Grade 2 Social Studies: History of Our Community
Free Grade 2 Social Studies unit on History of Our Community: 10 lessons in order. Includes practice questions and answer keys.
10 lessons in this unit
Community history
Explain that community history is the story of how a community began and changed over time, identify kinds of change and continuity, name sources of community history (people, objects, buildings, photographs), and ask historical questions.
Lesson 2Stories from older generations
Explain that older people’s memories are a valuable source of history, plan and carry out a respectful interview with an elder (with an adult, permission and shared questions), listen carefully, record what they say, and tell the difference between facts and opinions in stories.
Lesson 3Historical photographs
Observe and describe an old photograph (who, what, where, clues about time), compare it with a modern photograph, infer what has changed, and recognise that photographs show only part of the story and may be staged or edited.
Lesson 4Old and new buildings
Compare old and new buildings in the community (materials, shapes, purposes, technologies), explain why buildings are kept, changed or replaced, name examples of historic buildings, and think about why some old buildings are protected.
Lesson 5Changes in transportation
Describe how transportation has changed over time (walking, canoes, animals, carts, bicycles, trains, cars, buses, planes), compare old and new in speed, cost, comfort and safety, and explain how new transport changes communities.
Lesson 6Changes in communication
Describe how communication has changed over time (talking, drums and horns, messengers, letters, telegraph, radio, telephone, mobile phone, internet), compare speed and reach, explain benefits and risks of new communication, and place examples on a timeline.
Lesson 7Changes in schools
Compare schools long ago and today (building, tools, subjects, classroom, rules, who could attend), explain why schools changed, recognise that education is a right for all children, and describe what stays the same (learning, teachers, friends).
Lesson 8Historical timelines
Make and read a simple timeline of events in order (first, next, then, last), place events on a line using dates or years, use the vocabulary of time (decade, century, before, after), and make a timeline of their own life or school.
Lesson 9Preserving community memories
Explain why communities preserve memories (to remember, to teach, to honour), describe ways to preserve (stories, photographs, museums, archives, monuments, festivals, recordings), and take part in simple, respectful preservation of a school or community memory.
Lesson 10Community history project
Plan and complete a small group community history project using several sources (an elder or guest, photographs, objects, a map or timeline), present findings with a title, timeline and sources, distinguish facts from opinions, and reflect on what was learned.