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History

What Did You Do Yesterday?

Overview

Children talk about what they did yesterday, placing events in order from morning to night.

Learning Objective
Children understand that the past is different from the present and can sequence events from their own lives.

Resources needed

  • None

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Ask: what did you do this morning before school?
  2. 2 Children share one memory each.
  3. 3 Ask: what did you do yesterday afternoon?
  4. 4 Ask: what did you do last night before bed?
  5. 5 Together, put the events in order: morning, afternoon, evening.
  6. 6 Ask: is yesterday the same as today? What is different?
  7. 7 Introduce the word 'past' — yesterday is in the past.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Draw three pictures: morning, afternoon, evening — arrange in order.
  • Compare two children's yesterdays — what was the same? What was different?
  • Ask about last week instead of yesterday for a longer time span.
More information

Teach: yesterday, today, morning, afternoon, evening, past, before, after. Use gestures — point behind you for past, in front for future.

Children who cannot recall yesterday can talk about this morning. The sequencing skill is the same.

Can children place three events in the correct time order? Do they understand that yesterday is finished and cannot be changed?

No materials needed. Entirely oral. Children's own memories are the source material.

Children often confuse yesterday and today, or this morning and last night. Use consistent language: 'before you slept' and 'after you woke up' as anchors.

Personal history is the entry point for all historical thinking. Sequencing personal events builds the chronological framework children will later apply to wider history.

Activity details
Early Years Easy 15 minutes no prep Whole Class, Small Group Indoor & Outdoor
Topics
Personal History Memory Sequencing