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Two Records, One Flood

A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on comparing a newspaper report and a school log about the same flood.

Two Records, One Flood is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.His.6.K-2 — compare two accounts of the same event. 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.6.K-2

Kindergarten to Grade 2 · History

D2.His.6.K-2

Compare different accounts of the same historical event.

Objective

Students will be able to say what two records agree on and explain why they differ in focus.

Students are successful when they can

  • Names an agreement.
  • Names a difference in focus.
  • Explains it by the record's purpose.

What you need

  • The flood report and the school log
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — read both

5 min
  1. Read the report and the log entries for the same week.
  2. Note both mention Tuesday.

Teach — purpose shapes focus

13 min
  1. List what both record: the river rose, Tuesday mattered.
  2. List what only the log has: numbers of children.
  3. List what only the report has: the council's promise.
  4. Ask why. A log records attendance; a newspaper records news.
  5. Say the Grade 2 addition: two honest records differ because they were kept for different purposes.
“Neither is hiding anything. They were written for different jobs.”

Guided practice — agree, differ, explain

12 min
  1. Pairs list agreements and differences between the two.
  2. For two differences they name the purpose that explains it.
  3. They say which record answers which question better.

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the two-records page.
  2. Read each question aloud.

Close

2 min
  1. Take one difference and its cause.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Thinks a difference means one record is wrong.

Why: They do not match.

Fix: Ask what each was for. Different purposes, different contents.

Thinks the newspaper is more reliable because it is published.

Why: Print looks authoritative.

Fix: The log counted the children. For that question it is better.

Treats silence as denial.

Why: One omits what the other has.

Fix: Ask whether it contradicts or simply does not mention.

If they are not there yet

  • Give the agreement and find one difference.
  • Shorter extracts.

If they finish early

  • Add a third record and place it.
  • Say what record would settle a disagreement.
  • Say what neither record could know.

Exit ticket

Why does the school log give numbers and the newspaper not?

What to look for: A purpose-based explanation. 'The paper forgot' means the purpose point needs restating.

Printable practice for D2.His.6.K-2

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Two Records, One Flood

How long does the Two Records, One Flood 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 Two Records, One Flood teach?

D2.His.6.K-2 — D2.His.6.K-2, History for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Compare different accounts of the same historical event.” In plain terms, compare two accounts of the same event.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

The flood report and the school log 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: thinks a difference means one record is wrong; thinks the newspaper is more reliable because it is published and treats silence as denial. 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: “Why does the school log give numbers and the newspaper not?.” A purpose-based explanation. 'The paper forgot' means the purpose point 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 Two Records, One Flood?

Yes — 1 printable D2.His.6.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 Two Records, One Flood 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.6.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.