100th Day of School with Now and Then Twist

January 7, 2022

100th Day Celebrations

We do a great job in Kinder and 1st grade covering Math objectives with our 100 Day Celebrations with our snack, necklaces, and hats. But, how would you like to kick it up a notch, by adding Now and Then? K-1 Social Studies objectives usually include some sort of Now and Then Study.

Social Studies Makes Everything Better

Every primary teacher knows the struggle of finding enough time for Social Studies. Combining it with Math is the perfect solution. Whether your 100th Day falls in January or February, it’s a great time to cover Now and Then!

Pick Your Now and Then

This ties in perfectly to your 100 day theme and helps your kids get perspective on 100 years. There are many topics to choose from, but I would choose just one to make comparison easier. You could choose any area of your students’ lives:

Communication Now and Then
Transportation Now and Then
Schools Now and Then
Toys & Games Now and Then
Food Now and Then
Technology Changes over Time

There are so many things you could do! Since the morning will have been filled with exciting Math activities, calm things down a bit with a lot of observation of changes from now and then. Using photos, providing time sorts, and interviewing family members will round out your day, helping your students see changes over time in their community.

Photos let them See the Change

It is important for students to see that communities are always changing. Pictures give them a better perspective of a time outside their life span. Projecting photo scenes on your focus wall helps students pick out the different characteristics. Give them 2 minutes, then have them tell what they see!

Story time is a great time to take your class to the past to observe how their lives are different than the past. Picture books are great for letting students see life now and then. Here are a few of my favorite books on this topic:

Interview Family Members

Grandparents can be a great resource. If no grandparent is available, asking anyone who is 70 or older about their life growing up can bring a treasure trove of lessons about changes over time.

Send home a basic list of questions for show and tell. The kids will love it, and let them share out to the class while you document changes in the community on an anchor chart.

Let Them Sort

Social Studies is the perfect time for your students to work on Speaking and Listening goals. Sorting is the highest activity you can set for your students. It lends itself to the concept but also works toward long term memory skills.

The good news is that the same set of cards can be used over and over again, highlighting a different subconcept each time. You could:

Play “Corners” where you give the kids each a card, and they have to go to the right category card displayed on walls.
Rotate the cards through the tables, inviting group labeling & personal connections.
Sort whole group or in pairs on the pocket chart. Then play “Mix & Fix”, changing one, and kids must spot mistake.

Timelines and Other Resources

Using a floor timeline in your classroom will connect the Social Studies to the Math Objectives! Have your kids hold the picture cards. As a group, put the dates in order, and have the students make observation about the trends.

Teachers are very busy people with more tasks to do than time. If you need a shortcut to your 100 day plans, click on one of the covers below to check out the made-for-you resources.