Oak Street Then and Now
A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on comparing the street fifty years ago with the street today, using a real source.
Oak Street Then and Now is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.His.2.K-2 — compare how people lived in the past with how we live now. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten to Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- D2.His.2.K-2
Kindergarten to Grade 2 · History
D2.His.2.K-2
Compare life in the past to life today.
Objective
Students will be able to name a change and something unchanged, citing the source for each.
Students are successful when they can
- Names a change.
- Names something unchanged.
- Says which source shows it.
What you need
- The old newspaper cutting and a 1970 photograph
- A two-column chart
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — read the cutting
5 min- Read the cutting about the first baker.
- Ask what it tells you about the street before that.
Teach — cite the source
13 min- Fill the changed column and name the source for each entry.
- Fill the unchanged column the same way.
- Say the Grade 1 addition: every claim about the past needs something behind it.
- Take a claim nobody can source and set it aside as a guess.
- Note that the unchanged column is harder and more interesting.
“How do we know that? Point at the cutting or the photograph.”
Guided practice — sort and cite
12 min- Pairs sort twelve statements into then and now.
- For four they name the source.
- They flag one that no source supports.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the then-and-now page.
- Read each item aloud.
Close
2 min- Take one change and the source that shows it.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Makes claims about the past with no source.
Why: It sounds plausible.
Fix: Point at it. A plausible claim with no source is a guess.
Thinks everything changed.
Why: Differences are what a comparison surfaces.
Fix: The second column, required.
Reads the photograph's grey as a fact about the past.
Why: The image is grey.
Fix: Cameras were grey; the street was not.
If they are not there yet
- Six statements rather than twelve.
- Give the source and sort.
If they finish early
- Find a change the sources disagree about.
- Say what a source from 1990 would add.
- Say what will have changed by the time you are grown.
Exit ticket
Name one change on Oak Street and say which source shows it.
What to look for: A change and a named source. An unsourced claim means the point-at-it rule needs restating.
Printable practice for D2.His.2.K-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Oak Street Then and NowSort each one into then or now.
Questions about Oak Street Then and Now
How long does the Oak Street Then and Now lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Oak Street Then and Now teach?
D2.His.2.K-2 — D2.His.2.K-2, History for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Compare life in the past to life today.” In plain terms, compare how people lived in the past with how we live now.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
The old newspaper cutting and a 1970 photograph, a two-column chart and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: makes claims about the past with no source; thinks everything changed and reads the photograph's grey as a fact about the past. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Name one change on Oak Street and say which source shows it.” A change and a named source. An unsourced claim means the point-at-it rule needs restating. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Oak Street Then and Now?
Yes — 1 printable D2.His.2.K-2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Oak Street Then and Now free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D2.His.2.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.