🌍 Social StudiesGrade 2Lesson 30
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Compare Past and Present Schools

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Compare past schools and present schools
  • 2Sort facts about each into the correct group
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Mini Lesson

What was school like for kids in the past, 150 years ago? Schools in the past looked and worked very differently from schools today!

School in the past (then)

  • Most children went to a one-room schoolhouse — all grade levels learned together in a single room with one teacher.
  • Students wrote on slate boards (small chalkboards) with chalk, because paper and pencils were expensive.
  • Many children walked miles to school, often through snow and rain, because there were no school buses.
  • Schools had no electricity, no computers, and very few books.

School today (present)

  • Students are grouped into separate classrooms by grade, each with their own teacher.
  • Schools have computers, tablets, and projectors to help students learn in new ways.
  • Children ride a school bus or are driven to school — no long walks needed.
  • Schools have libraries, gyms, cafeterias, and many teachers who each specialize in different subjects.

What stayed the same?

  • Children still go to school to read, write, and do math.
  • Teachers still guide and encourage students every day.
School Then and NowLeft side shows a one-room schoolhouse from the past. Right side shows a modern school building with a bus.THENOne-room schoolhouseWalk milesNOWSCHOOL BUSModern school
A side-by-side comparison of a one-room schoolhouse from the past (left) and a modern school building with a school bus (right).
Classroom Tools Then and NowLeft column shows past classroom tools: slate board, quill pen, and candle. Right column shows present classroom tools: laptop, pencil, and electric light.Classroom ToolsThen (Past)Now (Present)abcSlate boardQuill penCandle lightLaptopPencilElectric light
Classroom tools compared: slate board, quill pen, and candle (past) versus laptop, pencil, and electric light (present).
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Ask yourself: "What is one thing about school that has changed? What is one thing that has stayed the same?"

Vocabulary
Past
A time that has already happenede.g. In the past, kids wrote on slates.
Present
The time happening right now, todaye.g. In the present, schools have computers.
Compare
To look at two things to see how they are alike or differente.g. This lesson compares schools in the past and today.
Change
When something becomes different over timee.g. School supplies have changed a lot.
Same
Not different — alikee.g. Some things at school stay the same, like recess.
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