You will learn
- Value elders’ memories.
- Plan an interview.
- Listen and record.
- Tell facts from opinions.
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
- Elders remember the past.
- Memories are a source of history.
- We ask politely and listen carefully.
- Stories include facts and opinions.
Words to know
a group of people born around the same time
an older respected person
something remembered from the past
history told by word of mouth
1. Discover: Grandmother’s stories
Kadiatu asks her grandmother how school was when she was young. Her grandmother, an elder, smiles. “We walked a long way,” she says. “We wrote on slates. The best part was singing together.” Kadiatu writes it down. Later her teacher asks, “Which parts are facts? Which are opinions?” Kadiatu says, “Slates are a fact. The best part is her opinion.”
Think: What would you ask an elder?
2. Understand: Elders
Idea 1: Oral history
An elder is an older respected person. A generation is a group of people born around the same time. Their memories are a source of history. History told by word of mouth is called oral history.
Idea 2: Interviewing
To interview an elder, first ask permission and have an adult present. Prepare polite questions. Listen carefully without interrupting. Write notes or draw pictures. Say thank you. Never ask about painful or private matters.
Idea 3: Facts and opinions
A fact can be checked, such as “we wrote on slates”. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels, such as “the best part was singing”. Both are interesting, but we check facts with other sources.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Ask
Write a question.
- Think.
- Write.
- Check.
Answer: What games did you play?
Example 2 (We do it together): Sort
Fact or opinion?
- Read.
- Think.
- Say.
Answer: Slates are a fact; singing was best is an opinion.
Example 3 (You try): Thank
Say thank you.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Write.
- Draw.
Answer: Thank you for sharing.
Did you know?
In many African communities, griots and storytellers have passed down history by memory for hundreds of years, keeping alive stories of families, kings and events.
Why this matters
Elders hold living history that books may not include.
4. Explore: Elder interview
With an adult’s help and permission, interview an elder or a guest. Prepare five questions, listen, record, and sort what you hear into facts and opinions.
- Plan.
- Ask.
- Record.
- Sort.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Stories were full of detail.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- An elder is ___.
- A generation is ___.
- A memory is ___.
- Oral history is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is an elder?
Older respected person.
Question 2. What is a generation?
People born about the same time.
Question 3. What is a memory?
Remembered from the past.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is an elder?
- What is a generation?
- What is a memory?
- What is oral history?
- What do we say after an interview?
Level 2: Grow
- Why value elders?
- Why check facts?
- Why be polite?
Level 3: Stretch
- Write questions.
- Sort fact and opinion.
- Write a thank-you.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Give one fact and one opinion from an elder’s story.
Show a sample answer
Slates; best part singing.
Another one. Ask an elder a question with an adult.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: They are oral history.
Fix: Avoid painful matters.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can value elders’ memories.
- I can plan an interview.
- I can listen and record.
- I can tell facts from opinions.
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
- Elders remember the past.
- Memories are a source of history.
- We ask politely and listen carefully.
- Stories include facts and opinions.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Historical photographs. 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 why elders’ memories are valuable. [2 marks]
- Write three polite questions for an elder. [3 marks]
- Give a fact and an opinion. [2 marks]
- Say how to interview safely and respectfully. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Remember [1]; source [1]
- Three [3]
- Fact [1]; opinion [1]
- Adult [1]; permission [1]; no private matters [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 an elder?
- What is a generation?
- What is a memory?
- What is oral history?
- What do we say after an interview?
- Why value elders?
- Why check facts?
- Why be polite?
- Write questions.
- Sort fact and opinion.
Homework
Draw a story an elder told and write one question.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is an elder? | Older respected person. | 1 |
| 2. What is a generation? | People born about the same time. | 1 |
| 3. What is a memory? | Remembered from the past. | 1 |
| 4. What is oral history? | History told aloud. | 1 |
| 5. What do we say after an interview? | Thank you. | 1 |
| 6. Why value elders? | They remember. | 1 |
| 7. Why check facts? | Be sure. | 1 |
| 8. Why be polite? | Respect. | 1 |
| 9. Write questions. | Questions. | 1 |
| 10. Sort fact and opinion. | Sort. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Older respected person.; 2 People born about the same time.; 3 Remembered from the past.; 4 History told aloud.; 5 Thank you.. Level 2: 1 They remember.; 2 Be sure.; 3 Respect.. Level 3: 1 Questions.; 2 Sort.; 3 Thanks..
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 Value elders’ memories | 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 Plan an interview | 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 Listen and record | 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 Tell facts from opinions | 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: “Elders’ stories are not history.” They are oral history.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a story book of elders’ sayings.
- 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 from elders. Please help your child talk to an elder and keep private matters private. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Share stories.
- Ask polite questions.
- Respect memories.
- 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: value elders’ memories; plan an interview; listen and record; tell facts from opinions.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 1 ideas: past, present and future, old and new things, and family stories.
Materials. Paper, pencils. 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. Invite a guest elder.
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 grandmother’s stories.
Explanation (10 min). Teach oral history.
Guided activity (10 min). Elder interview.
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. How do elders help us learn 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. “Elders’ stories are not history.” They are oral history.
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 story book of elders’ sayings. 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 2; 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.