designing a classroom for 2050. Based on what you've learned about past changes, what three new pieces of equipment or teaching methods would you include and why?' Facilitate a brief class debate on the most plausible predictions.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Case Study Analysis
• 30 min · Pairs

Future Vision: Prediction Skits

Pairs script and perform short skits of school in 2050, based on past trends. Include one change and one constant. Class votes on most realistic ideas and discusses why.

Analyze how school equipment and learning methods have changed over the past fifty years.

Facilitation Tip

For Future Vision, assign roles like 'Materials Expert' or 'Teacher' to structure skits and ensure all students participate.

What to look for

Provide students with a Venn diagram template. Ask them to list three differences between their school experience and that of their grandparents in the appropriate sections, and one similarity in the overlapping section.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by grounding comparisons in students' lived experiences, using artifacts and interviews as primary sources. Avoid assuming students will automatically see continuity, so guide them to look for patterns like shared routines across generations. Research suggests that when students connect personal stories to historical artifacts, they develop stronger historical thinking skills and empathy.

Successful learning looks like students confidently describing differences and similarities between past and present school routines using specific examples. They should reference artifacts, interviews, and timelines to explain their reasoning clearly to peers and teachers.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Interview Prep, watch for students assuming all past school experiences were negative. Redirect by having them sort interview notes into 'challenges' and 'joyful memories' columns to build balanced views.

  During the Artifact Hunt, ask students to compare the weight, material, and function of an old slate and a modern tablet. Have groups present one advantage and one limitation of each to dispel the idea that technology fixes all problems.

• During Timeline Build, watch for students claiming nothing from the past remains in schools today. Stop the activity and ask them to close their eyes and listen for constant sounds or routines they might take for granted, like recess bells or storytime.

  During Future Vision, prompt students to name a classroom routine from their grandparents' era that still exists today, such as show-and-tell or lining up for lunch, to highlight continuity.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis