Comparing Past and Present Societies in Grades 5–7 Using Age-Appropriate Examples

Teaching comparison skills helps students in social studies and beyond as they begin to learn how to make deeper connections between the different concepts they are learning. Planning comparison studies further fosters your students’ critical thinking skills, which transfers to all of the subjects they are learning. Plus, you’ll be able to squeeze in discussions about today’s current events while also highlighting important moments from the past.

Giving your students the opportunity to appreciate humanity’s shared history fosters empathy and cultural awareness. At the same time, you’ll also help students put current events into context and encourage them to think about their personal civic responsibility. Cultivating a sense of continuity and change influences middle schoolers’ perspectives as they begin to develop greater maturity that they’ll carry into adulthood.

Using these strategies will help you begin teaching middle school students how to compare past and present societies by using age-appropriate examples that build meaningful connections.

Choosing Appropriate Societies and Time Periods

In the fifth through seventh grades, students are often already learning about specific societies in their history and literature lessons. Drawing connections to these societies can provide more continuity in your lessons while also tapping into aspects of past and present life that resonate with students.

Discussions about ancient Greece and ancient Rome provide opportunities to make comparisons between democracy versus republic government systems. These societies also allow for conversations and studies about ancient mythology and the daily lives of the people who lived during these time periods. Students often get excited to learn about gladiators, and you can incorporate theater topics into your project planning.

Comparing ancient Egypt to modern societies is also a fun, deep dive to go into with your students. Middle schoolers are fascinated by ancient Egypt’s pyramids, mummies and other lifestyle details. Making comparisons between pharaohs and today’s global leaders also leads to talks about different government systems, including monarchies. 

You may also want to use local societies in your comparisons. For instance, comparisons between the early American colonizers versus the indigenous people open up conversations about land use, trade and belief systems. Comparisons between Native American tribes is another effective way to teach about diverse beliefs regarding the governance of societies within similar geographical areas.

Identifying Similarities and Differences Clearly

Making sure to keep the similarities and differences in societies clear is essential for avoiding the pitfall of having students mix up their facts. You can begin by modeling how to use comparative language, such as describing how to societies are alike. Modeling comparative thinking by asking questions that stimulate comparisons is also effective.

During your lessons, you can focus on specific aspects of a society. For instance, you might talk about the government and laws of two societies to draw comparisons. Later, you can introduce how the two societies were smilier regarding their choices of food or clothing. Reading books about each society can help students chunk the information together to prevent confusion.

Planning hands-on experiences can further help students to visualize the differences and similarities between societies. For instance, you could have students build pyramids and ziggurats to identify key differences between the structures. Dressing up as characters from Greek mythology and modern superheroes is another fun activity that fosters comparisons between past and present societies.

Using Daily Life Examples That Students Understand

Middle schoolers learn best when they can relate to the content in your lessons. Students in these grades tend to be highly focused on their clothing, makeup and hairstyles. Talking about how past societies dressed and prepared for important ceremonies is one example of a lesson that you could use to encourage them to make comparisons to how students live today.

You can also talk about the food that different societies eat or enjoyed in the past. Covering housing, transportation and roles within the society can also help you make lessons feel more relevant to your students. With this age group, you can also let the students provide some input on what they hope to learn in the unit. For instance, you could do a pre-lesson discussion where you ask the students to brainstorm questions they have about a different society’s lifestyle.

Providing input encourages even more interactions in your lessons. If you are concerned that your students might not know what to ask, then use trade books to provide basic introductions about past societies that spark questions and interest.

Incorporating Graphic Organizers and Discussion Prompts

Graphic organizers provide a visual way for students to begin processing how two things are different and similar. A classic T-chart is one type of organizer that you can use that middle schoolers should already have some experience with using. This type of organizer works best when you offer a few discussion prompts to get students started with brainstorming similarities and differences.

Venn diagrams are another type of organizer that works well for comparing two to three societies at the same time. Being able to use overlapping circles makes it easier for students to visualize shared traits and unique characteristics. Bubble charts could also be incorporated into your lesson plans to provide a new way to brainstorm ideas.

Avoiding Abstract or Overly Complex Comparisons 

Although your middle school students are beginning to form complex thoughts and opinions, it is best to avoid being too abstract. Sticking to factual information about the basic aspects of daily life for the various societies helps to avoid having your lessons fall into deep debates. Plus, making simplified comparisons helps students focus more on developing this essential skill rather than defending complex thoughts.

Including structured comparisons between past and present societies in your classroom helps students to develop their analytical thinking skills. While you’ll be teaching essential history, civics and cultural awareness lessons, your students will also begin to carefully analyze how various societies were similar and different. Since these discussions can get complicated, making sure to include visual aids and prompts further helps students analyze the lifestyles and experiences of different societies in ways that are memorable and meaningful throughout their middle school years.