You will learn
- Define legacy, heritage, continuity, change.
- Identify legacies.
- Explain valued and difficult legacies.
- Explain how to protect heritage.
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 shapes the present.
- Legacies include languages, places, laws and traditions.
- Some legacies bring pride and some bring difficult memories.
- We protect heritage and learn from history.
Words to know
something from the past that still affects the present
traditions, places and objects inherited from the past
things that stay the same over time
things that become different over time
1. Discover: Finding the past in our town
Ms Smith takes the class on a walk around the school grounds, with adults. They notice the school building, a street name, a market, the mix of languages they hear and a public notice in English. “Each is a clue to the past,” says Ms Smith. “English and Krio, the railway line, Fourah Bay College and Freetown’s old houses all tell part of the story.” Abu asks, “Are all legacies happy?” “Some remind us of difficult times,” says Ms Smith. “We learn from those too.”
Think: Which legacy from the past do you value most?
2. Understand: Legacies
Idea 1: What is a legacy?
A legacy is something from the past that still affects the present. Heritage is what we inherit: places, objects, languages, music, food, stories and traditions. Some things show continuity, staying the same; others show change.
Idea 2: Legacies in Sierra Leone
Visible legacies include the Krio language, English as an official language, Freetown’s old wooden houses and port, Fourah Bay College and the railway’s story, the country’s boundaries, the legal and school systems, markets, crafts like gara and strip-woven cloth, and community traditions of Mende, Temne, Limba, Krio and other peoples.
Idea 3: Valued and difficult legacies
Some legacies are valued with pride. Some, such as unfair rules or the memory of the slave trade and of conflicts, bring sorrow or inequality that people still work to repair. We protect heritage by caring for places and objects, recording stories respectfully, teaching the young and learning from mistakes.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Legacy.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Something from the past that affects now.
Example 2 (We do it together): Name
A legacy in Sierra Leone.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Krio language.
Example 3 (You try): Say
One way to protect heritage.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Care for old buildings.
Did you know?
Fourah Bay College, founded in 1827, is often described as the oldest university-level institution in West Africa south of the Sahara.
Why this matters
Seeing legacies around us helps us value heritage and understand why things are as they are.
4. Explore: Legacy walk
On a safe walk with adults, or using pictures, find five clues to the past: language, buildings, street names, crafts, laws. Record each with a sketch and a question. Choose one to protect and say how.
- Look.
- Sketch.
- Question.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? The past is all around us.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A legacy is ___.
- Heritage is ___.
- Continuity is ___.
- Change is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a legacy?
From the past into now.
Question 2. What is heritage?
What we inherit.
Question 3. What is continuity?
Stays the same.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a legacy?
- What is heritage?
- What is continuity?
- What is change?
- Name a legacy.
Level 2: Grow
- Why protect heritage?
- Why learn from hard history?
- Why value all voices?
Level 3: Stretch
- Find five clues.
- Sketch two.
- Choose one to protect.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Give two legacies and say how to protect one.
Show a sample answer
Krio, old houses; care for them.
Another one. With an adult, find something in your area that comes from the past and say why it matters.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: It shapes the present.
Fix: Some bring sorrow.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define legacy, heritage, continuity, change.
- I can identify legacies.
- I can explain valued and difficult legacies.
- I can explain how to protect heritage.
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 shapes the present.
- Legacies include languages, places, laws and traditions.
- Some legacies bring pride and some bring difficult memories.
- We protect heritage and learn from history.
11. Next lesson
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.
- Define legacy and heritage. [2 marks]
- Give three legacies in Sierra Leone. [3 marks]
- Explain one valued legacy and one difficult legacy. [3 marks]
- Say two ways to protect heritage. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Legacy [1]; heritage [1]
- Three [3]
- Valued [1]; difficult [1]; reason [1]
- Two [2]
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 a legacy?
- What is heritage?
- What is continuity?
- What is change?
- Name a legacy.
- Why protect heritage?
- Why learn from hard history?
- Why value all voices?
- Find five clues.
- Sketch two.
Homework
Draw a legacy map.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a legacy? | From the past into now. | 1 |
| 2. What is heritage? | What we inherit. | 1 |
| 3. What is continuity? | Stays the same. | 1 |
| 4. What is change? | Becomes different. | 1 |
| 5. Name a legacy. | A language. | 1 |
| 6. Why protect heritage? | For the future. | 1 |
| 7. Why learn from hard history? | Do better. | 1 |
| 8. Why value all voices? | Fairness. | 1 |
| 9. Find five clues. | Clues. | 1 |
| 10. Sketch two. | Sketch. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 From the past into now.; 2 What we inherit.; 3 Stays the same.; 4 Becomes different.; 5 A language.. Level 2: 1 For the future.; 2 Do better.; 3 Fairness.. Level 3: 1 Clues.; 2 Sketch.; 3 Protect..
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 Define legacy, heritage, continuity, change | 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 Identify legacies | 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 Explain valued and difficult legacies | 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 Explain how to protect heritage | 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 has no effect now.” It shapes the present.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a legacy poster.
- 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 studies how the past shapes the present. Please visit local heritage safely. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Visit heritage safely.
- Tell safe stories.
- Respect places.
- 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: define legacy, heritage, continuity, change; identify legacies; explain valued and difficult legacies; explain how to protect heritage.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 5 ideas: sources, perspectives, early societies, trade and migration in West Africa.
Materials. Pictures, sketch paper. 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. Plan a safe walk or 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 finding the past in our town story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach legacies.
Guided activity (10 min). Legacy walk.
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 does the past shape our lives today?
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 has no effect now.” It shapes the present.
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 legacy poster. 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 5 Unit 2, topic 10; NCSS C3 Framework, change, continuity and context; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, history of societies and change; IB Primary Years Programme, where we are in place and time. These sources informed the lesson.