Grade 1 Fall History — Then and Now, Family Histories, and How We Know What Happened
Lesson 6 35 min hist.g1.f.lesson_06

Then-and-now in detail - artifact handling across 5 domains

Skills targeted
Objectives
  • Students can handle and describe one historical artifact (rotary phone, slate, churn).
  • Students can complete a then-and-now T-chart row for at least 3 of the 5 domains.
Vocabulary
artifactobjectrotary phoneslatechurnkerosene lampdomaintransportationcommunicationtechnology

Lesson plan

Warm-up

5 min

Calendar Circle. Then 5 mystery objects revealed under cloth - dramatic unveiling. Children guess: 'What IS that? What does it DO?'

Teacher moves
  • Unveil one artifact at a time
  • Encourage guesses without correction
  • Build mystery and curiosity
Media
M-1-F-CUL-06-C Illustration
3 reproductions of Carmen Lomas Garza's Cuadros de Familia spreads: 'Making Tamales' (1950s family kitchen), 'Bed for Dr

3 reproductions of Carmen Lomas Garza's Cuadros de Familia spreads: 'Making Tamales' (1950s family kitchen), 'Bed for Dreaming' (1950s shared bedroom), 'Beds for Dreaming' (girls in shared bed). Each reproduced at 11x17. Used to show what a 1950s Mexican-American kitchen and home looked like compared to today.

Direct instruction

14 min

Today we'll meet OBJECTS from long ago. An OBJECT we use to learn about the past is called an ARTIFACT. Each one tells us how people did something in a different way. We'll look at 5 DOMAINS - 5 PARTS of life - and compare each one then and now. The 5 domains are: TRANSPORTATION (how we move), COMMUNICATION (how we talk to people far away), SCHOOL (how we learn), HOMES (how we live), TECHNOLOGY (tools that help us).

Key examples
  • Today: one tap. Then: long dial. Same purpose: talk to someone far away. Different process.
    model Teacher dials: stick finger in number hole, drag wheel around, release; takes 30 seconds for one number
    prompt Demo with rotary phone: 'This is a rotary telephone. It is from about 1955. How did it WORK?'
  • Today: paper or screen. Then: slate, chalk, wipe. Same purpose: practice writing. Different tool.
    model Teacher writes name with chalk on slate; wipes with damp cloth
    prompt Demo with slate writing tablet: 'This is a slate. It is from about 1900. How did children WRITE?'
Checks for understanding
  • What is an ARTIFACT?
  • Pick ONE artifact and say: 'Then ___; now ___.'
Sourcework
Source type
physical artifacts as primary sources
Routine
OBJECT-NOTICE-WONDER-COMPARE: hold artifact (with gloves); notice 3 features; wonder 1 question; compare with modern version
Details
5 physical artifacts borrowed from local historical society or teacher's collection: rotary phone (1955), slate writing tablet with chalk (1900), butter churn (1920s, demonstration only), kerosene lamp (1900, electric replica), cast-iron with hot-stone (1910 demonstration).
Media
M-1-F-CUL-06-B Chart Physical / non-image

36x48-inch laminated T-Chart with 5 rows for TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATION, SCHOOL, HOMES, TECHNOLOGY. Two columns LONG AGO and TODAY. Each cell ready for sticky-note observations. Demonstrated pre-loaded with the lesson 2 SCHOOL row example.

MG-3 Chart
Mounted on classroom wall at child-eye-height (24-36 inches) with laminated surface for repeated dry-erase use.

Mounted on classroom wall at child-eye-height (24-36 inches) with laminated surface for repeated dry-erase use.

Guided practice

10 min
Tasks
  • Rotate through 5 artifact stations in small groups; 5 minutes per station
    scaffold Adult or upper-grade buddy at each station for safe handling
  • Add 1 sticky-note observation to MG-3 T-chart per station
    scaffold Sentence frame on each station
Media
M-1-F-CUL-06-A Manipulative Physical / non-image

5 themed kits in plastic tubs: KIT 1 (COMM) rotary phone with working dial + modern smartphone; KIT 2 (SCHOOL) slate tablet 8x10 inches with white chalk + iPad; KIT 3 (HOME) wooden butter churn (small demonstration size, lidded) + butter from supermarket in original packaging; KIT 4 (TECH) kerosene lamp with electric flame-effect replica + LED bulb on cord; KIT 5 (HOME) cast-iron (cold, demonstration-only) with hot-stone illustration card + plug-in iron. Each kit includes labeled photo card showing 'then' use and 'now' use side-by-side and bilingual care-and-handling instructions.

Formative assessment

3 min
Exit ticket
  • Name 2 of the 5 domains we explored.
  • Pick 1 artifact. Tell me one CHANGE and one SAMENESS between then and now.
scoring 2 domains + change + sameness all named = mastery; 2 of 3 = practicing; 0-1 = re-teach with artifact

Closure

2 min
Moves
  • Photograph the partially-filled MG-3 T-chart
  • Preview: tomorrow we plan our family-history interview

Homework

5 min
Tasks
  • Tonight, ask a caregiver: 'What is an object in our home that has been around a LONG TIME?' Bring its name (or a photo) tomorrow.

Exercises in this lesson

hist.g1.f.cul.then_and_now_compare.ex_02
Match each artifact to its DOMAIN: rotary phone, slate, butter churn, horse-buggy photo, kerosene lamp. Domains: COMMUNICATION, SCHOOL,...
 domain match artifact · diff 3

Differentiation

Scaffolds
  • 3 stations instead of 5
  • Pre-modeled artifact use
  • Sentence frame
Extensions
  • Sketch the rotary phone with labels showing how it worked
  • Predict: what artifact from TODAY will be 'old' in 2120?
English Learners
  • Bilingual domain-name cards
  • Demonstration without language barrier
Ieps 504s
  • Observation-only stations (no handling required)
  • Pre-written observations to point to
  • Sensory-friendly station rotation order

Teacher notes

THE most hands-on lesson of the unit. Borrow artifacts from a local historical society or museum 4-6 weeks in advance - many will lend free to schools. Alternatives: parent volunteers may have heirloom items they're willing to loan, or use detailed photo cards as substitutes. Safety: NEVER use a hot iron - the cast-iron is demonstration only and cool. Wear handling gloves for delicate items. Lesson is 35 minutes (longer than typical G1) because of 5-station rotation.