Self & Community · Kindergarten

Active learning ideas

Then & Now: Schools & Learning

Active learning works well for this topic because young children build historical thinking by seeing concrete contrasts between past and present. When they move, touch, and discuss real artifacts or images, abstract ideas about change over time become visible and memorable.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.His.2.K-2
• C3: D2.His.3.K-2

• 15–20 min
• Pairs
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 20 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Then & Now School Photos

Post pairs of photographs showing the same type of school element from the past and today (desks, blackboards vs. whiteboards, lunch areas, clothing). Students walk the gallery with a partner and point out one difference at each station before a whole-class debrief.

Compare how children learned in schools long ago to how we learn today.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, stand near the photos that show the longest school days to prompt learners to notice and share what surprises them about the children’s schedules.

What to look for

Show students a picture of a historical school supply, like a slate board and chalk. Ask: 'What is this? What do you think it was used for? How is it different from the supplies we use today in our classroom?' Record student responses on chart paper.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Inside-Outside Circle
• 15 min · Pairs

Sorting Activity: Old School or New School?

Provide picture cards of school supplies and tools from different eras. Students sort them into 'then' and 'now' categories on a T-chart, then explain to a partner why they made each choice. Discuss as a class which items surprised them most.

Explain the differences in school supplies from the past and present.

Facilitation Tip

For the Sorting Activity, circulate and listen for language like 'only boys,' 'no chairs,' or 'outdoors all day' to guide students toward noticing systemic differences, not just surface changes.

What to look for

Provide students with two simple drawings: one of a modern pencil and one of a quill pen. Ask them to circle the item that was used in schools long ago and draw a star next to the item they use today. Walk around and observe student choices.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: How Did Kids Learn Without Computers?

Ask students to imagine learning without any technology, then pair up to discuss what their school day would look like. After sharing, the class makes a list of things that have stayed the same about school despite changing tools.

Predict how schools might change in the future.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, ask a pair to share one thing they think would be harder without computers and one thing they think might have been easier, to avoid a simple 'good vs. bad' comparison.

What to look for

Give each student a card with the sentence starter: 'Long ago, students learned by...' and 'Today, students learn by...'. Ask them to complete both sentences with one specific example. Collect the cards to gauge understanding of past versus present learning methods.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by framing change as complex, not as progress or decline. Use photos and objects to highlight contrasts in access, methods, and daily life without labeling one era as 'better.' Research shows that young children grasp historical change best when they have multiple chances to observe, discuss, and sort evidence side by side.

Successful learning looks like students verbally comparing photographs, sorting objects with clear reasoning, and sharing thoughtful examples of how children learned differently in the past versus today. Watch for students who move beyond 'different tools' to notice differences in who attended, how long they stayed, and what methods teachers used.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Sorting Activity: Old School or New School?, watch for students grouping items only by appearance without considering who attended or how long the school day was.

  During the Sorting Activity, pause the class and hold up a photo of a one-room schoolhouse with students of different ages. Ask: 'Who do you see in this photo? What does that tell us about who could go to school?' Then have students re-sort based on access and daily life, not just tools.

• During Think-Pair-Share: How Did Kids Learn Without Computers?, watch for students saying that past learning was 'worse' because it didn't use computers.

  During the Think-Pair-Share, provide a photo of children reciting lessons aloud in a circle. Ask pairs: 'What might be good about learning this way?' and 'What might be hard about learning this way?' Record their balanced responses on chart paper for the whole class to see.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Inside-Outside Circle
• Think-Pair-Share