You will learn
- Say what the past is.
- Use past time words.
- Tell a past event.
- Say how we know.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- The past has already happened.
- Yesterday and last week are in the past.
- We learn about the past from people, photos and objects.
- Memories help us.
Words to know
time that has already happened
the day before today
a very long time before now
something you remember
1. Discover: Grandmother’s photo
Aminata’s grandmother shows her an old photo. In the picture she is a girl in a school uniform. “This was long ago,” she says. “I was your age.” Aminata looks closely. “The school looks different,” she says. “Yes,” says her grandmother. “Things change over time.”
Think: How do we learn about the past?
2. Understand: The past
Idea 1: What is the past?
The past is time that has already happened. Yesterday, last week, last year and long ago are all in the past. We cannot go back, but we can learn about it.
Idea 2: Clues
We learn about the past from people who remember, from photos, from old objects such as tools and toys, from books and from buildings. A memory is something you remember.
Idea 3: Time words
We use words such as yesterday, last week, before, ago, when I was little and long ago to tell about the past. We use past tense: I walked, I played, I ate.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Past or not
Is it past?
- Read.
- Has it happened?
- Decide.
Answer: Yesterday is past.
Example 2 (We do it together): Tell a memory
Tell a past event.
- Think.
- Use a time word.
- Say.
Answer: Yesterday I played football.
Example 3 (You try): Find a clue
What clue?
Show the steps and answer
- Look.
- Say.
- Explain.
Answer: An old photo shows the past.
Did you know?
Some old tools that archaeologists find are thousands of years old, and they tell us how people lived long ago.
Why this matters
Knowing about the past helps us understand why things are the way they are today.
4. Explore: Past clues
Look at an old photo or object (or a picture of one). Ask: What is it? How old? What does it tell us?
- Look.
- Ask questions.
- Talk.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Old objects told us stories.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The past is ___.
- Yesterday is ___.
- A clue is ___.
- Long ago means ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is the past?
Already happened.
Question 2. Is yesterday past?
Yes.
Question 3. Name a clue.
Photo.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is the past?
- Is yesterday past?
- Name a clue.
- What is a memory?
- Who can tell us about the past?
Level 2: Grow
- Why learn the past?
- Why use clues?
- Why ask elders?
Level 3: Stretch
- Draw something from yesterday.
- Tell a memory.
- Ask an elder a question.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Tell what you did yesterday.
Show a sample answer
Answers vary.
Another one. Ask a family member to tell a short past story.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: It happened.
Fix: We learn from it.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what the past is.
- I can use past time words.
- I can tell a past event.
- I can say how we know.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- The past has already happened.
- Yesterday and last week are in the past.
- We learn about the past from people, photos and objects.
- Memories help us.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: What is the present?. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is the past? [2 marks]
- Name two past time words. [2 marks]
- Say how we learn about the past. [3 marks]
- Tell a past event in your life. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Meaning [1]; example [1]
- Two [2]
- People [1]; photos/objects [1]; clear [1]
- Event [1]; time word [1]; clear [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is the past?
- Is yesterday past?
- Name a clue.
- What is a memory?
- Who can tell us about the past?
- Why learn the past?
- Why use clues?
- Why ask elders?
- Draw something from yesterday.
- Tell a memory.
Homework
Ask someone about a past event and tell the class.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is the past? | Already happened. | 1 |
| 2. Is yesterday past? | Yes. | 1 |
| 3. Name a clue. | Photo. | 1 |
| 4. What is a memory? | Something we remember. | 1 |
| 5. Who can tell us about the past? | Elders. | 1 |
| 6. Why learn the past? | Understand now. | 1 |
| 7. Why use clues? | To find out. | 1 |
| 8. Why ask elders? | They remember. | 1 |
| 9. Draw something from yesterday. | Drawing. | 1 |
| 10. Tell a memory. | Sentence. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Already happened.; 2 Yes.; 3 Photo.; 4 Something we remember.; 5 Elders.. Level 2: 1 Understand now.; 2 To find out.; 3 They remember.. Level 3: 1 Drawing.; 2 Sentence.; 3 Question..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what the past is | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Use past time words | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Tell a past event | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Say how we know | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “The past is not real.” It happened.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Draw a picture of yesterday.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about the past. Please share simple past stories if you are comfortable. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Share a happy memory.
- Show old photos.
- Use past words.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what the past is; use past time words; tell a past event; say how we know.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: myself, family and routines.
Materials. Old photos or pictures. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Choose old photos from safe sources.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Show a photo.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the past.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners share.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is the past? How do we know about it?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “The past is not real.” It happened.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Draw a picture of yesterday. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 1 Unit 7, topic 1; NCSS C3 Framework, change, continuity and context; Cambridge Primary Humanities, time and change; IB Primary Years Programme, where we are in place and time. These sources informed the lesson.