You will learn
- Say what community history is.
- Name sources.
- Tell change from continuity.
- Ask historical questions.
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
- History is the story of the past.
- Communities change over time.
- Some things stay the same.
- We learn history from sources.
Words to know
the story of the past
the time before now
when things become different
when things stay the same
1. Discover: How did our town begin?
Ms Smith asks, “How did our town begin?” Fatmata does not know. “Let us find out,” says Ms Smith. They ask an elder, look at old photographs and visit the town hall. They learn the town began as a few families near a river. “Much has changed,” says Abu. “But the river is still here.”
Think: What is one thing that has changed and one that has stayed the same in your community?
2. Understand: History
Idea 1: History
History is the story of the past, the time before now. Community history tells how a place began, who lived there and how it changed.
Idea 2: Change and continuity
Change is when things become different, such as new buildings or roads. Continuity is when things stay the same, such as a river, a festival or a custom. Both are part of history.
Idea 3: Finding out
We learn about the past from sources: people’s memories, old photographs, objects, buildings, maps and written records. We ask questions such as: What happened? When? Who was there? How do we know?
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Sort
Change or same?
- Think.
- Sort.
- Say.
Answer: New road is change; river is the same.
Example 2 (We do it together): Source
Where to find out?
- Think.
- List.
- Say.
Answer: Elders and photographs.
Example 3 (You try): Ask
Write a question.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Write.
- Check.
Answer: How did it begin?
Did you know?
Freetown was founded in 1792, and many towns in Sierra Leone and around the world are older than that or much newer.
Why this matters
History helps us understand who we are and how our community came to be.
4. Explore: Change and same
Draw two pictures of a place: long ago and now. Mark what changed and what stayed the same. List three questions to ask.
- Draw.
- Mark.
- Ask.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Some things never changed.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- History is ___.
- The past is ___.
- Change is ___.
- Continuity is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is history?
Story of the past.
Question 2. What is the past?
Time before now.
Question 3. What is change?
Becoming different.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is history?
- What is the past?
- What is change?
- What is continuity?
- Name a source.
Level 2: Grow
- Why study history?
- Why ask questions?
- Why use sources?
Level 3: Stretch
- Draw then and now.
- Mark changes.
- Write questions.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Give one change and one continuity.
Show a sample answer
New road; river.
Another one. Ask an adult how your community has changed.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: It is about ordinary people too.
Fix: Some things do.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what community history is.
- I can name sources.
- I can tell change from continuity.
- I can ask historical questions.
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
- History is the story of the past.
- Communities change over time.
- Some things stay the same.
- We learn history from sources.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Stories from older generations. 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.
- Say what history is. [2 marks]
- Give one change and one continuity. [2 marks]
- Name three sources of community history. [3 marks]
- Write two questions about your community’s past. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Story [1]; past [1]
- Change [1]; continuity [1]
- Three [3]
- Two questions [3]
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 history?
- What is the past?
- What is change?
- What is continuity?
- Name a source.
- Why study history?
- Why ask questions?
- Why use sources?
- Draw then and now.
- Mark changes.
Homework
Draw your community then and now.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is history? | Story of the past. | 1 |
| 2. What is the past? | Time before now. | 1 |
| 3. What is change? | Becoming different. | 1 |
| 4. What is continuity? | Staying the same. | 1 |
| 5. Name a source. | Photograph. | 1 |
| 6. Why study history? | Understand ourselves. | 1 |
| 7. Why ask questions? | Find out. | 1 |
| 8. Why use sources? | Evidence. | 1 |
| 9. Draw then and now. | Draw. | 1 |
| 10. Mark changes. | Mark. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Story of the past.; 2 Time before now.; 3 Becoming different.; 4 Staying the same.; 5 Photograph.. Level 2: 1 Understand ourselves.; 2 Find out.; 3 Evidence.. Level 3: 1 Draw.; 2 Mark.; 3 Questions..
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 community history 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 Name sources | 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 change from continuity | 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 Ask historical questions | 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: “History is only about kings.” It is about ordinary people too.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a history question list.
- 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 community history. Please share general stories about the community. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about changes.
- Visit a historic place.
- Look at old photographs.
- 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 community history is; name sources; tell change from continuity; ask historical questions.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: past, present and future, old and new things, and family stories.
Materials. Paper, pictures of the community. 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. Gather old and new pictures.
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). Tell the how did our town begin story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach history.
Guided activity (10 min). Change and same.
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 community history?
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. “History is only about kings.” It is about ordinary people too.
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. Make a history question list. 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 2 Unit 8, topic 1; NCSS C3 Framework, change, continuity and context; Cambridge Primary Humanities, the past and change over time; IB Primary Years Programme, where we are in place and time. These sources informed the lesson.