Chapter 01

Then & Now

Kindergarten

What is "long ago"? · for our youngest historians

At a glance
Core ideaHistory begins by noticing what changed — and what stayed the same — between "long ago" and now.
Key termHistorian — anyone who asks questions about the past, even a young child.
You can…Spot clues in an old photo that show it comes from long ago.
Watch outNot everything changes — eating, playing and telling stories are as old as people.

Theory Key ideas

Now is today — right this minute! Long ago means a long, long time before now — before you were born, even before your grown-ups were born. When we learn about long ago, we are learning history. A person who studies history is called a historian — and today, you are one!

Some things from long ago look very different from today:

  • Long ago, people wrote letters on paper and waited days for an answer. Now, we can send a message in one second.
  • Long ago, people rode in wagons pulled by horses. Now, we ride in cars, buses and airplanes.
  • Long ago, there was no electric light — homes were lit by candles and fires. Now, we flip a switch.

But some things stay the same! Long ago and now, people still eat, sleep, play, tell stories, and love their families.

Explanation Why it matters

Noticing what is different between then and now — and what stays the same — is the very first step of thinking like a historian. Every time you ask a grown-up, "Did you have this when you were little?", you are doing real history!

A big historian word

Change. Things change over time. That is what the whole subject of history is about — finding out what changed, and why.

Practical Look at an old photo

A very old photo, described
A black-and-white picture of a kitchen. There is no refrigerator — just a wooden icebox. A lady stands at a big black stove, and there are no plugs on the wall because there was no electricity in that house yet.

A historian looks closely and asks questions: What do I see? What is missing that I have at home? What can I guess about how these people lived? No colour, an icebox instead of a fridge, no plugs — this photo must be from long, long ago.

Your turn: Find one old thing in your house (an old photo, toy or coin) and one new thing. Draw a picture of each one, side by side. Ask a grown-up: "How old is this?"

Q&A Test yourself

What does "long ago" mean?

It means a long time before right now — before today, before yesterday, even before your grown-ups were born.

What do we call someone who studies the past?

A historian. Anyone who asks questions about long ago — even a kindergartner — is being a historian.

How can you tell a photo is very old?

Look for clues! Old photos are often black-and-white, and the clothes, cars and objects in them look different from what we use today — like an icebox instead of a refrigerator.

Name one thing that is different today from long ago, and one thing that is the same.

Different: today we can talk to someone far away instantly with a phone, but long ago people had to write a letter and wait. Same: people have always eaten meals together and told each other stories.

Concept mind map

How the ideas connect

Every key idea in this chapter, branching from the core concept — use it to see the whole picture at a glance.

long agotodayold photoschangessame thingsgrandparentseveryday lifeThen & Now
Infographic

The key facts, visualised

Then
People lived with candles, horses and no phones
Now
We have electric lights, cars and computers
Clues
Old photos and toys show us the past
Solved examples

Worked problems, step by step

Follow each solution line by line, then try to reproduce it on paper before moving on.

Example 1How can we tell if a photo is old or new?

  1. Look at the clothes and cars in the picture
  2. Old photos are often black and white
  3. Ask a grown-up when it was taken

Example 2Name one thing that is the same then and now.

  1. Think about family and play
  2. Compare long ago with today
Practice problem set

Now you try

Work each one out first, then tap to reveal the worked answer.

1Did people long ago have mobile phones?
No. Long ago there were no mobile phones; people wrote letters or talked in person.
2What did people use for light before electric lamps?
They used candles and oil lamps to see in the dark at night.
3How did people travel before cars?
They walked or rode horses and carts to get from place to place.
4What is one thing that has changed at home?
Homes now have TVs and fridges, which people long ago did not have.
5Who can tell us stories about the past?
Grandparents and old people can tell us what life was like when they were young.